Don’t work in schools to find riches

A May 11 story stated that a Schaumburg Elementary District 54 assistant superintendent’s salary is $341,747 (along with a $250K/year pension after retirement). Of course school board members said it was justified. “...that’s what a lot of boards were doing at the time...the guy’s a genius...he’s probably saved us more than we paid him...if he worked on commission he’d be a millionaire...”

Really? How? How does someone managing a school system generate enough revenue and savings to return $341,000 every year? I wish the reporter had asked for some examples because I’m skeptical. I do have a theory — cost-cutting. Maybe it was energy savings. Keeping classrooms so warm that kids’ faces are flushed from the heat.

Was it renegotiating contracts with various suppliers? Outsourcing janitorial services? Serving nasty cheap food in the lunch program? Probably it included squeezing nickels and dimes from the lowest rungs of the organization. Maybe eliminating pay for moms doing lunch room supervision and making classroom aides do that work for no extra pay. Or, skimping on aide time by spreading them over more children.

I’m just guessing because that is what they seem to be doing in our district. Somehow, they have to justify whopping salaries for administrators. “Run schools like a business.” OK then, who are the customers? The students (learners)? The taxpayers? Only indirectly as they are paying for educated citizens to participate in the community. Dollars aren’t the only (or even the primary) measure for effective education. Administrators need to figure out ways to improve learning and the school experience. Let’s get people into leadership positions who want to develop students. People who want to get rich should go invent products and start companies.

Peter Robertson

Wheaton