Tim:

I am interested to know what teacher pay at this school looks like. Do you know? There was an article a week or so ago that said teachers in Simi Valley got a 2% increase in pay in contract negotiations. When taken into consideration 2% is below a cost of living increase and is too small to keep up with rising housing costs, and gasoline prices?

Do you think teacher salaries are too low, too high, or just right in Simi Valley? Would you ever support a system where teachers reached a high five figures to six figures salary structure to attract more of the top people into the field?

Scott

My Cousin was a Superintendent in Texas and he had the power to raise property taxes in the District on his own. I think we should give this same power to Superintendents in California to raise taxes to properly fund schools as Tim is talking about. Arleigh

Arleigh - it's an interesting idea. I don't know about giving the sup the authority, but perhaps the trustees. I personally think California has an antiquated method of collecting/funding/distributing tax dollars generally and we basically need a Marshall plan that would:

1. Create appropriate re-districting
2. Not tie legislative hands in budgeting
3. Create incentives for jobs and growth which would generate tax dollars
4. Re-evaluate how tax dollars are collected and distributed to assure a re-prioritization for infrastructure, education and public safety
5. Eliminate government waste and inefficiencies.

But do I think this will happen? No. There is no political courage in SAC from either party to even mention such a thing.

Scott - to get to your post about Teacher salaries - it's interesting indeed.

I don't have a teacher pay scale for this specific Sienna School, but I do have one for a comparable district: http://www.leanderisd.org/Employment/teacher_salary.html

The pay scales are lower than in California from what I have seen, but then the median home price is $167K, as opposed to $576K here in California.

Personally, I have been studying the work of the Lou Gerstner and The Teaching Commission who feel that teaching should be higher paid, more respected and better rewarding of innovative ideas and committed teachers.

I would be very supportive of talented, committed and innovative teachers being rewarded
with the type of salary that would keep them in the profession - and attract talented people like yourself.

But do I think this will happen? No. There is no political courage in SAC from either party to even mention such a thing.

Tim Keaney

Tim and Arleigh:

Is the Superintendent in Texas publicly elected?

Scott

Superintendants are hired by Boards of Education in Texas, just like in California

Tim and Arleigh:

Do you think it would make since that someone who is directly elected by the people be the only one that can raise property taxes? I am not sure having taxes raised by an unelected superintendent is really consistent with our traditions....

Thoughts...

Scott

Scott,
Who better would know the financial needs of the District then the Superintendent? If more money is needed to have the kind of schools Tim is talking about then I agree when Tim say's property taxes should be raised in California to properly fund schools the way they do in Texas.

It is a fair question that you are asking. On the one hand the Superintendent is considered an expert in education and therefore like a CEO should define how much resources need to get into the classroom.

On the other hand though, I fear leaving that power in the hands of one person who is not directly elected by the public.

I think your opinion is an interesting one because I view you as much more of an economic populist, which has it's roots in distrust of institutions and democratic accountability because those government institutions often act as enablers of corporate power and centralization according to economic populist thought.

Without getting too abstract your embrace of centralized decision-making on property taxes and the diffusion of school resources kind of flies in the face of that sort of institutional distrust that I have heard from you before. I am definately interested in how you reconcile these points.

Second, I have my own reconciliation to think about, because here I argue their should be democratic accountability locally on property taxes, yet in the past I have argued for higher NCLB funding and greater federal results-driven education policy, which can be taken further to mean greater centralization of power in educational decision-making.

I may very well conclude that I am just inconsistent, but I need to think about this more.

I am interested on how you reconcile your viewpoint with your distrust of institutions and economic power while arguing for central command and control on property taxes and educational spending.

Scott

One of the communities we visited while In Texas is ironically now looking for a new Sup. Check it out. On their web site, they are looking for community input on the type of Sup that would do a good job, mix well with the community and help to fulfill the communities' desires for excellence in education.

http://www.roundrockisd.org/home/index.asp

They are also going through a nationwide search.

Tim