Dakota Beacon

Information from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, as presented on the North Dakota Policy Council’s “Sunshine on Schools” website, is referenced. An excel spreadsheet was developed from the records of 7,051 teachers and 554 administrators, as described below:

K-12 Teachers:

Year “2009”, the most recent year (actually school year 2008-2009) for which information was available, was selected. “All Districts” was selected. “Teachers and Instructional Support” was selected (The alternative option, “Administration” was NOT selected). “Teacher” was then selected (The other options, which were NOT selected, included “Coordinator”, “Counselor”, “Instructional Programmer”, “Library Media Specialist”, “Psychologist”, “Pupil Personnel Sers”, “Special Education Consultant K-12”, “Supervisor”, and “Tutor in Training”.

• 2008-2009 Average total days teachers were employed = 184.65, as compared to 260 for a “full time” or 2,080 hours/year position.

• 2008-2009 Average Base Salary for teachers was $41,128.35

• 2008-2009 Average Total Salary for teachers was $43, 695.87

• 2008-2009 Average Benefits for teachers was $13,309.95

• 2008-2009 Average Total Compensation for teachers was $57, 005.82

• 2008-2009 Average Annualized* Total Salary for teachers was $61,441.19 ($29.54/hr)

• 2008-2009 Average Annualized** Total Compensation for teachers was $74,751.14

• In 2008-2009, 46% of Teachers (3,243/7,051) earned Annualized Total Compensation of $75,000 or more.

Note: It is entirely up to each individual teacher as to additional employment they wish to seek during the average 75.35 working days of summer.

* Total Salary x 260 / total actual days employed, computed for each of 7,051 entries.

** Total Compensation x 260 / total actual days employed, computed for each of 7,051 entries.

“Rankings & Estimates Rankings of the states 2009 and Estimates of School Statistics 2010, NEA Research December 2009” is referenced:

North Dakota Teacher Salary, as reported for 2009-2010 by the NEA, is $44,478 (49^th in the nation), above South Dakota’s $40,313 (50^th in the nation), and below Montana’s $45,750 (48^th in the nation).

K-12 Administrators:

Year “2009”, the most recent year (actually school year 2008-2009) for which information was available, was selected. “All Districts” was selected. “Administrator” was selected. “Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, Directors, and Assistant Directors” were selected.

• 2008-2009 Average total days administrators were employed = 219.74, as compared to 260 for a “full time” or 2,080 hours/year position.

• 2008-2009 Average Base Salary for administrators was $71,998.82

• 2008-2009 Average Total Salary for administrators was $74,103.29

• 2008-2009 Average Benefits for administrators was $21,921.90

• 2008-2009 Average Total Compensation for administrators was $96,025.19

• 2008-2009 Average Annualized* Total Salary for administrators was $87,544.53 ($42.09/hr)

• 2008-2009 Average Annualized** Total Compensation for administrators was $109,466.42

• In 2008-2009, 47.65% of Administrators (264 / 554) earned Annualized Total Compensation of $110,000 or more.

National Comparisons:

North Dakota ranked 2^nd in the nation in per capita state and local spending for higher education, 2006-07.

North Dakota ranked 24^th in the nation in per capita state and local government capital spending for public K-12 schools, 2006-07.

North Dakota ranked 29th in the nation in per capita expenditures of state and local government for Public K-12 schools, 2006-07.

All Education:

7^th, state and local government expenditures for all education as a percentage of direct general expenditures for all functions, 2006-07.

4^th (tied with Delaware, Utah, and West Virginia), state expenditures (per $1,000 of personal income) for all education, 2007.

9^th, per capita expenditures of state & local government for all education, 2006-07.

10^th (tied with Iowa), state & local government expenditures (per $1,000 of personal income) for all education in 2006-07.

13^th (tied with Alabama), per capita state expenditures, all education, 2006-07.

Higher Education:

2^nd, per capita state & local government expenditures for higher education, 2006-07.

18^th, local expenditures as percentage of state and local expenditures for public higher education institutions, 2006-07.

33^rd (tied with South Dakota), per capita state and local government capital spending for higher education institutions, 2006-07.

K-12 Education:

24^th, per capita state and local government capital spending for public K-12 schools, 2006-07

29^th, per capita expenditures, state & local government for public K-12 schools, 2006-07.

44^th, current expenditures, public K-12 schools in 2006-07 per $1,000 of personal income in 2007.

38^th, current expenditures, public K-12 schools per student in fall enrollment, 2007-08.

39^th, current expenditures, public K-12 schools per student in average daily attendance, 2007-08.

42^nd, current expenditures, public K-12 schools per student in fall enrollment, 2008-09

43^rd, current expenditures, public K-12 schools per student in average daily attendance, 2008-09.

Commentary:

726 teachers (10.3%) earn under $55,000 annualized compensation while 535 teachers (7.6%) earn over $100,000 in annualized compensation.

Five teachers confronted by the above chart of teacher pay commented “There can’t be any teachers earning over one hundred thousand dollars in compensation per year…this chart must include administrators.”

Those five disbelieving teachers struck a chord concerning the irony of 10.3% of teachers being paid so poorly by the same system in which 7.6% are richly rewarded with annualized compensation over $100,000.

Has the Department of Public Instruction corrected inequities in teacher pay?

The irony in these numbers is obvious. A K-12 education system administered by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, a state government agency, has not done what it takes to erase gross inequities in teacher pay within its own system. Instead, the DPI just listens and shrugs as the NDEA complains that North Dakota starting teacher pay is 50^th in the nation. I personally challenge voters to fire the current superintendent of DPI. And I personally challenge legislators to correct the inequities in the next session.

North Dakota K-12 Administration must be trimmed.

The folks responsible for a minimum level of equity in teacher pay are asleep at the wheel. It is time many of them retire and allow new talent a chance to correct the teacher pay inequities they have ignored for far too long. And blaming past legislatures is a coward’s way out. K-12 Education is an extremely influential special interest.

Teacher retirements in coming years offer Opportunity.

As high paid teachers retire, school boards will be confronted with unique fiscal opportunities to provide equity in teacher pay.

The goal is the same no matter the speaker.

All residents of North Dakota must understand that constantly improving student outcomes are the goal, not more and higher paid administrators and unjustly compensated teachers.