A news item appeared a couple weeks ago which indicated that "fat cat superintendents" are the reason schools don't have enough money to operate or teachers salaries are low. The news began - "Millions of dollars were spent on public schools in Oklahoma, and now there are fears (emphasis mine) that school superintendents are getting too big a slice of that pie". The "fears" are assumed to be Senator Jason Smalley's, who said: "We should be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and we should be able to hold them accountable to some degree in order to make the best decisions moving forward". The "fears" are also assumed to be from Representative Tim Downing and his corporate cronies - who want nothing more than their fair share of Oklahoma tax dollars (see "OPCSA sues state board"), by funneling public dollars away from public schools and toward private and corporate schools. Also, in answer to the question "Do you think our education system in Oklahoma is top-heavy?" Tim Downing replied "yes, as an example we spend $1.5 million in Garvin and McClain Counties just for superintendents". Downing's position on our public schools and teachers can be further ascertained when he answered a question about the sales tax for teacher pay raises: "I'll be voting NO..." teacher pay raise. While these politicians' statements may be true, they would be be what the hill folk living on Rush Creek might call "selling a load of bull..." Our educated cousins from the city would call these statements political rhetoric, half-lies, and innuendos. Many Oklahomans believe "selling a load bull" is just as unethical as an out-and-out lie, because it is are spewed by politicians to convince those who they believe are uneducated - to believe a lie. For example, when Downing answered the question about top-heavy administration, he said that in Garvin and McClain Counties "we spend $1.5 million just for superintendents". He was trying to convince voters and the general public that superintendents are overpaid. What he failed to mention is that superintendent salaries make up less than 1% (.98%) of total public school expenditures in McClain and Garvin Counties and total school administrative costs amount to about 3% of school expenditures. This leaves 97% which is spent on non-administrative functions. Rush Creek hill folk would simply not buy Downing's load of bull, which would be akin to buying "ocean-front property in Arizona"... and invite him to a "squarin' off" place. More polite hill folk would simply invite him to a debate. He and his out-of-state corporate cronies, however, would be just as unlikely to debate the issue as they would in accepting an invitation to a "squarin off place"... LOL! But I digress...
In the aforementioned real news, Senator John Sparks said "The plan is simple -- find out how much superintendents make across Oklahoma and find out if it's burning a hole in the state's pocket." All I can say is, it's about time. But maybe I can speed up the legislative process by offering a quantitative analysis of what Representative Downing insinuates are "fat-cat superintendents".
A quantitative analysis of state legislator salaries may be what drives lawmakers like Downing and Smalley to spew their political rhetoric about superintendent salaries. A 2016 analysis revealed that Oklahoma legislator salaries at $50,880 for 64 days work, ranked 12th among the 50 states. The $50,000 salary seems to be a little high for passing unconstitutional laws, inability to balance the state budget, keeping teacher salaries at the bottom of the barrel, reducing per pupil appropriations, and increasing taxes on Oklahomans but not corporate cronies. I may be wrong, however, because it probably is hard work in trying to keep up with all the lies and trying to keep their constituents fooled with rhetoric, innuendos, and half-lies.
In 2015-2016, Oklahoma public schools spent a total $5,606,044,118 in educating our students. Of that total, $51,811,764 was spent on superintendent salaries, or less than one percent (1%). Oklahoma public schools had 692,670 students in 2015-2016, so spent $8093.38 per student. Superintendent pay per student averaged $74.80. Those who discredit and degrade our public schools may use "high superintendent pay" to distract the public from the real issue - low teacher pay, but a quantitative analysis of data reveals otherwise. Those who continually denigrate our teachers and public schools must be exposed with real data and statistics.
"Draining the swamp" of lawmakers who denigrate and insult our teachers, students, and public schools in general goes further than Smalley and Downing - and requires an in-depth examination of political characteristics they share with others. For example, most employ the same clandestine and "dark money" advisers Fount Holland and his sidekick Chad Alexander. An examination of campaign contributions and support documents also indicates they all have solicited and received $ hundreds of thousands from groups such as the pro-voucher "American Federation for Children Action Fund" (a multi-million dollar private and corporate school group out of Washington D.C.). Oklahoma State Senators and Representatives who have accepted a pay check from their out-of-state corporate cronies work for them, and not their constituents.
In my opinion, lawmakers like Senator Smalley and Representative Downing are the "bearers of fake news" to the public, and must be called out - but you decide...
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