Do We Need To Merge School Districts, Or A New Mindset?
In today’s News Journal, State Auditor R. Thomas Wagner Jr. claims that consolidating Delaware’s 19 school districts could save the state 50 million a year. Those against the idea cite problems such as a loss of local control and the need to level up salaries. The salary argument seems to have merit, but when I see 19 different school districts in a state of our size I think… fiefdoms.
Sen. Karen Peterson, D-Stanton, who introduced a bill earlier this year that calls for the same four districts in Wagner’s report. “It doesn’t make sense to have 19 sets of everything — superintendents, deputy superintendents, directors of food service.”We’re throwing all of our money at doing things 19 times instead of putting the money in the classroom,” she said.
She has a point. And so does Sen. Dave Sokola, D-Newark:
“With or without consolidation, we are administratively top-heavy in Delaware. The way the system is now isn’t as efficient as it could be. And I don’t know if that’s because we’re not consolidated or because we don’t work together enough.”
Now, I’m not sure how I feel about consolidating districts, but I do feel that Delaware’s school districts are ridiculously top (administrative) heavy. And a big part of that problem is due, imo, to mindset. When did leaving the classroom for an administrative position become a promotion? The way to get ahead? Why don’t we view administrators as a support system for teachers, rather than the head honchos? And why are their salaries so out of line when compared to the people who actually teach our children every day? Of course, I just answered my first question – it’s about the money. And that’s the problem. Our public school system appears to be based on a corporate model.
And just like the corporate model, those in administration fight to justify their jobs and salary. This means constantly revamping and changing curriculum. I have lived through the “new math” and “whole language” fiasco. And when they didn’t work administrators re-discovered phonics. Talk about a never ending circle. And if you want to see it in action, attend a board meeting. There’s always one or two administrators promoting the next latest and greatest model – complete with a Power Point presentation that my 12 year old could better prepare.
But most people don’t attend school board meetings (Hell, most people don’t vote in school board elections) and I don’t blame them. It’s like entering a foreign country with a language no one but the natives understand. If you go prepare yourself for a sea of “rubrics” and “metrics.” These words tend to dominate, no matter the topic.
But I’ve veered off course, so let me return… I’m not certain consolidating is the answer. I’ve been thrilled with the Brandywine School District (FYI, I choiced out of Red Clay into Brandywine), so I wouldn’t be too happy in having that district tarnished. But that’s personal, and I’m trying to look at the big picture. In that vein, I’m all for dismantling the fiefdoms. But we need to do more. We need to change our mindset, and stop saying stupid things like “It’s for the kids” when everyone can see that it’s not. It’s for the administrative corporate model that rewards climbing the educational ladder… straight out of the classroom.
Tags: Education
Wagner said his office did not consider leveling up salaries because those would be negotiated by local unions.
So what happens to that $50 million after you level up?
What is levelling up – same salaries statewide, or just same salaries within the new consolidated district?
Here is the complete report http://sz0002.wc.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/SD%20At%20A%20Glance%20-%20Consolidation%20(Final%20copy).pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=103960&part=2
Northern District would consist of Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay eliminating 363 managers positions saving $22,797.138. See report for other consolidations.
The downside is questions to school board election, equalization of school taxes within the consolidation and referendums. Will a larger district hinder needed referendums?
Cosolidation may be good for school choice and perhaps give Wilmington a high school. There are no traditional high schools in the city of Wilmington.
I agree with Sokola however,ask Dave how “he” led the way for the repeal of Title 14, Chapter 2, Subchapter I, section 207. This legislation required an impact study prior to a legislative vote and did require the identification of funding sources. Currently we have state legislative system that pushing underfunded and unfunded manadates.
Sure we can blame districts with top heavy managment however, reform starts in Dove and the top.
The call for consoildation is a direct reslut of the LEAD report aka Rodel / business roundtable led by Skipper.
The NewsJournal has link to the report. Apparently Wagner doesn’t have it up on his website yet.
Well, the time, um, two times ago that the state eliminated districts and consolidated, it eviscerated my town, and effectively destroyed most of the hope anyone here had for getting an education.
On that basis, I’d vote no.
Wagner provided the financial consideration, or one view of it anyway.
Now we need leaders with a broader portfolio to examine the social considerations.
Well, while we are restructuring, why not go even further? Many of the administrative functions that have assistant superintendent titles seem a bit much, or a sop to their academic credentials, which may or may not be for the job. Why not call them managers, and open up more positions to non-teachers? This would tend to minimize the need to “promote” teachers out of the classroom.
I do think there are a lot of ways to achieve cost savings through consolidation, but I think there is going to be a big fight. People don’t necessarily want THEIR school districts consolidated, just everybody else’s….
anon
“Now we need leaders with a broader portfolio to examine the social considerations.”
I agree and we need to engage the public without Rodel being the town hall facilitator.
Most of education problems start in Dover starting political PACs.
There’s no reason for 19 districts. Maryland’s counties each have one district, and many of their high schools are exemplary. What does anyone expect the superintendents to say when 14 or 15 of them would be looking for work if Wagner’s recommendations were ever enacted?
Of course, we could be New Jersey, which has, I believe, more than 600 districts, all of which have a superintendent, secretaries, finance directors, etc. Many of these districts do not have a high school. In 2005-06, the Elmer School District had 58 students. It operates a single school for grades K-4. Sea Isle City, Avalon and Stone Harbor each have fewer than 100.
I’m with Another Mike. Administrators have a dog in this fight, so I’ll take their views with a grain of salt.
We really need to change the mindset of the system. We need to have people fighting to get promoted into classrooms, not out of them.
Can we have raised hands of people who were educated in Delaware, as children?
As someone who specifically moved from one district (Colonial) to a better one (Brandywine), no way in hell would I want to join with the other three lame-o school districts.
It’s bad enough that your kids choice into my district. 😉
🙂
born here to
What does Tom Wagner DO? I mean besides generate paper and send out press releases? Do we need his office and all the staff there?
Brooke, I was educated in Delaware – so was my brother, who is way smarter than me!
Nemski, you should have done a better job keeping BSD a secret! And I agree, personally, that I don’t want any of those other three “lame-o” districts screwing up BSD.
I’m not saying you can’t get a good education in Delaware. I MIGHT go so far as to say that consolidating districts has, so far, not improved our quality of education, and I don’t see any reason it would, this time.
What this proposal would create is another “too big to fail whale”.
We ARE enormously top-heavy in administration. It’s absurd. But the little impact an ordinary citizen may have would be completely eliminated by centralizing more.
I’d prefer the state department of Ed to earn their keep by developing resource centers available to everyone, but I live in a world of vivid imagination.
Another Mike makes alot of great points — and the NJ stats are pertinent. $50M is alot of money especially now. And I really don’t see how much local control gets lost when you are talking about school districts that will still be smaller than probably any county district in Maryland. This is a small place and this kind of redundant government serves pretty much to make sure that alot of energy gets expended to make sure it survives. And consolidated districts are an excellent excuse to get the Dover DOE to pare way down.
Currently most of the districts by their own food supplies (lunch and breakfast). How would that work out as far as centralizing it? Maybe that would be a good first step.
The food services of each district are their own entity. Most of them make money. BSD does, RCD & CSD do. Not sure about colonial. However, the main difference in purchasing the food is what each district buys. BSD revamped their program several years ago to co to leaner, healthier foods. Same with RCD. So the first step would be each district agreeing on a common menu.
Because, cassandra, we aren’t NJ or Maryland. MY state used to have little towns, with individual history and character. No native Delawarean would EVER have gotten confused that Rehobeth and Bethany Beach were the same place.
Now we’re 90×30 of strip malls and bedroom communities, with a history of last week, if that. It’s a loss.
Brooke – most of us natives of 40+ years know it is spelled Rehoboth.
True, arther, lol. 😉 I’m a terrible speller. 😀
Despite the work of many fine Delaware teachers. 😀
As someone who specifically moved from one district (Colonial) to a better one (Brandywine), no way in hell would I want to join with the other three lame-o school districts.
Same excuses, different reasons (hopefully). A refresher:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desegregation_busing_in_the_United_States#Wilmington.2C_Delaware
BTW, I cringe at this whole Delaware Native talk.
Because, cassandra, we aren’t NJ or Maryland. MY state used to have little towns, with individual history and character.
That seems to be a mostly banal point. But doesn’t quite address the economies of scale that are really possible here. And the NJ lesson is very pertinent — one of the reasons they have massive property tax issues (as well as massive corruption issues) is because of all of that redundant government that needs to be fed. Thought about another way, why should we be paying an additional 50M plus just to preserve what is mostly an illusion of individual history or character?
Other than that you are wrong about my reasoning.
And actually, I believe my son has more African-Americans in his classes than if he was in Colonial. As a matter of fact, for Fourth and Fifth grade, he was a minority student.
The fact is there is a lot of waste to be cut, and most of that waste is at the top. You have administrators making disproportionally more than teachers and kids don’t have textbooks. How is that possible?
Consolidation, or not, administration is too bloated, and this bloat, imo, leads to districts hindering teachers rather than supporting them. There needs to be a lot more of “what can we do to help teachers teach,” and a lot less of “here’s a nifty new program for you to learn and implement so I can justify my position.”
God, when did this become so ass backward? The first administrator was hired basically as a secretary – helping with paperwork/filing so a teacher could teach.
As a person educated entirely within the borders of this state, I am dismayed by the spelling errors in this thread. 🙂
Pandora wrote The fact is there is a lot of waste to be cut, and most of that waste is at the top. You have administrators making disproportionally more than teachers and kids don’t have textbooks. How is that possible?
For several years, mrs. nemski taught at a Montessori school. She made a pittance. I, on the other hand, worked at a bank that help destroy the American way of life. When my boy found out that I made substantially more than a teacher he was dumbfounded because as he said, “Teaching is a more important job.”
I would be more in favor of each school being its own entity. yes there would be discrepancies in the funding but the legislature would have to figure that out. Do away with the DOE and district administration and let each school run themselves.
Nemski’s right. One of the reasons we choiced into BSD was because they maintained diversity. Red Clay, at the elementary level is completely segregated – deliberately, imo.
Look at what BSD did when they had to comply with Neighborhood schools. They took P.S. duPont and turned it into a middle school… now, most other districts would have simply let it become a dumping ground school (see Warner, Shortlidge and AI duPont middle in Red Clay for glaring examples) But BSD moved their gifted program – and all the kids that went with it – into PS, thus maintaining a balance and diversity. There’s also been talk that their IB program will be moving there as well. That’s just smart.
Nemski, my “Delaware native talk” is about learning from history. Why would it be okay to decry development because it destroys farms and wetlands but not because it destroys communities?
My point is, we consolidated school districts and wound up with the situation pandora so ably describes. Does anyone believe the administrator of the grand consolidated district will be paid LESS than the current ones? So, even if we reduce the number, we increase the inequity, at the same time making the districts potentially less (if that is conceivable) responsive to local concerns.
“Local control” is another fallacy along the lines of “we want parent involvement” and “it’s for the kids.” Certain parents and residents have unbelievable access, others (usually those that disagree with the district) not so much.
Okay, pandora, so, do you have a position on consolidation?
we consolidated school districts and wound up with the situation pandora so ably describes
This situation doesn’t get unwound by spinning off more school districts, either. But in many ways, what Wagner’s report discusses is economies of scale and a more efficient use of money. I don;t think that he is claiming that a consolidation will fix all of the social ills that districts have to deal with. It does point to money spent on admin that could be spent on books.
Which is awesome, if the money actually gets spent on books. I’ll bet you right now, any economy doesn’t.
Sussex County is a whole different world from that which you are talking about – and there is absolutly NO reason for us to have the number of school districts that we do. As a teacher in a school down this way, I see a LOT of waste – we lost an adminstrator at district office last year and nothing has changed except we get less pointless memos. Consolidatation would be a good positive step towards saving money instead of cutting teacher pay. I literally live less than 10 miles from THREE “district offices,” all filled with people who get paid six figures to “administrate” – whatever the hell that is.
Understand, I started school in a tiny district, that was consolidated. From my direct experience, the smaller district had parent involvement and support and the larger one had less. These days, it looks like there are even more barriers to community involvement, so maybe another consolidation wouldn’t hurt, I don’t know.
“So, even if we reduce the number, we increase the inequity, at the same time making the districts potentially less (if that is conceivable) responsive to local concerns.”
If it is not conceivable that the districts could be less responsive to local concerns, then what harm would consolidation do on that front? I’ve found that it is possible to get answers from people no matter the size of the entity if you know how to proceed.
I’m sure there are ways to set up these larger districts so they are responsive to local concerns. This is more of people not wanting to change, not that change is impossible or impractical. No matter what the size of the district, if people want to be involved, they are involved. Sounds more like a problem with the parents than the district.
BTW, born and raised in north Wilmington, but went to nonpublic schools. I am a believer in public education, however, but there are plenty of ways to trim the fat without damaging the product.
Brooke, I’m not sure how I feel about consolidation, but the points made by Cassandra and anononthisone are extremely valid. As far as parent involvement… that’s greatly tied to one’s socio-economic level. And even if the higher socio-economic sector may not always volunteer their time, they do write checks. I’ll have to look up the differences in PTA treasuries. I remember it was jaw dropping.
pandora
“Local control” is another fallacy along the lines of “we want parent involvement” and “it’s for the kids.” Certain parents and residents have unbelievable access, others (usually those that disagree with the district) not so much.”
Those with greater access tend to be more center on the community rather than their child. “Parental Involvement” for many years was defined by the system only wanting parents to bake cookies and do the fundraiser. The is this line that parents aren’t welcome to cross that gives parents a role in decision-making. For Title 1 parents their is a section in NCLB /ESEA sec 1118 (pretty such thats the sec) that mandates that parents are to be part of the design, review and implementation of Title 1 services and in fact are required to particapate in the annual Consoildated Grant Application process. However even which such law parents are being wired to not rock the board and the instillment of civil duty certianly isn’t provided by the districts.
Gone are the good old day when Pandora would go toe to toe and nose to nose with the mighty Don of Red Clay. I could had made a fortune selling popcorn.
Consolidation at this time would do nothing to improve education and will actually harm it. The state should take over all public schools making one district and leave local unpaid school board intact to address local discipline and monitor the delivery of academic services within. Dump the local school tax and impose a state education sales tax. All teachers and staff will then be paid by state and federal funds manage by the state / DOE. Let DOE deal with all the labor contacts! Bottom-line let DOE deal with all the bullshit and let the local school board focus on ensuring the delivery of quality education at the local level. When failures are indentified report it to DOE for corrective actions. All services food, transportation, HR, construction, purchasing and such be controlled by the state /DOE. This would reduce many jobs at the district level consoidation them at a central level in Dover.
The educational sales tax would keep legislator in check from passing underfunded and unfunded state mandates because no longer could they shift finanical burden back on the local taxpayers.
We’re a small ass state and all our public students state wide is less than many in big cities or counties around the nation.
Pandora, the reason the community isn’t more involved in the schools is because of their socio-economic class? Do you really want to go with that explanation?
A point I’ve made here before is that we do not have to reinvent the wheel in order to achieve productive consolidation, because there are models of excellent/successful county school districts, even some nearby, like Montgomery County, MD, and Fairfax County, VA.
The first thing we need to do, if we are serious and willing, is to form a task force to study the issue and come back with a recommendation on implementation details in DE’s three counties and on cost savings.
That said, to attempt to be realistic about DE, I don’t see consolidation happening anytime soon, unless perhaps monetary pressures on State and family give us no other choice.
“Locals”, please correct me if I am wrong: My ten years’ observation is that DE has a tradition of segregated schools, by race and social status, and small, locally controlled public school districts, and, a relatively large number of private schools. I don’t see this changing either easily or in a timely manner, and most likely not at all.
In the meantime, the privates will continue to skim off the better students, and the publics will continue to be overburdened with administrative costs and underfunded with money for the classroom teachers and the classrooms themselves. It’s backwards here!
Pandora is right: We need to create the environment where educators will be fighting to get into the classroom, rather than to be promoted out of them. Down deep, most dedicated educators will tell you that the real satisfaction comes from nurturing student achievement, as compared to being part of shuffling papers and going to meetings! If nurturing student achievement is not possible due to extraneous collateral factors, then the teacher frustration level takes over, along with the desire to escape the classroom. In too many of today’s classrooms, this is exactly the situation which exists. This is a reflection on the current state of our nation, in my view.
Time is a luxury, Brooke. So is a flexible work schedule. I hate the way the term “parent involvement” is tossed around, implying that all the “uninvolved” parents simply don’t care.
I was PTA president of a high poverty, city school and found if I scheduled volunteers at the book fair, etc. in 15 minute slots people showed up to help. Transportation is also an issue, since there is a segment of the population that doesn’t own one, let alone two, cars.
One night I was griping about a school event – and I lived across the street from the school! – because it was a freezing, icy February night. When I arrived there was a woman waiting with her 1st grader and 10 month old. I introduced myself as a member of the PTA and the woman immediately apologized for not attending the meetings. She didn’t own a car, and had taken the bus to this event.
Right then and there I told her she had already done more for her child than anyone I knew. Seriously, how many of us would have taken a bus to a school event if our car broke down? We’d say, “I wanted to go, but my car broke down.” And not one of our friends/neighbors would have suggested we take the bus. They would have said, “Well, of course you couldn’t go.”
So yeah, I’m sticking with that explanation.
Brooke
“Pandora, the reason the community isn’t more involved in the schools is because of their socio-economic class?”
Goes beyond that and I see major failures in so-called community leaders some claiming to be civil rights leaders failing to step up. Many poor parents lacking in education don’t have the skills to fight they system and pehaps why fight the system that provides you welfare. How’s that go , don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
The system is skillful enough to roll the more affluent parents under the bus who often step up for the needs of their child such as favors getting into choice and charter schools.
For years low performing teachers in high performing schools are given the VT option. VT aka Voluntary Transfer leaves them one place to go and thats where the vacancies are, high poverty schools. Look where the Teach for America teachers are going! High poverty Title 1 schools where rules for “highly qualified” teachers are bent with the support of the feds.
If Arne Duncan and Al Sharpton proclaims “Education reform the civil rights issue of the 21th century” why then aren’t the local civil rights activist engaging in Delaware? When eveyone is on the payroll whose left to fight?
Comment by Perry
“Please correct me if I am wrong: My observation is that DE has a tradition of segregated schools, by race and social status, and small, locally controlled public school districts, and, a relatively large number of private schools. I don’t see this changing either easily or in a timely manner, and most likely not at all.”
There are concerns that segregation continues via charter schools. However, the reformist point out applications to a charter is a choice. Same goes in Red Clay, students are assigned to schools but can elected to choice so Warner is 81% African-American and 84% high poverty by choice.
But, Pandora, you’ve already set up the system with your own bias, so why shouldn’t it reflect that? You have “volunteer” contextualized into “for the book fair” “through the PTA”. I grew up with a school where volunteers taught music, and history. I have a friend who just withdrew her child from school because she wasn’t welcome in his classroom. Not her, specifically, “parents”. “Parent volunteers” might, or might not, be welcome in their kids classes, even if available.
I know a lot of people (all over, not just in Delaware) who are busting ass to pay private school tuition and THEN making cupcakes for the holiday party. And some of them are doing that because they WANT a holiday party, with cupcakes. The whole “time is a luxury” business makes me rofl. If you don’t know people who worked nightshift jobs so they could be present for small children, I do. Many of those people would not be available for a PTA meeting held after the bus service stops, but they’d be in the classroom, even missing sleep. If they were welcome.
Brooke, we’re not that far apart. I do believe I said that one of the biggest lies in education is “we want parent involvement.”
No, I think our points of view would be very similar. 🙂
But here’s the thing. We must evaluate EVERY action we take with our schools primarily as it impacts our students. God knows, I’d like costcutting. The impact on my family of raises in school taxes has been ridiculous, for reasons I won’t go into, here. But I saw the consolidation we’ve previously undergone having a largely negative impact on student outcome, and that makes me cautious.
Consolidation assumes that 3/4 of our current administrative staff is superfluous. I just find that hard to credit. I’m picturing, frankly, “District offices” that rise from the plain like Ship Rock, visible for miles, a monument to monopoly in education. Worries me.
Guess you never heard about Red Clay’s District office site. I believe it was constantly referred to as the penthouse. 🙂
An interesting discussion.
My kids have gone to school in Brandywine years ago; and to a small, local district in another state; and to a large, county-wide consolidated district in yet another (We’ve moved a lot!)
We’ve been in a school with a high percentage of parental involvement and in a school with almost none.
Here’s the thing: the small, local district is more expensive; my taxes for the same valued house are much, much higher; my kids’ services are often dependent on the “squeaky wheel” syndrome; and who you know is much more important than what your kid needs; and, while there are fewer services, you know exactly what your kid is getting. The administrators are accessible, but often entrenched.
The large, consolidated, county-wide district is less expensive; my kids’ services are dependent on how they test out and what the counselor says; you can’t really know anyone except your kids’ teachers and assistant principals; and there are many more services, courses and “stuff” offered, but you sometimes have to seek it out and you have to keep up — no one is going to lead parents gently by the hand. The administrators aren’t living in “a monument to monopoly in education” (brooke– I love that phrase!) but are very aware of the trajectory of their careers, more so than their peers in the smaller districts.
It’s just different.
Good education doesn’t depend on the size of the district (and sometimes not even the amount of money thrown at it). There are so many variables. My experience in Brandywine was horrible. Most people wouldn’t agree. My experience in Louisville, KY — a place that should have been the pits — was outstanding.
There is no “one size fits all”. But as the costs of education continue to grow far faster than the rate of the economy, and as property values decline, there will be a point of revolt: whether you decrease the school budget and deal with the fallout, or you lower costs through consolidation, a choice will have to be made.
“Guess you never heard about Red Clay’s District office site. I believe it was constantly referred to as the penthouse.”
You go it! And I have copies of the invoices for the imported cherry veneered furniture. Wasn’t the lease for $650,000,00 + a year? Remember Red Clay owne an office build paid in full on Washington Street and sold it to help pay for Brandywine Springs which had an annex building for the new district office. The the parents cried to expand Brandywine Springs to K-8 and the district office signed off to a multi year lease at he penthouse even though there was space at Warner or asking Charter School of Wilmington vacanted now needed space.
Ugh! Don’t get me started, Kilroy.
“Ugh! Don’t get me started, Kilroy.”
LOL ! come on now don’t you miss the day sparing with the Don and his capos.
Not at all. Mainly because they were screwing over children – and not just any children, the neediest children. They relied on poverty and it’s silence to get their way. That makes them despicable.
Well, full agreement there, pandora. 🙁
I forgot I wanted to talk about this:
Why don’t we view administrators as a support system for teachers, rather than the head honchos?
When my dad was a school principal, this was pretty much the way that he ran the front office. His job was to make sure that teachers had what they needed to do their jobs AND to deal with the folks at HQ to get resources and do the best he could to keep them away from the teachers. Because teachers should be teaching, not kissing the butt of bureaucrat someplace. Other good principals that I saw at the time had similar mindsets(and if you think about the kind of places that 60 Minutes tends to idolize you see this as something of a pattern).
It strikes me that this is a way to think about some of the additional streamlining to get more resources in a classroom. Some HQ overhead is to be expected but I’m pretty sure that there is alot that is not needed.
Of course, such a plan would also severely diminish local control over your local schools, likely resulting in responsiveness akin to what you get when you go for your driver’s license.
Red Clay a good example of what can go wrong in consolidation. One part of district elects entire board, tilts policy in its favor, screws schools in rest of district.
General result of post-deseg upstate consolidation of upstate districts: No economy of scale, no local control, layers of life-tenured middle management. Things were a lot better when Stanton, McKean, Conrad and AI had their own districts.
I’m not trying to be a smart ass here, but what exactly do you mean by “local control”? Graduation requirements are set by the state, are they not? What benefits, exactly, do our students currently realize because the districts have local control? Not the administration, not the teachers, but the students.
Can anyone give examples from three Delaware school districts of local control? I’m guessing that Brandywine School District having an IB program is one, so you can’t use that one.
Ooh, great question, Another Mike. I’m not sure what “local control” means.
Local control means the right to hold the community hostage ‘for the kids’ at referendum time