Texas classrooms are under assault… from school administrators. Facing wise and necessary budget cuts, administrators are threatening to fire teachers, claiming the legislature is making them do it – when administrative bloat is the real problem. In fact, there is plenty of money flowing into Texas schools… it’s just that too much is spent outside the classroom.

Teachers are being told their jobs will be lost if the legislature makes cuts in education. Never mind that school administrators make many times more what classroom teachers do. Likewise, there are many positions outside the classroom that should be cut first. Currently, there is a 1:1 ratio between teachers and non-teachers on the education payroll.

While California has 1.6 million more public school students than Texas, they have 52,000 fewer public school employees!

The Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute finds that in the 1970s there were five teachers for every two non-teachers. Today, Texas is at a 1:1 ratio! Just taking Texas to a 3:2 ratio would save $3.25 billion!

Lavish pay packages, perks and bonus are standard for central administrators. The Austin Independent School District — currently threatening to fire hundreds of teachers — recently gave it’s superintendent ($275,000 salary) up to $25,000 in bonuses. Meanwhile, teachers make less than $50,000.

When making difficult, yet necessary cuts to education spending, it’s irresponsible and insulting to teachers and taxpayers for administrators to suggest that in-classroom spending be the first to go.

Cuts need to be made in public education… but not in the classroom!

A project of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility P.O. Box 200248 Austin, TX 78720