I have been following the discussion arising from the suggestion of Yigal Gross. Reducing the tuition burden often suggests doing so by introducing efficiencies in the current system. Kudos to Mr. Gross for viewing the day school system from a different perspective. However, there is an underlying fact in current school culture that needs to be addressed.
In the early days of the day school movement, the bulk of staff salaries were paid to compensate people who had contact teaching time with students. For supervision there was a principal and assistant principal. The office secretary was also school mother/nurse/scheduler/face of the school. Besides the custodian, most every member of the faculty spent most of their time in the classroom. As Robert Tisch—of the real estate Loew’s Corporation--told his employees when he was Postmaster General (1996-1998), ‘If you don’t touch the mail, you’re overhead.’ In today’s day schools the salaries paid for non-contact teaching have soared to include expanded administrative positions--Head of School, multiple vice principals and supervisors. Add to this marketing, admissions and development personnel to augment the admin team.
School leaders, both lay and professional, will explain that this expansion of administration is necessary to keep pace with the public and private schools that are the day school’s competition. What is left unsaid is the widening gap in salary between teachers and administrators. The pay scale in many day schools today encourages teachers to seek administrative positions. Promotions to administration provide incentives for teacher advancement and a method for schools to keep good personnel. When searching for school leaders, Personnel Committees believe that they must pay top dollar to attract what they believe are the most qualified people. Parents are left to assume the burden which has now become unbearable.
The lesson from the movie ‘Moneyball’ is instructive. The success of an organization today is based on objective data. The Oakland Athletics portrayed in the movie were able to field a World Champion team not because they could compete with payroll of the Yankees, but because they identified and paid for talent rather than reputation. Much less costly, much more productive.
Increasing contact teaching time coupled with reducing the cost of administration can bring a significant reduction in the tuition burden. It might even contribute to a more excellent educational experience.
Rabbi Eliot Feldman
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2016 09:30PM by mlb.
