School Administrators: Pay and Performance

Do we not usual believe that pay should equate in some way to performance and results from their performance and leadership.

In most professions people are paid commensurate to their need and performance, if the need is great and the talent pool is limited then what a "company" has to pay increases. A potential employees pay would increase if their performance and the results from that performance is above average or better. Sounds like a simple concept does it not?

Well that does not really happen in public schooling. The Michigan Capital Confidential news site is reporting on three different school administrators, their salary and the results from their performance as measured at least to some degree student performance and fiscal stability.

The first one is Karen Ridgeway, Ms. Ridgeway is the assistant superintendent for academics at Detroit Public Schools, she was paid $180,000 during the 2014-15 school year. In three years Ms. Ridgeway has been in that leadership role 2011 through 2015 the Detroit Public Schools has been ranked as the worst urban school district in the country according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Now on to the second administrator William Aldridge, Mr. Aldridge was hired in 2011 to be the Detroit Public School CFO (chief financial officer) and was paid $175,576 during the latest school numbers available, the 2014-15 school year. We all know the financial problems that the DPS is currently in. It is being reported that if the Detroit Public School district does not get a bailout from the state they will need to declare bankruptcy in the next month or two. The Detroit Public School is asking for over $700 million from us taxpayers.

Now I know the above two people are not responsible for the financial mess DPS is in or the academic failures. The question though is what solutions have they proffered or instituted to change the course of those problems.

I also understand that teachers are not the only ones that academic success or failure can be blamed for, but we can not let that always be the get out of jail free card, can we?

Now let's compare the above two traditional public school administrators to a non-traditional public school administrator. Ralph Bland is the superintendent of a Detroit charter school called the Edison Public School Academy. Mr. Bland was paid $225,012 for the 2014-15 school year. According to the Michigan Capital Confidential new site "that school received an A on a school report card created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which adjusts for the socio-economic status of students". Also in "2015, the Center for Michigan’s Bridge Magazine named Edison Public School Academy one of its “state champs” of education."

The question is should school administrators be paid for success or just being lucky enough to be hired into those cherry positions. I have been saying for years that teachers and administrators who perform well and can show success should be paid well. The others should be mentored by the great ones and then show success or find another profession.

Does that sound right to you?

Where is the flaw in my logic as stated above?

Let’s talk about this tomorrow (Monday) on The Live with Renk show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section.