Peoria Board of Education member Jim Stowell has passed along a report he requested from staff on “Pupil-Teacher and Pupil-Administrator Ratios” from 1989 to 2008.
The report shows that, while enrollment has steadily declined over the past 20 years, the number of administrators has gone up. The pupil-administrator ratio in 1989 was 223.5:1. Last year it was 168.1:1.
Some questions remain. The report notes that deans used to be considered teachers by the Illinois State Board of Education, but are now considered administrators. That makes historical comparisons more difficult. However, the report doesn’t tell us how many deans there are in the district, or how big of a difference their change of status makes.
The report also does not define exactly who is and who is not considered an “administrator.” For instance, does this figure include the many consultants who retired, but were rehired on a per diem basis, like Cindy Fischer? Or does it only include full-time administrator positions?
Still, returning to the question of deans being changed from “teacher” to “administrator,” I don’t think this is enough to explain away the rise in administrators. In order for the district to have the same pupil-administrator ratio as 1989 (223.5:1) with 2008’s enrollment (13,642), they would have to have only 61 administrators. They have 81. No matter how you look at it, the administration is top-heavy.
Also Ed for the record more stats for you while you are giving us all your information too…..I am a Dist. #150 product as is my wife. We are both #150 teachers, as is my brother who teaches at EDISON, as was my father in law, for 38 years. My two kids go to #150 schools, my wife and I live in peoria, and are lifelong peorians. So as you can see I think I have a littel stake in this district too. i am a parent and taxpayer. Do your kids go to #150? heck what is your name even LOL? I love this all though because now I cannot wait for ED to get up at the next board meeting and since he just wants info ask the admin.
Gotta run and get ready for the WHS meeting at Godfathers tonight 7PM. Stop up tonight and say hi. You can ask as many Q’s as you want and maybe get some vital info that you need since you are very concerned. Hope to see you there. Look for the bald, overweight guy….its probably me LOL!
Oh Yeah ED I forgot to tell you that I am a published author as well. If I can think of anymore stats I will let you know. In the meantime keep in mind I am speaking as a taxpayer and parent and want this district to function like it did when I went here. I dont know if you read the paper today but I even had an editorial in it. here it is in case you dont get the paper:
As a taxpayer and parent of two students who attend District 150 schools, I want to state that the latest decisions made by District 150 administration are discouraging. District officials continue to speak out of both sides of their mouths.
For example, the district says it wants transparency, only to have Superintendent Hinton tell the media, “There’s a list (of reasons) behind this that is part of a long-term plan. I just don’t want to bring that out right now.” Why not? Be up-front with people.
The district says it wants to be fiscally responsible, then adds administrators at every turn and renews the Edison contract for a cost of $4.4 million over the next five years.
The district says its decisions are research-driven, but research shows that lower class sizes increase student achievement. So why would they want to eliminate teaching positions, which would increase class size?
Can the district be trusted? Last year the administration said the budget had a small surplus. Then in December this year’s deficit was pegged at $2.4 million. That turned into $4.3 million early this month, and now we hear possibly $9.2 million in subsequent years. What is the actual figure?
We have seen this same song and dance every time negotiations are about to begin. Maybe the public would trust District 150 if its leaders would simply be up-front. The community and the children deserve that much.
Scott Donahue
Peoria
Ed I like Pizza way too much!!!!!!!!!!More stats and vitals coming soon….
CJ: to do a thorough review of the district’s accounting/budgeting practices, you could FOIA the following documents:
1.
Sorry, I posted that accidentally.
1. The ’07-’08 budget – not the ISBE version, but the district’s inhouse version.
2. The ’08-’09 budget – note same as #1.
3. The audit findings recently released by Clifton Gunderson (for last school year).
4. The documentation, worksheets, etc. Cahill used to arrive at the budgeted projections for corporate replacement tax.
It is my understanding that the shortfall in anticipated corporate replacement tax revenue, is a shortfall to the projected budgeted amount in addition to any lower payments they’ve already received.
Sorry, CJ, forgot one thing. To comprehend the invidual line items, a copy of the District’s detailed chart of accounts should also be FIOIAd.
CJ or Prairie dont know if this will help but check out this link for CRT:
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/LocalGovernment/Disbursements/pprt.htm
scott,
i simply asked how much how much you pay for health insurance. i, and whether or not it was your really your opinion the school should be responsible for paying for post-graduate credit hours so teacher may make more money. ‘m not fascinated with your stats, just intrigued that you would say one thing when the public record states otherwise. truth be told, i really don’t care at all about your personal story.
look, you’ve not really answered any of my questions either, so maybe i’ll take them elsewhere. your posts speak for themselves, i would note you’re the one who put yourself out there for inspection, i do not such thing of my own accord.
i apologize if my questions upset you.
no need to apologize. we are all waiting for your information. Please list it for us. I also told you that information isnt correct. And obviously you do care as you took time to look up my info. Please let us know your name, occupation and such Ed. We all want to know. Hope to see you at Godfathers so you can ask as many Q’s as you would like. Keep in ind administrators also get post graduate credit hours Ed, so it works for them as well. thanks
Scott:
You sound like a dedicated teacher and I am certainly appreciative of that. I was involved a few years back with the District’s tuition reimbursement/pay scale advancement system because there were so many abuses to the system. It sounds like you are making wise choices but unfortunately some of your colleagues were not. I am unclear from your comments exactly the injustices that are taking place, but I think this so often happens in organizations – a few ruin it for the many and then the organization overacts in curing the situation.
I am more interested in exploring your comment that you have 35!!!! students in your Social Studies class, and of those 9 are Spec. Ed. , and you have no assistance. Am I the only blogger that is floored by this data???? This is really a sad statement of the current standing of the District. This is an unacceptable arrangement for all parties involved.
If they are counting SPED minutes for those students and no assistant or SPED teacher is in the classroom, then the law is being broke. Also, if those students NEED support in that classroom the parents need to get involved and ensure their children are getting the support they need. I’d check the IEP minutes.
No they are full time Spec. Ed for every subject EXCEPT Soc Studies. Somehow if they are having difficulty reading and comprehending things, they are ok for World History (SS) LOL. I have learned to deal with it. Actually at VS class of plus 30 are standard but yet we are always near the top (Exclude Washington Gifted) in our ISAT scores with other #150 scores who have much smaller class sizes. We just teach and try to improve ourselves and our students.
The whole course reimbursement issue could be heading toward a lawsuit so I would rather not comment anymore on it. Thanks
ed wrote:
ed not to bust your bubble or anything but I would say that these sentiments can be applied to almost any of us.
And ed and diane — to almost any and every issue in our community — whether education, development, the museum project and so on.
What is the problem with asking the 800 pound gorilla questions and getting truthful and complete and accurate and detailed answers from those in positions of authority?
Why is everything presented as some rosey solution when we are faced with tough situations and times? The more things change the more they remain the same.
Do you think Hinton and Gorenz will go on a national media tour?
They won’t talk to us, how about to Barbara Walters?
Diane,
My bubble’s done been burst. It’s clear neither teachers or the board want to be inclusive and seek real dialogue or change. It’s all about protecting interests. We’re lied to by teachers, we’re lied to by administration, we’re lied to by the board. And by lie, I include omission and commission.
When I can’t get a willing board member to understand my point of view without going through snarky back and forth, or being out right lied to and my questions avoided by a teacher; forget it.
out
Well ed, this isn’t about teachers or board members or Administraters. It’s about children. My advice is to overlook the politics and personalities and advocate for what you think is best for the children. It’s very liberating, and makes the personal attacks and disagreements quite bearable.
We have the DVD of “High School Musical” in our home going at least 3 times a week. The kids fav song is “Keep your head in the game!” It’s a great message. Stick strong to your convictions, look deep inside yourself for what you think is right and wrong, (not what is best for me?) and then keep your head in the game.
If it were about the children things would look very different.
This is about budgets, careers and power.
(How does one determine what is “right or wrong” without considering what is “best” for me?)
I have heard the word “change” for the last ten years–or since the inception of NCLB. I have never heard any concrete examples of the changes that are being suggested. Admittedly, it is difficult for teachers, etc., to agree to “change” that hasn’t been defined. Also, “change” costs money, so taxpayers should be very sure of the changes for which they willl be paying–before, not after, they take place. District 150 considered Edison and now John Hopkins to be change–I’m not at all certain that I would define either as real change. Right now the district is “changing” concepts from small learning communities to a school of 2,000, from small class sizes to large, from special ed help for special needs children to mainstreaming. All that is change–but is it good change? Teachers were ordered to make changes in the way they teach–but I never felt that we were given much direction into what kind of change and whether or not the changes suggested would actually improve learning. We were told to do more hands-on teaching. Well, I often joked that all they provided in my classroom were textbooks, one computer, and blackboards–just exactly what were the students supposed to “put their hands on.” We were told to teach for the 21st century–well, we were asked to do so with students who could not read at grade level. I was naive enough to believe that I couldn’t teach much of anything until students could read. Now benchmarks and common planning are the magic cure of the day. As far as I know (because I was never involved in either), benchmarks are a good way of identifying a student’s weaknesses and strengths, etc. The teacher is still stuck with trying to figure how to strengthen those weaknesses–benchmarks do not provide the answers to the “how” questions.