You Can Lead Them To Data...But You Cannot Make Them Mine It

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And SP-EYE just happens to be Miner 49-ers when it comes to data!  Warning:  Reality can have a nasty bite to it.

If you were distressed as we were hearing how terrible that teachers...er...professional educators.... have it...how horribly undervalued (READS: underpaid) they are, this one's for you.   And if you were one of those that heard or read their gut-wrenching stories of financial struggles, then this is also for you.

The district office has been working on a document that compiles total compensation--not benefits mind you,  strictly cash-in-your-wallet compensation.  We heard about this at a recent HR Committee meeting (memo to people: you just may want to find time in your busy lives to start coming to some meetings).  We asked about it this week and learned that the compilation is complete and we requested a copy.  This study covers all professional educators and the "cash" compensation earned during the FY2011-12 school year.

We have pulled out several nuggets from the data; there are many more.
We have also taken the liberty of sorting the data by total compensation, showing base salary and "add-ons".  A copy of this is available here:

View the spreadsheet, sorted by total compensation

Warning Unheeded

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We have been warned by trusted compadres in the past that one should never poke an individual holding the keys to the newspaper ink, but we're certain that even someone in such a position whose significant other might just appear near the top of these lists will understand that "the truth shall set them free".  This of course includes a certain editor who happens to slant their OpEds so far to the right that Ann Romney is getting jealous.  Yet, when it comes to this school district, Mr. Right Lurching Journalist, tips so far to the left that they SPARCle.  But there's no link there...right?  It's just coincidence...right?  Someone who so strongly supported Gov. Walker and his "teachers are far too well compensated" rhetoric would never lay aside his political philosophies when it comes to a school district which employs his significant other...right?  Guess we'll see.

A word about "Add-Ons"
There are 23 options available to professional educators to enhance their salary...and take-home pay.

In 2011-12, $27.8M was paid out in salaries.  Another $1.8M was paid out as "add-ons".  That represents, overall, a 6.5% bump to salaries!  Are you kidding us!  And these folks are falling just shy of demanding not a 2% increase, but a 3.1% increase?

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And can we please keep in mind that Professional Eductaors operator under a 190 day contract.  Most of the rest of the world operates under a 260 day basis (2080 hrs/8 hrs/day).

Stay tuned...there's more to come as we pick through this.   A shout-out to the district office for putting this information together.

Final thoughts...Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders just shouted out to us.

It is time for you to stop all of your sobbing
yes it's time for you to stop all of your sobbing oh oh oh
there's one thing you gotta do
to make me still want you
gotta stop sobbing now
yeah yeah stop it stop it

---The Pretenders, “Stop Your Sobbing”