Could YOUR Household Make it on $112K?

We looked just at those professional educators that are married to another professional educator.
To be more specific, we only looked at those that both work in the Sun Prairie School District AND they share the same last name.  Oh, yeah...not to worry...we verified our data on the linkage.

This of course does NOT include those whose spouse works in another district, those whose spouse is an administrator, or those with different last names, which includes domestic partners.  READ:  there are a lot more than what we found.

We found 11 confirmed pairs.

The average total compensation for the pair was $112,500.
The median total compensation was $113,000.
The average years of teaching was 14.5
The range of total income was $91,150 - $146,505

We hear how terrible it is for teachers...especially those that share a home.
We're going to have to call bullspit on this one.
We're pretty sure MOST household incomes in Sun Prairie are far less than $113,000.
These are, on average, young people doing QUITE well.

Hell...even the lowest total, $91,150 is a very do-able household income.
Wikipedia (yeah...we know...) shows a median income for a household of  $51,345, and the median income for a family is $61,197.  This 2009 data.  Remember...teachers have received increases since then, but not many others.

And they forget that only one of the pair needs to carry the health insurance cost.

A Few More Bites of the Apple

Some more things to ponder, regarding the "Total Compensation" data...

As they say...pictures tell 1,000 words...so we think none are really necessary.

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

Click to view full-screen

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

Click to view full-screen

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?

Click to view full-screen

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”

Spotlight on Administrative Costs

Administrators are bucking for raises. Phil Frei told us that he/the district has budgeted for 1.6% increases in salary. At last week's board "work-study" session, Frei shared a graphic which purports that Sun Prairie spends the least percentage of its budget on "Administrative and Operating Expenses" than the 7 school districts closest in size to ours.

Not only does such a figure look good when one is tryingf to "sell" a budget, but it also looks really nice when one is trying to sell a community--or school board--on the idea of raises.


We're not sure what constitutes "Administrative and Operating Expenses". It's kinda nebulous. We'd rather look at absolutes...tangibles. You know? So we went data mining on the DPI site. Perfect timing, as DPI just posted data for 2010-11. Frei indicated that his data was "the most recent" available on the DPI site. It is noteworthy that for most "reports" available for school district, the most current available data is 2-3 years old. Let's use current information, dontcha think?

We looked--initially-- at three variables:
1. Total Salary and Fringe benefit costs for staff classified as "Administrators"
2. Salary and Fringe Costs (dollars) per child (based on 2010-11 enrollment)
3. Number of kids enrolled per Administrative staff member.

Take a look at our data. It seems a tad different than the picture the District wanted to leave you with. But you decide.

More to come on this topic.

No Doesn't Mean No Anymore

Here we go again!
After being voted down 3-4 , suddenly appearing on the Board agenda for Monday 9-27-2010 is a recommendation to hire a  HUMAN RELATIONS AND RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST 


Cost: At least $67,000 PLUS benefits

"During the budget and Edu-Jobs Program funding discussions at the Finance Committee on September 13, 2010 there was an approved motion from the Finance committee to approve the funding for this position in the 2010-2011 budget.  This motion failed on a 3-4 vote at the Board table. It was requested by Pastor Rayford to prepare a situation report to formally bring this matter to the board that would contain all of the appropriate support and background materials so this could be more adequately discussed and decided upon."

From the 9-13-2010 Meeting

TO AMEND THE MOTION AND CHANGE THE AMOUNT IN ITEM #6 TO $670,000 APPROVE THE PROPOSED 2010-2011 BUDGET AS PRESENTED WITHOUT ADDITION OF NEW PERSONNEL. ESTABLISH THE FOLLOWING AS A BUDGET PLANNING PARAMETER FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR: "USE APPROXIMATELY $175,000 OF EDJOBS PROGRAM FUNDING TO RETAIN TITLE ONE ARRA FUNDED STAFF THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE LAID OFF IN SPRING 2011 FOR THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR." CONSIDER THE USE OF EDJOBS PROGRAM TO FUND RETIREMENT INCENTIVES AS AN SPEA NEGOTIATIONS ITEM TO ASSIST IN THE RETENTION OF STAFF IN FUTURE YEARS. ESTABLISH THE FOLLOWING AS A BUDGET PLANNING PARAMETER FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR: "TO USE THE EDJOBS PROGRAM FUNDING TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE SCHOOL-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL AND RELATED SERVICES IN 2011-12 IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICES AND TO REDUCE THE LOCAL TAX LEVY TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE." EXTABLISH THE FOLLOWING AS A BUDGET PLANNING PARAMETER FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR: "RECONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING THE FOLLOWING NEW POSITIONS FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR, PENDING OVERALL BUDGET PARAMETERS AND WHEN MORE DETAILS ARE KNOWN? (A) HUMAN RELATIONS AND RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST, (B) ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STAFFING, AND (C) LITERACY COACHES."

Motion by Jill Camber Davidson, second by John M Welke.

Motion Carried

Yea: David Stackhouse, Jill Camber Davidson, John M Welke, Terry Shimek

Nay: Caren Diedrich, Jim McCourt, John Whalen

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Terry Shimek to flipflop his original vote.


Didn't the board also vote (6-1) that the 2010-11 budget would contain NO NEW POSITIONS?
TO ACCEPT THE AMENDED MOTION RECOMMENDATIONS AS PRESENTED BY THE MANAGEMENT TEAM OF 9-2-10 APPROVE THE PROPOSED 2010-2011 BUDGET AS PRESENTED WITHOUT ADDITION OF NEW PERSONNEL.

Motion by Jim McCourt, second by John Whalen.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Yea: David Stackhouse, Jill Camber Davidson, Jim McCourt, John M Welke, John Whalen, Terry Shimek

Nay: Caren Diedrich

Read the Minority Recruitment plan and costs to-date. Note that the salary including benefits was listed as about $43,000 for November 2008. How did it increase to $67,000 salary alone now?

Oh Yeah! Even MORE Shenanigans!

A funny thing happened on the way to hiring the Aquatics Facility Manager....

First of all...the district pushed hard (and of course the school board agreed) to running parallel processes: the district would recruit for an Aquatics Facility Manager (aka Pool Manager) even while the job description was still being formulated.
That's right....the district was trying to hire someone for a job description that was still very draft. Oh...and no salary had been discussed. Well aren't they just the models of efficiency!

Act 1 - the OPEN meeting agenda
On Monday May 10, the school board had as an agenda item, the finalized job description and salary for said Pool Manager:

7.10 Aquatics Program and Facility Manager Job Description
Meeting: 05/10/2010 REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING (Revised)

The proposed starting pay is $21.78 per hour or $45,302 per year.

Act 2 - the OPEN meeting decision

During the school board meeting, the board voted 5-2 (Whalen and McCourt voting "NO", i.e. wanting the higher salary) to approve the job description for the aquatics program and facility manager, but lowered the salary to $19.23 per hour, or $40,000 per year .

Act 3 - the CLOSED meeting Shenanigans

Now fast forward to Thursday May 13.

Suddenly a "Special" school board meeting is announced for next Wednesday, May 19, only this time the meeting is closed to the public.

Agenda for 05/19/2010

SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING,

8:00 p.m. at the High School, 888 Grove St., Sun Prairie.

3. Closed Session
3.01 Go into closed session for the purpose of considering the employment and compensation of an Aquatics Facility Manager [Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c)].

So clearly they had/have a fish on the line, so to speak, all along. 'Cause we KNOW they didn't just recruit, interview and decide to make an offer between Monday and Thursday...right?

So...what happens when NORMALLY makes a new hire. You know...that is all dealt with by the Director of Human Resources...right. They type up an offer letter, and welcome the person on board...right?

Not so fast, Everlast! Why on earth would the school board have to have any meeting at all--let alone a closed session---to discuss the hiring of a new staff member? What exactly is there to "discuss" about the compensation? Perhaps we could see that some concerns may have been raised regarding the potential candidate...concerns which should appropriately be aired only behind closed doors. But "compensation"? Those are OUR tax dollars you're playing with. And the only reason for closed doors when discussing compensation is...well...shenanigans.

Oh...golly gee...you don't suppose that the "fish on the line" noticed that the salary was reduced and has said, "Thanks, but I wanted the $45K"...do you? What does that tell you about this wonderful "parallel process" idea? Perhaps in the future, you don't even POST a position until the job description is complete and the salary is cast in stone.

And so, the school board has to have a closed session, so the public can't make any comments when they completely reverse their decision of May 10, and re-up the offer to 45K.

And who decided that this salary was even negotiable? It's not like we're making a pitch to hire Steve Jobs! We're hiring a Pool Manager.

Consider Captain Picard's take...

Admin Support vs. Dept. of Labor Statistics

Ok...so simply put, here's the issue.

Many of the 30 "Administrative Support" positions have parallels outside of the high-priced world of school districts. SOME school district--a leader perhaps-- has to finally take a stand and re-evaluate these positions.

A simple check of the US Department of Labor Statistics website can provide median and mean salary data across the nation, or even just for a given position and state.

The following comparisons are taken directly from the May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Wisconsin. It's likely a safe bet that wages have not increased significantly since that a year ago May. Food for thought, school board members.
..............................................
Program Managers (Special Ed. and Instructional Services)
We have 10 employees classified at this level.
Current salary ranges: $39.29 to $45.52 per hour (1680 hr/yr positions
Proposed salary ranges: $41.21 to $46.63 per hour
Proposed raises: $1.11 to $2.90 (3.1 to 7.2%)
Compare to: Education Administrators, All Other. Median salary: $30.50/hr.
..............................................
Business Services Manager
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
2007-08 salary: $31.72 per hour
Current salary: $34.22 per hour (2080 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $36.43 per hour
Proposed raise: $2.21 (6.5%)
Compare to: Business and Financial Operations, General. Median salary: $24.72/hr.
..............................................
Communications Specialist
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $23.39 per hour (1462 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $25.10 per hour → %26.19/hr on 7/1/10
Proposed raise: $1.71 (7.31%) + $1.09/hr on 7/1/10
Compare to: Media and Communications Workers, All Other. Median salary: $20.66/hr.
Compare to: Writers and Artists. Median salary: $20.48/hr.
Compare to: Technical Writers . Median salary: $25.38/hr.
Note: This position is much less challenging than that of a Technical Writer.
..............................................
District Health Nurse
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $32.67 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $33.98 per hr
Proposed raise: $1.31 (4.01%)
Compare to: Registered Nurse. Median salary: $29.27/hr.
Compare to: Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses. Median salary: $19.06/hr.
Note: We have no information as to whether the employee is an RN or an LPN.
..............................................
Accountant
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $23.50 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $24.20 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.70 (2.98 %)
Compare to: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks . Median salary: $14.96/hr.
Compare to: Accountants and Auditors. Median salary: $26.48/hr.
Note: We might be missing something, but we don't see this position as equivalent to an accountant as in CPA.
..............................................
Custodial Services Night
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $22.79 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $23.60 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.81 (3.55%)
Compare to:
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers. Median salary: $17.08/hr.
..............................................
District Administrator Secretary
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $21.85 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $22.30 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.45 (2.06 %)
Compare to: Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. Median salary: $17.49/hr.
..............................................
Administrative Assistant
We have 6 employees classified at this level.
Current salaries: $17.04 (1), $18.72 (1), and $19.27 (4) per hour (2080 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $17.87, 19.31, and $19.80 per hr
Proposed raises: $0.53 to $0.83 per hr (2.75 - 4.87 %)
Compare to: Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. Median salary: $17.49/hr.
..............................................
Payroll Specialist
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $19.27 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $19.80 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.53 (2.75 %)
Compare to: Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks. Median salary: $16.52/hr.

---

We're just sayin'....

Of Sense & Sensability: Can We Talk?

After a lengthy illness, has Common Sense died?

Reminds us of a rhetorical question heard numerous times:

Q: "Boy? Why'd you do that? Where's your common sense gone?"
A: "He never had any."

The Death of Common Sense

Maxims that need to be firmly placed on the table for discussion:


This is not personal
Because...it's not. We are not on some personal vendetta against the school board (contrary to water cooler district talk). We raise issues like the proposed compensation increases because they are part of the overall problem. That problem is that Sun Prairie has grown to be a spend-happy school district. The answer we get in return is that things are great! We're a growing district! We can find the money. Those are all technically correct responses, but plain and simply we have to run this (or any) school district like a business. More to the point: like a business in which we have invested our personal life savings. When it's 'other peoples' money' it's just too easy to spend, spend , spend.


Our ultimate product here is providing our kids with a proper education. Does having TEN program mangers each getting pad over $40 per hour REALLY improve the quality of their education? Really? More so than if these same manager were paid...say $25/hour?


The issues here relate to people, and therefore its hard not to view things as getting personal. Sadly, we have no desire to make things personal. Ultimately, the people involved (sadly) are just pawns in the grand scheme.


It's not just about Sun Prairie
Ultimately, our views on the ludicrous state of school district salaries are not limited to Sun Prairie alone. But Sun Prairie likes to view itself as a leader...and this is OUR community. So we have to start here.


The average Joe on the street --once [s]he's aware that Tim Culver earns about $150K per year-- is flabbergasted. No one in their right mind believes that a school district administrator of 800 or so staff and 6,000 kids is worth more money than the governor, or surely the state school superintendent who oversees ALL 426 school districts! Or any of a whole host of occupations, for that matter.


The grim reality is that Dr. Culver is paid only moderately above average when compared to ALL 426 school district administrators. But that's not an excuse. That argument is akin to the age-old, "If Johnny Jones jumped off the Empire State building, would you?" conundrum.


More to the point is the trickle-down effect. Just as School district administrators are paid obscenely, so too are those beneath him: asst school district administrators, district administration, administration support, and so on down the line. Are teachers fairly compensated? Yes and No. Very few people can claim to retire at a salary of $70,000 or more. That's the argument that teachers are VERY fairly compensated. On the other hand, entry level teachers....not so much. The answer is easy: we need to raise the lower end and then compress the salary scale. Easily said; tough to do...especially when everyone else is doing it. An by "doing it" we don't mean the typical adolescent colloquialism. We mean that no other district is doing the right thing, so why should we?


This is not really about the economy
It's easy to point to the economy as the reason to speak out against arguably ridiculous raises, but the simple truth is, it has nothing to do with the economy. The issue was always here. The economy is just a convenient spotlight to use to highlight the problem.


We need to take this opportunity...even blame the economy if we so choose...to right this ship or else run the serious risk of sinking further down the road.


Nobody gets paid what they think they are (or their job is) worth
Here's the elephant in the room to which Caren Diedrich likes to refer. Let's be honest, folks. We all think we deserve more money. We don't blame the Administration folks, or the Admin Support folks...or anybody. It's human nature. Can you name ONE person who would honestly say, "I'm WAY overpaid for the work I do".

So...let's just get past that. Everyone thinks they are underpaid. Do you REALLY think all state workers are overpaid? Do you think that Gov. Doyle said, "Geee...all these guys are overpaid, so instead of giving raises, I'm going to cut pay 5 % by furloughing (3%) and rescind 2% raises previously agreed upon"?


This is precisely why doing a job survey (an unbiased survey) makes sense. However, paying $9,000 for it for 30 people is not so good an idea. And basing it on comparisons to other districts (for reasons previously discussed) just makes it more of a bad idea.



Nobody WANTS to assess the reasonableness of salaries
This is where the school board (and committee members) get squeamish. NO ONE wants to be the person to say..."that's too much money!" Unfortunately, this where the rubber meets the road for school board members. For all the gooey photo op moments and recognition ceremonies, this is where you pay the piper for the privilege of being elected by ALL the community residents. This is where you have to lead. And real leadership is tough.

Nobody wants to "be the bad guy"
We get it. The least enjoyable aspect of being a manager is when the bad news has to be delivered. But becoming TOO cozy with "the hired help" can make that an even more unpalatable proposition. You need to keep an arms length from the District administration. You need to be the boss...not the buddy.

That being said. You need to suck it up and MAKE the hard calls. Publicly and privately, you can apologize all you like and tell people you'd love to give them more. But ultimately, you're the boss, and the business can't afford more personnel costs. They have a VERY nice job situation./arrangement, and they DO have a rewarding career. There are many people that hate their job, but do it because it pays the bills. Pass that on as well.


We need to plan for the end game
We keep talking bout how the district is growing, growing, growing. But that growth is NOT endlessly self sustaining. In every district, a growth peak occurs, followed by a plateau, and inevitably declining enrollments.

The number of kids enrolled IS the lifeblood of the district as, until a change is made in school funding, kids = dollars (of state aid). But the rest has to be made up in property taxes, and there is a tax levy ceiling to factor in as well. All of these things get reduced when enrollment drops.

We've got about $175M of debt to pay over 20 years. Sure, some of that falls off sooner than that. We're adding new programs and paying huge inflated salaries. And let's not forget that over 80% of the district budget is eaten up by salaries and benefits.

We need to start projecting for when this end game (declining enrollments) will occur. It's quite possible that Tim Culver will long be retired when that happens, and your board terms will long have expired. But as an elected official it's your duty to plan for the future and NOT leave this mess for a future board.

And we need to start making decisions based on the end game rather than the time of growing enrollment. Hey...here's an idea...we need to run this district like a business. And YOU, not Tim Culver, are the CEOs.


We need to face the cold hard realities of real life.
In the REAL world, the reality is that there are a lot of quality people (many unemployed) that gladly would do most of these jobs...and do them well...for HALF of the salaries being paid.


The old adage of the business world is that NO ONE IS IRREPLACEABLE. The cold hard reality is that whether you retire, or leave to take another position, your job WILL be covered by someone else. And often, for less money. It's the really the Bill Bellichick model for success. Rather than paying megabucks for some prima donna, you pay someone veteran scale wages to come in, do the job, and be part of as team. Can you say Three Superbowl titles?


At some point, a quality school board will lay the personal coziness aside and make the cold hard business decisions.


New Mantra (proposed)
[Insert a job title here]? You're paid MORE than adequately. You got a $2.50/hr last year. That's it. Consider yourself red-circled. We appreciate the job you do--very much so-- but this is a business. And our decision is that no increase is warranted at this time. We hope you'll understand and have no hard feelings, but we'll also understand if you wish to seek employment elsewhere.

---

So, school board? This all ultimately rests in your hands. You want our advice? Seek out--that's right, get on the horn and call the average Joe---the community residents you DON'T know and ask what they think given ALL the data. That makes your job easy. Then you can be apologetic to the affected district staff and say, "Sorry. We'd like to pay you more, but we serve at the will of the people and we serve to DO the will of the people."

Peace. Out.

Life is good: Admin Support Raise Proposal

In our last episode related to Administrative Support staff pay increases, the school board's HR committee tabled the discussion until its August meeting--but ONLY after district residents voiced concerns [Read: pick and nit and nit and pick] that the information for the meeting had only been made available a couple of hours prior to the meeting.

That leaves about 2 weeks to prepare any comments you'd like the HR committee and board to hear. Speak now...or forever hold your piece.

SP-EYE asked for the complete proposed pay increases per staff member as well as their current salary. There's no real reason to put individual names to the position boxes, although those are certainly available. Some of them you know already.

Remember-- we were only provided with the following at that meeting:

1. a new pay grid,

2. a statement that increases would amount to a "3.8% total compensation package increase", and,

3. The total cost for the 30 employees would be $79,000 for 2009-10, or an average of $2633 per person per year.

Now you have the whole ball of wax with which to make your own assessment. Do these seem reasonable? Did YOU get a 4.3% pay raise for next year?

Note that the only position that did not get a raise (the new PC term is "red-circled") is the Energy Educator Manager. Look...we've "outted" some of the concerns with the whole energy management game in the past, but the question which can't be ignored is this: why is it that out of 30 positions, the ONE that you "red-circle" (freeze their pay) is the ONE position which theoretically saves the district a bundle of money every year? Make sense?

A follow-up question: if that position is so overpaid relative to the comparison districts, why did Admin and the board approve the pay grade initially? As a member of the $100K club, shouldn't we expect our HR manager to establish more reasonable salaries than that? And if the answer to that question is, "No"...then what's the chance that these other positions are being overpaid as well?

As always, click on the graphic images to obtain a larger, higher resolution image.

Stop Making Sense II - The Principals

So...the Administration kind of opened the door for comparisons when they recently spent $9,000 to do a job study (read: How do we get these people more money?) for Administration Support staff. As part of that study, as directed by none other than Tim Culver, of course, 11 school districts were chosen as "comparable" to Sun Prairie. Thus...we have our basis.

So...how do we compare? We looked at a number of positions to see how we stack up. Particularly in tight times, it IS important to see the lay of the land. We only wish that either (A) the school board had directed Administration to provide them with similar data, or (B) the board members did this work themselves. Neither is going to happen. Also...as a side note...no $9,000 was needed...this data is readily available from the DPI website. Yes, the consultant did a little bit more in-depth work, but did we really need all that? As always, YOU be the judge.

All data is 2008-09 salary data reported to DPI.

High school principals: Average salary = $105,222. Range = $92,000 to $114,000. Sun Prairie pays its principal the 3rd most. Note: new principal Lisa Heipl's salary for 2009-10 is $110,000.

Middle school principals: Average salary = $96,705. Range = $85,000 to $109,000. Sun Prairie pays its two principals more than any other district in the comparison.
Elementary school principals: Average salary = $88,908. Range = $70,000 to $110,000. One of Sun Prairie's principals, as a former District Office administrator, is paid in the top 5. Should this salary be frozen?


Average Elementary school salaries
Beloit $79,256
Fond du Lac $84,881
Oregon $85,762
DeForest $86,638
Middleton-CP $86,859
Elmbrook $90,964
SunPrairie $92,018
Waunakee $94,416
Mukwonago $98,520
Verona $99,977
WestBend $101,019

Remember as well that the board approves only the compensation "package" dollar amount. Tim Culver (at least for now) holds the purse strings in terms of doling the raises out. Raises are tied to scores on evaluations (which we know are subjective). So Culver gets to reward his pets...and penalize those that don't march properly. Dontcha think that the board should request to see and approve or modify any raises at an open meeting??? Maybe that would stop those crazy $5.00 per hour raises!!!

Stop Making Sense pt 1

"As we get older
and stop making sense... "
--the Talking Heads

Yep...the administration (some anyway) are getting older....and some would say they have stopped making sense as well.

What is wrong with the system when Tim Culver...or any district administrator makes more than the Governor....more then the head of the Department of Public Instruction himself!!!! That's the head of every school district in the state...the Super SUPREME Nintendo! But Culver earns more. There's something wrong with that, people. And it is our elected officials, the school board, who are the only ones who can stop the madness and start making sense. We're not saying these jobs aren't valuable. We're just saying that there's a reasonable salary line that needs to be established for these positions....and we may have crossed it.

We offer the following salary comparions, from verifiable sources. You decide....is there something wrong with this picture?

2008 Salary data (updated April 2009) obtained via Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel Watchdog Reports - state employees pay

Tim Culver SPASD District Administrator... $145,886^*
Michael Morgan___Secretary, State DOA......$142,109
Jim Doyle___Governor.......................$141,821
J.B. Van Hollen___Attorney General.........$137,622
Matt Frank___Secretary, State DNR..........$135,064
Tony Evers___Secretary, State DPI..........$132,809
Barabara Lawton___Lt. Governor.............$ 74,892
* includes $425/month "stipend"

Comparing other "high paid" occupations¹ to our District Administration
Surgeons......................... $218,610
Dentists, General............... $158,340
Phil Frei Business Manager, ADA $117,484
Lawyers ........................$110,700
Lisa Dawes Director of Spec. Ed. $109,586
Pharmacists....................... $109,350
Annette Mikula HR Manager .......$107,869
Alice Murphy Dir. of Instruction $107,621

¹ Source: US Department of Labor Statistics (Wisconsin) - May 2008

The only occupations paid better than Phil Frei are like surgeons (not just doctors) and dentisits?? He makes more than the average (notoriously overpaid) LAWYER? You gotta be kidding us!

The director of HR and Director of Instruction make a hair less than pharmacists--whose drug interaction knowledge (or lack thereof) could cost lives?

So the administrators want applause for being so kind as to "give up" 0.7% of their 4.5% "compensation package increases" to which they are entitled? What is the sound of one hand clapping?
N

For What It's Worth...

You know what's great about today's youth? They're slowly discovering the rock classics and anthems made before they were even a twinkle in Mom and Dad's eye. And what's even cooler? They think THEY discovered them....like, "Hey Dad...have you heard that cool new song by that new band Buffalo Springfield?" Um...newsflash, son...but Buffalo Springfield existed over 30 years ago
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Which leads us to today's thing that makes you go "hmmm".

Actually listened to an old mp3 ripped from a Bufflo Springfield CD, and the now ancient "For What It's Worth" struck a chord. In his pre-CSN(Y) days, it's like Stephen Stills is singing about what goes on within the Sun Prairie School District. Is Tim Culver "the Man" he's singing about????

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right... if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it's time we stop,
hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
-Buffalo Springfield

Sound eerily familiar? As far as the board and Culver are concerned, everybody's wrong. And we hope everybody DOES stop and look at what's goin' down. Administration and the Board TALK a good game about how much they value safety and security and the teachers that actually do the EDUCATING of our kids.

But then, like our own version of the God, Janus, they pull a 180 when it comes to salaries. Take for instance the whole Youth Advocate deal. They want to pay these people $13.27/hr. LOOK at the job description! They're part social worker, part Jump Street undercover cop, and part nurturing advocate. All for $13.27/hr. For that salary you expect someone to perform "home visits" of students?

Why are they hesitant to pay more? Is it perhaps (note...SPECULATION ALERT here for those out there that are suddenly obsessed with opinion vs. fact) that if they pay these staffer any more they will be butting right up against the base teacher salary? Hmmmm? What's that tell you? We won't engage in supposition here. Wouldn't want to offend. You do the math.


Here are some FACTS for ya, though...to help you work it through:

Of course, let us begin by saying that we're going to venture into that territory that you all TALK about quietly...secretly...but you never want to discuss openly. What is a job worth? Is job X worth more than job Y?

I think we could all agree that the job of a neurosurgeon, or a cardiac specialist should be paid more than, say, a telemarketer cold caller. But that's about the limit of where most of us are willing to take that discussion. So we sit back and accept things only to stew about the results for the rest of time.

We think secretaries perform a valuable service. We know a number of them that excel at their job. But does it seem a little wrong that a starting secretary in the district office earns more than an entry level teacher who is actually going to nurture the minds and spirits of our prized commodity...the kids? We'll be bold and say: We don't think so.

And someone responsible for the safety and security of kids at the high schooll will make even less than that? What's up with that?

That's the facts, Jack. Y'all do the math. And if it don't set well with ya...then pony up the courage to make a stand and say your piece.

There's something happening here...
What it is ain't exactly clear...

N

Update: Retiring from the Sun Prairie Area School District

So many people have inquired about this data, that it was time for an update. We've posted some limited retirement data in the past, but now we have a sizable pool--for teachers at least--from a compilation of retirements in 2008 and 2009.

Based on a dataset of 23, the average teacher in Sun Prairie is retiring at a salary of about $68,500 after about 33 years of teaching. Seems like a LOOONNNNGGG time, doesn't it? Well, if you figure that the minimum retirement age under the state retirement system is 57, and the average fresh out of college teacher is age 24-25, it takes a good 33 years to retire.

Benefits for SPEA members cost roughly 50% of their salary.

In comparison, support staff who are members of the "Local 60" union (based on a smaller data set of n=8) retire at an average wage of just under $17.00 per hour.

Benefits for support staff cost about 25% of their salary.

We also have one member of administration [not quite in the 100K club] ($ 92K) and also one retiree from Administrative support ($ 54K).

Retire at over $68,500?
How is that possible? But...but...teachers are only paid about $30,000 to start.
True...all true. But contracts include what is called a salary grid, with "steps" (1 step = 1 year of experience teaching) and "lanes". Every 6 credits earned moves you into the next "lane". Lane changes include a salary base increase of 1.9%. Step increases are 3.0%. And ,actually, the salary grid is maxed out at about 15 years (earlier for those with a BS/BA and less credits earned towards an MS/MA degree. Those members who are "off" the grid typically get as much as a 3.8% annual "step" increase.

This quick table is based solely on a 3% annual "step" increase and shows the salary progression from year zero (30,000) until retirement after 32 years of service. This kind of gets back to what we've discussed on several occasions. The downside of "percentage increases" is that in terms of new dollars, you get squat in the early years. A 3% increase for a teacher making 30,000 is a whopping $900, or it pays for about 6-8 weeks of groceries. But for someone like Dr. Culver, making over $145,000, a 3% increase means an increase of over $4300! That's vacation cash.

Year Salary
0 30000
1 30900
2 31827
3 32782
4 33765
5 34778
6 35822
7 36896
8 38003
9 39143
10 40317
11 41527
12 42773
13 44056
14 45378
15 46739
16 48141
17 49585
18 51073
19 52605
20 54183
21 55809
22 57483
23 59208
24 60984
25 62813
26 64698
27 66639
28 68638
29 70697
30 72818
31 75002
32 77252