Governor: We're waiting for you to keep your word, and pay back the two billion dollars you borrowed from the education budget.
Posted on 09/14/2005 5:44:19 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
The most-qualified Los Angeles Unified teachers work predominantly in schools serving high-income, white students, creating a "massive maldistribution of funds" at the expense of Latino and African-American students in poorer neighborhoods, a report released today says. The Education Trust-West said teachers in high-poverty Los Angeles elementary schools earn $1,589 less per year _ and those in high-poverty middle schools earn $1,826 less per year _ than their counterparts in more affluent areas.
Teachers in low-income high schools, however, earn $159 a year more than their counterparts in higher-income schools, the study found.
Similar salary gaps were found in the rest of the 10 largest school districts in the state, the study said.
"The hidden reality is that African-American and Latino students throughout the state are being shortchanged big time when it comes to teacher salaries," said Russlynn Ali, executive director of Education Trust-West.
That inequity hinders closing the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students and affects student performance on standardized tests including the Academic Performance Index and the high school exit exam students are required to pass to graduate from high school, according to the study.
Los Angeles Unified officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but have said in the past they are sending their most-qualified applicants directly to the neediest schools, particularly in the inner city. Officials have also said the district offers additional training to teachers at high poverty schools, which can lead to salary increases.
According to the study, "Hidden Teacher Spending Gaps in Los Angeles Unified School District: A Tale of Two Schools," students in California's poorest schools are more than twice as likely to have an under-prepared teacher as are students in more affluent schools. Also, pupils in schools with the highest percentages of minority students are five times more likely to have an under-prepared teacher as are students in schools with lower percentages of minority students.
Cohasset Street Elementary in Van Nuys was singled out in the study as one of the few schools in the state that bucks the trend.
While 90.5 percent of Cohasset students are African-American and Latino and 90.8 percent are considered impoverished, the teachers on average are more highly qualified than others in the district.
Teachers at the school, where the average salary is $55,899, stay for years with low turnover at the school, Principal Cherie Spamer said.
The key, Spamer said, is that she appreciates the teachers, and the teachers put in long hours to help students succeed and to keep parents informed about their progress.
"We have amazing turnout for our parent conferences and there is a lot of outreach into the community," Spamer said.
The school's API score soared from 627 in 2002 to 717 last year - out of a possible 1,000 - an impressive achievement for a school with such demographics.
"It's a wonderful place to come and work. Nothing succeeds like success," Spamer said. "Teachers at this school make the American Dream happen because they provide a strong instructional program so that each child can succeed."
Although schools that serve low-income and minority students receive state and federal funds to support education, Ali said it doesn't help improve what studies show matters most - the quality of the teachers.
"Certainly the variety of programs and categorical funds devoted to boost the achievement of underperforming and low-income students are absolutely important. This report is not meant to deny that in any way," Ali said. "What we are sure, though, is when it comes to what matters most in student achievement - students' teachers - we are shortchanging poor and minority kids, and we have for a long time."
The goals of the study is to encourage school districts and the state government to take action and address the problem.
Possible options are for the state to provide incentives to qualified teachers, developing teacher training programs for urban youth and offering loan forgiveness programs.
"Our hope is by providing these reports that the districts will begin to publicly talk about the struggle ... and to change long- standing practices, so our best teachers are helping the teachers that need help the most," said Linda Murray, superintendent in residence for the Education Trust-West.
Duh?
Smart people don't go into crime ridden neighborhoods.
Most likely 100% of the difference is due to the fact that entry level teaching jobs are more likely to occur in "poor areas" than in "wealthy areas" when it comes to teaching.
After all, despite the protestations of the NEA, teachers are not totally socially blind and know where the chances are greater for getting hurt on the job.
Duh. When I was growing up, our town paid large teacher supplements in order to attract the better teachers.
Governor: We're waiting for you to keep your word, and pay back the two billion dollars you borrowed from the education budget.
Paging Captain Obvious....and I'll bet they have better swimming pools and debate teams as well.
This is not exactly true. Many of the wealthier neighborhoods in California are in newer school districts, where prop 13 takes a heavy toll. Most of the money in the newer districts needs to go to building schools, not paying teachers. I know because I lived in the Capistrano Valley school district, which only hired teachers right out of school with no experience or advanced degrees to avoid paying a higher salary.
wouldnt the taxes on a 700,000 home be higher on a 350,000 home?
If you are a highly qualified teacher, do you go into the leafy green suburbs where the parents may be pushy, but involved, or to the inner city where maybe 10% show up for teacher conferences?
Parents need to do their part, too.
Charter schools in tough neighborhoods with involved parents see real results.
Duh!! Maybe the best teachers want to teach without fearing for their personal safety ie, assault, rape, muggings etc.
It doesn't matter what the taxes are in CA, the money all goes to the state and is redistributed according to how many special ed kids, minorities, or non English speaking students that a school district has. As you can see, LA would get twice or maybe three times the funding as a new Orange County school district.
Next the left will require "re-education camps" just like pol pot and the viet cong.
Oh gee,let's see -- it's not the money; do you think it might be, um, WHAT could it be?????
(former!! teacher)
Um, it depends on if you want to worry about being mugged while you work. imho. As they say, "I would not do that for all the tea in China."
Sounds like the teacher's union is racist. Pay scales like these are what the union has fought to get, where pay is based on seniority. Moving up in seniority allows more experienced teachers (better paid) to move into the more cushy jobs & there's no battle pay to work in the rougher schools.
And the sun rises in the east?
Has anyone seen the interview from SNL with Chevy Chase interviewing Richard Pryor as a job applicant? Another great word association game. Wake up MSM!
Pretty girls get more dates. What else is new?
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