Fort Worth ISD’s superintendent will be paid nearly $1 million after one year on the job. Yesterday, we asked readers if these massive “golden parachutes” for public school superintendents benefit students’ academic lives.
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Here is a sampling of the comments we received from our readers after they voted in the survey.
“We pay teachers to teach. We pay superintendents to manage. We don’t pay them not to work. School districts complain they don’t have enough money. If you spend it frivolously, you don’t deserve more.” – Tom Nobis
“These golden parachutes essentially reward poor performance and bad behavior, diverting essential funds from educational resources and support, which ultimately harms students and undermines accountability for leadership.” – Sharla Mills
“Often, the ‘very best’ are actually not. Incompetence and/or bad behavior should not be rewarded.” – Roy Leatherberry
“Paying for unnecessary positions to unqualified people that drain the funds meant for teachers and children. Our children are more important. The majority of funds should go to their education in ensuring our nation’s future.” – Dianna Galando
“Just another example of misuse of taxpayer money. No wonder our property taxes are so high.” – David Clark
“The problem with our school districts is overpaid administrators and endless land speculation. The worst part is it’s funded by what they think is a ‘bottomless bank account’ funded by WE THE PEOPLE.” – Rick Goncher
“Public Schools in Texas are CESSPOOLS, that are nothing but Leftist Indoctrination Camps.” – Karen Stinnett
“Give power to the parents and see how much better each school district responds.” – Dave Dorsey
“In today’s education climate, educators are not worthy of this astronomical payoff.” – Molly Gail
“Paying bad administrators is like giving participation trophies to kids. It emphasizes that bad behavior or not doing your job still gets rewarded. Someone recently said, ‘The problem with $20 an hour job is that most employees still have a $5 an hour mentality.’” – Glenna Speed
“The State of Texas should establish a standardized pay scale for all school administrators just like it has for teachers with similar guidelines.” – Walt Millet
“The funds obviously did not attract the best, or even close to the best, in this case.” – Patricia VanderVeen
“School Districts waste way too much on overpaid “administrators” while still failing to properly educate children in their care!” – Michael Edinburgh
“No, not only should they not receive a payoff, but should have all credentials revoked.” – Cathy Hess
“Wasting money on excessively high salaries for administrators not only does not attract ‘better or best’ candidates for these positions, it demonstrates how out of touch the hiring practices have become. The sad state of our public schools is glaring evidence of that fact; big money has not produced a solid education for our children. Money has not bought quality in education, and this practice must be stopped.” – Mary Roan
“We shouldn’t even have a “superintendent” in the first place. Go back to neighborhood schools, get rid of the bureaucratic ‘ISD,’ and eliminate all that waste.” – Chris Breaux
“Not only should these crazy pay packages and golden parachutes be stopped, the entire concept of school administration should be reviewed. We have multiple layers of bureaucracy in these schools that produce no educational benefit for the students. Remove 50 percent of the administration level in our schools, and you will see test scores start to rise and costs come back into line with results.” – Pat Clonan
