Debunking an Education Myth

During the legislative session, the media has shared many rumors out of Austin regarding the efficiency of public education. One rumor, or myth, that has really been extorted is the one-to-one student to administrator ratio. This rumor has lumped together central office staff costs, which includes bus drivers, maintenance and custodial employees, food service workers as well as paraprofessionals. All of these employee groups are one team working together to ensure our schools operate smoothly, allowing students to focus on their learning.

In late March, the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) released "At a Glance: A School District Staff" showcasing how school districts throughout Texas are staffed. Overall, Texas school districts employed 660,000 full-time staff members during the 2009-10 school year. Out of 660,000 employees, 333,000 are teaching staff while the remaining 328,000 are considered non-teaching staff. Without analysis, these numbers look suspect, providing opportunities to exploit what these numbers really mean. Below is the breakdown of these 660,000 employees throughout the state as it relates to their job. We've also highlighted LISD numbers for comparison.



As you can see, this analysis proves the one-to-one ratio is false. As educators, we can all attest to the critical roles all employee groups play in our schools. For further clarification, below highlights each employee group.


Central Administration (State - 1%, LISD - 1%): Every school district is required by law to have a superintendent. A superintendent is responsible for the overall usage of the district's physical, financial and human assets. Ultimately, the superintendent is responsible for the educational performance of students. Other central office staff roles supporting these areas include curriculum and instruction, human resources, payroll, facilities and maintenance, finances, budgeting and legal services.


Campus Administration (State - 3%, LISD - 2.7%): Predominantly, campus administration consists of a principal, assistant principal, registrar and staff who are responsible for student performance, campus discipline, campus records and reports required by the Texas Education Agency. Statewide, three percent of all district staff are classified as campus administration, which translates to an average of one person in campus administration supporting eighteen teachers.


Professional Support (State - 9%, LISD - 8.8%): Overall, professional support staff are responsible for supporting the educational mission of a school including counselors, school nurses, librarians, diagnosticians, speech pathologists, therapists and social workers.


Educational Aides (State - 10%, LISD - 5.8%): Mostly, education aides provide non-administrative support to teachers and professional staff. Aides include classroom teacher aides, computer lab aides, library assistants, licensed vocational nurses and special education aides who help special education teachers manage the classroom environment and assist students with special needs with their learning and lessons.


Auxiliary (State - 27%, LISD - 23.2%): Auxiliary staff account for the largest portion of staff not categorized as teachers. This category of staff includes groundskeepers, custodians, bus drivers, monitors, mechanics, copy clerks, food service and cafeteria workers, security guards and computer technicians.

Teachers (State - 50%, LISD - 58.5%): Teachers are on the front lines helping our students learn and master the curriculum by developing effective lesson plans for all learning styles. They nurture, motivate and inspire children every day.

It is evident, this idea of a one-to-one administrator to student ratio is absurd. For any political pundit to exploit this myth is wrong. As members of the education community, we must share the facts about our schools as productive and efficient learning environments. I encourage you to provide this information with your friends, neighbors and colleagues. Together, as public education advocates and ambassadors, we can eliminate these rumors and boast our successes.

Originally posted in LISD Friday Flash, May 27, 2011.