Top Heavy (Score 2, Interesting)

Half my family are teachers. From what I can see the money is very tight. They can't even aford paper. My sister like many teachers spends her own money for supplies. The problem isn't the amount spent per child it's the amount that reaches each child in the form of direct education. Most of the money like most government departments gets consumed in bloated administrative costs. You might be shocked to find what the proportion of highly paid administrators are to teachers. Remember the structure is very complex and there are many levels between the Congress and the teachers. I've worked at companies where there were three administrators and office people for every person actually working to produce product. The school system is much worse. Let's say the government wanted to add a 10,000 new teachers. Even if they were being paid $50,000 a year that would only be $500,000,000, a bargin. But that's not the way it works. When you add administrative costs I think you'd find it would cost several billion maybe much more. Other than a handful of new accountants to pay the teachers in truth just how much more support is needed. Yes there are more classrooms and supplies but with most schools they have the space just need enough teachers. The knee jerk reaction to an education problems seems to be more planning/administrators. Fire half the administrative staff and hire an equal number of teachers. You'll save money and put a lot of teachers in classrooms where they are needed. Maybe with the money saved they can actually buy paper and books.