Wow, this is a fascinating turn of events. Thank you for the breakdown, Erika. My only comment and at risk of sharing an unpopular opinion: A superintendent is awarded a $450,000 salary, because that's what the national market bears for an executive leadership role in education. It's misguided, in my opinion, to compare a teacher salary to a superintendent salary as if they should be the same - unless we're suggesting all salaries for all jobs be the same. The role, the responsibility, the training, the education, the commitment are different. And a superintendent, who is the CEO and executive leader of a school district, is still wildly underpaid when compared to corporate CEOs. This said, teacher salaries must increase and increase quickly. A 1% raise is untenable when inflation is 3 - 4%. Essentially, teachers are given a demotion every year right now if raises aren't even keeping up with inflation. It is unacceptable in my opinion. Our country doesn't value education anymore. It would make my heart light up to the moon if LBUSD became a beacon for valuing teachers and administrators - understanding when people are valued, they in turn have the strength and energy and desire to value those they serve - our children. Thank you for your writing! I am amazed by you!!
Thank you for saying this, and I actually agree with a lot of it. I do not think teacher and superintendent salaries should be treated as the same job or set at the same number. They are very different roles, and in a high-cost-of-living area with a very engaged community, I absolutely want a superintendent to be paid well. It is not an easy job.
My concern is more about scale, structure, and priorities. LAUSD’s superintendent reportedly makes $440k while leading a district with nearly 500k students. LBUSD is a small district, and our superintendent agreement is $450k plus other benefits. That does not automatically make it wrong, but it does make it worth explaining clearly.
And I completely agree with you on teachers and staff. A 1% raise, especially when healthcare costs are increasing for the employees, is not particularly meaningful. My point is not that administrators should not be valued; it is that if LBUSD wants to be a district that truly values education, that should show up throughout the system, which is ultimately the students they serve.
I hear you on all counts. Two things - salaries often level out toward the top, though some superintendents are paid over 500K. I did a little research and it seems LAUSD has many junior or deputy superintendents and additional support administrators reporting to the superintendent, too. In my view, the demands on the superintendent of LAUSD wouldn’t be extraordinarily higher (if at all) from the demands of the superintendent leading LBUSD, they’re simply organized differently with different priorities, levels of support staff and shared (or not shared) responsibilities. One could argue, leading LBUSD is more demanding as a solo superintendent vs one who has a large support staff. An idea - I could be misguided, often am.
Thank you again for your writing. And thank you for this exchange. If I’m out of line in any way, or private discourse better than on this page, please direct me. Since I haven’t expressed it yet today, let me repeat: I think how you’ve taken on this project is AMAZING and so helpful and needed and impressive!
Thank you for your support! And this is what I love - conversations on the different viewpoints on these topics, so don’t feel bad. I like the idea that the LAUSD superintendent has more support, and thus our superintendent’s salary isn’t too far off. I also believe the LBUSD superintendent should be well compensated. They work with highly engaged parents and community members and have a much smaller team but a very large budget. I also want them to live close by so the focus is on the tasks at hand instead of a long, draining commute. :) I appreciate the insight you gave about LAUSD, thank you!
Wow, this is a fascinating turn of events. Thank you for the breakdown, Erika. My only comment and at risk of sharing an unpopular opinion: A superintendent is awarded a $450,000 salary, because that's what the national market bears for an executive leadership role in education. It's misguided, in my opinion, to compare a teacher salary to a superintendent salary as if they should be the same - unless we're suggesting all salaries for all jobs be the same. The role, the responsibility, the training, the education, the commitment are different. And a superintendent, who is the CEO and executive leader of a school district, is still wildly underpaid when compared to corporate CEOs. This said, teacher salaries must increase and increase quickly. A 1% raise is untenable when inflation is 3 - 4%. Essentially, teachers are given a demotion every year right now if raises aren't even keeping up with inflation. It is unacceptable in my opinion. Our country doesn't value education anymore. It would make my heart light up to the moon if LBUSD became a beacon for valuing teachers and administrators - understanding when people are valued, they in turn have the strength and energy and desire to value those they serve - our children. Thank you for your writing! I am amazed by you!!
Thank you for saying this, and I actually agree with a lot of it. I do not think teacher and superintendent salaries should be treated as the same job or set at the same number. They are very different roles, and in a high-cost-of-living area with a very engaged community, I absolutely want a superintendent to be paid well. It is not an easy job.
My concern is more about scale, structure, and priorities. LAUSD’s superintendent reportedly makes $440k while leading a district with nearly 500k students. LBUSD is a small district, and our superintendent agreement is $450k plus other benefits. That does not automatically make it wrong, but it does make it worth explaining clearly.
And I completely agree with you on teachers and staff. A 1% raise, especially when healthcare costs are increasing for the employees, is not particularly meaningful. My point is not that administrators should not be valued; it is that if LBUSD wants to be a district that truly values education, that should show up throughout the system, which is ultimately the students they serve.
I hear you on all counts. Two things - salaries often level out toward the top, though some superintendents are paid over 500K. I did a little research and it seems LAUSD has many junior or deputy superintendents and additional support administrators reporting to the superintendent, too. In my view, the demands on the superintendent of LAUSD wouldn’t be extraordinarily higher (if at all) from the demands of the superintendent leading LBUSD, they’re simply organized differently with different priorities, levels of support staff and shared (or not shared) responsibilities. One could argue, leading LBUSD is more demanding as a solo superintendent vs one who has a large support staff. An idea - I could be misguided, often am.
Thank you again for your writing. And thank you for this exchange. If I’m out of line in any way, or private discourse better than on this page, please direct me. Since I haven’t expressed it yet today, let me repeat: I think how you’ve taken on this project is AMAZING and so helpful and needed and impressive!
Thank you for your support! And this is what I love - conversations on the different viewpoints on these topics, so don’t feel bad. I like the idea that the LAUSD superintendent has more support, and thus our superintendent’s salary isn’t too far off. I also believe the LBUSD superintendent should be well compensated. They work with highly engaged parents and community members and have a much smaller team but a very large budget. I also want them to live close by so the focus is on the tasks at hand instead of a long, draining commute. :) I appreciate the insight you gave about LAUSD, thank you!