Soaring Education Statistics

Soaring Education Statistics

Nationwide since 1950, the number of public school administrative and non-teaching positions has soared 702% while the student population increased just 96%. Over that same period, teachers’ numbers also increased—252%.

Notably, that hiring trend has been just as prominent over the past two decades. From 1992 to 2009, students’ numbers increased 17% whereas administrators and other non-teaching staff rose 46%. And during that time, some states actually lost students yet kept hiring more non-teachers. Of course, those hiring patterns might be warranted if students’ academic gains kept pace. Academic outcomes, however, have not experienced similar growth.

Such irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars is indefensible. Had non-teaching personnel increased at the same rate as students nationwide, American public schools would have an additional $24.3 billion annually—funds that could be used to give quality teachers raises, scholarships to students in need, relief to taxpayers, or some other worthy purpose.

—Benjamin Scafidi, Ph.D., Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, School Choice Advocate