There seems to be some confusion, deliberate or not, on how the DOE uses the "Fair Student Funding" (FSF) formula works. The theory behind FSF was that the money would follow the student with "high needs" with these students getting more money than schools with few "high needs" students. However, like many other programs the people at Tweed "perverts" the FSF and "picks and chooses" what parts of the FSF that support their ideology and that's where the confusion lies.
When it comes to hiring the DOE uses the FSF by using the "average teacher salary" of the school to determine the funding. The result is that principals have an incentive to hire the "cheapest" and not the "best" teachers for their schools. Let's look at some examples:
Large School = 120 teachers average salary is $80,000. The school hires a top teacher making $100,000. What will the average teacher salary be?
ATS = {$80,000 x (119/120) = $79,333) + ( $100,000 x (1/120) = $833} = $80,166.
However, $166 x 120 = a $19,960 increase in the school budget for teachers.
On the other hand, if the Principal hires a "newbie teacher".
ATS = {$80,000 x (119/120) = $79,333) + ( $40,000 x (1/120) = $333} = $79,666.
However, $333 x 120 = a $39,960 decrease in the school budget for teachers.
Small School = 30 teachers average salary is $52,000. The school hires a top teacher making $100,000. What will the average teacher salary be?
ATS = {$52,000 x (29/30) = $50,266) + ( $100,000 x (1/30) = $3,333} = $53,600
However, $1,600 x 30 = a $48,000 increase in the school budget for teachers.
On the other hand, if the Principal hires a "newbie teacher".
ATS = {$52,000 x (29/30) = $50,266) + ( $40,000 x (1/30) = $1,333} = $51,600
However, $400 x 30 = a $12,000 decrease in the school budget for teachers.
Mid-Sized School = 60 teachers average salary is $65,000. The school hires a top teacher making $100,000. What will the average teacher salary be?
ATS = {$65,000 x (59/60) = $63,916) + ( $100,000 x (1/60) = $1,666} = $65,582
However, $582 x 60 = a $39,350 increase in the school budget for teachers.
On the other hand, if the Principal hires a "newbie teacher".
ATS = {$65,000 x (59/60) = $63,916) + ( $40,000 x (1/60) = $666} = $64,582
However, $416 x 60 = a$24,960 decrease in the school budget for teachers.
As the reader can plainly see the Principal has a financial incentive to hire the "newbie teacher" and save some money in the process. The smaller the school, the greater the incentive. Its no wonder that there are over 2,000 ATRs rotating while "newbies" are being hired to fill the vacancies.
I hope the readers of my blog realize why principals hire the "cheapest" and are not interested in hiring the "best" teachers for their students. The principals can fool the parents of the students that they are hiring "quality teachers" to instruct their children but now you know better, its all about the money and not what's best for the students.