A Think Twice Review of:

Back to the Staffing Surge: The Great Teacher Salary Stagnation and the Decades-Long Employment Growth in American Schools

Think Twice - Jul 05, 2017

Publisher/Think Tank - EdChoice

Author(s) - Ben Scafidi

A recent report from EdChoice, formerly the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, concluded that non-teaching staffing growth in schools after the Great Recession has outpaced enrollment growth and student performance. The report recommended increasing teacher pay, at the expense of non-teaching staff, and more school choice.

Reviewer(s) - Joydeep Roy, Columbia University; and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder

An academic review finds that the report presents no logical relationship between the staffing trends presented and the solutions proposed in the report. The reviewers identify that the primary shortcoming of the report is its failure to examine why there has been a staffing surge and whether it reflects a valid use of personnel. In their conclusion, they also find that there is no linkage between the report’s call for more school choice and vouchers to remedy “over-staffing” or better education. In response, the reviewers provide an appendix list of recent evidence on voucher and charter school performance.