Public schools’ woes stem from bureaucratic tendencies, not underfunding, analyst argues

If public schools are suffering from inadequate funding – a common complaint among their advocates – then we should see other nations spending more, a recent commentary argues.

However, American public education is experiencing the opposite trend, the Heartland Institute’s editorial director Chris Talgo notes.

“In 2024, the U.S. spent $20,387 per pupil, compared to an average of $15,022 across the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,” he writes in an opinion piece for The Hill.

Meanwhile, everyone agrees this massive outpouring of funds is not translating into effective student outcomes.

“According to the Nation’s Report Card, in 2024, only 28 percent of eighth graders were deemed proficient in math, compared to 39 percent who were rated ‘below basic,’” Talgo laments. “In science, 31 percent achieved proficiency while 38 percent were ‘below basic.’ Likewise, average eighth grade reading scores are down 5 points since 2019.

In 2022, the average civics score for eighth graders declined, marking the first year-over-year decline in this subject.”

The former public-school teacher lays the blame for this woeful underperformance on schools themselves, which he describes as “government-run monopolies, often steered by teachers’ unions and other leftist political groups.”

“The students can’t read, and even that doesn’t stop school employees from leading them in walk-outs from their classes to protest whatever is the cause du jour.”

Meanwhile, an increasing bulk of the lavish taxpayer spending has gone to shore up administrative positions over teaching ones.

“Since 2019, the total number of public school staff has risen from 6.5 million to 6.8 million, but teachers fill less than half of all open staff positions,” Talgo observes. “And they are now outnumbered by non-teachers on staff — 3.6 million to 3.2 million.”

Such non-teaching positions grew from 2002 to 2023 by the following percentages:

• student support services (125%)
• instruction coordinators (118%)
• administrative support staff (43%)
• administrator positions (39%)
• guidance counselors (28%)
• principals and assistant principals (23%)

In the same timeframe, the number of teachers grew less than 8%, Talgo writes.

“(My former Chicago) high school, according to its website, employs a ‘chief communications officer’ and ‘director of business services,’” he observes. “The administrative team organizational chart looks more like a Fortune 500 company than a local public high school.”

Teachers often find themselves caught up in the subsequent “micromanaging, frequent meetings, and constant paperwork,” according to Talgo.

“As with any badly run corporate bureaucracy, there was always some ‘new plan’ in place that required more red tape. All of this took precious time away from a teacher’s number one priority: instructional preparation time.”

The commentary ends with a call for more public-school accountability, not more funding – as well as expanding school choice.

“Private and charter schools cost far less than public schools, do a far better job training students academically and are far safer,” Talgo concludes.

“Unlike their counterparts, private schools generally operate outside the bureaucratic labyrinthine and one-size-fits-all public school system.”