Pinching Pennies with Good Results - school districts' achievement of low-cost academic success

School Administrator, March, 1996 by Priscilla Pardini

In Rock Island and Harrison, the incentive comes in the form of salaries that are at the high end of the pay scale for their regions. "We're not looking to save money there," says Harrison's Adair. "Teachers are key to the whole thing." T.C. Mattocks, superintendent in Idaho Falls, places a high value on teacher longevity. And so in his district, salaries are particularly high for experienced teachers.

Other districts have found alternative ways to support teachers. In Sierra Vista, after conferring with teachers, officials used money that would have gone for teacher raises to maintain smaller classes and an extensive array of teacher specialists. Logan says Solanco's 1990 strategic plan called for boosting teachers' job satisfaction as well as community support for teachers. The effort seems to have paid off: the district ranked above average in teacher morale on a recent statewide survey.

In Decatur, teachers are given the tools they need to ensure all students learn. That means offering in-service programs that teach teachers how to work with students with different learning styles. Teachers also have access to a computer training center Davis considers the best in the state. In Valley Grove, officials pride themselves on their "no-nonsense" approach to disciplining students who misbehave. They say teachers appreciate the support, and as a result, are better able to do their jobs.

Community Backing

But whatever the tactics, the superintendents say they should not be given all the credit for the successes of their districts. "It's not some magical thing I've come here and done," says West Independent's Crain, echoing the sentiments of many of his peers. "It's the teachers, the students, and the community working together to make the schools good."

Building partnerships with parents and the business community, they say, is critical. The effort pays off in many ways: increased volunteerism, more generous donations, and a student body more willing to work hard because they know their parents are interested in and aware of what's happening in the classroom.

Idaho Falls' Mattocks believes creating effective partnerships is essential. "You just have to start by doing something that makes people want to trust you," he says. "Show them that you're prudent with money, or that test scores--as flawed as they are--are high, or at least rising. And over time, you'll reap the rewards." Says Decatur's Davis: "When people believe you're spending their money well, they're willing to support the schools and pay for education. And if a district has the support of its community, it's going to be good."

Don Davies, co-director of the Boston-based Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning, believes those collaborations may be the single most important reason for the nine districts' success. "I give them a lot of credit for having the practical sense to build community support and use community resources," he says, adding, "The talents, expertise, equipment, time that will come back to them shouldn't be sold short."