I've managed to wipe out my reply to Jeffrey four times now. Let me start fresh.
Yes, there's been meritocratic administrative wankery going on strong since the late seventies.
Here are some notes regarding the situation in Oakland Unified School District:
"No one should be confused about the district’s priorities. in 4 pf the last 5 years, OUSD illegally has teachers below the 55% of revenues that is established. For several years, OUSD has routinely paid a huge fine to the state for a ratio of administrators to students that is illegally high. OUSD has unilaterally virtually ended Adult Education and is maneuvering to close its Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. Though it claims that budget cuts are the problem, OUSD shows no inclination to save these programs by taking the money from outside contractors (see below).
2) OUSD spends 19% of its budget on outside contractors. – some $88 million dollars last year. The average school district spends about 10%. Last year, OEA members who studied these payments estimated that up to $40 million could likely be shifted to teachers.
The school board regularly extends these contracts all year long without any serious examination of the cost, impact or utility. Many millions of dollars go to big contractors like SI Swun Math, the Cambridge Education Group, including $20 million to replace scantron with Edusoft. Many of these contracts duplicate what teachers ordinarily do in the class room. They also impose teaching models that teachers are pressured to follow.
One result of this regime is that 5th graders take 11 standardized tests a year, including 4 different ones to evaluate language skills! Oakland has also pioneered all-day kindergarten, where 5 year olds get no naps in the afternoon so they can practice their test-taking skills. Neither practice is educationally sound.
Based on the giveaways to outside contractors alone (not to mention a number of other budget issues), the OEA continues to maintain that the money IS there, IF they make teachers, instead of contractors, a priority."
This is corruption of the highest order....and also, business as usual.
Joanna