[RidgeRunner]

Actually, I disagree with the handful of retard statement above. Lest them be some big hands. Leno goes walkabout asking grown-ups similar questions and the results are equally as stunning.
The admin. assistant to the Superintendant of Schools in Polk County, FL. starts off at a mere $125,000+ benefits. Supers make $140-150K/yr Teachers start at $36,000 + benefits. School Board members make $35,000. Why does a admin assistant make a six figure salary? Who is most important to the education of the children? Let me go at it from another angle, Mrs. $125,000 fails to show up Monday morning because she stayed up too late watching the Superbowl. Who does her job while she is away and does that interfere with the development of the children? A. Nobody needs do anything and the children have their regular lesson plan. Now, let the $36,000 teacher miss Monday morning and see what happens?

I know why the education system is in a constant state of chaos in Florida. Aside from using tax payer dollars to bus children all over the county to have the proper ratio of black,yellow,brown, and white. The teachers must base their lesson plan on the least advanced in the class while trying to focus on teaching the entire class enough book smarts to pass the FCAT. So we hamstring them with English as a Second Language students (Students of Migrant Workers and Illegal Immigrants) and then hold the teachers feet to the fire on test scores. At least one Charter School around here, weeds out the weak children to make their ranking look better. If it was up to me I would not allow any tax money to go to any school that:
1. I never had the opportunity to attend.
2. My child does not have the opportunity to attend.
3. Gives underperforming students the boot to maintain their ranking.

I can tell you that I absolutely love it when my daughters Title I school comes back with a higher ranking than the magnet schools and even some of the Charter Schools. It warms my heart and you can thank the parents and the teachers because it is obvious they care. Administrators? They may care but how would we know? How can anyone judge the performance of a glorified paper pusher.