Gary Jackson wrote:
>
> >[Not trying to pick on anyone; this is for my own edification]
> >
> ><<Information Systems team at public school district in Sacramento,
> >California, is expanding -- needs to add someone with HP-3000 system
> >management, hardware/software support, and staff development/training
> >skills.
> >
> >Position = Computer Systems Specialist (#201204)
> >
> >Salary = $2,393-$3,209 per month (plus paid holidays, vacation, sick
> >leave, and comprehensive medical/dental/vision/life insurance package).>>
> >
> >
> >These numbers sound incredibly low; am I that out of touch with reality?
> >Or our school systems really at that much of a disadvantage competing for
> >talent?
> >
> >Steve
> >
>
> I can't tell from here in regards to your relationship to reality.  But I
> can tell you that depending on the article you read, California ranks either
> last or at least in the bottom 1/3 in the spending per pupil.  And I am
> pretty sure it costs a bit more to run a school in Sacramento than it does
> in Montana or Mississipi.
>
> Gary Jackson
> Nevada CSOS
> (916) 478-6407 - voice
> (916) 478-6410 - fax

I'm afraid that the answer in many cases is *yes* our school systems really
are at a financial disadvantage when it comes to competing for talent.
Datamation's annual salary survey, along with other similar surveys,
consistently show public education having lower salaries for comparable jobs
than other industries.  I suspect many of my peers (I.S. Directors at public
school organizations) throughout California have motives similar to mine:  a
desire to help improve the opportunities for our youth to get a quality
education.  Helping work towards this goal, in my case, often involves long
hours at a relatively low salary, with relatively few technical support staff
to try to get the job done.

You also need to keep in mind that public school benefits packages, including
retirement/vacation/medical/etc., are often worth $8-10,000 per year.

In California we have a "95/5 Initiative" that will limit the a school
district's "administrative" costs (including information systems, in most
instances) to a maximum of 5% of the total budget.  If this passes it could
cause even further reductions in the money available for IS salaries.