It is hard to pick just one passage to quote in O’Rourke’s amusing analysis of public school spending and student performance. Because I have written about the personnel glut in North Carolina’s public schools, I chose the following paragraph:
There are other numbers that make better sense. As of 2006?of course the numbers are out of date?4,615,000 people were employed full-time by some 13,000 school districts (although if school districts used the same definition of ?full-time? as the rest of us the number we?re talking about would be zero). Of these 4,615,000 there are 300,000 ?clerical and secretarial staff? filling out No Child Left Behind paperwork and wondering why 64,000 ?officials, administrators? aren?t doing it themselves, which they aren?t because they?re busy doing the jobs that 125,000 ?principals and assistant principals? can?t because they?re supervising 383,000 ?other professional staff? who are flirting with the 483,000 ?teachers? aides? who are spilling trail mix and low-fat yogurt in the teacher?s lounge making a mess for the 726,000 ?service workers? to clean up, never mind that the students should be pushing the brooms and swinging the Johnny mops so at least they?d come home with a practical skill and clean the bathroom instead of sitting around comprehending 29 percent of their iPhone text messages and staying awake all night because they can only count 31 percent of sheep.
Of course, the entire essay is well worth your time.
H/T: JC
