I've heard there are 22% more teachers than in 1996.
Is that true?
No, there are not 22% more teachers. It is true, however, that
between 1996 and 2006, Vermont's total education staffing (all jobs --
teachers, adminstrators, bus drivers, food service personnel, etc.) has
increased by 22%. This statistic is from a recent
study commissioned by the Vermont Business
Roundtable and the Lake
Champlain Region Chamber of Commerce.
Unfortunately, this study did not give year-over-year detail on
this 10-year period, nor did it provide breakouts of the trends
for various types of jobs (though a close reading of the report
provides some insight into which types of jobs account for the most
growth, such as teachers aids). The graphs, below, give insight
in both of these areas. Perhaps the most interesting information
that emerges from this year-over-year analysis is that a large portion
of the growth happened during the Act 60 phase-in period, perhaps an
indication of hiring done by towns previously unable to raise
sufficient local property tax revenue to support staffing at a level
consistent with towns that did have sufficient local property tax
revenue.
The Act 60 Phase-in Years Account for Most of the Growth
Between 1996 and 2000 -- spanning the phase-in of Act 60 -- total
education staffing grew by approximately 2,076 full-time equivalent
positions. This accounts for approximately 62% of the staffing
growth for the entire 1996-2006 period. As seen in the graph
below, growth in staffing increased dramatically in 1997, stayed high
through 1999, and has declined to the point of being negligible in 2006.
Non-teaching Positions Account for Most of the Growth
Teaching positions and non-teaching positions have very different
growth rates. Non-teaching positions account for 68% of all new
positions between 1995 and 2004. Of the 1,044 teaching positions
added between 1995 and 2004, 69% were added between 1996 and 1999 (the
Act 60 phase-in period). However, growth in the non-teaching
positions has been sustained, with only 44% of total non-teaching
positions added between 1996 and 1999.
Copyright (C) 2006 by Ken Dufort