Eric Hanushek on Teachers

Admin Growth

The growth of school administration has significantly outpaced the increase in student numbers, raising concerns about resource allocation. Eric Hanushek highlights that while the student population has grown by 20%, the number of teachers has increased by 34%, and total staff by 41%, indicating a disproportionate rise in non-teaching roles 1. This trend suggests that administrative expansion may be diverting resources away from direct educational needs.

The fact that that's grown more than the teachers have grown suggests that the non-teacher part of employment has grown faster than the teacher part.

--- Eric Hanushek

Russ Roberts questions whether reducing non-teaching staff could alleviate fiscal pressures without impacting classroom quality 1.

   

Overcoming Backgrounds

Socioeconomic factors and family backgrounds play a crucial role in student education, but effective teachers can mitigate these influences. Eric Hanushek argues that a series of good teachers can help students overcome disadvantages associated with poor family backgrounds 2. However, the current system often fails to ensure that disadvantaged students consistently receive quality teaching.

The evidence suggests that we can overcome it. That's what we see. Now, what we don't do is systematically ensure that a poor kid gets three or four good teachers in a row.

--- Eric Hanushek

Improving teacher quality and eliminating the least effective educators could significantly boost student achievement, potentially elevating U.S. performance in international rankings 3.