For many people, raises have been few and far between since the 2008 economic downturn. So we sympathize with school superintendent Wendy Hyer’s desire for a pay raise and the Okanagan School board’s urge to reward their employee.
However, the optics of this raise leave much to be desired. Just over $1 million had to be cut from this year’s school board budget, much the same as in previous years, as enrolment continues to decline.
School board chair Linda van Alphen may claim that Hyer’s raise only equates to a small part of their overall budget, but in other frames of reference, it’s quite a bit.
For instance, for a minimum wage earner, $17,000 is about two-thirds of their annual income. In terms of a classroom, it’s enough to upgrade a computer lab, or purchase 170 textbooks (based on $100 each) or a larger number of books for school libraries.
But really, that is comparing apples and oranges. Yes, Hyer’s raise does take money that could be spent in the classroom, just as the teacher’s salary increases did – and let’s note here that Hyer did not secure her raise by holding the students’ education hostage and claiming it was for their own good.
But teachers are vital to the education of our children. To keep the best teachers in our system, rather than see them moving to other provinces or to the private sector, we need to pay them well.
Similarly, if we want good administration, we need to pay for it. Hyer should be paid a salary commensurate with her position and it should be comparable to her peers in other school districts, or similar positions in other sectors.
Considering the size of the school district, both number of employees and students, Hyer’s job can be likened to running a good-sized corporation. And, good administrators, especially at this level are not a dime-a-dozen. Replacing Hyer would be far more costly than paying her a salary which she could obtain by relocating to another district or the private sector.