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Education Dive
Public ed employment falls significantly as private ed rises
Naaz Modan
June 8, 2020
Dive Brief:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' May employment
report, employment in private education rose over the course of the
month while local and state government education employment declined.
Declines in local government education employment accounted for almost
two-thirds of the government employment losses overall, at 310,000 out
of 487,000 losses, which the report said reflects school closures. At
the same time, state education employment continued to decline and
accounted for a majority of the decrease in state government
employment, at 63,000 out of 84,000 losses.
Meanwhile, 33,000 people were hired in private education.
Dive Insight:
The employment trends reflect a growing concern in public education
around high teacher and leader attrition rates, which has only been
exacerbated by the pandemic.
Given the impact of coronavirus shutdowns on tax revenues, states are
expecting shortfalls and cutting or reworking their education budgets.
As a result, districts are considering upping the incentives for
retirement and decreasing salaries and expenses, or cutting down on
employees and programs.
As of the end of May, data from The Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities showed less than half of states had warned their school
districts of revenue cuts but they are revising their revenue
projections.
Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown
University, said at the time this “mixed messaging” could factor into
federal bailout decisions. And if states choose to alter their budgets
down the road, districts that didn’t plan ahead could be left in a bind.
The May unemployment trends also highlight debates in public education
around how to keep up with private schools during distance learning and
partial reopening. Some say embracing and adjusting to changes like
hybrid education models in the long-term will be key when competing
with charter and private schools.
And though federal money has made its way down through the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, details about how it
will be disbursed by governors is still slow to emerge. U.S. Secretary
of Education Betsy DeVos has encouraged the use of funds for
independent and private schools, and school choice advocates have
promoted giving them to education savings accounts that would allow
parents to use public funding for private school expenses.
Meanwhile, public school education leaders are voicing their concerns
about reopening expenses. A report released today by AASA, The School
Superintendents Association, suggests reopening could cost an average
district nearly $1.8 million in additional unbudgeted expenses. AASA's
Executive Director Dan Domenech and Advocacy Director Sasha Pudelski
suggest this could be impossible without a federal bailout and funds
specifically for education.
"You can't just fund States and leave it to governors and legislatures
to invest in education," Pudelski tweeted. "Given the choice, we are
concerned and have seen that education is not a priority."
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