A study released today by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice shows that from 1992 to 2009 student enrollment increased 19%, but staffing levels for schools increased 34%. The largest growth was in non-teaching staff, which grew 43% or more than twice the rate of student growth.

Washington public schools employed 100,310 full time equivalent employees in 2011-12 for the state's 1,004,198 students, or one full time adult for each ten students.

I took the opportunity to assemble some other cost increases which are "surging" from 1992 to 2009:

Average Administrator Salary up 63%Average Classified Salary up 54%Average Teacher State Salary up 47%Average Levy-funded Teacher Salary Enhancement up 145%!!!Insurance Benefits up 150%Total Funds Per Student up 89%Levy Funds Per Student up 152%!

We've been getting much interest in our "Informed Voter Guide," and I've taken many questions about the nature of charter school policy. I ended up writing a Q&A which addresses most of what people are asking.

Growing up in public school, I was the teacher's pet. I enjoyed homework, studying, and learning in general. I idolized my teachers, and felt happy in a school environment. So it's no surprise that I went to college to become a teacher. My first day of student teaching, I stepped into my assigned school and smiled. It just felt right.

A decade and many schools later, my views have changed dramatically. I now have two children, still work as a teacher, and am firm in one decision: when their time comes, I refuse to send my children to public school. Here's why:

1. Discipline- My children would be assigned to an elementary school with legendary discipline problems, behavior issues, parental uninvolvement and routine violence. A teacher's day revolves around gaining control of her class, with academics coming last.

School superintendents are telling lawmakers that reducing the school year by five days will fix their budgets, report theEverett HeraldandSeattle Times. This shows that they care more about increasing and maintaining the pay of school employees than about providing school days to children.

American students already receive so much less learning time than students in Europe and Asia, that they lose out on an entire year of schooling: FromThe Economist:

The Washington Education Association (WEA) has called for a “Day of Action” rally in Olympia on November 28th, the first day of the Special Session of the Legislature. Teachers and public school employees are being urged to leave their classrooms to attend this rally and deliver a “budget cuts hurt kids” message to legislators. A Week of Action is planned for this week (11/14), with teachers across the state wearing “These Cuts Hurt” buttons, and the WEA placing editorials and ads in newspapers across the state claiming that school budgets have been cut.

Despite cries about hurting kids, the state education budget has not been cut. Education spending has increased by $789 million compared to the last budget, rising from $12.9 billion in the 2009-11 budget to $13.7 in the 2011-13 budget.

This spending boost includes teacher salary step increases, pension and benefit increases, student enrollment increases, $62.2 million in new programs, $92 million for full-day kindergarten, and the start-up costs for spending $300 million to implement a new test for Washington’s students. Reductions of 3% and 1.9% to the highest paid administrators and teachers, respectively, were included in the 2011-13 budget, but many districts were able to avoid imposing these reductions and reduced other areas of local spending instead.

Public-school administrators remain among the county’s highest-paid public employees. Spokane, Mead and Central Valley school districts together have 133 administrators who earn more than $100,000 annually, according to records obtained by The Spokesman-Review.