Dive Brief:
- A new website, Transparent California, allows users to search for the salaries of superintendents, teachers, principals, and others hired by districts in the state.
- Some interesting findings from the site: California teachers earn on average $85,000 a year, and 100 superintendents in the state earned over $250,000 each.
- Transparent California, which is run by nonpartisan think-tank the California Policy Center, also allows users to look up figures and salaries for other public-sector industries.
Dive Insight:
Currently, users can sift though the compensation records of over 581,000 individuals involved in the education sector just from this past year. This is an incredible step forward when it comes to transparency. Earlier this month, we wrote about a California superintendent who had to step down after it was revealed he was making nearly $700,000 a year. Left unchecked, these numbers can rake up. Not only do sites like Transparent California demand accountability, but they show that the public does care and is watching.