The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "teacher pay" ...
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Janitor Paid $100,000 to Travel
This series exposed the outrageous hiring practices at the nation's sixth largest school district, casting a light on a system in which janitors and copy clerks were paid huge salaries as teachers- but barely set foot in the classroom. Ultimately, the reporting effort saved taxpayers $1 million, led to pay cuts for 59 employees, and resulted in stricter oversight of the Broward County School District.
Tags: Broward County School District; Hiring; School; Taxpayer
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Investigative work of Mike Wilksinson
The work samples of Mike Wilkinson are entries for the Gannett Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism. The first story shows how some struggling school districts are paying exorbitant teacher salaries. Another finds that a local television station's segments called "Best School Districts" are advertorials. The final story tracks the murder rates among young black men.
Tags: teacher pay; teacher salary; murder rates; advertising; school districts
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Keeping Secrets
This series exposed the financial and public safety costs of North Carolina's personnel law, which we discovered was among the most secretive in the nation. The series showed how the law protected abusive cops and predatory teachers, political patronage and nepotism, as well as extravagantly pay raises and pensions.
Tags: North Carolina; personnel; state employment; salaries; personnel law; North Carlina Open Government Coalition;
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Football Coaches Hitting Pay Dirt
High school football coaches in the state of Texas are well-compensated. The Morning News examines the salaries of coaches including Ennis' Sam Harrell, whose $106,044 yearly salary vastly eclipses the average teacher's at his school, which is $42,766.
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Gold in Educators' Unused Sick Days
This investigation uncovered a provision in Chicago public school principals that allows them to save up unused sick days to cash in upon retirement. Not only can they collect up to 315 days of unused sick pay, but 244 of those can also be used as service time to increase their pension.
Tags: education; salary; teachers union; school board; retirement; pension plan
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Pay Beats Inflation
Teachers' salaries in two Iowa counties have risen at a rate greater than inflation since the 1996-1997 school year.
Tags: Teacher salaries; inflation; public schools; Linn County; Johnson County; Iowa; school boards; school superintendents.
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Head Start salaries unreasonable; Head Start not enrolling number of kids it's paid to; Head Start agency rosters padded, ex-employee says; Local Head Start Agency chief set to take $81,829 pay cut; Head Start Conferences keep execs on the road
Using federal financial audits/statements, this investigation looks at the mismanagement of a local Head Start agency. It was discovered that many of the top executives at the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland, the largest Head Start agency in Ohio, have salaries much higher than other Head Start executives in different counties. As a result of this investigation, the executive director took a $82,000 pay cut and county commissioners are reviewing the executives' use of county money.
Tags: financial audits; open records laws; Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action; compensation; teacher salaries; executive salaries; Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland; nonprofit agencies
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School chief raises outpace teachers
This article examines the increasing salary of school superintendents. It finds that superintendents in West Pennsylvania have gotten a pay increase "at twice the pace" of teachers over the past five years. The second part of the article follows superintendents on their daily tasks and records their main duties.
Tags: superintendent; educational funding; Pennsylvania Department of Education
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Paying for Schools
This series of stories takes an in-depth look at how schools are financed in California. The investigation found it to be an incredibly convoluted and inequitable system. The distribution of money from district to district is uneven, and politics often determine who gets the most money. A lot of the money is doled out based on outdated programs with little connection to modern day needs in schools. Much of the money is released to schools with little or no state monitoring of whether the programs are working or even happening, and some actually aren't.
Tags: spending; school programs; Governor Gray Davis; school budget; school funding; Gifted and Talented Education; Bilingual Teacher Training; Gang Risk Intervention; West Contra Costa Unified School District; Dropout Prevention Program; Anti-Defamation League; English Language Acquisition Program; Department of Education; Economic Impact Aid; California Legislature; Senate Rules Committee; public education
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Marked Absent
The Eagle- Tribune, analyzed the attendance of teachers from seventeen districts north of Boston. The investigation revealed that teacher absenteeism increases the costs for the schools and on an average each child pays $104 for substitute teachers. They also found that 43% teachers used sick leave next to long weekends and holidays and teachers in fact accepted that they use sick leaves to pad their vacations.
Tags: teacher attendance; teacher absenteeism; Boston schools