Reading, 'riting, red tape

National | Why are public schools spending almost as much on overhead as they are on in-classroom instruction? | Lynn Vincent

One day, Richard Culpepper found his plate too full. As a 5th-grade math teacher at a high-poverty urban school in Baton Rouge, La., he was teaching long division, fractions, and word problems to a classroom full of 10- and 11-year-olds, many of whom couldn't read the math textbook. Furthermore, administrators in Mr. Culpepper's school and district also required him to complete reams (literally) of daily, weekly, and annual forms, meet scores of local, state, and federal program requirements, participate in more than 150 daily, weekly, and annual noninstructional activities—such as school fundraisers, staff-appreciation activities, and student contests. On top of that, he had to prepare lesson plans, grade papers, administer achievement tests, exact discipline, and attend to the social, emotional, and physical needs of 26 children.