Administrative bloat in K-12 systems across the nation has been incredible.  Federal grants have created positions within K-12 systems that have often resulted in staff being shifted or absorbed by various departments of public education in the states.

This staffing bloat then becomes a burden on state education budgets. Such is the case with North Carolina.

Case in point, the Race To The Top grant.

The Race To The Top grant was due to expire this past September.  North Carolina was granted an expansion in order to complete the work and finish using the funds.

DPI hired 144 people to work on Race To The Top items.

Question: Where are they now?

Answer: DPI has absorbed them or wants to.

Tracking down all 144 is a big task, but one of them was easy to find:

Levinson was/is the Director of the Race To The Top grant program for North Carolina. Recently, Levinson was named DPI’s interim director of the state’s charter school office.

From what I gathered talking to a few of my sources, Levinson’s predecessor, Joel Medley, was making around $90k for the position.

From what I’ve heard, they already placed an advertisement for the position and received resumes, but no one has looked at them yet. I also hear that there will be a re-advertisement for the position. What’s the hold up?

With Race To The Top coming to a close, Levinson needed a place to land and thus we now have someone making $128k in that same role. Yet DPI is facing a departmental budget cut. Do the math, folks.

Fun fact: There are currently 1,143 employees under DPI. Of that total number of employees, 534 make $60k and up. Of that 534 making $60k and up there are 41 making over $100k.

You can look this up yourself or email me (TheLL1885@gmail.com) for a copy of the state salary database with DPI broken out.

We track turnover for teachers. Perhaps the legislature should also be tracking turnover, or rather, lack thereof, within DPI.

Useful Links:

NC State Employees Salary Database