Improving Human Capital
Reshaping current human capital policies and practices can fundamentally impact state and district budgets. Staff salaries and benefits are the biggest budget line item for school districts, on average, accounting for more than 70 percent of district expenditures. Rethinking three key components of human capital—the organization of the teaching workforce, teacher professional and career development, and teacher compensation—can serve to increase educational productivity in a dramatic way. In pursuing alternative human capital strategies, it is critical that all stakeholders—from elected officials at all levels to school administrators, school boards, and teacher leaders—are continuously engaged and that their input informs decision-making. Working together in a collaborative manner will increase the likelihood of successful and sustained implementation of new approaches.
