The Education Wars II--New Orleans

While New Orleans' teachers are being fucked over, principals, who typically are too stupid or unethical to be in a classroom, are pulling down big bucks in these charter schools, just like "executives":

Now in control of their own budgets, many New Orleans charter school boards have invested heavily in school leaders, with a few paying well into the six-figure range, doubling or tripling the salaries that principals earned under the old regime.

Atop the pay range sits veteran Kathy Riedlinger, head of Lusher Charter School, who earns $203,556, including a $5,000 yearly car allowance. Lafayette Charter School's Mickey Landry, recruited from a prep school in a national search, is No.¤2 at $186,000.

At Ben Franklin High School, Principal Timothy Rusnak, also recruited nationally, earns $150,000 annually. And Jay Altman, chief executive of FirstLine Schools, earns $132,000 to oversee both S.J. Green and Arthur Ashe charter schools.

Principals used to be lead teachers (hence the term "principal" meaning "principal teacher") with years of experience; now they are little different than the garden variety crooks in the private sector.