Underpaid Educators at Sidwell, Georgetown Day School, and Maret?

As we consider paying top teachers at D.C. traditional public schools annual salaries of $130,000, I wondered how much the best private schools in D.C. paid their teachers.  I haven't found an exact answer, but I did find some upper limits.

First, I asked a friend for a list of the best private schools in D.C.  The list:
1. Sidwell Friends
2. National Cathedral School ("NCS"), and its brother school, St. Albans
3. Georgetown Day School ("GDS")
4. Maret School

(The Obamas ultimately chose Sidwell Friends but visited GDS twice and were also considering Maret.)

Next, I reviewed the most recent Form 990's for Sidwell, GDS, and Maret.  (I couldn't find the form for NCS.) Form 990 is the required IRS filing for non-profit institutions.  Amongst other things, these filings show the salaries for the five highest paid people in the organization. 

The results for Sidwell Friends for the year ending June 30, 2004 (I will try to find more recent data):
Director of Finance -- $160,650
Director of Development -- $159,000
Lower School Principal -- $154,000
Upper School Principal -- $115,625
Middle School Principal -- $110,000

GDS for the year ending June 30,2006:
CFO -- $162,061
Director of Study -- $139,064
Lower School Principal -- $119,937
Lower School Director -- $111,369
Middle School Principal -- $108,861

Maret for the year ending June 30, 2006:
Business Manager -- $166,000
Director of Development -- $100,000
Director of Lower School -- $95,000
Director of Middle School -- $93,500
Director of Curriculum -- $90,950

Some conclusions based on this data:
1. No teachers are amongst the five highest paid people at any of the top private schools.
2. $130,000 is likely much more than the salary for any teacher at any of these schools. 
3. $130,000 is likely more than the salary for most of the principals. 
4. To be fair, $130,000 is likely significantly less than the salaries for the individuals that run the entire multi-school organizations.

Is $130,000 really necessary?  Could we, perhaps, spend scarce financial resources more effectively?  Maret, for example, is proud of their 7 to 1 student-teacher ratio.  Could they accomplish this if they paid their teachers $130,000?

I will do more research on private school teacher salaries and benefits.  (Any help on this would be appreciated.) What do you think I will find?  I am curious to learn how tenure works at private schools.  Will Obama push for unionization efforts at Sidwell?

Comments

[Macho]

I have no hard data to cite, but over the years many teacher friends have told me that private schools pay significantly less than public, and yet many teachers prefer to teach in private schools because those teachers feel that they are part of a more effective organization and therefore can accomplish their own goal more effectively -- educating children. Just as in professional sports, where being part of a winning team has value to the player. Just so in education, where the best teachers are often motivated by a higher calling than simply the amount of cash they receive. Good schools it turns out are important to teachers as well, not just kids and parents. The only group that doesn't win with better schools (if they are private or charter) are union officials.