In an editorial published March 22 by The Des Moines Register entitled, “Sexism, not career choices, drives wage gap,” the author, Rekha Basu, cites a recent study involving the AEA system. The study, done by Jim Addy, of Mapping Strategies, LLC, asserts that the salaries of technology and technology support positions within the three largest AEAs in the state are disproportionately higher for males vs. females. In thoroughly reviewing the study, we found the claims to be completely without merit.
In a nutshell (and for those interested in reading the entire study), Addy’s research relied solely on information supplied through the state’s Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) which provides only basic information about our employees. Specifically, we are required to share employee start dates with our agency, salary, gender, and age in BEDS reporting. What is not included in the BEDS data are critically important factors such as an individual’s qualifications/educational experience, years of experience prior to being hired, and job responsibilities. Without taking this information into account, the study fails to provide an accurate picture and draws false conclusions.
Each of the AEAs mentioned in the report, including Heartland, have policies in place that strictly prohibit discrimination on the basis of color, race, national origin, religion, creed, age, and several other categories. We believe no discrimination in pay exists between men and women working for Heartland AEA.
Should you have further questions or wish to visit about the study, please feel free to contact either me at pvincent@aea11.k12.ia.us or Laura Gillon, Executive Director of Human Resources, at lgillon@aea11.k12.ia.us.
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