With the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to ensure that students are provided with skills that allow them to compete in the job market. Every year it seems like we're hearing about how schools in the United States are falling behind students in other developed countries, yet education funding continues to be cut. Education must be placed at the forefront for the United States to remain competitive in the world market. While spending on administration must be cut, targeted spending on academic programs and technology upgrades must continue and even be increased to make students better prepared for college and the job market. While we must provide a better educational experience for children, current budget constraints require us to tighten our belts, not expand our spending on education. However, with the United States falling further behind in global rankings, we must consider cost-cutting that does not take away from the classroom. One of the major expenses of any school district is the administrative budget—not the secretaries and custodial staff, but the salaries of the school board and superintendents. Many states have large numbers of school districts, all with their own superintendent and support staff. In Pennsylvania, state officials are proposing caps on superintendent salaries. “According to the state, approximately 70% of superintendents statewide earn more than the proposed limits. Administration officials estimate that salary caps would save nearly $9.8 million annually” (Giordano). In addition to capping salaries, some states are seeking to consolidate school districts, many rural districts in the United States may have fewer than fifty or one hundred students... middle of paper... and more productive in their careers, allowing for a society more industrious. Until we change the way we teach our children, they will continue to lag behind other developed countries and we will lose jobs to other countries. Works Cited Enriquez, A. G. (2010). Improving student performance using tablets University Teaching, 58(3), 77-84. doi:10.1080/87567550903263859Lamey, Cynthia, W. Steven Barnett, and Kwanghee Jung. “The Effects of Oklahoma's Four-Year EarlyChildhood Program on Young Children's School Readiness.” National Institute for Early Education Research. NIEER, 12/2005. Network. 18 July 2011. .Giordano, Rita and Inquirer S. Writer. “Christie Targets School Superintendents’ Salaries.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, sec. NATIONAL; P-com PC News Home Page: A01. July 16, 2010. Web.