I'm going to revisit an issue I first wrote about on February 5th ("Friends with Benefits") because it has continued to gnaw at me. That issue is the hidden raise given to Joseph Hunter in his new contract negotiated with Susan Stoops and Traci Hamilton.
Under the old contract, Hunter was allowed to cash out up to ten unused vacation days. Under the new contract, he can cash out up to 32 (the 22 days given each year plus the ten he is allowed to carry over from the previous year). If he cashes out all 32 days he can add $15,104 to his base salary of $121,856 -- $10,384 more than under the old contract. That amounts to an 8.5% raise in his base salary.
I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone in our district, in any line of work, who received an 8.5% raise last year. Many people have seen their incomes shrink; some have lost their jobs altogether. Teachers gave back one week's salary in their new contract. Yet our board chair and vice-chair negotiated a very substantial raise for a superintendent who has been facing a barrage of criticism from his staff for nearly three years. What exactly has he done to deserve such a boost in his salary? Did the other two board members who voted to approve this raise (Sarah Ramirez and Betty Plude) even realize it was tucked away in the fine print of the new contract? [Note: Evans, Shellenbarger, and Zehner all voted "No" on the new contract.]
This took place as the district was slashing services to students. Massive budget cuts have reduced the days students will be in class, reduced or eliminated counseling services, reduced the electives that can be offered at the high school, reduced funding for sports and other co-curricular activities. The extra $10,384 given to Joseph Hunter would hardly restore full funding to any of these areas but it could have been used to shore up essential programs. If it helped even one student it would have been money better spent.
Joseph Hunter now receives the following in salary: $121,856 in base salary; up to $15,104 in vacation pay-outs; $7,800 in travel stipends; $1,080 for his personal cell phone. These are paid to him and reported as salary and amount to a whopping $145,840 ($24,000 more than his base salary). It does not include his health insurance, life insurance, PERS, or the three percent tax-deferred annuity paid for him by the district.
At the board meeting last week, school principals spoke eloquently of the devastating impact of job loss, poverty, and family turmoil on the lives of children in our community. Cuts in essential services leave these kids increasingly on their own to manage the crisis as best they can. In this context, giving Joseph Hunter a big raise is not just ill considered, it is immoral. Stoops and Hamilton helped him negotiate that hidden raise and were not very forthcoming with other board members about what they had done. They have a lot to answer for in this matter and I hope the people of this district will hold them accountable.
I remember Paul Evans' comments in previous board meetings regarding "symbolic gestures" when heated discussions were taking place about funding 0.5FTE for the print shop. The district administration had done enough research to convince themselves that additional staffing was not needed, as some of that traditional work could be done within the schools, by the teachers, or not done at all. However the teachers were VERY passionate about restoring that service. Paul suggested that the actual amount of money wasn't really the issue, but that restoring the position would be a "symbolic gesture" to the teachers.
ReplyDeleteIn the same vein I don't necessarily begrudge anyone for trying to negotiate the best deal they can get for the services they perform. However, I whole-heartedly agree that Dr. Hunter's contract negotiation apparently occurred in a very "symbolic" way, but in the NEGATIVE sense. People can (and will) argue about salary levels, reimbursements and stipends. Even if the "pay raise" amounts could somehow be justified, the "symbolism" embodied in how the negotiation was carried out is a powerful statement.
The teachers' contract was not negotiated between three people and behind closed doors. MY salary is based on a significant process of evaluations, reviews and input by many parties. I see no reason why contracting process for the Superintendent should be held in secret.
One of many items on the list of things to MAKE SURE are changed next time around ...
When more than a million dollars needs to be cut from the budget, $10,000 doesn't seem like much. But I do think it is more than symbolic. $10,000 can purchase services that our students desparately need. It may be a drop in the bucket but if it could make the difference in the life of a child. To all the volunteers in our community who spend countless hours raising money to help fill the holes left by budget cuts, $10,000 is a large sum that it takes months to raise. That's money that goes to support the arts, and athletics, and the alcohol and drug free graduation party among other things. The more that gets cut from the budget, the harder those volunteers work - THAT'S what it means to put kids first. Instead, our superintendent, with the help of certain board members, seems to be grabbing everything he can on his way out of town. I suppose we should nail down the furniture.
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean "nail down the furniture" for which we overpaid?
ReplyDeleteIn 34 years in education plus the last 7, I have never seen a situation as bad as what were trying to get rid of in the Central School District. I have never seen an administrator that is so good at BULLYING people he wants to get rid of and GROOM those he thinks he can minipulate and control. The people who have been groomed should feel shamefully used for the benefit of Joseph. Those that have stood their ground are heroes in everyones eyes.
ReplyDeleteopps I made a couple of typos!!! " we are trying" and I do know how to spell manipulate
ReplyDeleteMedian household income in the state of Oregon:
ReplyDelete$50,165
Median income in Independence:
$36,790
Salary of Governor John Kitzhaber:
$93,600
Salary of a small town superintendent:
$145,840
(Some of those stats are from the 2000 census. Maybe the average family in Independence, in the intervening years, negotiated back room deals for themselves raising their salaries by $109,050. If so, teachers in this community were excluded from those meetings.)
Word is J.H. is a finalist for the superintendent job in St. Helens... maybe our kids can come first again soon...
ReplyDeleteToday teachers have an unpaid "furlough day". They have the option of using one of their three annual personal leave days and getting paid the lower substitute rate instead of getting no pay today at all. Personal leave days not used by the end of the year will not be paid for. Use 'em or lose 'em.
ReplyDeleteYet I read here that Dr Hunter can CARRY OVER and CASH IN vacation time at his FULL salary! This in a district which is as strapped for cash as ours? What kind of "leadership" is that?
It's pretty clear to me what the answer to your question is. Yes, "Kids First" is just a slogan.
Kids First is more than just a slogan for Central Teachers. We put our students first everyday. It is very sad that Hunter only puts himself first, not the kids, and definitly not his staff. I pray St. Helens takes him.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't be so bad except he never "uses" said vacation time, he takes off on extended RV trips with his family (last Summer), but his record reflects little useage (3 days), wish I could get away with that.
ReplyDelete