In the proposed contract the Superintendent will receive a $800 a month automobile allowance. A $1,200.00 allowance to be used for his IRA/Annuity. He receives 24 days of annual leave, with a cash payment equal to 10 additional days of annual leave. That equals 34 days of leave. He will only be on the job 11 months a year? The board is paying for not only his medical and dental insurance, but his wife and dependents as well. Is there a Knox County teacher or staff member that has their family medical coverage paid for by the taxpayers?
There has been much “spin” by the News-Sentinel and a board member or two about how this contract will be a performance based contract. However, the board will not amend his contract until October or November with the performance benchmarks. By October / November 2008, when the contract is opened back up for the performance benchmarks, School Board Member-Elect Bill Phillips will be at the table helping the board to make those decisions.
Also there is a paragraph in the proposed contract that would allow the Superintendent to gain additional employment as a “consultant”.
What the Sentinel “spin” machine failed “to shed the light on so that the people could see the way” is that the same performance benchmark language was in former Superintendent Lindsey’s contract. However, the board NEVER put the performance benchmarks in. Is the board simply trying to sell the community on a $210,000.00 base salary and never place the performance benchmarks in the contract?
Where is the “promissory note” from the Chamber Partnership for the difference in the former Superintendent’s last contract and the $210,000.00 base salary. After all, the Chamber Partnership said that they would help because money shouldn’t be an issue in hiring a Superintendent of Schools.
I too had a concern, not so much about the salary, but the insurance. I am a Knox County teacher and they pay part of my single insurance, not all, and they certainly don’t pay for any of my family insurance. The Director should not receive any different that the minions under him in my opinion.