School Board Mulls Language of Superintendent's Contract at Workshop

BRADENTON – Details and discussion on the negotiated contract extension for Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene concluded Tuesday's Manatee School Board workshop, with both the board and the superintendent seemingly satisfied with the contract's language, setting a vote on the contract for the board's next meeting.

Superintendent Greene was hired by the district last year following the retirement of Rick Mills, who she served under as Deputy Superintendent of Instruction. Dr. Greene was signed to a one-year contract as a compromise between board members who wanted the district to perform a nationwide search for a new superintendent, and board members who simply wanted Greene in the seat with a long-term contract.

Negotiations for a new contract began between Greene and the school board–represented by board attorney James Dye–after Greene received high evaluation marks from all five school board members in April.

The four-year contract extension contains a pay increase of 1.25 percent. At Greene's request, it contains language stating that new annual evaluations for the superintendent would be based on grades of 'highly effective', 'needs improvement/developing' and 'unsatisfactory', which is currently how district school educators are evaluated.

Board chair Karen Carpenter, who has argued during contract discussions in years past that superintendent contracts should not allow for termination without cause absent a super majority (4-1) or unanimous vote, argued for the same during the workshop. She said she was fine with the termination for cause paragraph in the contract, but called the language allowing the board to terminate without cause by a simple majority (3-2) a mistake.

In running the district, Carpenter said, "The superintendent has a duty to do the right thing by the district, not keep us happy." The possibility of elected officials making politically-inclined decisions, she argued, could get in the way of what she called "objective professional standards running the district," adding that removing the simple majority language to termination without cause would take away "the personal political aspect of running the district."

Board member Bob Gause also said he was okay with the contract's current language concerning termination.

"I have witnessed what happens when one or two board members undermine the superintendent," said Gause, arguing that a super majority or unanimous termination clause would give too much power to a minority of board members. If 3 of 5 board members are voting for termination of a superintendent, he said, "(Then) that superintendent has lost their effectiveness."

Charlie Kennedy also said he was in agreement with the contract's current language, saying, "3-2 is probably the best way to go to preserve that balance between the board and the superintendent."