Here is a short summary:
The “machine” wants the superintendent to get a $33,614 raise this year.
The “machine” wants the superintendent’s salary to go from $192,458 to $226,072.
The “machine” wants the superintendent to get a $271,543 payout at the time of
retirement for unused days. Everyone
else is capped at $15,000.
The superintendent’s contract was supposed to be
negotiated in June.
The superintendent wanted to choose his own
negotiating team and allow members with conflicts of interest to participate.
Members without conflicts objected to rules being
violated.
We are awaiting a decision from the School Ethics
Commission.
Candidates
Nancy Cardone, Joe Leto, and Donald Scorzetti have promised to deliver all of
the above for the superintendent. Don’t
take my word. Ask them yourselves.
There is an orchestrated effort on behalf of the
superintendent and the “machine” to feed stories to the papers
about PARCC improvements in order to make the case that the superintendent
deserves a $226,072 salary. PARCC scores were available months ago. A story appeared on the front page of the Record last week, the same day as our meeting. There is a perception that the superintendent has influence over the papers and the timing of when things are printed. It is clear to everyone that the superintendent is cherry picking performance data to build the case for his $33,614 raise. The PARCC improvements are a big deal and a great story. But there is a lot of other data that the superintendent would rather not discuss.
I haven’t come across one Lodi voter that supports
giving the superintendent an 18% raise.
I haven’t come across one voter that thinks it’s alright for those with
conflicts of interest to negotiate contracts.
I haven’t come across one voter that thinks it’s alright for someone to
handpick who will negotiate their own contract.
Lodi can’t afford Cardone, Leto, and Scorzetti!
