Skip to main content.jpg?smart=true&auth=__replaceMehttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wweek.com%2Fimage-archive%2F14556%2Flede_4002%28carole-smith%29.jpg__&width=800&height=450)
A short item in the agenda for Monday night's meeting of the Portland Public Schools board set off an online firestorm over the weekend. "Extension of employment contract with Carole Smith, superintendent," the item read.
Why the uproar?
Smith's been PPS's superintendent since 2007. But in May, a wave of displeasure with Smith's leadership swept four new school board members into office, three of them sharply critical of Smith. Their election to the seven-person board tilts its balance of power and promises an end to what Steve Buel, a board member who won election in 2013, calls the board's routine rubber-stamping of Smith's agenda.
PPS officials posted Monday's board agenda on Friday afternoon but released few details—and zero supporting documents—about why the end of Smith's contract would be extended from 2017 to 2018 and, more importantly, why it would be extended now. Last year, the board extended Smith's contract (and gave her a 28-percent raise) in August. In previous years, it's taken up her contract in the fall.
Meanwhile, the new board members takes office in July. In two forums for PPS parents on Facebook, parents traded exasperated notes calling the move "unbelievable" and "asinine." They speculated that the existing board wanted to ensure that the new board would have a harder time firing Smith. Four additional words about Smith in the board packet for Monday's meeting—"given her strong performance"—further fueled speculation.
Greg Belisle, a board member whose term ends this month, took to Facebook on Sunday to explain:
Buel, who often disagrees with Belisle, shot back. His questions about Smith's policies have put him in the minority for two years, but he's about to be part of the new board majority.
After 5 pm on Friday, the current PPS board released the agenda for their Monday meeting. It includes an evaluation of Superintendent Smith and a further extension of her contract to 2018. This is the antithesis of the transparency Portland expects of its public representatives.
The board's pattern has been to renew the contract for 3 years the year before it expired - until now. If the old pattern held, the new board would not have looked at this until next year.
The performance review used to happen in October; last year it was delayed until July, this year is being done early in June.
And district staff apparently didn't even send out copies of the proposed contract to the board as a whole until Sunday - the day before the scheduled vote. The message from district staff is very clear: "No need to actually read the legislation; just vote yes. It's fine. Nothing to see here, people. Move along."
This is not "business as usual."
After the election results three weeks ago and with four new board members ready to take their seats in July, this move can only be seen as a blatant disregard of the public good and the will of the voters. It is an attempt to both spite the new board and to run our schools as a personal fiefdom.
The new PPS board will not be intimidated.
WWeek 2015