Meanwhile in the ‘OEA Land of Oz’ IT’S TIME FOR: “A 20 percent increase in the salary schedule. More teachers. Only 15 students per teacher in the district’s lowest-scoring schools. Classes of 20 everywhere else. ETC.” All this in a school district still under state receivership, and in a state with other school district’s (not under receivership) facing financial hard times in the face of a mega state funding crisis.

The over heard OEA herd chant: “THE MONEY’S THERE!”

Go OEA! Go Raiders!

Because site administrators “serve at the pleasure of the superintendent,” they can get the boot, even when they’re doing a good job. For example, the Chinese-American principal I worked under was competent, on task, and achieving positive results (in school discipline and academic achievement) at a very tough school. She often wouldn’t go home until 9:30pm or later. However, the African American community wanted an Afro-American principal and put pressure on the superintendent to have the Chinese-American principal replaced by an Afro-American principal. The superintendent acquiesced and, as it turned out, made a change that was terrible and contributed to the closure of the school.

It was not pleasurable feel pressure from the Afro-American community causing the superintendent to make a politically expedient decision that offered him, and probably the board member representing that school area, immediate short term benefit.

It is certainly true that “serving (holding an administrative position) at the pleasure of the superintendent” can have an unpleasureable down side. A teacher enjoys considerably more ‘superintendent displeasure’ protection than a site administrator.

Unfortunately, many in OEA’s Land of Oz like to vilify site administrators simply because they’re site administrators who are sometimes misrepresented as financial fat cats with cushy jobs. It’s the bread and butter of teacher unions to be divisive – sometimes even when it’s not warranted.

I would encourage teachers to acquire and read a copy of the United Administrators of Oakland contract. I doubt most teachers would want to trade their job protections for those of a site administrator. Check out and compare the Assistant Principal and Principal Salary scales while you’re at it (& factor in the longer work day & calendar year to their salary compensation). You might also want to compare CA Ed code protections for teachers VS the absence of same for administrators.

I’ve certainly known more than several site administrators who were grossly ineffective and derelict in their duties. However, because they were liked by, and “serve at the pleasure of the superintendent,” or one of his/her subordinate department heads, their job remained secure. Such relationships can make life hell for competent teachers and contribute to the closure of good schools when bad ‘administrators aren’t left behind’ because they pleasure those in higher places.

When ones sole (or primary) means of job security is pleasuring a superintendent the consequences can cut both ways.