posted June 17, 2008
Another superintendent, another early contract extension. Members of this school board voted (8 to 1) not once but twice to renew Dr. Jesse Register's contract early. They also voted, not once, but twice, to give him a $150,000 contract to sit on the couch when he resigned because, as Davis Lundy said, “it was the right thing to do.”
What the heck! It was your money not theirs. Besides, in the Davis Lundy PR Manual members of the board have learned that the public will be upset about an issue for 10 days and then they forget.
I hope citizens of Hamilton County have a better memory. If not, the underhanded shenanigans we have witnessed on the board time and time again will continue and taxpayers have no one to blame but themselves.
The most recent proposal to extend Dr. Scales' four year contract two years early is just another “in your face” to Hamilton County citizens. The only reason this is being proposed now is so those who have been in power for the last 12 years can continue to be in control even after they are gone.
Most HCDE board members (8 to 1) have opposed elected superintendent bills every time they have been proposed in Nashville. They use as their argument that the board who is going to work with the superintendent should pick him. Why then do they not want to extend the same courtesy to members who will be on the board after the Aug. 7 election? Isn't it amazing that certain school board members think they are the only ones smart enough to choose a superintendent?
Let me explain how this latest proposal to extend Dr. Scales' contract was placed on June 19 school board agenda. Jeffery Wilson called me a little after 3:00 on Wednesday, June 4. He told me there was “enough support” on the board to place Dr. Scales contract extension on the agenda. Jeffery told me he wanted to tell his fellow board members about the proposal himself so they did not have to hear about it on Talk Radio, chattanoogan.com or TV. He also said by the end of the day “everyone would know about it” because the public had to be notified 15 days before the superintendent's contract could be changed. I told Jeffery that he was correct the public had to be notified. After all, that is why they call them “public schools”.
When I got off the phone with Jeffery, I called Kenny Smith, school board chairman. I asked Kenny what was going on. He said Jeffery had called him about 11:00 that Wednesday morning and asked if he would put the contract extension on the agenda. Kenny told Jeffery that he was putting him in a bad situation because we did not need to address Dr. Scales' contract right now. Kenny said he would not place the contract on the agenda unless another board member requested it be put on there. (Board policy says if two board members request something to be put on the agenda the chairman has to comply.) So, in a few minutes Janice Boydston called Kenny and requested the contract extension be put on the June 19 agenda, so Kenny had no choice.
At 3:49, about 30 minutes after Jeffery called me, a press release entitled “Board asked to consider new contract for Superintendent” was sent out from the central office. Accompanying the release were six pages of accomplishments under Jim Scales' tenure. I called Kenny again to ask him if he had seen the press release? He said he did not know anything about it.
Think about that. The school board chairman had not seen or been informed about the press release or the six pages of accomplishments before it was sent out.
How long do you think employees in Dr. Scales' office had been working on the press release before it was sent out on June 4? I have heard it was months. Guess administrative office personnel sneaking around compiling information to insure their job security has top priority. Seems some in administration need to be reminded that the school system is an educational opportunity and not an employment opportunity.
The press release was sent out 15 days before the June 19 board meeting. It is obvious somebody had done their homework because the state law regarding revisions to superintendent's contracts was recently changed from a 10 day public notice to a 15-day notice. June 4 was the 15th day. Perfect timing.
Another interesting fact, Debra Matthews and Janice Boydston were seen having lunch with Dr. Register at the Mt. Vernon Restaurant about two months ago. They said they were just “having lunch with an old friend.” Whatever.
I asked Everett Fairchild what he knew about the contract extension proposal. He said he asked Jeffery why he was bringing up Dr. Scales' contract now? Jeffery told him because Debra, Joe and Janice asked him to. Hmmmm.
This contract proposal was orchestrated by the administrative office and willing accomplices on the school board to purposely keep the board chairman from knowing about it until the last minute. All I can say is Kenny, I feel your pain.
There is absolutely no reason to be looking at Dr. Scales' contract right now. Debra Matthews says we need to vote on the contract so we can put it behind us so we can move on. Earth to Debra! We put this behind us less than two years ago! You are responsible for putting it back in front of the board. It should not have even been on our radar screen for consideration at this time.
I love Jeffery's reason for extending Dr. Scales' contract two years early. ”Dr. Scales believes in providing a quality education for all children and works diligently toward that goal.” No kidding? Dr. Scales believes in “providing a quality education for all children?” Isn't that why he is a school superintendent? I say if he does not believe in “providing a quality education for all children”
he should be fired.
Less than two years ago, Dr. Scales signed a four-year contract for $194,000 base compensation, $8,500 car allowance, $6,300 health benefits, $345 dental, $180 unemployment, $5,840 Social Security, $2,936 Medicare, $12,413 state retirement, $729 long term disability, $3,183 life insurance, $2,859 dependent health insurance, for a total of $237,285. Not to mention the $50,000 signing bonus or $25,000 in moving expenses. He also receives 20 days vacation and 10 consulting days annually. The daily cost of accrued vacation is $746.15.
The new contract is $200,272, an additional $12,544 over two years, plus an additional $1,000 increase in car allowance, not to mention additional retirement and an increase in daily rate for accrued vacation days.
This contract extension is not about Dr. Scales nor is it “for the children”. It is about control. This board is going to push this new contract for no other reason than the fact they can. Before any contract is renewed the board should talk to the many principals and other administrators who have left the system recently to find out why.
Warren Mackey says the superintendent enjoys “overwhelming parental support”. I have not had one parent contact me telling me this was the right thing to do. Quite the contrary. We are also told the business community is very supportive of the contract extension. I have also not heard from or seen a list of businesses urging the Board to extend the superintendent's contract early. I have also not had one elected official contact me asking me to vote for the extension. The opposite is true. The only comment I have received from elected officials is, “Why is the Board doing this?”
Some board members say we should extend the contract now to keep Dr. Scales from leaving. Chip Baker, Debra Matthews, Jeffery Wilson, Janice Boydston and Joe Conner have all expressed approval for the contract extension. Yet, Dr. Scales says he does not want to leave and has no plans of leaving. Reminds me of the county song, How Can I Miss You if You Won't go Away?
The Hamilton County School System is over a $300 million business. That money is paid out in salaries, contracts, consultants, utilities, rentals and supplies. It is big business. It is about power and arrogance. It is about controlling who will continue to get their piece of the educational budget.
Hamilton County deserves a school board who will take a pledge not to make backroom deals. Voters can change business as usual on August 7. District 2 (Signal Mountain, Stuart Heights, south Red Bank, a small section of Lookout Valley), District 4 (Alton Park, Murray Hills, Bal Harbor, Heritage Landing, Bush Town, and a small section of North Chattanooga), and District 7(East Brainerd and Tyner) are up for election. If you are not sure what district you live in, look at the back of your voter registration card.
Joe Dumas in District 2 and Gregg Juster in District 4 are willing to sign a pledge with the citizens of Hamilton County promising not to make backroom deals and to operate in a transparent manner. Our form of government was set up so the people had the power-not elected officials. The power is at the ballot box. All of the complaining in the world will not change one thing. Votes change things. Vote Aug. 7.
Rhonda Thurman
School Board
District 1
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Bringing the superintendent's contract up for renewal when the contract has two full years remaining, clearly has an odor of impropriety and backroom deals. This school system has a history of this type of behavior and has always had a lack of transparency in the decision making processes.
My concerns are not the salary and benefits of the superintendent, because his education, experience, and comparable wages for the position dictate this type of salary. The position of superintendent of the HCDE school system requires only the best and the brightest, because it is a system in trouble, and frankly the position is not one I would pursue regardless of what the position paid.
I do however resent the lack of transparency and failure of the school board to adequately explain the reason to renew a contract that has two years remaining, just two months before an election. Since this action cannot be adequately explained, facts were withheld from Ms. Thurman who is transparent and asks the tough questions, especially when the decision is a backdoor deal that has nothing to do with the best interest of the school system. It is certainly time to break up the backroom deal makers.
Vote for Joe Dumas, and remove Chip Baker.
Allison Graham
Chattanooga
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I completely agree with Rhonda. Why renew a contract for someone when their contract isn't up for renewal? This discussion shouldn't even exist yet. And what exactly has Dr. Scales done for our schools? They still face all if not more of the challenges and difficulties they faced when under Dr. Register.
The only thing that I've seen increase under the reign of Dr. Scales is the amount of violence in our schools, and then trying to cover it up, by blaming the Chattanooga Police Department for not informing him. Dr. Scales shouldn't be relying on our men and in women in blue to tell him what's going on with his schools, he should already know those answers. But of course he won't take credit for that. I am so sick and tired of the school board and the superintendant taking credit for the accomplishments and achievements of our teachers and students, and then passing the buck over to the students, teachers, and parents, and police for all the faults and flaws in our public schools.
Dr. Register likes to claim that test scores are up, as well as the graduation rate. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. If for arguments sake it is true, how is that his accomplishment? Is he suddenly taking all the tests? Is he in the classroom teaching? Is he at home staying up half the night helping our children with their homework? If anything, that accomplishment belongs to the teachers, students, and parents.
I haven't seen anything at all that would make me want Dr. Scales around for another term. It's time the school board, with the exception of Rhonda Thurman, learned what the word corrupt means. They do not care about our children. They do not care about the parents, and they certainly do not care about the teachers. They care about their outrageous vacation and retirement pay, and lying through their teeth to try and make the Hamilton County public school system look better than it actually is.
The joke however is on them. Hamilton County, regardless if tiny improvements have been made, is still considered one of the worst public school systems in the state of Tennessee. And Tennessee is considered one of the worst states in the entire country when it comes to public schooling. That is why no industry comes here, and that is why counties just south of us in Georgia, and north of us are growing at a much faster rate than Hamilton County is. It's also why Chattanooga has so many private schools.
When my child goes off to college, I will not be on my knees thanking Dr. Scales for making it possible. I will give myself, my daughter and her teachers that praise, because we are the ones striving to achieve that goal. If it were up to the parents, I can promise you, few if any would vote for Dr. Scales' contract to be renewed. Which is exactly why it's not up to us. The school board knows how unhappy we parents are with the public school system. But they don't care. Which is exactly why Dr. Scales will be around for years to come. Which is exactly why after the 2008-2009 school year is over, we will no longer be residents of Hamilton County.
Ryan Mitchell
Chattanooga
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Ms. Thurman,
I usually agree with you, and this article is no exception. The point of the article is not lost on me, however, I did take issue with you calling the HCDE a $300M "business."
If it were truly a "business," it would've gone bankrupt a long time ago. If it were truly a "business," poorly-performing employees would be fired (not just employees with actions considered as gross misconduct). If it were truly a "business," HCDE would only be able to raise more money through consumer confidence and customer satisfaction (not whimsical taxation). If it were truly a "business," the HCDE would not be forced to do business with every customer (student) who showed up at their front door.
Don't get me wrong, I think if the HCDE were run like a business it would solve many (if not most) of the problems that it has today. But until that happens, let's just refer to it as a "government entity."
Keith Guillot
Chattanooga
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Rhonda makes an excellent point. Why are we rushing to extend the contract and even give a raise to a superintendent whose track record over these past two years has been more than dubious?
If we look at the level of violence in the schools, the dropout rate, the failing rate, for which of these issues are we rushing into a contract and a pay raise for Dr. Scales to reward him for a job well done?
The fact that the school board is willing to push this issue is symptomatic of a school board that is out of touch with the feelings of its constituencies. I am a homeschooler so one could say that these things do not touch me directly, but I am the aunt of Hamilton County School going children, and I am a taxpayer.
Our school board has a lot for which they will have to answer. I suggest that in the upcoming school board elections we all give a hard look at the incumbents and think if it is in the best interest of Hamilton County to keep the status quo or if it would be better to look for a change.
Rachel Miller
Signal Mountain
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