Here's the news story link.
It says in part that:
The Baldwin County Board of Education this morning named Donald Stinson as its choice for superintendent of the county's 27,000 school system. The panel voted unanimously to offer the job to Stinson, of Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township in Indianapolis, Ind.and:
"I advocate the small learning communities concept," Stinson told the board during interviews.
"We are reinventing education, making it customized for learners. We need to get in touch with our students. For so long we expected one size to fit all, and it simply does not work for 21st century students."
Comments tagged onto the news story mention a $200,000 per year salary and should that just be base salary, Stinson may have scored himself a nice raise. That will be in addition to the handsome pension that Decatur taxpayers have secured for him over the last dozen years.
Good luck Baldwin County School District ! May everything work out to your liking.
Posts
53 comments:
Honest to God; isn't enough enough with Stinson and his salary? Look; SOMEONE has to have some time on their hands. Can ANYONE research and find out if he's the highest paid Superintendent in the USA? I mean; OK; we've proven that he's the second highest paid in the state of Indiana, right? Where does he rank nation-wide. What he (and the current School Board) have done to the taxpayers of Decatur Township is a sin. Where does he rank nation wide in salary and benifits? Is this typical of what a Superintendent of Public Instruction makes???????
Yippee! Thank You Baldwin co. for helping Decatur!
Now Decatur let's move forward with a clear head. Let's think all the decisions through before jumping at the first thing.
Lot's of great admin out there that need jobs. I think we can be as picky as we want. Let's give them a 3 year contract just like Stinson got in AL. That way if it does not work out you just do not renew after 3 years.
Cathy Wiseman will really be making trouble now. Shes nothing but a trouble maker.
Indiana law requires that the first contract for a new superintendent is 3 years. Next board meeting is June 8 (?). Let's hope there is no need to pay for a feast. If they need something to eat, they need to ask for donations. People need to attend the board meeting. No problem congratulating Stinson but the Board needs to hear some expectations for the future and if there is no assurance that they are going to "reconnect" with the community. Even today, all news comes from Alabama not from Decatur Township - sad and sick.
If there is no assurance that they (the Board) are going to "reconnect" with the community then board members need to resign.
Is there any evidence that Sullivan has connected with the community - she has had more than 10 years to do that???????
There is all kinds of talk of the various Assistants (ASSs?) jockeying for Stinson's position. I hope beyond hope that the School Board has enough sense to look beyond our current administration and to a fresh face and fresher ideas for our new leadership.
Hope they give him his vacation days starting tomorrow so he can get moved to Alabama and get his pay from them. Decatur doesn't have the money to pay him for unused vacation days after he is gone. Now that his journey with Decatur has ended there is hope that things will get better. Can't imagine that things will get worse unless they just promote one of his side kicks (Sullivan or Candace Baer). Maybe this is why Janet Larch retired?????????
Larch is connected to the community so she should be considered. There will be other good superintendents outside of Marion County interested in this job. Who knows maybe Doug Williams that Susan Adams got fired in Perry Township will be interested??
Prusicki wants to be a superintendent!?
Food for thought -- I believe the new State rules allow someone without a 'superintendent's license' to now fill that role. Perhaps we should also consider a business person who would have a better grasp of the big picture and who would rely upon an Asst. Sup. with educational programing skills.
Barring that, perhaps Tony Bennett would be interested in a bigger challenge than 'just' State school superintendent???
LOL, the man has not even taken the job yet.
Mount Vernon, NY is looking to pay 317K salary and benefits. The average median superintendent salary in Westchester county NY is 288k a year.
Can someone here explain why we need to stop the re-engineering of the school system. Do you have proof that it does not work or is it just because it does not fit in your little box of how to teach.
Yoda, test scores have not improved
Yoda, the graduation rate has not improved
Yoda, what measures are you using?
Yoda,
If Stinson has not accepted the job, when is he going to accept or reject the offer???? Again, is this "messing" around with the job offer another sign of the times??
I still don't think he will take the job.
No doubt the new superintendent will probably be related to one of the school board members!!!After all, it doesn't matter what you know just who you are related too!!
If you are going to type a name, at least get it right.
Prusiecki. Also, JL will not be the new Super.
I don't think either of them will be.
I heard Justin Dixon was being considered.....
Re 8:02 am
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Now THAT was funny!!!!
The Press-Register newspaper in Alabama reported this morning:
"Stinson said in an e-mail to the Press-Register Tuesday that he was honored to be selected for the job, and has already been impressed with the system's staff and the county's support for education. He said the already "great" system makes for a perfect starting point for his work.
Board President Tracy Roberts said negotiations would begin immediately to get a contract in place with Stinson, and she invited board members to participate.
Salary and terms of the contract would be part of the negotiations, officials said."
Guess he has learned to e-mail the local newspapers in Alabama!
When will they agree on the salary and terms of the contract?? Stinson obviously wants to leave Decatur.
Thank You Mr. Stinson for your many years of service to Decatur Township. I think this job finding you at this time was a sign for change. I wish you luck in Alabama.
Should we start putting signs up yet for "Just Say NO for Susan Adams"?
Anon 8:02,
Thats Awesome, but grandpa said he was the next Dungy, not the next Stinson....
BTW Dixon has been busy recruiting coaches with 4 teaching positions at the HS. How is that if there are still teachers to get called back?
anon: 10:45 AM
I couldn't agree with you more about those signs being put up all over the district saying: Just SAY NO FOR SUSAN ADAMS!
Well I truly hope this happens. When it does happen there needs to be a clearing out of staff and board members that think like he does. Otherwise we could still be in the same boat load of crap. Although test scores and graduation have not improved there are more people to blame than just Stinson for that. I like the new school concept but you should only make changes that you can afford and you have to stick to what is right for the children of the township. That is where the failures lie. Now it is time for the community to step up more than ever to get the right person placed in his position. The board either needs to do what is right for these children of the township or resign. I have seen some good people in this township brought down by this ridiculous superintendent and his staff along with the board, they must go back to reality and know that it is not about them it is about the children and the future of this township. Out with the old that won't change and bring in some fresh change for the good of our children. Make the next one earn his or her money cause Stinson did not earn his at all. They should have voted to put his retirement benefits toward the deficit he created. I have only seen one person in this administration that would even be worthy of the position and I feel that has always looked out for the children even with his hands tied by Stinson and the rest of that circus up there. I hope that all the changes that he made at the end will be overturned. Whoever heard of an athletic director with no school athletic experience? Another thing how do you show a lower budget by just moving people around, the budget stays the same, it only differs by schools? Your turnover rate would not be high if you treated them better or payed them better. I think the people in nutrition need to stick to food and not numbers. Moving people around makes you look ridiculous. Well needless to say there are a lot of things that need to change and it is up to the community to really get involved.
Does Susan Adams have a super license? I didn't think she was smart enough.....just like Stinson is not smart enough to have gotten his doctorate.
According to license info available from the Indiana Department of Education - License Lookup, Adams is licensed to be a building administrator, school counselor, or elementary teacher. Have no idea what qualifies her to do her current job assignment. It may be that like a lot administrative assignments, it is all about relationships with other administrators????????
Commenters at: blog.al.com/live/2010/06/baldwin_school_board_selects_d.html
have "figured out" much about their new superintendent (if he takes the job). They may not know that he strongly dislikes using technology for the communication of information. When is he going to decide whether or not he is taking the job???????
Commenters may want to follow the media reports of the the runner-up Alan Lee for the Baldwin County job: “I’m fine with it,” Lee said Tuesday morning. “It doesn’t bother me one bit I didn’t get the job because I’m not trying to get away from Washington County.”
That being said, he may not stick around long.
“I’m looking for new challenges and new opportunities,” Lee said. “I’m interested in a larger school division, so I will consider other possibilities.”
Lee came to Washington County 11 years ago from Carbon County, Wyo., and five years ago applied for a position as superintendent in Williamson County, Tenn., outside of Nashville, but was not selected for the job.
Lee said he felt honored to be runner-up for a position in Baldwin County that 40 people across the nation applied for.
“It’s a learning process,” he said. “I learned about another school system and how they do things.”
He said specifically he learned about professional learning communities, a concept where employees of the school system come up with solutions for issues within the schools, such as student achievement, instead of seeking outside help. He said although Washington County already does some of this he’d like to set it up formally within the school system.
“(School employees) get the time to talk and collaborate with one another,” Lee said. “It empowers the people within the buildings to come up with solutions on their own.”
As far as his own accomplishments during his tenure in Washington County Lee said he’s proud of the board hires teachers and staff based on credentials and merit instead of family connects or friendships like when he first became Superintendent. Also, when Lee came on board none of the schools were fully accredited. Now they all are. He said he’s most proud of his work changing the perception of Southwest Virginia students and teachers.
“There were people (in the school system) who dismissed the chances of some children being successful,” Lee said. “There were people who held onto the belief of the Appalachian stereotype.
“When a person has that attitude than you’ve basically conceded that poor rural people can’t amount to anything, and coming from a poor rural background myself it was my task to convince people that they could succeed and compete,” Lee said. “I get emotional about this because I don’t want anyone to shortchange our children just because of where we live.”
Lee said the school board has never discussed offering him more money to stay and even if they did he would not take it.
“I would not accept more money from the board no matter what because our staff hasn’t had a raise and won’t get one next year,” he said.
Maybe he deserves to be considered to replace Stinson - if the Board and community are going to sincerely look at others than the locals?
The posted agenda for next Tuesday's board meeting is very interesting. There is an item for the transfer of money to the Rainy Day Fund - where is there money for transfer to the Rainy Day Fund? Does money in the Rainy Day Fund allow the administration to spend it without stipulations?? There is also an item for additional appropriations - what fund? what expenditures?
Also, Phil Webster (disappeared after the horses got out of the barn) and Stisnon are presenting something about the maintenance and bus garage????
Baldwin County places details of all agenda items on their website postings - Decatur evidently will continue the lack of information. IF-IF-IF Stinson is leavings, will the board hire a new superintendent on Tuesday OR will they name an interim? Do Sullivan and Collins have anything new to say on their agenda item??
Hope everyone can attend the meeting!
anon 1:07 - Yes, the district has evidently been sitting on at least a $7.9 million stash of cash in the rainy day fund. That is the amount that, according to Gary Pellico, they are looking to move into the general fund at the next meeting.
Webster wants to turn the old bus garage/maintenance building into an indoor baseball practice facility.
High lights from Stinson interview in Baldwin County. "I will accept a one year contract and you can evaluate me at the end of the year."
Anon 2:45
Interesting quote. He must want the job. No risk for him - he has a very lucrative Indiana retirement. If he only wants a one year contract (at age 60) and they are offering $200,000 there must be things like a car and other things he is used to getting! Glad they are going to evaluate him - that will be a change but then he has stated that he likes change and collaboration. This may be his chance to prove that.
HEI 1:26
Does that mean, in effect, that Decatur will have $0.00 cash balance?? If the board is approving the transfer for general fund then does that need to be stated in the motion for approval of this resolution???
As a teacher who did not qualify for retirement but will in 5 years I cannot begin to grasp the anger I have. I am by my previous nature not an angry person....usually optimistic. he is simply being paid to move south for retirement in the warmer climate. Meanwhile we will not have a raise and the monthly retirement pension for those who retire at any point in the next few years will be stagnet.
anon 3:35 -- I have no further information to actually answer your question. I was going to wait until after June 30, the end of the fiscal year, and do an open records request for just that - how much money remains in each fund and how much of that has not been appropriated (or expected to be spent). That will give your cash balance answer as well as how much cushion is being created. The City Controller considers a 10% cushion to be ideal.
About 5 years ago Stinson told all Decatur administrators he was changing their two year contracts to one year contracts as well as his own contract would be one year. Guess what? All administrators except Stinson were put on one year contracts and no one really knew for sure until his contract was published in the newspaper!! Guess the board didn't want to put him on a one year contract???? Maybe the people in Alabama will take him up on the offer.
Same old stuff. Baldwin County selected Stinson as new superintendent on Tuesday morning at approximately 8 a.m. Today, three days later, Stinson doesn't know if he is going to take the job - can't go to Alabama for nothing. Maybe he will just retire and live in Indiana instead of on the beach!!
So what work is happening with all the highly paid administrators or is the last hurrah for several who are retiring????? The Rainy Day Fund will probably fund the $200,000 cost for each of the retiring administrators????????
Does anyone know if Stinson has resigned from Decatur??
There is an editorial online from the Press Register newspaper (dated June 7) in Alabama. It states that there were significant gains in student achievement in Decatur Township.
I am still around. I, for one ,hope that Don Stinson does not take the job in Alabama. I would like to see him stay and finish the journey towards excellence. Nobody said that changing the educational culture in Decatur Township Schools would be easy. We are just in the infancy of our journey anffd we will soon begin to see the positive changes that will come if we have faith in our educational leader. Losing his leadership now would only serve to complicate the task and bring confusion to an already uncertain future. Any change is hard and it will certainly seem to get worse before it gets better. It always seems darkest just before the dawn. There is a reason why people in Alabama want hire Don Stinson. They see things in him that I guess many of his critic here do not see. The people in Alabama have the pick of many of the progressive educators in the nation and the person they picked is presently leading us on a journey towards excellence. It seems to me that we should not be so quick to let someone of his talent slip away.
If you want to seriously discuss how we can improve the educational opportunities of our children let me know and we can use this blog to exchange ideas. I am sure that Don would be interested in an open forum of constructive ideas.
Wow, since I'm not a resident of Decatur, I'm lacking the information on Dr. Stinson's program there, however, I have worked hard for his attention for special education students through the RISE Governing Board. I don't know if his vision panned out or not. However, I have said in a public meeting that of the four township superintendents, Dr. Stinson appeared to be the only one who cared about special education in the RISE coop. I'll be sorry to see him go. We now have even less to work with as a whole.
Sped Mom 5:10
All of the superintendents - Beech Grove, Franklin Township, Perry Township, and Decatur - care very much about the education of special needs children. In Decatur Mrs. Youngblood handles all special ed questions and problems. What have you heard or seen from Stinson that leads to your conclusions?
Phil Webster 4:28
Glad you are still around. It is always good to wake up each day.
Are you assigned to teach any classes next year?
Are you "privvy" as to whether Stinson is going to Alabama.
Seems like one of the major issues is "transparency" of communications from the superintendent to the community.
Phil,
The "journey" has been going on for a long time - at least 8 years - and has not resulted in higher student achievement. Yes, change is difficult but what the "critics" want IS change. Too many administrative people have been poor role models for both teachers and students. To some it has been less about change and collaboration and more about me, me, me. If he does remain at Decatur at least there will be fewer administrators at the central office and Stinson can do some work directly with students, employees, and parents - that may be a great change!
Yeah Phil, you sound like a PR guy, not someone who has worked as a teacher in this township for the past 10 years.
It's hard to defend a guy and his administration that just layers as many administrators as possible around him to avoid being "hands on". When you compare that number of administrators in Perry and Wayne to ours, it's ridiculous when you realize that they are both at least twice as big as Decatur.
There is poor communication, when there is any at all.
There is lip service input asked from teachers. You aren't allowed to disagree.
If you want a clear view of the dysfunction that is MSD Decatur, interview most of the retirees from the past couple years. They would have great input of what is wrong here in Decatur. I haven't talked to any of them that felt they were leaving a well run school district that wasn't bloated at the top and controlling.
Teachers have almost no say in what or how they teach, but of course we are always told we have collaboration.
Let's let Don work his magic down south and start fresh with someone that has integrity.
Hope attendance at tomorrow night's board meeting is huge. They should be talking about all the administrators who are retiring and about Stinson - Alabama - yes or no????????? If he is going to Alabama - a round of applause. If he is not going to Alabama - get busy. Funny how interested he was in Alabama until his contract became a problem. The weather is nice there, the schools are doing well there, the board appears to be very open to communication. What is the problem??
Thanks Phil. It is nice to hear some sanity in the midst of all this.
You are right it is hard to change and even though the people on this blog say they want change they do not really mean it. They just want what they have been programmed to believe is the cause of all their problems to go away. That way they can play the blame game and not take any of the responsibility. HEI does that very well. She continues throwing darts however, never admits her own complicity in the poor track record this school system has had since she was a big part of the problem during the late '90s. She has been on this kick ever since being voted off the board and having her remonstrance (sp) soundly defeated. She also continues to try and stir things up about the school board even though they are duly elected. If she was really serious about change she would have found a way to get those she thinks belong on the school board elected. However, her track record keeps that from happening.
Any way I digress. I hope he does not leave either. I would like him to finish what he started and make everyone of the nay-sayers wallow in it.
Obviously you have not worked in this district or had your kids in this mess. Change is fine if it is effective but unfortuantely Stinson's ideas have not had a positive impact in his 10 years here. If you have some data, feel free to share it, but I doubt that you do.
As a parent in Baldwin County, I am trying to find out all I can about our Board of Ed.'s choice for our new supt. I have read that he likes small learning communities, which I like. I have also read that he encourages students to get "another piece of paper" after high school: a degree, a technical certification, or a military experience. I like that; the world needs diversity and college is not for everyone. I have also read that he offered to limit his contract to one year, at the end of which we could decide whether to retain him or not. I find that fair and admirable. I want to know the facts about his service there. He sounds wonderful--expensive, but wonderful. Our system is reeling from an economic downfall that left our schools understaffed and our classrooms under-supplied. How will Stinson help or hurt us?
Thanks
"Yeah Phil, you sound like a PR guy, not someone who has worked as a teacher in this township for the past 10 years.
Yeah,his entire comment is transparent. Extraneous hyperbole. This is about ego and hubris more-so than a journey toward excellence.
If the educational leader of Decatur Township is so committed to this journey toward excellence.....why is he considering leaving?
"Our system is reeling from an economic downfall that left our schools understaffed and our classrooms under-supplied. How will Stinson help or hurt us?"
No wonder why Stinson is attracted to Baldwin County, Alabama...Someone has already done the grunt work for him. Now, all that is needed is a large group of administrators to be hired at inflated salaries. If Alabama is anything like Kentucky (some people arguably believe Washington Street is the northern border of Kentucky)well....the adjustment for Stinson will be an easy one.
Anon 11:30 PM.
The stats are not all that different from the late '90s when I moved to MSD Decatur. Both of my children have gone through the system here and I have other relatives that have gone through Decatur. The class that just graduated was the first one that went through 4 years of the small learning community and their graduation rate when it is finally posted will be one of the best in years.
Both of my children and the other relatives either have college degrees and/or are presently pursuing them. They all received a first class education at Decatur.
The expense of rebuilding/renovating the high school has not been what I would consider exorbitant and except for the state's property tax debacle and the downturn in the economy, it probably would not have been given much press except of course on this blog.
Again, the school boards that have been in control for the last 10 years during the Stinson era have been duly elected and if I remember right all the board members that have in anyway "in bed with" HEI have been booted out. All that have tried to be elected with even a hint of a relationship with her have fallen by the wayside and not been elected. All of this muddying of the water has not changed what the residents of the township want. You may not agree that it is the correct thing but every few years there is the opportunity to change the direction of the school board but it has not happened. Maybe you need to bury deep any whiff of HEI from all that are running and maybe they can surreptitiously be elected like an intelligence mole from the Cold war, otherwise stop with the infantile cries for the school board members to resign. Get someone else elected.
@anon; June 3, 2010 7:58 PM: "As a teacher who did not qualify for retirement but will in 5 years I cannot begin to grasp the anger I have. I will be....stagnet."
Seems like Baldwin County "net"ted their "stag".
Gotta go. I'm feeling like I'm getting stagnant here.
Well, ANON,
1. Parents have gone to the boards multiple times to correct MULTIPLE issues with services unprovided.
2. At the Interlocal meeting, it was apparent that Don Stinson was the only one asking tough questions about the report.
3. He sat on the temporary RISE Stakeholder's committee and worked with parents as much as he could. Politics appeared to be in play.
4. Most students in the district are being herded to cheaper programs that are ill equipped to deal with severe disability. Decatur seems to be an exception.
Thank you for the question. Now, I have one. What do you do for a living?
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