Nepotism In Decatur Schools

I have posted the beginning of a much longer list of family members of School Board members and administrators who are employed in the Decatur School district.  The list is in the text box on the top left of the blog page.

Nepotism Should Be Banned

The next School Board to be seated in MSD Decatur Township should immediately establish a policy that bans nepotism. Hiring relatives gives the appearance of favoritism, cronyism, and outright payback, to the community and to the employees of the school district. Banning nepotism is a small price to pay for a demonstration to the overall community that all employment decisions in the district will be above reproach - only the best qualified will be hired.

We all know about the current state of affairs in the Decatur School District. Lets start with the School Board. Dale Henson, to my knowledge, has never had a relative who was hired while Henson has been on the Board. That is good. Doug Greenwald, to my knowledge, has never had a relative who was hired while he has been a Member of the Board. That also is good. Cathy Wiseman has had at least one son on the payroll since being elected. Judy Collins has a daughter on the payroll. And, most famous of all, Don Huffman has a grandson on the payroll - which actually necessitated the ouster of an employee from his position to accomplish. Hiring relatives gives the appearance of favoritism, cronyism, and outright payback.

Now lets turn our attention to the Administration. Candice Baer was hired into a position created just after she lost her job as Superintendent of Center Grove Schools. Candice is married to Assistant Superintendent for Business, Jeff Baer. Hiring relatives gives the appearance of favoritism, cronyism, and outright payback.

Now, I will presume that all of these folks are highly qualified individuals who could have gotten a job in any School District in the land. Well, then let them. Employing relatives of highly placed individuals brings baggage with it. Unnecessary baggage. Nepotism is banned by law in other units of Government and should be banned in School Districts as well. Until State law bans nepotism in School Districts, the School Board should create a policy banning it in our District.

Here is what I would propose for a policy.

Any individual may run for and be seated on the School Board if their relative was already an employee of the District at the time of that person filing to be on the ballot.

After filing to be on the ballot or after being seated on the Board, no relative of a School Board member may be hired by the District until one year after that Member leaves the Board.

No relative of any Administrator (central office or building level) may be hired by the District while that Administrator is employed by the District and for one year after that Administrator leaves the employ of the District.

No relative of the leadership of the Teachers Union may be hired by the District while they are in positions of leadership and for one year after they leave those positions. Nobody in a leadership position of the Teachers Union may be hired into an Administrator position within the District for two years after they leave that leadership position.

No relative of a head of Security, Transportation, or any other department headed by a non-administrator, may be hired by the District while that department head is employed by the District and for one year after they leave that position.

Qualified people can find a job in a nearby District. Public trust in the system is eroded when nepotism is allowed to flourish as it has in the Decatur School District. A 'no nepotism' policy created by the new School Board would improve this District and its reputation.