Swallowing camels
Phil Dillon, Emporia
Thursday, March 25, 2010
When recently asked to justify the “need” for three assistant superintendents at USD 253, John Heim answered, “Their leadership has been an essential component to the district’s academic accomplishments, sound financial condition, and ability to attract and retain high-quality teachers.”
The gobbledygook came at a time when the axe was being laid to a school district wrestling with a severe financial crisis. About a month ago the school board met to consider cuts to make up the huge deficit. Based on potential cuts explored by the Performance Based Budgeting committees almost everything was on the chopping block. The reductions proposed amounted to 42 FTEs. Based solely on the numbers, the proposal was quite impressive. But when one digs into the guts of the report there is something glaringly absent. Potential cuts included “close K-4, 5th and 6th grade centers, increase class sizes at all levels, HS athletics, fine arts, school tutorial and enrichment program, library services, building technology, activity bus routes, safe and drug free schools program, and implement more aggressive energy management program.” There was nothing about reductions in executive or upper management positions.
It was a tale repeated in the recommendations of all 293 Kansas school districts. Statewide, the various PBB committees recommended 5100 FTE’s in potential cuts, ranging from reductions in reading programs, tutorial programs, maintenance, scholars’ bowl, forensics, all day kindergarten, elementary music, art, English, science, foreign languages, reductions in instructional days, etc. I went through the report several times to be sure that my eyes weren’t deceiving me. Each time the same thing glared right back at me. The strategy employed appears to be protecting the bureaucracy/aristocracy at all costs.
One could argue that some program cuts might be beneficial. But, is it reasonable to assume that the safest place to be in this tangled mess is in an executive, upper management, or staff position? Is it reasonable to assume the only ones in danger of having their professional heads lopped off are those closest to the students, who should be the paramount interest in this increasingly grisly equation?
How can this be? John Heim said it. He’s “essential,” and so is the rest of his management team.
At an earlier public meeting some constituents offered olive branches. One of the most notable was a recommendation for wage cuts to be implemented across the board, aimed at protecting the integrity of the current classroom structure. I suppose the proposal might work, but I suspect it would be frowned on by those in upper management who deem themselves “essential” to the education of our children.
In a subsequent meeting, Heim presented three or four alternatives, each outlining possible cuts. As with the PBB, management remained untouched. It was an interesting process to observe. Heim outlined the potential cuts, then sat back, smiling like the Cheshire cat. The board then went on, in turn, talking about eliminating a bus route here or a school there or an hour or two here or expressing joy that there may be the possibility of eliminating only half of the teaching positions outlined in the PBB report. I could see why Heim was smiling. He and his management team remained above the fray, safe from the dreaded axe. It was so sad that it was actually funny. The school board spent its time straining out gnats and swallowing camels; Heim’s smile broadened with each camel swallowed.
In defending his position, Heim cleverly drew comparisons to private industry, arguing that the school district is indeed running like a business. They have corporate structures. So does USD 253. What on earth could be wrong with that?
In his book “Barbarians to Bureaucrats — Corporate Life Cycle Strategies,” author Lawrence Miller described the life stages of corporate entities, from inception, with the prophet/barbarian who has an idea to explore or a customer to serve, to its demise, overseen by the bureaucrat/aristocrat who has a career and legacy to protect. In this final stage, the needs of the customer are supplanted by the needs of those in power. Mr. Miller also observed that the only way to break the vicious cycle is for customers and shareholders to revolt, demanding that the corporate silos be torn down and the needs of the customer once again met.
When good companies see the light, they inevitably return to the needs of the customer. This is what USD 253 needs. Unfortunately, with the help of a compliant school board and an aristocrat at the helm, we appear to be far from the desired target. Could it be that a shareholder/customer revolt is the only thing that can trigger meaningful change?
Phil Dillon writes a blog, “Fires Along the Tallgrass,” http://anothermansmeat.blogspot.com. E-mail him at phildillon@sbbcglobal.net.
BigRed (anonymous) says...
“Their leadership has been an essential component to the district’s academic accomplishments, sound financial condition, and ability to attract and retain high-quality teachers.”
The High School is rated a 5 on a scale of 1-10. Their sound financial condition has them cutting 42 full time employees. Emporia is the home of the nation's teacher college and thus there are a plethora of teachers from which to choose.
Excellent article Mr. Dillon!
March 25, 2010 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Congrats on an exceptional writing, Mr. Dillon. I agree completely . Heim is " essential " in his own mind .
Sounds as though he believes he is solely responsible for any and all of the districts academic achievments . The man seems to be very narcisstic to me.
March 25, 2010 at 4:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
getabrain (anonymous) says...
Finally a well written article about this issue. I too think that our district aristocracy should feel some of the pain from the budget cuts. Heim and his court have been untouchable for too long. At one point I questioned why he was not fired for his trips to attend the "school finance hearings" on district time. I was told that he was on salary and his little side trips were considered "comp" time and since he was given a vehicle allowance and was not driving a district vehicle nothing could be done. I wish my employer would let me have a little of that "comp" time during the day. Man up school board!
March 25, 2010 at 10:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
Phil Dillon hits the nail on the head...school administrators are their own best friends. Worth every penny(actually more, they will almost always tell a school board how much more they could make somewhere else). Emporia has always seemed pretty top heavy with administration to me. In tough times like these, you can't make administrators a sacred cow, a few of them have to get cut too.
March 26, 2010 at 12:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
When can we see a job description of these "essential" people?
Is there a reason why one or two of these jobs can't be absorbed by the others through sharper organization skills?
When USD 252's superintendent took a voluntary pay reduction, I thought surely that 253's would too. Even as a temporary fix, it's simply the right thing to do.
Here are some of the demographics of our school district. We are a poor community for the most part. How can we afford to keep paying these salaries?
http://www.zipskinny.com/index.php?zi...
Good article, Phil Dillon!
March 26, 2010 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
"The pack slumbered and only a few watchdogs rattled their chains." Alexander Cockburn.
March 26, 2010 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
Doesn't EHS have something like 5 assistant principals? If so, shouldn't we fix this?
Excellent article, something that definitely needed to be written!
To John Heim: "everyone is a hell of a lot more expendable than they think they are." -- Dwight Eisenhower
March 26, 2010 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
schooler (anonymous) says...
We may need all supt and asst supt, but why have we added two directors over the years in the area of teaching and learning. These are administratively paid positions as weel. Does that mean the essential person can't handle the position?
March 26, 2010 at 10:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
I bet it went more like this:
Person at school board meeting: "Why don't we cut administrative salaries, instead?"
John Heim: (Cough) (cough), well, uhh, ahem, (cough), “Their, uhh, (cough), leadership, (cough), has been uhh, an, uhh, essential component to the, umm, district’s academic accomplishments, (cough), sound financial condition, and uhh, umm, ability to uhh, attract and uhh, retain, uhh, (cough), high-quality teachers.”
Person at school board meeting: "Do you have any waders?"
March 26, 2010 at 11:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
A question for fellow posters.
If YOU worked for the school board and made $133,300.00 per year, and YOU really gave a s--t about the kids, would you take a little pay cut? A $13,300.00 voluntary wage cut would go a long way in proving the good Dr. really cares.
I would do it and I'm a pretty greedy old bastard.
March 26, 2010 at 12:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
I don't think I would Steve, because my leadership has been an essential component to the district’s academic accomplishments, sound financial condition, and ability to attract and retain high-quality teachers.
Would you like to borrow a pair of waders?
March 26, 2010 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
No, we need to stop wading in it and drain it out.
March 26, 2010 at 3:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
giggles (anonymous) says...
At this point, waders won't due. Give me a boat and a paddle.
March 26, 2010 at 3:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporia (anonymous) says...
I would be willing to take a pay cut: to keep my fellow colleagues that are being let go and if it were done across the board, administration included. Only the ones in the trenches are being hit the hardest.
March 27, 2010 at 7:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
getabrain (anonymous) says...
I find it comical that the school district lists Heim's salary at $133,300 per year. I am sure that figure does not include benefits. I would like to know what he actually costs the district with health insurance, travel expenses, pension plan, vehicle allowance and all the other perks that are provided him. I think we all would be shocked if we knew the actual figure. I guess it is better to keep up sheep in the dark and only report the salary portion of his compensation package.
March 27, 2010 at 6:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )