My view on amending supt contract
My brother once told me, “act in haste, repent at leisure,” a proverb that seems especially appropriate given last night’s school committee meeting where the mayor was unhappy with the board for amending the superintendents’ contracts during his absence. I regret not waiting for the mayor, especially now that I’m aware it was important to him; fortunately, the issue can be revisited and he can weigh in—nothing has been signed, the matter will be re-opened for discussion.
Regarding the committee voting unanimously on April 2 to add language to Dr. Baehr’s contract, I believe it was the fair thing to do. (I am writing for myself only as I do not presume to know the intentions of my colleagues.) The original severance language of her contract read: “At the time of the Superintendent’s retirement, death, or termination by the Committee, the Superintendent or her estate will receive 100% of accrued vacation and one third (33 1/3%) payment of all unused sick leave.” Because Dr. Baehr was neither retiring, getting fired, nor dead, the lack of language to address the actual terms of her departure—such as resignation or non-renewal of contract—precluded her getting reimbursed for her unused vacation and sick days. (I have since been told she was always eligible to get paid for the 39.5 unused vacation days, totaling $26,921.62.) The issue that remains, however, is without amending the language to include the specific terms of her departure, she would not receive payment for one third of her unused sick days or $23,397.95. Dr. Baehr provided eight years of excellent service to the Lowell Public Schools at a salary well below market rate when she could have gone anywhere and earned more. She stayed here, committed to our students and staff, and worked relentlessly to improve the quality of education our children receive: We will benefit from the results of those efforts for years to come. To not pay her for unused sick days she would have gotten if we’d fired her, or if we had appreciated her more and she’d stayed until retirement as was her original plan, is not only unfair, it’s ungrateful.