Recently removed Willow Run superintendent still receiving full salary
A former Willow Run school board member says recently removed Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson is living out-of-state and collecting her full salary.
Andy Blakita, who served on the board for 24 years, began reading a prepared speech during public comment at Thursday’s meeting, asserting Hope-Jackson is receiving her $122,400 annual salary while living “at home” in Illinois.
Doris Hope-Jackson
As Blakita said Hope-Jackson was escorted from district grounds on Dec. 8 by interim Superintendent Laura Lisiscki, Board President Sheri Washington cut him off and ordered him to sit down.
“Mr. Blakita made some comments about personnel, and as an act to preserve the sanctity of pubic comment, he had to stop,” Washington said. “We cannot have people making comments about personnel.”
Blakita provided a copy of the prepared statement he wasn't allowed to finish to AnnArbor.com. When asked after the meeting how he knew Hope-Jackson was in Illinois, he replied he had spoken with her on the telephone that morning.
Washington said she can't confirm or deny Blakita’s allegations. When asked if she knew where Hope-Jackson was, she replied: “I have no idea.”
Hope-Jackson was removed from the superintendent’s position in early December and was reassigned to a newly created position of director of information and assessment.
It is widely expected her tenure with the district will soon come to an end.
The board voted unanimously to remove Hope-Jackson from the position after she took a six-week leave of absence due to a car accident. During that time, there was minimal communication between her and the board. What contact she did have was through her administrative assistant, Rachel Plumley.
Hope-Jackson, who has been a controversial figure since her hiring, has roughly two years left on her contract.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
mama247
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 9:36 a.m.
I like BobbyJohn's comment. And YpsiReader has got it right: Excellence in scholarship IS occurring daily in WRCS. Laura Lisiscki has led the way with her attention to academics. Great going, WRHS robotics ream, scoring second in Traverse City this past week!
BobbyJohn
Tue, Mar 9, 2010 : 2:30 p.m.
What is the matter with these people? If you are paying her over $100,000/year plus huge benefits, at least have there as a janitor or in some way earning at least a part of her salary.
ronn oneal
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 3:04 p.m.
Now I need to find out how I can darw a contract for employeers to sign so when/if things go sour, I have my a#% covered to continue to reciece pay and benefits for (blank) amount of time or that something illegal has taken place....
scooter dog
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 11:54 a.m.
How do people get "let go or fired" and still get paid,simple.Its called a contract,Unless they and in this case the willow run school board wants a Big time lawsuit they had better pay her ALL monies owed her under the conditions of her contract unless it stipulates that she can be let go or fired for certain violations of her contract.As is the case with most companies/schools ect I/we/you do not know what happened to get to the point of "escorting her from school property" so its kinda hard to take sides not knowing what has let to her demise.In a good portion of most employment cases if you fire or let someone go for what ever reason you have to pay them all monies owed and also un-employment unless you can prove that they did something Illegal.Most high profile people who work under a contrace have "buyout clauses" built into them which stipulate who gets what if things go sour and from reading about this issue for the past yr or so I'd say things really got sour.
Good2catchu
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 10:36 a.m.
Its no less amazing that Doris Hope-Jackson has run for cover and conspicuous by her absence. Unquestionable she is preparing her case for unlawful dismissal, it would be good to know what she has proclaimed to have achieved. Willow run has a good community like anywhere but its hard to see how WRSD will survive this. Its going to cost whichever way the axe falls. Where are the morels, ethics and old fashioned honesty not mentioning the faith put into Doris Hope-Jackson? Here comes the race card, discrimination, and any other BS excuse imaginable for failing to do her job affectively. In hindsight there seems to be a responsibility on the board for hiring her too.
mama247
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 8:40 a.m.
Please continue to keep us informed about Willow Run Community Schools. It is such an abomination that Hope-Jackson and her minion, Laconda Hicks, continue to make their hefty salaries after being removed. On the other hand, the students and parents have been relieved of their foolhardy and often vicious decision making. These two will be perfectly complacent to do nothing and take from the limited coffers of WRCS.... they cared nothing for our children or education. Andy Blakita is sour grapes.
schlomo
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 8:40 p.m.
Where is your conscience Hope-Jackson? Families in our district struggle to make a living and you have the gall to rip off our community!! How dare you scam money from the working people and the wonderful students of Willow Run. Where are you going for vacation??
Basic Bob
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
@Epengar, information about the public duties of public employees is public. Revealing it is not an invasion of personal privacy, although it is probably enough to attract the attention of Dr. Jackson's lawyers. Does Dr. Jackson have *any* duties in her current position? Does the board have any legal responsibility for a speech made by a private citizen during public comments?
oldblueypsi
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 1:20 p.m.
Assuming that even just one-half of the a2.com reporting of this ongoing saga has been accurate, this individual should not only be fired but criminally charged. She was paid to perform certain duties. Not only did she fail to perform them, but she failed to even appear at the jobsite. As with any scam artist, she took the money and ran. (As long as the golden goose continued to lay eggs, she returned to repeat her actions.) She has obtained money (public funds) under false pretenses - a fraudulent act in Michigan. Prosecute her and seek repayment as restitution. [Scenario: You pay someone to replace the roof on your home. When they fail to even attempt to do so, do you just sit back and allow that person to keep the money?]
Epengar
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.
There are laws that restrict what personal details an employer (including a school district) can reveal about an employee (including a Superintendent). If employers break those laws, they may be subject to a lawsuit by the employee, and perhaps an expensive penalty. I certainly understand why the current Board would want to be very careful about what it says about the former Superintendent. I'm not sure how this would apply to comments at a board meeting, my point is only that the District might have very valid reasons for not commenting publicly about the details of the situation.
Basic Bob
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 11:30 a.m.
The board is being dishonest about the status of Dr. Hope-Jackson. If they will not allow anyone to discuss what they have done, then they need to stop hiding the truth. They demoted her in December and then escorted her off campus the first day in her new job. Why not come clean? The state department of education needs to relieve the board of their responsibilities, they are not acting in the interest of the community.
Dr. I. Emsayin
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 9:44 a.m.
Sounds like the former superintendent should be director of INFLAMATION and ASSESSMENT. It's an odd new job title, even without a play on words, given the lack of information.
sbbuilder
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
I understand the 'let's not air our dirty laundry in public' thing, but it seems to me that Hope-Jackson did everything possible to make public her indiscretions. Most likely she'll continue to receive her full salary for the next two years unless the district can show cause, and has the fortitude to go to court. The sooner this goes away, the better. Don't know about the current initiatives, but they sound good. WR can only go in one direction after so many years of scraping along the bottom.
Carole
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 8:30 a.m.
How is it that individuals can be let go of their position and continue to receive a salary -- a AAPS superintendent a few years back received full salary after she was relieved of her position. What a waste of tax payers dollars -- and folks wonder why millages are defeated.
snapshot
Fri, Mar 5, 2010 : 10:19 p.m.
These are the type of stories that the newspaper SHOULD be exposing. Some folks want to keep tazpayers in the dark, why? Maybe they don't want their own "perks" exposed.
jcj
Fri, Mar 5, 2010 : 7:42 p.m.
YpsiReader Should a2.com sweep this under the rug like they do in Detroit??? Why when she is paid with public funds should this be a secret? I don't know if she is entitled to her salary or not. But I do know the public has a right to know if she is still getting it!
YpsiReader
Fri, Mar 5, 2010 : 5:58 p.m.
It is unfortunate that the Ann Arbor News has decided to print this negative non-story. There is no information to print, just ashes to fan. Why don't you print something about the good things discussed at the BOE meeting. For example, several WR students were invited and will be attending a Congressional Youth conference in Washington DC; a WR student will be going to Europe for 20 days through the People to People organization based on scholastic achievement; the award winning WR robotics program has become a class offered at the high school; acting superintendent, Laura Lisiski, and Dr. Joe Yomtoomb have presented some very exciting options for programs to begin in the fall of 2010; the WR board has begun to work as a team. Good things are happening in Willow Run!