Saline school board to evaluate Superintendent Scot Graden, vote on contract extension Tuesday
The Saline Area Schools Board of Education will conduct its annual review of Superintendent Scot Graden Tuesday night.
It also will entertain a motion to extend his contract for one additional year, President Lisa Slawson said.
Scot Graden
It was not clear Monday whether the board would offer Graden a salary increase Tuesday night as well.
His current contract stipulates that he may receive a raise to his annual base salary beginning July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2016, at the discretion of the school board.
The board evaluates Graden’s performance every fall using a rubric-style evaluation. In addition, Graden gives quarterly presentations “sharing artifacts and data” on the progress he has made toward his superintendent goals, Slawson said in a previous article.
These presentations are used as a basis for the board’s evaluation.
Each trustee also typically fills out a form ranking the superintendent in various categories. The board members score Graden on a point system of 1.0 to 4.0 and write feedback individually. In 2011, Graden received a 3.2 out of a 4.0.
Each board member’s comments are added to a document compiled by the president and that comment sheet, along with a form showing the averaged trustees’ scores for each category, is filed in Graden’s personnel file.
Slawson said the board will conduct Tuesday’s evaluation in closed session. Then, the trustees will reconvene in open session to vote on extending the superintendent’s contract and Slawson will read aloud a statement to the public summarizing the board’s review of Graden’s leadership and performance.
Other components of Graden’s existing contract are:
- An administrative stipend of $6,500 annually through 2016.
- Reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses for school functions up to $1,900 annually.
- 21 holiday days.
- 15 vacation days.
- 15 sick days per year, which can accumulate up to a maximum of 130 days.
- Paying 20 percent of his insurance premium costs or the state’s “hard cap,” as determined by the board, starting this academic year.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Liberty School Media Center, 7265 Saline-Ann Arbor Road.
Download the complete agenda for Tuesday's Board of Education meeting here.
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
Cheryl Hieber
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.
Why is it that this article has only been released on the day of the meeting? It would be nice if we could be told which Board member made a motion to extend a contract that is not expiring anytime soon. Whether to extend the contract should be at the pleasure of the Board that is serving in 2015, not this Board. A lot of things can happen between then and now.
Danielle Arndt
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 5:27 p.m.
Hi Cheryl, thank you for your comments. No board member has formally moved yet, and they cannot until tonight's meeting. Lisa Slawson told me the board would consider the contract extension. But, it can only be put the table for a vote if a motion is made and supported by two trustees. Hopefully this helps clarify. Also, we typically try to preview board meetings the morning of or the day before, when possible, to let people know what will be going on at the meeting. Often the agendas for some districts are not publicly set or available until the day or two days before a meeting. Thanks again for reading!
SalineParent12345
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
A raise?! Didn't the SEA and ESP workers take a huge pay-cut this year?! I know for a fact the teachers took a 12% cut, back to 2008 salary levels. Say what you want about teacher pay --- but it seems immoral for the "boss" to get a raise when the workers got the shaft. So much for that "shared sacrifice" nonsense!
Cheryl Hieber
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.
In the public sector one has to be employed for many many years to get this much paid vacation time. Is it normal for a school administrator who has been on the job for the short period of time as Mr. Graden to get a month of vacation pay?
Basic Bob
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 2:36 p.m.
The district pays 80% of his health insurance premium. They used to pay 90%.
JerryStone1971
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
Over 40 kids in classes at the high school level? Constant shuffling of teachers? Unfortunately, Mr. Graden has had to constantly deal with budget issues instead of actually doing what a superintendent SHOULD do, which is work with teachers and improve instruction for students. Not sure if it warrants an extension or not... Perhaps it's a problem with the education system on a larger level. Until we get a reliable funding source for education, the job of the superintendent will continue being consumed by trying to do more, more, more with fewer and fewer resources. Sad.
A2comments
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 : 11:26 a.m.
Why would they extend a contract that expires in 3 1/2 years this early? I could see doing it in 2015.