“Egregious” and “contemptible” are two words that describe my reaction to the California School Boards’ recent announcement that their executive director, Scott Plotkin, was paid nearly $1 million dollars in compensation and bonuses the last two years. However, it does not end there.
According to the California School Boards Association (CSBA), the top seven additional assistant executive directors were making between $92,879 and $207,009 in compensation. In aggregate the total executive salaries for Mr. Plotkin, his deputy and six other assistants were $1.5 million for 2009.
The Sunday San Jose Mercury News IA (Internal Affairs) wrote that they were “curious about what the association’s member school boards think of the lofty pay scale—and about the fact that the groups board apparently didn’t have a clue about the executive salaries”. Well, let me try to answer for this one County Office school board member, I am absolutely furious and want to fight back.
The Executive Director lied about his $11,000 cash advances from casinos and his 4% self-imposed salary reduction that he never took, but told his Board he did. Mr. Plotkin has resigned effective September 1, 2010. “I am outraged. The biggest arrows in our quiver of support for public education are integrity and trust. You can break trust in an instant, but it takes time to rebuild it,” said Dana Tom, president of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association.
We have too much public distrust of our system of public education already, and these types of despicable acts that violate that trust add to the perception that there is too much money in public education. This is certainly not the case in California although many of SJI regular bloggers believe it. Perhaps CSBA and other educational institutions, including County Offices of Education, can look toward becoming more of a leaner and meaner organizational structure while ensuring that every public dollar that can be is spent for the classroom and children directly.
CSBA is an advocacy group for school board members, superintendents, and executive level district and county office staff ultimately serving the children in public schools. Almost all 1,000 California School Districts are members. The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) pays $12,600 in annual dues. I just found out that the 2010-11 CSBA invoice has not yet arrived to the SCCOE.
At the August 17, 2010 Board meeting CSBA President Frank Pugh and the CSBA Board directed staff to initiate the process to contract for an independent financial systems review and an independent and comprehensive compensation review. I wonder whether or not we should withhold payment as a protest to the lack of fiscal oversight until the SCCOE Board is assured that the CSBA Board has cleaned up their fiduciary act.
While we forage for wasteful positions or practices in all educational and governmental institutions let’s also examine the bold report by The Santa Clara County Civil Grand on school district consolidation. The report titled, “Achieving School District Efficiency Through Consolidation”, argues that consolidation from the current hodgepodge of districts into unified districts could reap a savings of up to $20 million in this county alone.
The Santa Clara Unified, the only district that has responded thus far to the civil grand jury’s report (sccsuperiorcourt.org/jury/GJ) said that they review the recommendations in the report as “economically viable, managerially provocative, and politically, somewhere between improbable and impossible”. No doubt the process to consolidate takes courageous leadership on the part of superintendents and boards, but it is essentially left to the electorate to decide. I am a strong proponent of school district consolidation for educational benefits and whatever cost savings is reaped.
I was hoping to see a heartfelt letter of apology to all school board members and children of California from Mr. Plotkin for aiding and abetting those voters that believe public systems are corrupt. Unfortunately, there was no letter I could find.
School board members we are the ones that must regain the lost public trust in schools. It is essential that we do. We can do so by increasing the percentage of public dollars that go directly to our classrooms.
One of the truest examples I have ever seen about the old adage that it takes only one moron to ruin the good works of a hundred geniuses.
Unfortunately, Mr. DiSalvo, Scott Plotkin is far closer to the rule rather than the exception, in that anyone who gets to paid positions on state-level bureaucracies will tend to try their utmost to expand their level of power at that bureaucracy, rather than to expend energies to solve the problems they were hired to fix.
This is precisely why the public education system is doomed to wallow in failure.
Joseph,
Now you know how the SJPD, and Fire Fighters feel. The Merc and other medias take one or two person’s abuse of the system and blanket the entire entity with falsehoods. Yes my friend, we all join you in your outrage, and we’re as pissed off as you are, but who is going to do something to hold these thief’s accountable?
Kathleen,
Hopefully each individual CA school board can find an appropriate means to hold CSBA accountable. I hope we agendize withholding our dues payment until we are satisfied with their response to their consultants findings.
Joseph,
Thank you for the 411 and for your dedication to the children. We need more leaders like you!
Kathleen.
Thank you for your comment. I feel I am fortunate to serve on the SCCOE Board of Education and through my part time work serve our children well. It is very unfortunate that public service is viewed so negatively. I hope my service and knowledge can make a small impact on issues relative to the education the children in our county.
This year is one of the most difficult years public education has experienced, the children deserve our unwavering support. I hope SJI readers will find ways to become involved in meaningful ways in our schools.
> It is very unfortunate that public service is viewed so negatively. I hope my service and knowledge can make a small impact on issues relative to the education the children in our county.
It’s also very unfortunate that the deterioration of public education, public service, and the public’s confidence just happened to occur all around you just when you were in a leadership position.
Boy, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe things will improve for you when you convince the legislature to give the SCCOE a big infusion of additional cash. That should cheer everyone up.
“… the perception that there is too much money in public education.”
I guess I too have that perception when I read stories like this. And my suspicions are confirmed when I see LAUSD spending $600,000,000 – yes, that’s 6/10 of a billion dollars – on their new school facility.
Lucky LA, like SJ’s Gonzo-domed city hall, they too now have a monument to stupidity.
It’s even stranger. Mr. Vaca, the CHIEF deputy executive director (think about that. You have an executive director making $500k…to do exactly what? he has a CHIEF deputy executive director, and a deputy executive director, and THREE assistant executive director, as well as only one director) makes less than several of his purported underlings.
A whole lot of chiefs. Where are the indians?
The CHIEF deputy executive director makes almost $40k/year LESS than his presumed subordinate, a mere deputy executive director (Mr. Gonzalez).
The women assistant excutive directors make significantly less than the male assistant executive directors. There’s a lawsuit waiting to get filed.
Mr. Plotkin’s 7 executive underlings make a combined total of $1,077,303.00 per year. Lord knows what the administrative staff earn on top of the high earnings of this executive squadron.
And tell us, Joseph, what exactly is it that all these executives DO to deserve such compensation?
> Mr. Plotkin’s 7 executive underlings make a combined total of $1,077,303.00 per year. Lord knows what the administrative staff earn on top of the high earnings of this executive squadron.
> And tell us, Joseph, what exactly is it that all these executives DO to deserve such compensation?
Oh, wow!
Something to ponder over your 644th consecutive macaroni and cheese dinner on the 644th day of the Obama Era of Hope and Change.
At least the education system is much improved, children are getting a quality education, and are able to find good, high-paying jobs.
Joe, you say, “We have too much public distrust of our system of public education already…”
But the problem isn’t public relations and image-making.
The problem is that the Plotkin scandal hinders closing the education gaps that affect many of the students in our schools, directly and indirectly, blocking students from proficiency by 2014. And it provides a horrific lesson to students about the malfeasances of their elders.
And you have the same problem in the twelve plus education sites over which you sit as a county board member. That you as a member were remiss in keeping an eye on your own association’s finances makes us wonder if you are remiss in keeping an eye on the county office of education with its far flung empire of sites, projects, and operations, not to mention the county’s failure to implement measures to close the education gaps among students directly under its jurisdiction.
I’m guessing that this was an organization in Sacramento designed to represent the interests of management (governing boards) with the legislature in Sacramento. Like other lobbying organizations, they work with assembly and state senate committees, offer informed testimony on pending legislation and sometimes author legislation or amendments that they get someone to carry.
Oh, and they make campaign contributions.
Anyway…that’s how they are supposed to work, and some years when the state budget is consuming all the attention, there’s not going to be a lot they can influence.
It actually reminds me of a private sector trend where public companies that are technically owned by the shareholders are kind run by highly paid executives as if it’s their own private company. Kind of seizing public property and acting like its your own (corporate jets, huge pay packages, regardless of how you do the job of building shareholder value.)
My prediction is-
In post-industrial America the new wealthy will rise from fiefdoms they carve out of our public goods landscape, hijacking agencies and companies for personal profit while pretending to do the public service for which they were hired.
> My prediction is-
> In post-industrial America the new wealthy will rise from fiefdoms they carve out of our public goods landscape, hijacking agencies and companies for personal profit while pretending to do the public service for which they were hired.
Not a terribly risky or implausible prediction.
It has already happened.
Question:
What institutional bigwig is provided with a Boeing 767 airliner for the personal transportation needs of themselves, their relatives, their staff, and their pets?
A. Mark Hurd
B. Nancy Pelosi
Nothing like repeating an untruth over and over again to make you feel better. Pelosi does not fly on a 767. The Speaker flies in a 12-seat Air Force jet, just as her Republican predecessor did.
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_nancy_pelosi_order_up_a_200-seat.html
Stop lying!
“I wonder whether or not we should withhold payment as a protest of the lack of fiscal oversight…”
Joseph, it sounds like you’re finally beginning to understand the frustration and distrust of some of us whom you have written off as being too ‘negative’.