New superintendent, new contract

Julie Janssen, Pinellas County’s new school superintendent, has tentatively agreed to a three-year contract that will pay her $200,000 a year, the bottom of the salary range the School Board set for the job. The board had set the upper limit at $240,000. Click here to see a draft copy of the agreement. The board is expected to consider the deal Tuesday.

In addition to salary, the contract calls for a $250 per month “communication allowance” for cell phone and similar expenses and a monthly automobile allowance of $900 that requires Janssen to buy her own auto liability insurance, and premiums to cover a $500,000 life insurance policy for Janssen. The board also would pay 6.5 percent of Janssen’s base salary into a tax-deferred retirement savings plan, a benefit she would receive on top of her regular state retirement as a 29-year veteran educator.

Janssen's salary would remain at $200,000 unless her annual performance review is “satisfactory” or higher. In that event, she would receive the same percentage salary increase as the district’s classroom teachers, up to 5 percent. The deal, which would expire June 30, 2011, is similar to the board’s agreement with former superintendent Clayton Wilcox, whose salary stood at $204,000 when he left in early June.

The board budgeted $20,000 for the nationwide superintendent search. So far, the bills come to about $10,145. Still to come are a few outstanding travel invoices for two of the candidates, including Alberto Carvalho, who declined the job, leading to Janssen's selection. The largest portion of the search cost is for advertising in the St. Petersburg Times and Education Week, a total of $5,804. It looks as if the total bill could come in about $12,000 or less.

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Comments

I believe 8:44's point was that a higher salary, one that competed with the private sector, will attract more people and likely more qualified people. If you know you are worth $X.XX why would you take less? If you are making $X.XX and look for another job, would you consider one that is less than what you were making while heaping on more responsibility?

8:44 You couldn't be more out of touch w/ reality with your statements. Do you really equate money/salary with getting the job done properly? Be very happy that you are making the money you are as it could also go down the tubes, just like all the financial institutions whose CEO's were making mega boo-qoo salary's. Did mucho money cause them to do their jobs properly or just make them that much more greedy to the point of collapse! Come on and get with the program>better yet pick up a newspaper or turn on the financial news. More salary doesn't ALWAYS = superior job performance,get that through you cotton pickin' head! Maybe we should have boosted Bush's pay and then we wouldn't be where we are today in this country.Right?!?!I think not!

[I don't think so]

10:58pm 9/22/08 -
"Let's give Dr. Janssen a chance and work with her. For the first time in many years I see an entire community ready to fully support this Superintendent and the "newly elected" School Board members."

Full support? I don't think so. She should not have been a consideration at all.

I disagree, the Superintendent is responsible for both sides of the balance sheet. The budget, (approved by the School Board) and reducing the tremendous drop-out rate we are experiencing by coming up with a plan. She says her plan will be made public so all of us can hold her and the Board accountable for it's success. Now if the School Board will stay out of her way and not micro-manage her efforts, we may make some progress.

Let's give Dr. Janssen a chance and work with her. For the first time in many years I see an entire community ready to fully support this Superintendent and the "newly elected" School Board members.

Time to split the district. Keep bragging about the big numbers; ignore the drop out rate.

CEOs are responsible for both sides of the balance sheet. Superintendents are not. BIG difference!

The people complaining of Dr. Janssen's salary and benefits amaze me.

She is in charge of over 100,000 students and I believe over 6000 teachers and support staff. She is your BOSS...get it.

The budget she controls is 1.6 BILLION Dollars! Check with other CEOs, Bosses, whatever you want to call them and see what they make for that responsibility. And, to top it off she has to answer to the School Board.

For the teachers complaining, there are a lot of Superintendent jobs becoming available. Why don't you see if you qualify for one of them.

If you want good government, plenty of government administrators need to be making a lot more than $100K. I am 35 years old and make much more than $100 running a business that is less demanding, with fewer employees to supervise, and my customers are not children who need to supervised and kept safe. I expect the school principal at my child's high school to be paid more than $100K. This is a very responsible job. If you want the right people to do it, you had better pay for it.

She's a governmental employee. No governmental employee should make over $100k. She is robbing the taxpayers blind and the school board drove the getaway car.

[George]

The board insulted Janssen.

The board was stupid and were flim flamed by the the man who turned them down. I'd say the board has "egg" on their collective faces, but I really think it is baby food.

[the board is full of morons]

The problems of this county the last 6 years are directly related to the idiot women on the board. This is why a woman will never be president. You squaking hens have screwed this county enough.
VOTE THEM ALL OUT
thank god 2 are leaving on their own

Third choice. Janssen was the third choice. Repeating false information does not make it true.

[Susan]

I would think her salary alone is enough. Why the extras? Live within your means like us teachers..

[sarah]

How do you spend $900 a month on your car??

[John]

If we are all supposed to know the language why can't we all speak and write it correctly.

[Mary]

Secretary you are so right! There is a difference. I was born in another country but while living there my mother, born in Madrid, taught me to speak English and made sure my grammar was correct. What a shame! There is a difference just as the secretary said.

[Jules]

Not bad for an entrance salary? Is there no one left anymore that's not in it for the money but because they think they can contribute and fix a broken down system? I'm not crying a tear for her salary, when you look at what teachers put up with day in and day out w/ little or no pay raise! Shed a tear for who deserves...this woman hasn't proven herself yet!

Less experience = lower salary
More experience = higher salary

[Billy's bus driver]

Billy, the short bus is here to take you home. Your mom called and said she has some milk and cookies waiting for you.

[Sam]

Why is she getting paid less?

She's a woman. They don't deserve as much. I'm sure she'll be awesome at planning the county baby showers and baking muffins for the weekly meetings.

[Secretary]

Billy... I sure hope you haven't been teaching English for 25 yrs. "Whose" & "who's" do NOT mean the same thing: Encarta Dictionary:
Whose (pronoun) (adjective) belonging to who or which - “a grammatical word used to talk or ask about the person or thing something belongs to.” Clayton Wilcox, who is salary stood at $204,000. Does that sound correct to you? I think not...

[Secretary]

Billy... I sure hope you haven't been teaching English for 25 yrs. "Whose" & "who's" do NOT mean the same thing: Encarta Dictionary:
Whose (pronoun) (adjective) belonging to who or which - “a grammatical word used to talk or ask about the person or thing something belongs to.” Clayton Wilcox, who is salary stood at $204,000. Does that sound correct to you? I think not...

[Secretary]

Billy... I sure hope you haven't been teaching English for 25 yrs. "Whose" & "who's" do NOT mean the same thing: Encarta Dictionary:
Whose (pronoun) (adjective) belonging to who or which - “a grammatical word used to talk or ask about the person or thing something belongs to.” Clayton Wilcox, who is salary stood at $204,000. Does that sound correct to you? I think not...

[Secretary]

Billy... I sure hope you haven't been teaching English for 25 yrs. "Whose" & "who's" do NOT mean the same thing: Encarta Dictionary:
Whose (pronoun) (adjective) belonging to who or which - “a grammatical word used to talk or ask about the person or thing something belongs to.” Clayton Wilcox, who is salary stood at $204,000. Does that sound correct to you? I think not...

Why in the world would she get the same amount as the outgoing superintendent. He had been here 3 years at the super and she is just starting. Plus she lacks experience, plus she is 2nd pick for some, 3rd pick for others, plus it's just a heck of alot of money anyway.

...$250 for "communication", $900 for auto, $200,000 salary...

Teachers didn't even get a cost-of-living increase...nice

[Billy]

Nancy - I don't get it.

Whose? Who is? Who's? They all mean the same thing. I know this for a fact. I've been teaching for 25 years.

[Nancy]

The deal, which would expire June 30, 2011, is similar to the board’s agreement with former superintendent Clayton Wilcox, who’s salary stood at $204,000 when he left in early June.

who's salary is wrong; it's whose salary. who's means who is; Wilcox wasn't a salary, he was a lousy supe.

[Billy]

I think she's doing the right thing.

Hey Brian - Whose cares?

[Brian]

...whose salary...

not ...who's salary...

[Rodger]

Sounds like a pretty good deal she has going on there, only an absolute idiot would complain a single word about her new contract! like the 2 above me.

[Dee]

Why is she being paid less than the man who previously turned the job down? Is it because she is a woman? Those members of the school board need to go and we need fresh blood who can appreciate what they have. Good Luck Julie!! You will need it to deal with those idiots.

Naturally those twits that call themselves a school board would go for the low-end salary. After all, she was their second choice and besides what more would the children of Pinellas County deserve. She should have been paid at least what the former school superintendent was making. The people of this county should clean house of those old crows.