The Richmond County Board of Education will award Superintendent Dana Bedden $15,000 this year for meeting all of his contract's performance incentives, the board announced at its Tuesday meeting.
Dr. Bedden said he plans to give some of the money to a charitable organization but has not decided which one. The $15,000 will be added to his base salary, which is $186,000 this fiscal year after deducting pay lost from furlough days.
"He has done an outstanding job," board President Marion Barnes said. "He exceeded our expectations in some of the areas."
The performance targets are in three areas: student achievement, financial management and facilities.
Student achievement data is based on factors such as graduation rates and the number of schools meeting all federal adequate yearly progress goals. Financial management involves developing a new budget timeline; facilities goals are based on "rightsizing" schools and reducing expenditures on nonactive school properties.
A total of $5,000 was awarded for each of the three categories.
The performance-based incentives were determined in contract negotiations last year. The board discussed the targets during a brief executive session Tuesday before taking a public, unanimous vote.
"He met the goals that we set for him," Mr. Barnes said. "He's entitled to the money."
Dr. Bedden said he has mixed feelings about performance-based pay, especially in light of the dour economy and the tight financial straits most school districts across the country are facing.
"I would not sit here and think, 'You can do this by yourself,' " he said after the meeting.
The board also voted to approve calendars for the next two school years. The 2010-11 school year is scheduled to start Monday, Aug. 9, and end Friday, May 20. The 2011-12 academic year will start Monday, Aug. 8, and end Friday, May 18.
The board will take up discussion next month on a policy to ban students from wearing saggy pants during after-school events.
Attorney Pete Fletcher will draft a policy for board consideration.
Board Vice President Alex Howard brought the issue up in a committee meeting last week. He said he had seen students wearing pants sagging near their bottoms during recent football games.
Reach Erin Zureick at (706) 823-3217 or erin.zureick@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
justus: I doubt that anyone will disagree with you that the bonus was deserved. Dr. Bedden has done an outstanding job of turning around the school system. The question really should be, "Can the system AFFORD to pay ANY bonuses at this time?" Is that a legitimate item for a contract in these tight budget days? Maybe they should be put on hold as long as furlough days are mandatory.
We have teacher on furlough and classes over the limit and pay for teachers being cut and you give a one person $15,000 over his pay of $186,000 and you think that is right. He made be doing an very good job but come on off of it. Come down to earth and look around and see the people losing their jobs and cut his pay give the teachers more money so they will want to teach our children.
we will have in the future a leader of the country with baggie pants,can't add and doesn't know how to talk in ENGLISH.
give him a letter saying thank you for all your hard work. and he should be happy.
If I was a teacher I would go on strike and hold out for more money and better school buses and better class rooms.
School system is broke, lay-offs teachers on furlough and Bedden gets a bonus. Looks as if the rcboe has learned well from the obamaman and his CEO bailouts. Go figure!
My initial thought was the same as dyomite, but upon further consideration, I realized that the article had stated that this performance bonus was a part of his contract. Had Dr. Bedden not met or exceeded the goals set by the RCBOE, he would not have received a bonus. A contract is a contract. We may be able to renegotiate a contract but not renege on it. If we were to renege on a contract, then we will hardly be able to secure the best professionals for the positions available. Besides, after hiring these people, relocating their lives and families, do you think that a breach of contract won't result in a lawsuit? And are we really willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on legal fees in exchange for $15,000? Oh wait. We've already done that. Well in the words of Emily Littella of SNL fame: "Never mind."
Dr. Bedden, is kinda like Barack Obama it is easier to look good when your predeccessor left so much to be desired.
If this was part of his contract, then, he deserves the money.
Richmond county taxes are going up.
If Bedden was like Obama, the school system would be 10 times more in debt and the graduation rate would be less than half of what it was under Larke. There would be no viable communication with the public and the chance of improvement would be zero. Fortunately, Bedden is in no way like Obama. The Richmond County school system is improving at a wonderful rate. Bedden deserves his bonuses.
Why is he getting a bonus.. He already overpaid!!!!!
Teachers getting furloughed and he gets a bounus...Tell me where is the logig in this??????
simple solution to our problem. no more contracts with bonus stipulations. if the superintendent fails to do what is expected then termination is in order. who was responsible for the high priced public information security lieutenant?
adequate yearly progress is mandated and should not be manipulated by lowering standards or adjusting scores (do not cheat our children). a bonus is not deserved.
please tell me with no high schools making ayp except for johnson and davidson that you would call what he is doing a success, you have a school system that claims to be "broke" but butler is getting a new b-ball gymnasium, josey a new track, that is an advertisment for laney to have a new b-ball gymnasium constructed and 2 other school to have ATHLETIC venues built but there are not enuff books/supplies for all of the students and as the study indicated 1-2 too many high schools but mor important continued low academic achievement in the high school, rampant disrespect by the student towards the teachers/staff(if not the why the need for the knucklehaed...oops the alternative school), and this is called a success...there is more to success than elementary schools meeting ayp, if a certain percentage of ALL SCHOOLS, including high school don't meet targeted goals then he shouldn't be awarded a bonus..oh well theres always high school football and increase the school taxes to pay for more useless, wasteful and ineffectual programs for the high schools that don't work and offer little if any return on investment by the taxpayers.
I don't have a problem with him receiving the bonus; what I have a problem with is his salary. That's a lot of money that could be distributed to the teachers who are being cut. Why does he have to make more than $100,000? Why was the bonus so high? $15,000 is a lot of money. I live on $30,000 a year (yes, I'm single, but I do have the same bills you married people have) and I'm not lacking. We are a greedy nation. If he makes that much money, how much are the complaining teachers making?
Wow, the wealth envy crowd is up early today... remove the bonuses from the next super's contract and you'll get a lesser qualified person. Major props to concernednative for understanding the bonuses were legally binding, he hit the stips, so he gets the money. Just like the folks at AIG. Just like the CEO of Bank of America. Since they ofcs were white GOP, they were shamed and coerced into returning their compensation. Where are the people who will shame and coerce Dr. Bedden into returning his similarly well earned contractual bonus?
Did someone say OVERPAID...you have got to be joking. Soemone better do some research on what the average school superintendant in this country makes. He deserves any bonuses in his contract. He really is trying to get a good education for your child. Now if the parents would just stand up!!What do you think a good school superintendant is worth. All I ever hear is overpaid....ok then what do you think he should be paid. Do you want the headaches and problems? Way to go Dr. Bedden!!!!
Concernednative, just how good is Obama looking? Unemployment at 10% and federal budget deficits at STAGGERING amounts......He's increased the national debt MORE than all 43 previous Presidents combined. Under Bush we had a robust economy, survived 9/11 and Katrina, fought a war on terrorism, lowered interest rates, raised the stock market to record high levels.....All of that is now gone thanks to Pelosi, Reid and Obama. So PLEASE tell us how good he is looking?
Children standing on overcrowded buses, education programs and personnel cuts and this is how money is priortized. This man is already being paid a GENEROUS salary. Didn't the board learn its lesson from Charles Larke? This is another example justifying that the school board is just as disfuntional as the Augusta Commission, with its inability to run this city and move it forward.
Ok guys. I believe you all voted for the SPLOST and I believe that money was for Athletic items. You voted for it. You all have no one to blame but yourselves, you voted for it. Also what is a
public information security lieutenant?
Bedden is being paid far MORE than the Governor of Georgia, who earns a salary of $135,281. With the Lieutenant Governor being paid a bit over $88,000, Bedden is being paid almost as much as the top two government officials in the state COMBINED. Also, how many MILLIONS were spent on the new headquarters for the schools downtown a few years ago while kids are being taught in run-down schools and trailers with little heat or AC? The school system could have operated out of one of the old school buildings that are sitting empty now and the money could have been used where IT BELONGS....for the kids.
to tell the truth, your reasoning is so conflicted as to be totally self canceling. Bedden is a VAST improvement over Larke and represents everything we wanted in a superintendent. His bonuses are just that ....incentive goals that he has met.
look at Laney high school.
whippping post, thats the very exact thing that was uttered about LARKE initially with his bonuses. (deserving). Beddene may deserve a raise but not 15,000. He doesn't even need it, he's SAYING he's giving most to charity.
Bedden's salary and bonus structure is in line with similar sized school systems. The market kinda takes care of that. If you offer less you will get less of a candidate. Leadership is important and saving 50,000 on a lesser super could cost millions and a lead to poorer education for the kids. The money is minimal when you look at the overall RCBOE budget. Keep up the good work Dr. B.
maybe he can buy justus a ticket to somewhere other than here with his bonus?
I wonder why they don't just publish what his contract says? Is it a state secret? Anytime a group has to "justify" their decision, it appears they knew their decision would be controversial. In conclusion, if Bedden has a contract with the county, then publish that contract so the taxpayers can see what it actually says.
What a slap in the face for the actual WORKERS in Richmond Co schools. No different from the outrage after the bailouts and the top people got their bonus's. Deserve? I dont think all the unepmloyed people deserved to be laid off, so deserve shouldnt be in the equation. I dont think staff members-teachers, lunchroom workers, custodians deeserved furlough days AND pay cuts.
And with children in Richmond Co schools, I can honestly say there is so much more that needs to be done.
If you put it in the contract, then pay up. He met the goals given to him. !! Also, I work. I have a boss and my boss has a boss. They both make more than I do. The higher boss makes the most. That's the way it is. I'm white by the way.
Why is he getting a bonus for all the hard work the TEACHERS have to do. I don't see anyone offering them a bonus whenever they have a certain pass rate on state mandated tests and district benchmarks. Oversized classrooms, minimal parent support, minimal administrator support, and disrespectful children...and yet teachers manage to aid in getting the kids prepared so that the schools can meet the requirements for AYP...and what do they get in return..A slap in the face, pay cut, furlough days where they actually have to be at work working for FREE...oh and a joke saying they can leave 15 minutes early...when is Ashton Kutcher coming out..someone just got PUNKED
wtfb, did you put in your contract that you wanted incentive pay if you reached your goals? if not, too bad. do it next time.
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