Message-ID: <2132998-220025271637108@yahoo.com> From: "" <ralph@yahoo.com> Subject: CMS is at it again!! Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 16:47:53 -0500
Arthur Griffin called an "emergency" meeting last Wednesday when their
was no emergency, violating the required 48 hour public notice. The notice
they did provide was described as a "personnel matter" with little
description that they were voting to begin contract discussions with
Pughsley.
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It turns out that Smith's lawyer only presented (through Mo Greene) an
"oral" request for a severance package from Eric Smith. Some CMS Board
members thought Smith would be submitting his resignation and they would
then vote to give Pughsley the job in closed session. Smith did not resign
throwing a wrench into their plans but CMS' Democrat majority went ahead and
voted on Pughsley anyway triggering questions over a $800 thousand golden
parachute for Smith.
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At this meeting Smith proposed CMS pay him (approx. numbers) $60
thousand in a performance bonus, an extra $100,000 or so in salary through
the end of the year (he would quit June 30th), and additional pension vesting.
No disclosure has been made as the how much all that would cost CMS
but CMS' board rejected it.
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Griffin determined to orchestrate a vote to hire Pughsley last Wednesday
night even though Smith had not resigned. This was the real reason for
calling a secret "emergency meeting". This is also why there was an
orchestrated effort by the Black Political Caucus to talk about hiring
Pughsley without a National search at a hastily called press conference that
day. Those voting in favor of this motion to start the hiring process were:
A. Griffin (Democrat)
M. Griffin (Democrat)
W. Rembert (Democrat)
V. Leake (Democrat)
G. Dunlap (Democrat)
L. Woods (Democrat)
Those voting against this secret vote to hire Pughsley were:
J. Lassiter (Republican)
L. Gauvreau (Republican)
L. Kindberg (Republican)
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Now that CMS has voted (in secret) to start the hiring process for
Pughsley it may very well provide ammo to Smith and his attorney requiring
the payment of a golden parachute clause totaling some $800 thousand. This
exposure only exists because some African-American members were trying to
vote before Pughsley left for Charlottesville in an effort to insure an
African-American was guaranteed the "top job".
Perhaps Pughsley is the best guy for the job, shouldn't Griffin and the
Democrats on the board have waited until Smith resigned?
Shouldn't they have held an open process?
Shouldn't they want the "best person" based on their ability not the color
of his skin?
Compare Griffin's approach to the one that the County used to hire a new
County Manager. The County interviewed lots of good candidates selecting
Harry Jones, who had excellent credentials. He also happened to be
African-American but won because he was the "best person for the job".
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During this closed door secret meeting African-American members berated
and dehumanized White board members hurling racial slurs at them to force
them to vote for Pughsley. At one point, one CMS board member hurled these
racial slurs towards white Democrat Molly Griffin who was so upset she had
to leave the room. Another school board member, Louise Woods asked for the
meeting to be stopped so she could go console Ms. Griffin but one
African-American member refused to delay the meeting. Several long-time CMS
board members said that the meeting was "the worst ever" with Black members
attempting to use race to force them to abrogate a long-standing open
selection process.
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CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ARTICLE
Posted on Sat, May. 04, 2002
Gauvreau says Smith wants to be paid for entire year
CELESTE SMITH
> > Staff Writer
> >
> >
> > A Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member who frequently criticizes the
> district's top brass says Superintendent Eric Smith wants to get paid his
> entire year's salary -- even though he may leave six months early.
> >
> > During a closed session this week, the board discussed a compensation
> package pitched by Smith, who has been offered the superintendent's job in
> Anne Arundel County, Md. Smith says he has not yet taken the job.
> >
> > At the same meeting, the board also considered hiring Deputy
> Superintendent James Pughsley for two years to lead the district while it
> conducts a search for a permanent replacement, said board member Larry
> Gauvreau.
> >
> > "It's just an amazing kind of deal," Gauvreau said. "It's like being held
> up for ransom, and then we're being told who the next superintendent is."
> >
> > Smith refused to confirm or discuss Gauvreau's account and blasted him for
> talking about a closed meeting.
> >
> > "It is exactly the problem we have in Charlotte right now. This kind of
> political sniping is extremely destructive to this school system."
> >
> > Gauvreau said the board unanimously rejected Smith's proposal, in which
> Gauvreau said Smith would agree to leave by June 30 in exchange for
> continuing to receive his salary and bonuses until Dec. 31. Gauvreau said
> the verbal offer came from Smith's attorney.
> >
> > Smith said Friday that he gave the board a proposal that called for them
> to "adhere to the contract and maintain my employment until I am employed
> elsewhere." But, he added, the proposal is now, as far as he is concerned,
> "off the table."
> >
> > Smith's contract with CMS pays a base salary of $196,568. Last year he
> received a bonus of almost $46,000. If Smith takes the Maryland job, state
> law requires him to start July 1.
> >
> > He made the proposal to the board, Smith said, "to give them some solution
> to a dilemma that some board members felt they're in."
> >
> > Smith didn't explain what he meant by dilemma. But if he and Pughsley both
> leave -- Pughsley is concluding interviews today for the top schools job in
> Charlottesville, Va., where he is one of three finalists -- the district
> faces losing its two top officials just months before school starts next
> fall, when a new student assignment plan that will involve moving thousands
> of youngsters to new schools is launched.
> >
> > Other board members and Pughsley declined to comment on discussions during
> the closed meeting. Gauvreau said he believes the public should know what
> was discussed behind closed doors about the future of the district's top two
> officials.
> >
> > "We've decided to do this behind closed doors, yet we're rationalizing to
> the public that it's not behind closed doors," said Gauvreau. "I'm
> disappointed in the way this board has been behaving. ... While what we're
> doing may be legal, it's certainly not in the public interest."
> >
> > School board attorney Maurice Green declined to comment on the closed
> session, but did say that "Dr. Smith's attorney did make a proposal to me as
> the board's attorney outlining terms on which Dr. Smith would leave."
> >
> > Pughsley bid OK'd
> >
> > Also during the closed session, Gauvreau says, a majority of the board
> authorized chairperson Arthur Griffin to ask Pughsley whether he would be
> interested in serving a two-year superintendent term in Charlotte. The board
> would conduct a national search while he serves, according to Gauvreau.
> Gauvreau said he and two other board members voted against that
> proposal.Green, the school board lawyer, acknowledged that that there had
> been "some preliminary discussions with Dr. Pughsley" about an "interim-type
> position" if Smith left.
> >
> > "Those conditions did include a discussion about a time not to exceed two
> years for his employment while the board conducted a superintendent search."
> >
> > If Smith indicated an intention to resign, that could give Pughsley a
> clear signal to pursue the Charlotte superintendency. A Charlottesville
> school board member said earlier this week that Pughsley had asked for more
> time to weigh his options in the wake of Smith's likely departure.
> >
> > Some Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members, community leaders and
> teacher association leaders said this week they want Pughsley to be
> superintendent.
> >
> > Griffin, who was out of town Friday, declined through a district
> spokeswoman to comment on Gauvreau's account. On Thursday, he sent a memo to
> board members, saying that despite Gauvreau's disclosures of "the board's
> discussion and actions taken in closed session...I encourage board members
> to respect the purpose of closed session meetings and refrain from sharing
> board discussions and actions taken in closed session with the media."
> >
> > 2 emergencies in a week
> >
> > Wednesday's meeting was the second closed "emergency session" called by
> Griffin in one week to discuss personnel matters.
> >
> > Both Gauvreau and Smith said the superintendent wasn't in the board
> meeting when his contract was discussed. Pughsley was also absent.
> >
> > Board members said Thursday and Friday that it isn't time yet to discuss
> the status of the superintendent post publicly, because Smith hasn't
> resigned.
> >
> > Board member Lee Kindberg said the meeting had to be private, but added,
> "I would prefer that we have more advanced planning and more advance notice
> of meetings, and will personally try to ensure that anything that can be
> done in public is done in public.
> >
> > "And I believe that reflects the feelings of most of the board."
> >
> > Board member George Dunlap said the board can't decide leadership issues
> because "we still have a superintendent."
> >
> > "The only thing we can do at this point is wait for Dr. Smith to say what
> his intentions are," Dunlap said.
> > "I think it would be wise for him not to keep this community in limbo
> about his decision, but that's not up for me to decide. That's a decision
> that he has to make, and I respect his right to weigh whatever options are
> available to him in making that decision."
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Jennifer Rothacker contributed.