Superintendent’s Bonus and Minority Academic Achievement

Thanks for sharing Marilyn Brown’s article about superintendent’s bonus with those on your email list.  I attended the School Board meeting on Dr. King’s birthday (January 15).  It is a small thing–but significant to me–that three others who have an interest in promoting academic excellence in zip code 33610 sat through most of the four-plus hour meeting with me.  There are 20 more scheduled School Board meetings this calendar year (2008 School Board Scheduled Meetings).  I suspect that there will be a number of other articles in the press again this year that make us wonder “How did our children get left behind while others reap the benefits generated by Title I and other funding provided to educate low-income, minority, and, indeed, black children in key urban zip codes?”  Maybe we can get the Florida Sentinel to publish numbers of folks from our community who attend each of the remaining 2008 School Board meetings and write an editorial in early 2009 about the impact our presence has on the bonus the superintendent receives next year.  More importantly, the editorial might highlight some of the exceptional academic opportunities available in all public schools that the black community helped guide parents and students toward.

In His Service,

Jason

School Chief Earns $37,620 In Bonuses

By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa TribunePublished: January 15, 2008 TAMPA – Hillsborough Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia will make $290,518 this year after adding a bonus for improved student performance during 2006-07. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/15/me-school-chief-earns-37620-in-bonuses/?news-metro