School board signs $220,000-year contract with new superintendent Schools & Kids, posted by Editor, Pleasanton Weekly Online, on May 12, 2010 at 8:56 am
The Pleasanton School Board last night unanimously approved a $220,000 per-year contract for incoming Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 6:04 AM
Posted by Pleasanton Native, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 8:56 am
Are you kidding me? $220,000 per year- Nobody is worth that amount in these tough times. Hasn't the school district learned yet? Look out for a parcel tax campaign again to help pay for this ridiculous salary for ONE PERSON. Our TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY are what makes this a great place for our kids to learn. The teachers should be the ones getting more money if it was available. I say we residents of Pleasanton show our school board how we really feel - They obviously don't hear us. STAND UP AND MAKE SOME NOISE!
Posted by ca94566, a resident of the Castlewood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 8:59 am
Hello.....
It's no wonder there is such a budget gap withe this salary level. A Superintendent and an assistant Superintendent, is this just for the Pleasanton School District??
I hope our new Governor takes a look/audits the requirements of every California school district. How about consolidating these jobs by County?
Posted by Sue, a resident of the Val Vista neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 9:51 am
The Vice President of the United States makes $201,000.00. What a slap in the face to all the people who donated money to the Pleasanton School District. There will be no more donations from me....
Posted by SHOW US, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 11:42 am
WHAT A JOKE! HERE WE ARE CONSTANTLY BEING ASKED TO " DONATE " FOR THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER THING. ITS REALLY ABOUT BAIL OUT MONEY. BAIL OUT FROM OVER PAID PEOPLE WHO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEIR PERSONAL AGENDAS THAN WITH TEACHING. THIS WHOLE PARCEL TAX IS JUST FORCED BAIL OUT MONEY. STARTING WITH THE NEW SUPERINTENDENTS NEW CONTRACT AND WORKING YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE CROSSING GAURDS PAY, THE WHOLE DISTRICT SHOULD TAKE A 25% PAY CUT. NOT JUST LAY OFF SOME TO HOLD ON TO OTHERS. THIS SHOULD ALSO HAPPEN FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES POLICE, FIRE ECT. SHOW US YOU CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. THE CITY OF PLEASANTON HAS MONEY AND ASSETS, HOW ABOUT THE CITY OF PLEASANTON SELLING SOME OF THEIR LAND TO DEVELOPERS AND THEN DONATING THE MONEY TO OUR CHILDREN. COME ON CITY OF PLEASANTON, AFTER ALL YOU ARE A COMMUNITY THAT LOOKS OUT FOR ITS PEOPLE RIGHT. DOES ANYONE NOTICE THAT ITS EXSISTING GOVERNMENT PAY THAT IS THE LAST TO BE EFFECTED. AS A COMMUNITY WE ARE ALL MAKING SACRIFICES, SHOW US WITH YOUR EXAMPLE CITY OF PLEASANTON, MAYBE SOME OF THAT 450 PLUS AC AT THE OAK GROVE PROPERTY SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND THE MONEY USED FOR OUR SCHOOLS/CHILDREN. I KNOW OUR KIDS EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ENTIRE PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PARK. THE MONEY FROM JUST 30% OF THAT PARK BEING DEVELOPED WOULD HELP OUR SCHOOLS MONEY PROBLEMS. STAND UP CITY OF PLEASANTON AND SHOW US OUR CHILDREN ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER MASSIVE PARK.
Posted by Parent, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Think salary offered to Ms. Ahmadi comparable to what other school district superintendents are earning in districts like Pleasanton.
Grateful we are not stuck footing the bill for moving and housing costs.
In the interests of transparency, Chris Grant should post full details of the compensation package given. Tough on public employees to have all the details of their compensation made known, but taxpayers have a right to know.
On the bright side, Ahmadi seems like a great choice for the district and I won't shed any tears to see John Casey leave. He's done a lot to create animosity between the school district and the community when he could have worked towards creating a collaborative environment.
As for teachers, except for those PR moments he so enjoys, seems Casey cared more about using the teachers as a vehicle for his own agenda than he cared for the teachers themselves.
They deserve a superintendent who takes the time to know them, not just the union leaders and let's hope Ahmadi can mend some fences there too.
Posted by Working Mom, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Welcome to town.
Want to make an instant positive impression? How about donating half of that outrageous salary back to the school district for the first three years. You would still be very well compensated and enjoy the instant respect of the community.
And for those that are about to argue that we paid the going rate, I ask you, doesn’t that speak to the heart of the problem?
Posted by Thomas Paineful, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 2:33 pm
So the Vice-President of the United States is paid $201,000, less than the Superintendent of a small school district.
Has it occurred to you that the Vice-President is grossly underpaid, and the Superintendent is fairly compensated?
Perhaps the focus of your efforts should be to raise the pay for the office of Vice-President and President, rather than lower the salary of the PUSD Superintendent.
I think the President of the United States should be paid at least a $1 million annual salary, and $500,000 for the Vice-President. Still a pittance considering what responsibilities they have, but I'm sure Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden wouldn't turn down the pay increase.
Posted by Susie, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 2:37 pm
I don't know about the new superintendent except what has been published, but it appears that she does not have a Ph.D. in education. She comes from a school district that is certainly not one of the best in the state. The school board has given her a lot of money as a starting salary during recessionary times. Add in the costs of the search firm, and this has been a costly process for the school district and yet they do not have a top-notch superintendent. The citizens of Pleasanton have a right to be upset at the school board.
Posted by Thomas Paineful, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Dr. Casey has an Ed.D. degree, and his management of the district has been disastrous.
It's experience that counts, not degrees.
If the district had recruited a candidate from, say, Texas, they'd have to pay relocation expenses (and blahgers on the PWeekly would complain about that) and the new Superintendent wouldn't be familiar with California ed code (and the blahgers would complain about that) and the district would have had to pay the new Superintendent MORE than Dr. Casey (and the blahgers would REALLY complain about that).
I'm beginning to realize that the Board was very wise to ignore a "certain segment" of the public in choosing a new Superintendent for PUSD: specifically, that segment that apparently doesn't have gainful employment and stays inside all day, complaining via the Internets.
Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore, on May 12, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Web Link When Mosaddeq died while under house arrest by order of the Shah of Iran and the US government, many Persians fled to the US and Euroope. I would not be surprised if Ms. Ahmadi's family also fled. Mosaddeq was a GREAT Persian leader!
The name Parvin is quite beautiful and I think that it may be a Muslim name.
I believe that Ms. Ahmadi is quite qualified and able to move the Pleasanton School District into the future.
Hopefully, those of you who are jealous and angry because she was hired will eventually take the HIGH ROAD and chill out!
Posted by longtime parent, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 5:47 pm
The salary here is the same problem for salaries in all of government. Government agencies do surveys of other like agencies to see what they are paying. Everybody wants to be above average. So our agency gives a higher salary. Other districts then see that they are paying below average and so they increase their salaries. Pleasanton comes back and sees that their salaries are now below average, and then they increase it. Vicious cycle. This is a problem all over government because they only compare their salaries to other government agencies. This salary plus all the days off plus car allowance I imagine is over the top.
Posted by m, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Government jobs seem to be the most lucrative jobs in America. Keep working and donating folks. Our children may lose teachers, but at least we have an aristocratic superintendent to keep us all happy ... and wait there's still the secretary, the office, the vacations, the expense accounts ... don't worry children ... you can learn how to read & write when you get your own government job. Gotta tell you ... it truly boggles the mind.
Posted by common sense, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Its NOT the Superintendents Salary that is the crisis, its supporting the payments to retirees, both at the school district and the municipality levels. However, maintaining high levels of compensation will only make the financial problems worse.
Posted by shocked, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I am shocked at what this person is getting paid. You better believe I will not donate another penny to our schools as there seems to be a misappropriation of funds going on here. Why don't we give her half that salary and in 4 years, if she turns things around, she gets a bonus instead.
Does the school district even have a Controller/CFO that can manage a budget? I would gladly volunteer - FOR FREE.
Posted by Thomas Paineful, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Welcome to Pleasanton, Mrs. Ahmadi. No, no, no, don't worry...Pleasantonians always burn a new Superintendent in effigy as a sign of...affection. Affection and respect.
Posted by Sheree, a member of the Foothill High School community, on May 12, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Her salary is less than Casey's.
Shouldn't we be happy about the situation instead of upset?
I'd like to have her salary, but not her job, especially with all of the criticism being piled on by a lot of us who didn't even know who she was until a week ago!
I don't think it's that outrageous to have a superintendent make that kind of money because a lot of them start of as teachers and underpaid for a long time. Is it so bad if they make up for it later if they're good enough and lucky enough to become a superintendent?
Posted by Debbie, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 8:28 pm
This is Valerie Arkins doing. Yes the same wingnut that some of you speak glowingly about. Anybody know how much we paid the search firm for the rights to pay someone $220,000 we do not have? Another great move by our school board......thanks Valerie!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Karen, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 12, 2010 at 9:03 pm
The salary would be ok if I thought we were getting someone who could turn things around financially for district and deal effectively with the unions and teacher tenure.
I hope she can dance backwards on her fingertips because the expectations are high.
Posted by Witch Control, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 7:11 am
If you're looking for a wingnut, take a look in the mirror Debbie!
The decision to use a search firm was a board decision, not one member's. While you might not agree with the Board spending money on a search firm, pointing the finger at one board member is pretty ridiculous.
The decision to hire Ms. Ahmadi was a unanimous board decision, not the decision of one member.
Arkin got tapped to be the liaison between the School Board and the search firm because she was able to devote the time to this role.
The fact that she was willing and able to put in full time hours on the Board was enough to get her this thankless task, but not enough for the other Board members to allow her to be Board President.
Arkin was the one who way back last Spring wanted the district to first survey Pleasanton to see if the community would support a parcel tax rather than putting an expensive tax on the ballot.
She was voted down by the rest of the Board.
Arkin's the one who was looking for other options besides a parcel tax to reduce district costs, including being the one who wanted all those perks administrators received reduced or cut completely.
Arkin was the only board member who this past summer voted against creating and extending a district full time jobs, a Casey request, so he could keep his favorite people on and beef up their pensions.
She is the one Board member who consistently has had the backbone to question PUSD and Casey about spending habits.
If you want to point fingers at Board members, take a hard look at the ones who were on the Board during the time period when the Board had an opportunity to make prudent financial decisions that would have minimized the financial problems PUSD is facing today.
Your comments are not only ridiculously unfair, but are not supported by Board history.
Posted by Found some background info, a resident of the Bordeaux Estates neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 8:42 am
From the Independent:
"Ahmadi’s bachelor’s degree is in health sciences, which also helps her match up to the health and psychology services that are important for Pleasanton schools."
"Ahmadi also earned an M.A. in Teaching and an M.S. in Educational Administration."
I'm fairly certain that these credentials are confirmed before being offered the position.
Posted by No More Donations, a resident of the Kottinger Ranch neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:01 am
They can stop asking for donations from me as well. I will not give them one more red cent. Nor will I support any of their fund raising efforts. If my kids were still in school, it would not be a public one!
Posted by LMAO!, a resident of the Golden Eagle neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:21 am
@ "No More Donations" - you probably never donated anything to our schools to begin with so what's the problem? It is a donation so you can choose to donate, or not, whatever floats your boat.
My children attend private schools but I still donate a generous amount to PUSD because having great public schools attract more "quality" people and families to our wonderful city. That also keeps our property values higher than neighboring communities. It's our choice.
Posted by JT, a resident of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:28 am
All you people complaining about the new Sup's salary just don't understand the basics economics of supply & demand and a market based economy. Maybe you would benefit from taking an adult ed class that offered by the PUSD. Her salary is very much in line with the market for other sup's in similar sized districts.
If the community doesn't continue to support the schools, the schools fail and in turn your property values will drop like a rock - have you seen what's happened in Hayward or Oakland.
For those of you questioning her race/background - you are just beyond help! Choice to live elsewhere, away from my childern, please.
Posted by james, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:52 am
Let us hope that she has one job in mind, and that is the health and well being of our children in Pleasanton. I am glad that Mr. Casey is moving on, because we need a stronger voice who will stand up and and state their concerns about the numerous children who are over worked, overwhelmed, and suffering from stress related to school.
I for one will never donate another penny to this district, because when my son was struggling in this district, I was told to get him a tutor. That tutor cost us $5,000, and took him to an A student. Says a lot for this district, doesn't it? This is why so many kids do well, because when they struggle, we as parents get them the help they need. It's not the so called excellent school district of Pleasanton
Posted by Hmm, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:59 am
To the poster caring where she was born: even if she was born in the U.S. it was probably in a hospital built by Mexican construction workers, run by European Jewish administrators, staffed by Indian doctors and nursed by Filipinos; a poetically American place.
There a lot of info about her right here on the PW site. [Portion removed due to some other violation of terms of use]
Posted by Engineer, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 10:46 am
I make $150K as an engineer and I sit in a cubicle all day and dont manage a single person. Am I overpaid? Yes. But most engineers I know make similar salaries. They supposedly need to to be able to afford living here. But it is these ridiculously large salaries that are the cause of why its so unaffordable here. If salaries were less, the cost of living would be less as well.. But I digress...
If I (and most every other person who calls themselves an "engineer") makes $150K, why shouldnt someone with some actual responsibility make $200K? Why not make it $500K since they have more than a 2X impact on society that I have?
Posted by Amador Parent, a member of the Amador Valley High School community, on May 13, 2010 at 10:57 am
Concerned,
There's a (continuing) series of articles about Ms. Ahmadi on the pleasanton patch website that provide some of the details you are seeking.
If you google Ms. Ahmadi, information comes up that states she was born in Iran, but like another poster, I don't believe where she was born is relevant.
Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore, on May 13, 2010 at 11:00 am
ah yes...Parvin Ahmadi...qualified...deserving of a reasonable salary...soooo many jealous bugs...she cut a good deal with PUSD...what's all the drama about...she is a good woman, an educated woman, capable, and so many jealous bug...tee hee hee, tee hee hee...
i think that the birthers are going crazy because she is not a terrorist...she likes kids, wants them to learn and grow and i guess that that's not consistent with your values...oh well...ttttttttttttttttttooooooo bad...tee hee hee, tee hee hee...
Posted by Hmm, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Concerned,
Look it up yourself. Everyone else, including me, seems to to able to find it.
You obviously have a computer and an internet connection.
I can have one of my Indian American computer whiz friends come tutor you if you need, soon as he gets back from his golf lesson from his Argentinean instructor.
Posted by Rich, a member of the Amador Valley High School community, on May 13, 2010 at 1:04 pm
This is from the Pleasanton Patch:
********
The overall package comes to $26,000 less than Casey's contract. The terms of Ahmadi's contract is effective from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2013.
Ahmadi has been understanding of the statewide deficit in school funds and said the lesser figure is not discouraging for her. She added that she is willing to sacrifice similar to other employees who have seen paycuts within the district.
Posted by Dark Corners of Town, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:05 pm
To 'Concerned' - And what would you do with this information once you get it?
Let's move on, support Ms. Ahmadi, and hold the PUSD board and the new superintendent accountable for the results. I would like the Superintendent's annual review to be a public process, especially if it will determine future compensation increases (use of taxpayer dollars).
Posted by A right to know..., a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Hmm,
You completely missed the point Concerned presents. The information is not easy to find. I wonder why? I just saw an article in today's CoCo Times regarding the appointment of two new principles in the SRVUSD. The article listed where these admins received their college educations - simple. Why can't this information be included in an article about Ahmadi? Why hide or not share information that is relevant to this very important, highly compensated position. Do you and those that write these articles believe we can't handle the information? You will not easily find the information Concerned asked for. I find this very strange. Please think before shouting someone down.
Posted by Hmm, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:23 pm
A right to know...,
(Sigh)
You're kidding. It's being hidden? Hard to find? Some kind of conspiracy right?
Just as Rich said it's not hard to find.
Here it is:
(Sigh)
Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi was born in Iran and came to the United States in 1975.
She received her BA in Health Science from San Jose State University, Masters of Arts in Teaching from National College of Education in Illinois, and her Masters in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College in California.
Ahmadi started her career as a teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in San Jose and at elementary schools in Fremont.
She has worked in public education for over two decades, as a teacher, principal, director and assistant superintendent in diverse, high performing school district of 32,000 students. Ahmadi is also a Board Member on the Fremont Education Foundation, a non profit organization raising funds for innovative education grants and instrumental music.
Posted by Concerned, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Hmm,
When I google, I typically find the information I'm looking for in the first page or two. Not the case here. Please share the link to your source and stop treating me like a moron. How about some additional background information - where did did she grow up? Not easy to find.
Posted by Hmm, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:47 pm
D. Franklin,
Just the opposite my friend! Read the posts asking for Mrs. Ahmadi's birth information. Read my responses regarding the assortment of peoples in our community. It shouldn't matter where your from!
Posted by Concerned, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Rich,
Thanks for the information. Excellent trusted link - CSUEB. This is information that should be included in a newspaper background article (are you listening, PW?).
I have no issues with our leader's background - I wish her great success!
Posted by Hmm, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Where did (so) Concerned go? No answer. The Sup's place of birth and where he/she grew up is of great concern to you, so surely you already had the info for Dr. Casey.
Hmm had writen):
Concerned,
First, tell me everything you know of Superintendent John Casey.
Where was he born? Where did he grow up?
You surely have this info already. Don't start looking it up. You should already have it, being concerned and all.
Let's see how many minutes it takes for you and only you to provide the info.
Posted by Parent, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Concerned,
There are also articles about her in the Contra Costa Times, the San Jose Mercury News and other local papers. You could try contacting the editors at these papers to ask them where they got their information.
I've looked through articles and blogs and no one seems to have anything negative to save about Ms. Ahmadi - she gets high ratings from parents and school staff. Considering that the Fremont community knows Ms. Ahmadi is leaving, if anyone had anything negative to say about her, they could do so now without concern - but no one has.
Interesting to note that as Asst. Superintendent in Fremont, Ms. Ahmadi along with the two other asst. superintendents volunteered to take a 5% pay cut to help offset budget shortfalls.
Ms. Ahmadi sounds like a winner and a great choice for Pleasanton.
Posted by WHAT A JOKE, a resident of the Castlewood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 8:04 pm
AND NOW THE TRUTH COMES OUT ON THE HEELS OF THIS OVER PAID HEAD OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. 61 PEOPLE WILL LOOSE THEIR JOBS SO SHE CAN BE OVER PAID. HOW ABOUT REDUCING EVERYONES SALERY 25% OR HOW ABOUT THE CITY SELLING SOME OF ITS ASSETS AND DONATING THE MONEY TO OUR SCHOOLS.
Posted by Another Concerned, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 8:22 pm
OUTRAGEOUS SALARY ! Here I was trying to get a company match for that CORE fundraising ! No more! If she was so good, why didnt Fremont promote her? Fremont was looking for a superintendent too. They may argue it is the going rate, but that is the fundamental problem here. Now 61 teachers have been let go! I heard somewhere that CA teachers are much higher paid and in other states , NJ for example, a significant amount of the money goes to academics and not just teachers pay. Total misuse of funds. I would like to know what changes she brings in!
Posted by Qwerty, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:01 pm
"Interesting to note that as Asst. Superintendent in Fremont, Ms. Ahmadi along with the two other asst. superintendents volunteered to take a 5% pay cut to help offset budget shortfalls."
While it may be seen as a nice gesture, 5% is a drop in the bucket when someone is earning well into the 6 figure range. That is, unless she has outrageous mortgage payments that she has to worry about. Take a salary of $200k and 5% only amounts to $10k.
Posted by iwastheretoo, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 9:04 pm
First let me be clear that I am going to give the new superintendent the benefit of doubt. . .
I think the issue is more with our Board of Trustees. For example, she has no track record as a superintendent so I believe she should be started at a lower salary. I would certainly support some kind of performance bonus/or significant raise at the end of the first year for demonstrated performance. I have a bit of concern that she doesn't have a phd which seems to be the norm for most superintendents. If its true that she is given a $600 monthly car allowance as reported inthe newspaper I have a huge issue with that given that the City Manager only receives a $200 monthly car allowance. That should have been the bench mark for the new contract. It seems pretty clear to me that our Board of Trustees still doesn't get the financial situation and probably shouldn't be trusted.
Posted by Rich, a member of the Amador Valley High School community, on May 13, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I'm going to be watching her policies and decisions closely until and even after she shows us what her former coworkers and associates and Fremont keep telling us about, but by all accounts, it sounds like Ahmadi was actually a shoo-in for the Fremont position.
I'm guessing she didn't want it because the school board over there is way more dysfunctional and loony than our own. Think about it: who would want to be at board meetings until 3 AM on a weekly basis? Hearing about the new Fremont superintendent's contract leads me to believe that Superintendent Ahmadi was probably glad to take a little less money for a more cooperative board that cares more about kids than bickering as opposed to the one they have over in Fremont.
Why do you think the Fremont superintendent was named after Pleasanton had chosen?
Posted by Clueless, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on May 13, 2010 at 11:30 pm
You people judge someone who hasn't even started her job. That seems kind of unfair to me. Casey has a proven bad record and is making much more than Ms. Ahmadi. Ms. Ahmadi now has to clean up Casey's mess so lets give her the support she needs rather than judging her based on which school she attended. Some of the world's most successful people never even went to or completed college. Who knows?! We may be pleasantly surprise. I find it hard to believe anyone can do any worse than Casey.
Posted by Are You Kidding Me?, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on May 14, 2010 at 11:27 am
Once again this small group of folks has taken what should be "a step in the right direction" and dragged it through the mud! The PUSD cabinet, board of trustees, and our faculty have all been dealt a miserable budget scenario. We have no one to thank but our great state officials! Let's give our new Superintendent the support she deserves and will certainly require. Let's continue to support our district personnel to ensure the quality of education our community is known for. For those that can, let's continue to donate our time and money to offset the severe cuts that this district has had to make. Oh....and let's bring back some of those 61 pink slipped employees by giving to the CORE program and requesting company matched donations. You can complain all day long.....but it's the education that our children are getting that is important here!! Let's do what we can to maintain that and to protect them..... Stop complaining and criticizing and do something about it!
Posted by Less, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 15, 2010 at 11:59 am
ANY newly hired public employee should logically, be paid LESS than the predecessor...for SEVERAL reasons. Isn't it always that way? Each person gets their own seniority increases, merit, & other. Each new hire can't always START at more, and then continue upward during their tenure. Soon we'd be paying a million to a new hire down the line. There are PAY GRADES, PAY RANGES. We would be fools to keep adding into infinity!. I would think public entities are always that way...otherwise, it could further explain WHY we're in trouble !!
And last, but not least...the country, and all of us are in financial crisis. New hires could be hired at less than bottom of pay grade ! (sadly, educators & academia as a group, lack financial education or understanding, which is why the US graduates financially ignorant youth, unprepared for life).
Posted by Thomas Paineful, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 15, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Less wrote: "ANY newly hired public employee should logically, be paid LESS than the predecessor...for SEVERAL reasons. Isn't it always that way? Each person gets their own seniority increases, merit, & other. "
You're right. President Obama succeeded President Bush, who had 8 years on the job--and from what I understand, President Obama has NEVER been the President of ANY country before!
So I think a salary of $50,000 would be fair for President Obama. Maybe we can make the reduction retroactive? Or maybe require the President of the United States to be the President of a smaller country (say, Argentina or Costa Rica) and then work his/her way up?
Also, doesn't Governor Schwarzenegger get paid the same as his immediate predecessor, Gray Davis? And yet Governor Schwarzenegger was NEVER governor before! So he should be paid, oh, $10,000 to start. I also think we need experienced Governors in California, so we should look around at some other states and see if they have any good Governors who would be willing to move here. What's the name of the dude running North Dakota? I've been to North Dakota and they are so similar to California, it's eerie.
Posted by Truth and Justice, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 15, 2010 at 2:35 pm
"sadly, educators & academia as a group, lack financial education or understanding, which is why the US graduates financially ignorant youth, unprepared for life"
I don't know who you are talking about but the American Race does just fine in my book.
Posted by Thomas Paineful, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 15, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Well, what have you learned, Dorothy?
1. Public servants are ALWAYS overpaid--no matter what their salary is. Even zero would be too much.
2. [Portion removed because it was inappropriate and disrespectful]
3. If it weren't for Big Guv'mint, gumdrops would rain from the sky every day, super-nutritious gumdrops that we could use to feed the wild unicorns who live in the hills around the beautiful, isolated hamlet of Pleasanton.
Posted by Really?, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 16, 2010 at 8:46 am
Less says "Each person gets their own seniority increases, merit, & other. Each new hire can't always START at more, and then continue upward during their tenure. Soon we'd be paying a million to a new hire down the line. There are PAY GRADES, PAY RANGES. We would be fools to keep adding into infinity!. I would think public entities are always that way...otherwise, it could further explain WHY we're in trouble !!"
In education, there is an organized method of exactly what you criticize- it's called step and column salary schedules.
Thank goodness I married a financial planner, you know without all that financial knowledge I might have been duped out of my fair salary. Duh.
Posted by Truth and Justice, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 16, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Well ha ha as they say, but I don't think it is too much to ask to have her produce a birth certificate and documentation that she is legally allowed to work in the United States. We have a right to know what kind of values our children will be learning. Is she a Muslim? Does she hate America, like the so-called president? Is she a terrorist? You can all be so politically correct, but I need answers.
Posted by Common Sense, a resident of another community, on May 26, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Wow! I can't believe what some of you have posted about your NEW Superintendent, that hasn't even started her position? You don't even know her, or what she's going to do for the community of Pleasanton, yet she's been chewed up and spit out several times in many of the above postings. I know that not everyone is eager for "change", but what you have said about your current Supt. is even more disrespectful. If you really had any "common sense", you would of had "courageous conversations" with Mr. Casey for the past 8 years and Ms. Ahmadi when she comes on board on what her vision is for PUSD and for the students of Pleasanton. She's truly an advocate for students in all neighborhoods. Give Ms. Ahmadi the respect and allow her to show you a difference she will make in your City.
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