CMS is at it again!!

[Marvin Bellamy]

Maybe I just got this, but count me in on the vote to close this list. 
 Or, if Ralphy is a list member, keep you political views to yourself.

ralph at yahoo.com wrote:

>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.
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