Why would a school Superintendent resign on the first day of classes of the new term?

[astro]

On first day of school, superintendent resigns

Seems kind of unprofessional to say the least. Is there some logic to this re benefits or something?

[silenus]

Supers don’t get benefits. Sounds like hubby’s job was the reason.

[MandaJo]

Once you are on the superintendent level, benefits and stuff will be highly individual based on her actual contract-and it will be something that was written, not boilerplate. So it’s hard to say without reading it.

I would wonder if there wasn’t an ethical reason behind something like this. Someone who has done the job that long likely wouldn’t spontainously decide to retire, but I can see having some sort of absolutely intractable issue with the school board that one might find intolerable to go along with yet unproffesional to air out. In which case, resigning to “spend more time with your family” is pretty much your only option.

[ZipperJJ]

@Manda JO

I would wonder if there wasn’t an ethical reason behind something like this. Someone who has done the job that long likely wouldn’t spontainously decide to retire, but I can see having some sort of absolutely intractable issue with the school board that one might find intolerable to go along with yet unproffesional to air out. In which case, resigning to “spend more time with your family” is pretty much your only option.

That’s the first thing I thought.

She had a disagreement with thr board and told them “if it’s not resolved by the first day of school, I’m out.” The BOE called her bluff - and she stood by her sentiment.

And if that’s the case she’s being very very professional about this.

[Kent_Clark]

Here’s the reason:

@The article

English presided over Northampton schools during a period school board member Spencer Murray on Wednesday called “tremendously tumultuous.”

During the last three years, the district has seen sweeping changes in administrative positions – including four different high school principals, starting with the retirement of Northampton High School Principal Paul Custis in 2004 after 20 years in that job. Custis was followed by John Downing, a longtime county educator who retired after a year as principal, then by Daryl Unnasch, who was reassigned to a research job in another office midway through his first year as principal, and now by current Principal Andrea Price. Eight administrators changed jobs in the district in 2004, with another major shift last spring, when six were reassigned as part of an ongoing restructuring process.

English’s resignation comes almost three months after the Board of Supervisors decided not to increase funding for the school system, and questions by the group’s chairman, Richard Tankard, as to why the county spends more money per pupil and has more administrators per pupil, than comparable school districts.

In June, supervisors decided not to reappoint the school board chair and vice chair, both of whom had hired English.

It sounds like she shook up the administration (either she was hired to do it, or decided it needed to be done), she made some enemies while doing it, lost her two biggest allies on the school board, and saw the handwriting on the wall.

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she were “encouraged” to resign and will earn a sizable fee for “consulting” during the reorganization.

[Moirai]

And don’t forget that lots of superintendents have great buy-outs, as in an entire years’ salary…

[silenus]

No kidding. We paid about $200K to get rid of our Super-before-last.

[ultrafilter]

@Manda JO

In which case, resigning to “spend more time with your family” is pretty much your only option.

Nah, that’s standard execuspeak for “resigned to avoid being fired”. Same deal with someone who resigns to “pursue other interests”.

[Clothahump]

@ZipperJJ

That’s the first thing I thought.

She had a disagreement with thr board and told them “if it’s not resolved by the first day of school, I’m out.” The BOE called her bluff - and she stood by her sentiment.

And if that’s the case she’s being very very professional about this.

What **Zipper ** said. The first thought through my mind was that she resigned as a protest of some sort. However, one would think that she would have announced that as the reason for her resignation.