Purser: No Additional Cost for Associate Superintendent

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Superintendent Susan Purser said today the hiring of a new administrator in December came at no additional cost to the school system.

Kathy Kennedy was named the Moore County school system’s associate superintendent for curriculum design and innovation shortly before the new year. A recent letter to the editor that appeared in The Pilot on Sunday questioned the hiring. It generated responses from readers of thepilot.com, who asked why Purser would hire an administrator in a time of economic difficulty.

Last year, the school system was forced to eliminate 50 positions in light of a budget shortfall. Purser said a number of positions in the central office were not filled in light of the economy. The school system also redirected $900,000 in funding from the central administration into the classroom.

Kennedy’s position replaces the “executive director of curriculum” position formerly occupied by Beverlee Beale. Beale retired last year. It also has additional responsibilities, Purser said.

“We did a cost-savings,” she said regarding the hiring. “We did not add an expense. That was one position that was left unfilled until I found the person best suited to fill our team. We did not do away with teachers so we could have this job.”

The school system's Web site says that the instructional design and innovation department, which Kennedy heads, "is committed to providing the assistance, support, and resources needed to support (sustain, maintain) engaging delivery of the curriculum so that all students develop the skills, concepts, attitudes, and behaviors essential for success in school, career, and community."

Dr. Larry Upchurch, who has worked in the school system for 37 years, is the deputy superintendent. Upchurch heads up instructional support services and works directly under Purser.

The school system also has two assistant superintendents — Dr. Brian Phillips and Dr. Eric Porter. Phillips is the assistant superintendent for elementary education, while Porter is the assistant superintendent for secondary education.

The school system is expecting $1.1 million in state cuts this year, though that number could increase.

If the budget Purser and her staff have proposed is approved as is by the Moore County Board of Education, the system will ask the Moore County Board of Commissioners for $26.2 million in local funding, $1.3 million more than it did last year.

Purser explained last week that the increase would cover the costs of opening two new schools next year — Crain’s Creek Middle and West Pine Elementary — and offset retirement rate and health insurance increases.

No one spoke out at the school board’s public hearing on the budget Monday, which lasted only about five minutes.

The board will vote on the budget proposal at a special meeting March 29 at 6 p.m.

Contact John Krahnert III at (910) 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.

More like this story

poncho 3 years, 2 months ago

I have heard it all, thats crazy.

hbbrock 3 years, 2 months ago

To the Editor: Ms. Purser is somewhat misleading in her response to the bewilderment shown by the questioner as to hiring an associate superintendent. However one calls it, Ms. Purser now has an additional assistant. The position did not exist prior to the hire. The monies used were from a position that Ms. Purser obviously considered to be superfluous for she apparently was able to wrap those duties with those of the new associate along with other "unspecified duties." If we are to believe the Pilot when it reports that more teachers will be let go this coming year, this will increase the number of supervisors for a decreasing number of teachers who ostensibly are the objects of supervision, . I believe the previous question was raised in the context that since the business of the school is teaching, then perhaps we should use our diminishing resources on more teachers rather than more supervisors. Indeed this might lead one to consider that perhaps rather than adding supervisors, it may be time to acknowledge the paucity of funding in these "hard times" and cut some supervisory positions, using the saved funds to hire or keep more working teachers. Certainly with fewer teachers to supervise, fewer supervisors could handle the decreased load. Thus the tax dollars for education would be spent for what they are intended; the education of our youth.

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

@hbbrock

To clarify, the school system did not indicate it would eliminate any positions in this year's budget proposal, which was announced last week:

School Board Gets First Look at Budget

John Krahnert III Staff Writer

irishman 3 years, 2 months ago

If the Pilot was worth their salt, and do some sort of investigative reporting (which it has not done) it would find out under freedom of information what the prior salary was of Ms. Beale, and what the salary is of the new associate superintendent. We'll then see if Ms. Purser is telling the truth.

RmeMP 3 years, 2 months ago

While I will concede that having leadership is important, all I am going to say is a little quote made famous from my days in the Army, "too many chiefs, and not enough indians". It's hard to justify the hiring of additional "chiefs", when there aren't enough "indians" for them to worry about supervising. What kids need are lower level teachers to educate them, not additional supervisors; I would love to see the average "administrator" salary, compared to the average local elementary school teacher's salary; show me the money and defend the logic - please.

publius 3 years, 2 months ago

My reading of the story indicates that the new assistant replaces an individual who retired: the position title may have changed but no additional chairs are being filled at the central office. I believe Dr. Purser has taken pains to 'share the pain' of the position cuts: I would be surprised if the staffing levels at Carthage were not significantly below previous years' levels.

RmeMP 3 years, 2 months ago

publius- I, like you, read the article with the impression that an empty seat was filled; the question that I have, as well as many other concerned parents, is how many empty school teacher's seats could have been filled instead of that 1 executive level seat - monetarily wise? How many additional teachers and teachers assistants, who actually touch and enlighten our children's minds could have been hired? Beverlee Beale retired last year, and if the seat was so important than why take so long in filling it? I'm sure Mrs. Beal's retirement was not at the drop of a dime (no pun intended).

GoldenDreams 3 years, 2 months ago

What we need in our classrooms is more teachers and assistants to work with our children. Students, especially younger ones, respond best to adults working with them in small groups or one-on-one whenever possible. That's when real education takes place! Just think: one assistant superintendent's salary could have hired about six classroom assistants which would have further challenged our young people's minds. Isn't that what the word "educate" means----to draw out? Another administrator sitting in Carthage does not get the job done.