Does Schumer Letter Show Lack of Support for McCaskill Candidacy?

Recently Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York), head of the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), sent out an email letter asking for support across the nation for campaigns that the committee felt were vital to the democrats taking a majority in the United States Senate.

He highlighted many races across the nation as being in play, specifically Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Ohio. Interestingly, he didn't mention Missouri in his letter at all.

In a race that is being touted across the state as THE race for the senate this year (coming from the Missouri dems, that is), I found it interesting that Claire McCaskill's name didn't even come up.

The DSCC even has an interactive map that helps to highlight the "latest abuse of power" by every republican senator across the nation. One has to wonder if the DSCC is going to blast Senator Jim Talent for his role in the methamphetamine legislation, which he co-sponsored with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California). Why shouldn't they?




McCaskill and her democrat friends, like St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCullough are! It's not enough that Talent reached across a largely divided aisle and co-sponsored legislation with one of the most liberal members of the senate to solve a nationwide problem using Missouri common sense. McCaskill and McCullough decided to blast Talent (but not Feinstein) for sponsoring legislation that wouldn't really affect Missouri, since much of the details in the federal legislation are already law in Missouri.

If this is the kind of campaign season we are looking forward to, I'm not sure whether to be amused or disgusted.

New Regimes Drive Administrators/Employees Away

Much has been written in local papers about the numbers of across-the-board staff members that have left the employ of the cities of O'Fallon and St. Charles since new people have taken over in their elected positions. Some 18 employees, including a police chief and two city administrators have left the city of O'Fallon and over a dozen employees, including many department heads have left the city of St. Charles since their regime changes.

Since taking over as president of the Francis Howell School Board, Mark Lafata has driven 9 top administrators away from the district's central office. This doesn't count building administrators (principals or assistant principals), just the central office.

The first to go was Chief Financial Officer Chad Brady. Brady came to FHSD from private industry, was treated like crap by Lafata and company while he was there, and went back to private industry at a much higher salary. Even as he left, Lafata's cronies continued to assail him as someone who is leaving because "he knows he screwed up and his days are numbered." Under Brady's guidance, the district ended up in the best financial shape it has been in in decades. Moody's and Standard and Poor's bond ratings increased four times during Brady's three years with the district. Refinincing of bonds and renegotiation of vendor contracts saved the district millions, but since Lafata and team don't understand finance (pretty odd for a banker, huh?), they did what they could to drive Brady away.

Director of Accounting Mark Recca was next. Recca managed to get on Lafata's good side before he left, though, and for that, Lafata rewarded Recca with a $50,000 payoff AFTER his contract had expired. So, to set this one straight, Recca's contract was not renewed, so his final day was June 30, 2005, and Lafata arranged for the district to pay him $50,000 upon his departure!

Dr. Liz Schmitz, Deputy Superintendent, came to FHSD after a long career in administration, as an expert in the accreditation process and curriculum and instruction. The district was preparing for its MSIP (Missouri School Improvement Plan) review, which would determine its accreditation, and Dr. Schmitz was hired to both beef up curriculum and instruction aspects of the district and to get the district through its MSIP evaluation. Unfortunately, Dr. Schmitz fell on the wrong side of Lafata when she had to continually tell him no, when he wanted the district to do things that violate the law. (It's important to point out that the law firm of Keeney, Tueth, et al, which had represented the district for years, was released for the same reason.) Schmitz also fell on the wrong side of the Francis Howell Education Administration, because she demanded tougher standards from teachers. When Lafata ran in 2005, miraculously the FHEA stayed out of the election. It was to be found out why later, when Lafata all but hugged FHEA President Linda Hess, and embraced her agenda for the district for staying out of the election and allowing him to take a majority. Dr. Schmitz was placed on sabbatical leave last year, starting July 1, and is still being paid to "stay the hell away" from the district. Between her salary and benefits, the price tag for her sabbatical is upwards of $200,000.

Judy Cochrane, director of Special Education, retired late last year.

Dr. Dan O'Donnell has announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2007, but if you've read the previous story, you now know that he will begin his sabbatical leave on July 1 of this year. Look for another $200,000 to be wasted by not having him lead the school district.

Jim Joyce, Communications Director, will be leaving at the end of his contract, June 30. I don't think Joyce did the job he was hired to do, or else more people in this community would know what Lafata has truly done to destroy the fabric of the Francis Howell community, so it's no great loss that he's leaving.

Dr. Cathy Bear, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, will be leaving June 30 to become a college instructor at Maryville University.

Dr. Tom Guenzler, Director of Secondary Education, will be leaving June 30 to go to another district.

Pat Houlihan, Director of Administrative Services, is retiring June 30.

It tends to speak volumes of an employer, whether they be public or private, when so many people leave within such a close proximity of each other. In advertising nation-wide for a new superintendent, the district was only able to come up with eleven submissions from people who were willing to try for the position. Word is out in the education world among the professionals that FHSD is not the place to be going if you value your reputation.

Perhaps one day, more people will sit back and realize the damage that board members Lafata, Bill Spencer, Terry Black and Rhonda Brown have done to the morale of the Francis Howell School District. Unfortunately, though, the damage is already done. It will take years to return to the days of the mighty Francis Howell.

By the way, in case you haven't been counting, that's around $450,000 in salaries paid out to people that are no longer performing services for the district since Lafata took over. To suggest that he's looking out for the taxpayers of the district is, at best, naive -- at worst, a lie.

What is the Value of a School Superintendent at Francis Howell?

In 2001, Dr. Dan O'Donnell agreed to a three-year contract as the permanent superintendent of the Francis Howell School District. At the time, he had been appointed interim superintendent and the district was cleaning up after a financial mess. O'Donnell agreed to a salary of $109,000 - far less than most of his colleagues in the county, and certainly less than schools of similar size.

When Ed Katcher, superintendent in the Orchard Farm School District, was bumped to $113,000, the board felt that O'Donnell should be paid a salary commensurate with his experience, his performance, as well as a salary that was in line with similar sized districts. Another issue was the fact that the Hazelwood School District was hiring a new superintendent, and was offering $170,000 plus benefits. The district raised O'Donnell's salary to $130,000, with regular increases written into a three year contract, thus taking three years to bring O'Donnell to a salary that was in line with others. This increase was met by resistance from former board members Lisa Naeger and Sally Breck, as well as from Mark Lafata, current board president. What was being denounced as "extravagant" and "greedy" salary increases eventually stopped when O'Donnell was at the level that was in the average for large school districts in the St. Louis area.

Now, in order to make sure he makes his mark on the Francis Howell School District, Lafata has rushed the process of hiring a new superintendent, after letting O'Donnell know in no uncertain terms that it is his intention to get rid of him. The new superintendent has now been hired, she is Renee Schuster, currently executive director of student services in the Ladue School District.

Now, nothing against Ms. Schuster, but she truly has stepped into a hornet's nest. Not only is she going to be required to focus attention away from the stupidity of the Board of Education, but she is going to have to walk the delicate line of leading the school district using guidelines set by the state while stopping Lafata and crew from doing further damage.

Now, here's the question I have. If O'Donnell's salary was so far off base for this board, when Lafata, Naeger and Breck made such a huge issue over it, turning his salary into household information, how much could they possibly be paying for a quality superintendent?

The answer is $175,000 a year.

Plus benefits.

Personally, I think that's right in line. But I have to now ask -- was O'Donnell's salary really the issue with Lafata and company? Or will they now break down and admit that they just didn't like O'Donnell and were willing to do or say anything to get rid of him?

O'Donnell, by the way, will leave July 1 for a one-year "sabbatical," which is school district terminology for "get the hell out of here!"

Let's keep in mind, now -- Dr. Liz Schmitz's sabbatical will be ending June 30, with the salary and benefits that she was reaping up around $200,000, and now making room for O'Donnell's sabbatical. At least now we're no longer paying Mark Recca, former Director of Accounting. When his contract was not renewed and he left the district to go somewhere else, Lafata threw in a gift of $50,000 for luck! Wasn't that nice?

O'Donnell's sabbatical is expected to cost the district another $200,000+.

Stay tuned, folks! It just keeps getting better and better!