BY JASON SONG - LA TIMES/LA Now | http://lat.ms/fqHNZn
March 26, 2011 | 6:40 pm | Incoming Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy told the school board Saturday that he wants the district to withhold part of his annual $330,000 salary because of a projected budget shortfall.
In an email, Deasy said he has been meeting with employees to explain potential budget scenarios. Last month, the board approved sending preliminary layoff notices to almost 7,000 teachers.
“All of our work and plans for restoration are in serious peril,” Deasy wrote. “This is remarkably painful and emotional. As such, given our current circumstances, at this time I respectfully will not accept the salary offered in your contract.”
Deasy will not forgo his entire salary and will instead take a pay cut to the $275,000 he earned when serving as deputy superintendent. The $55,000 cut represents a nearly 17% reduction.
“I will instruct payroll to hold the difference between my current salary as deputy superintendent and that of the superintendent,” he wrote.
It does not appear that the board would have to approve the reduction.
A.J. Duffy, president of the teachers union, said: “Bravo John, you did the right thing.”
smf: per the LA Times: [Dec. 16, 2008 | http://lat.ms/dPAgCT] Supt. Cortines salary is $250,000 a year — unchanged from his previous salary as the district's No. 2 man and $50,000 less than his predecessor. According to the Washington Post [July 7, 2007| http://wapo.st/fvstG2] Deasy’s salary when he was superintendent of Prince George County (MD) Public Schools was $273,000. Deasy left PGCPS in 2008.
LAUSD Superintendent Deasy says he'll give up $55,000 raise
By Connie Llanos Staff Writer - LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/hPNYPo
3/26/2011 05:45:17 PM PDT/Updated: 03/26/2011 07:32:46 PM PDT - Leading by example in tough times, Los Angeles Unified Deputy Superintendent-elect John Deasy said Saturday he wants to forgo the $55,000 raise he would get when he takes over as superintendent next month.
In a letter the school board members Saturday, Deasy said he wants to continue earning his $275,000 salary when he takes over from Superintendent Ramon Cortines on April 15.
Cortines makes $250,000 a year.
"Given our fiscal situation, I simply cannot at this time take the salary offered," Deasy wrote to the school board.
Deasy signed a $330,000-a-year contract in December to lead the nation's second-largest school district. He said he would accept that larger salary once financial conditions improve at the district. Deasy's contract does not include a buyout clause, but it does include full benefits and retirement packages.
LAUSD faces a $408 million deficit in the 2011-12 school year and could have to lay off up to 5,200 teachers to close the gap.
Some labor unions had criticized Deasy for taking a salary so much higher than Cortines, especially in these challenging times for school districts.
On Saturday, union leaders were happy with Deasy's announcement.
"Bravo John," said United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy. "You did the right thing."
In his letter to the school board, Deasy also mentioned his desire to negotiate with labor for financial solutions that could help save jobs. He also said he would like unions to negotiate on limiting the use of seniority as the sole criteria for laying off teachers in tight budget conditions.
"It will be my hope that our unions, but especially UTLA, will promptly negotiate terms of an agreement that will both save the jobs of their membership and put in place an evaluation system that is robust, fair and offers us and the membership ways to make decisions about hiring, placement, promotion, and (when necessary) layoffs that are NOT quality blind," Deasy wrote.
"The last-in-first-out, way of doing business is a terrible, arcane situation... I hope we can all work together quickly to serve both the membership and the youth."
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