Sacrifice
Kathleen Casasa has been the president of the Portland (Maine) Education Association for about 20 years. But for the last five years, she has worked full-time for the union and spent no time in the classroom. The members paid 80 percent of her $94,000 salary while the district picked up 20 percent.
But times are tough and the district found itself needing to make cuts when contract negotiations came around. Casasa and her bargaining team agreed to significant concessions – reducing professional development raises and agreeing to add five teaching days to the calendar with no additional pay.
What did the teachers get in return? It’s hard to say, but the union got the district to pick up an additional 60 percent of Casasa’s salary.
In light of the concessions made by teachers, Casasa said, the arrangement is a way to control union dues. “The job is to be the (union) president,” she said, “not to somehow service the district.”
According to the Maine Education Association, Casasa is the only K-12 full-time release union president in the state.
The teachers approved the contract, and it appears certain the city council will follow suit, though some have questioned the arrangement with Casasa.
“It’s strange to have someone on our payroll who is not going to be reviewed by city staff,” said councilor David Marshall. “(But) it would be out of bounds for us to say what the school board and superintendent can do in their negotiations.”
April 26th, 2011 at 11:00
So…the public who is now paying the majority (70%) of her salary DON’T have a say in retaining/releasing her? Wow. One way or another those union members are paying her salary, and now along with the regular taxpayers as well. I’m in the wrong gig.