Updated: 10 a.m.
Dr. Dale Martin will retire as superintendent of the Coldwater Community School District in March according to a report by WIN radio.
Martin served as superintendent of D58 for 10 years before resigning in July 2008 to take the helm in Coldwater, a district with 3,500 students in four elementary schools, a junior high, a high school and an alternative school.
A Web search indicates the district has recently been concerned about declining enrollment, which will cost it $1.163 million in state funding this year.
Martin reportedly told his board last week of his intention to retire after 47 years in education. The board had voted last March to extend his contract through June 2012, the station reports. According to the report, Martin worked as spent 21 years as a superintendent in five different school districts in three states.
“Dr. Martin’s decision to retire from his current position in Coldwater, Mich., will have no financial impact on District 58,” said Jennie Waldorf, the district’s community relations director.
Well, will Mr. Martin collect yet another pension from the Coldwater School District.
He has been playing Superintendent Monopoly, a very lucrative game that a select group of Superintendents have developed and played over the years where Superintendents rotate among a select group of states, work for a while, retire and the collect multiple pensions.
We should cut him off from a D58 pension then. No double pension draw for you Martin.
Yes, while D58 may not be on the financial hook, the state of Illinois could be. I’m looking into it.
It’s just about a certainly IL will be on the hook. Double dipping isn’t limited to crossing state lines. Public school employees retire and then return to work in retired status. They are limited in the # of days they can work. But still they are drawing $ from the system from which they “retired” while they are receiving retirement payments.
I am glad we found this example of how a public servant is taking advantage of a situation. It seems people are quick to point out private companies for taking some bonus money. No double standards gang!!
This circle of superintendent jobs has been going on for a long time. The Superintendents retires from one district and then they take another in a different state. Its like they all rotate one state to the left. They work there for a while, then retire add another pension to their pile of pensions. The key factor is that they take a new job in another state.
There are many established educational practices that probably deserve a closer look if only those in position to do so could summon the necessary intestinal fortitude.
Case in point: When D58 was contemplating a superintendent search 18 months ago, I was told by one board member that the firms which handle such searches are largely made up of retired superintendents who are very aware of districts with “problems” and unwilling to send good candidates there.
Retired superintendents also find second careers as consultants, again to school districts.
And as someone here has noted, retired administrators are frequently hired by districts on an interim basis, which allows them to collect what most would describe as a generous per diem on top of retirement benefits (approximately 75% of final salary, which is artificially bolstered in the last four years by annual six percent pay raises).
These are facts, not opinions or criticisms. Whether or not you agree with the practices, it perhaps would be wise to revisit them on a regular basis to ensure that they remain within bounds and reflect the wishes of district residents.