When the information on the $2.7 million in bonuses given out by the Adamowski administration was revealed here, I was given a 25 page list of names and dollar amounts. I thought the whole process was wrong, especially for a City facing the deficits and budget gaps we have on the horizon.
Still though, I fully understand that some of those receiving bonuses were very deserving of them, Principal's and teachers and those day to day educators working in the trenches to teach Hartford's students. After more research and more help from people familiar with the system, it seems like many of the bonuses were given to people who never set foot in a classroom but rather are Central Office bureaucrats.
Over 97 of the payments were made to paper pushers and individuals working out of the Board's Central Office at 960 Main Street. Some of those payments should definitely raise eyebrows as to why they deserved to get bonuses for just doing their jobs that they are being paid very well to do.
Here is the list below of the "big money" earners, you decide if you think this makes sense. Why the "media spokesperson"? Why the Superintendent and the Chief Fianacial Officer who are by all reports running the district into a deficit? Is the Director of Strategic Partnerships not content with almost a $130,000 a year?
BONUS AMOUNT
Dr Stephen Adamowski...Superintendent...................$16,412
Alexander Nardone......Chief Operating Officer..........$11,306
James Thompson.........Asst.Superintendent..............$12,327
Miriam MoralesTaylor...Asst.Superintendent..............$10,152
Christina Kishimoto....Asst.Superintendent..............$11,904
Paula Altieri..........Chief Financial Officer..........$10,955
Penny McCormack........Chief Academic Officer...........$11,300
Kelvin Roldan..........Director,Strategic Partnerships..$7,961
Jill Cutler-Hodgman....Chief Human Resources Officer....$10,152
Here is the entire list of the 97 Central Office recipients:CENTRAL OFFICE BONUSES
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17 comments:
Just because someone isn't a teacher doesn't mean they don't work hard or care about Hartford's kids. I don't see you doing anything to improve the educational system, besides throwing brickbats. Try dealing with parents of Hartford students all day and see if you feel you deserve a bonus at the end of the day.
Good job! Still no answers from downtown though. And this is exactly what Mayor Segarra is looking for-- "transparency". If the bonus payments were not transparent, why would we expect the new superintendent search to be transparent...?
you decide if you think this makes sense
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It is difficult, without better information, to say that it does.
What is a strategic partnership? Not, in any case, that there's anything wrong with that.
Kevin, what's the total $$$ value of those bonuses?
That original 25 page list of bonuses was such a breech of confidentiality -- along with the money was published everyone's personal employee number. Whoever released that info from the school system should be held accountable.
Why is there no outrage from the taxpayers? Is this acceptable to you? Do you care? Make them give this money back. This is a slap in the face to the citizens of Hartford.
Anonymous at 7:57PM:
Why is it a "breech" of confidentiality? Although in the form of "breech" you use, that might actually make sense with the operation of the Hartford Schools.
It is not a breach of confidentiality other than to those who wish to operate with the taxpayers money in reckless manner in a cloud of secrecy.
Are you aware that I could FOI the salary and home address of every government employee including every teacher and employee of the Hartford Schools and post it here without any law or any confidence being breached? This is what they call PUBLIC INFORMATION. Your bonus and employee number is all public information.
Maybe you could explain how your employee number being released endangers you or your identity at all, unless maybe you use the last four digits for your bank pin number.
Send me your name and I'll show you all the "public information" that I could request and post about you as well as all your performance evaluations, disciplinary action and complaints, your resume and references, it's all public information when you choose to work for the government
Anonymous at 6:51PM:
Did you not agree to a salary when you took your job? What entitles you to receive more than what you agreed to when in fact you are being paid to do your job. Does your bank teller receive a bonus if they handle customers politely and promptly? Does a firefighter receive a bonus depending on the size of a fire or how many lives they save? Does your mechanic receive a bonus for servicing your car and doing the work you expect? I doubt it for any of them
There are many people today that would be thrilled to just be receiving a paycheck with benefits attached, never mind the bonus you think you deserve for doing the job you were hired to do.
And your disdain for Hartford parents comes through loud and clear in your post. Let me ask you what you have done to make Hartford a better place? Volunteer lately with students? Work with any parents? Or are you too busy running to the bank with that bonus you deserve so much for just doing the job you were hired to do.
And if any of these bonuses to the Central Office are curtailed or eliminated and the money is actually put back into education and educating children, as opposed to making adults richer, then yes, I feel I have done something to improve the educational system in Hartford.
First of all, Kevin, I don't work for the school system. So don't assume the fact that I am not agreeing with you automatically means I am profiting somehow.
You are correct, these people do get a paycheck. My understanding is that in a lot of cases, these bonuses are in lieu of a salary increase. The cost of living goes up each year, should we make it so the people who run the schools are penalized for it and quit?
I agree with you on Adamowski and Medina and Roldan and the fat cats. But a lot of the people getting $1250 are the people actually doing the work of running the schools, as opposed to sitting in plush corner offices. Or do you think the academies and the magnet program run themselves? (But, heck, let's save some more money -- let's scrap the magnet program. Then the courts can fine Hartford out of existence.)
Kevin;
I couldn't find what the astericks by some names meant, they weren't huge bonuses either.
I once got a nice big bonus for reworking a spreadsheet so that I could point out which audit budget was off. When I was being trained on the old one and asked why it didn't balance and what we could do about it I was told (by the person I was replacing who had gotten a promotion) it wasn't my problem. Turns out it was a supervisor's problem and my attempt, which only highlighted which project was off, but not why saved that supervisor 8 - 10 hours a month. I have always gone the extra mile at work. However, where I work now bonuses are given IF there is a surplus (often not) but it's given out to everyone based on years of service. So that means the yahoo in the office next to mine that rips off the company in time and questionable expenses gets the same bonus as I do. Even though I (as part of a larger group of good employees) create a "Hostile work environment" when we question his work records.
Our schools and our government would work so much better if bonuses and raises were based on merit rather than union contracts, or across the board. Although standarized testing should NOT be what teacher bonuses are based on. Everyone knows teachers and social workers that are HORRIBLE at their jobs but tenure protects teachers and costs good, enthusiastic teachers to be on the chopping block. God only knows what DCF is thinking in keeping some of those social workers, while the good ones get so frustrated they leave.
This issue pales in the face of the bloated entitlement programs for employees in the City. Check out the 6-figure pensions retiring police and firefighters receive at 45, for instance.
This politically motivated blog sensationalizes what's happening in our City. Our Glenn Beck.
People who lead the cities, schools, and corporations work every day to achieve goals and to ensure that employees have paychecks and as much security as possible. The notion that entry level employees work harder than those who lead is pure pandering.
More than 52% of the city's budget already goes to the schools. And you suggest that the chicken feed (in comparison) of some of the administrators' bonuses should go back into educating the children?
Pure Hartford political drama... That's why nothing of consequence ever gets done.
Perhaps you can participate on a positive level to help make a difference.
The entire school board is corupt-how about the husband and wife team that has been going on for years,SASI/POWERSCHOOL consulting and employee married to consultant racking in hundreds of thousands of dollars,no conflict there.
The sad part about this is that they are going to be laying people off. The people in charge have a total disregard for the taxpayers of Hartford. Some of the bonuses were more than the per capita income of the average Hartford citizen. How can this happen?
I love the smell of resentment. Bonuses for high performers helps to retain top performers (at all levels of the school system). If the resenters have evidence that a bonus recipient was not a top performer then please offer it up. Otherwise wearing resentment is like wearing white before Memorial day--it just makes you look silly.
Interestingly, no one in the Hartford schools payroll office knows a thing about these bonuses. Are they just blue smoke and mirrors, perhaps?
Top performers? These bonuses were given across the board. They were not tied to performance.
The Payroll Manager received a bonus so how could "no one in the Hartford schools payroll office knows a thing about these bonuses"?
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