|
Source
New CPS chief's salary will remain at $250,000 By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Tribune reporter 10:24 p.m. CDT, June 7, 2011 New schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard says his salary will remain at $250,000 as approved by the outgoing school board under a short-term contract to run through the end of the month. The incoming board has been negotiating Brizard's official contract, which needs to be approved by June 30. The district is not releasing the details of that contract until after board approval. But Brizard said Tuesday that the salary will remain at the current amount for the final document. "It's set," he said. The salary is about $20,000 more than that of former schools CEO Ron Huberman, who resigned in November. CPS has said the salary is on par with CEOs of large urban districts including New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami-Dade. Looking only at salary and not total benefits packages, Brizard's pay will be less than that of 44 Illinois superintendents from towns such as Niles, Park Ridge, Schaumburg and Oak Park. But with bonuses and other perks, school district heads often make a lot more than the initial salary. Brizard would not disclose whether he would receive bonuses for meeting performance goals or any other details of the contract. He said, however, that he was not opposed to having a performance evaluation tied to that contract, a condition he wants to impose on teachers and principals. "You have to lead by example," he said. CPS officials are also trying to make teachers give up their annual 4 percent increase to address a $720 million deficit. The annual teacher raise wasn't included in school budgets sent to principals Friday. School officials say that under the contract, which expires next year, the board can adopt a resolution to adjust the annual salary increases for teachers if it finds it cannot fund those increases. CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll said the new school board plans to hold a special meeting so it can vote by June 15 whether to approve that 4 percent teacher raise. School principals also may lose their raises — another salary increase written out of the school budgets last week. nahmed@tribune.com |