In A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part Three, we learned that former EMSD#63 retired Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Williams was indeed living a consultants dream; performing consulting services without a proposal, without a written agreement or contract, without a written scope of work, without written expectations, for an unlimited number of days @ $900.00 per day; a pay schedule dwarfing the current superintendent’s salary by hundreds of dollars per day.
We would not have known about this situation without the help Tom Robb, Reporter for the The Journal-Topics. As you might recall, I displayed his August 19th, 2009 article within A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part Two.
After posting Part-Three, I realized that the true working relationship between Dr. Williams and EMSD#63 was anything but clear. Attached to the hundreds of documents returned under the FOIA 100505-001, were dozens of e-mails to EMSD#63’s attorneys, Scariano, Himes and Petrarca for their review and authorization for release. These emails were sent by (consultant?) Kathleen Williams.
Note: I have submitted over 1,050 FOIA requests to EMSD#63 and have never seen this happen before.
So I asked myself; self, what right does this “consultant” have to communicate with EMSD#63’s high priced attorneys, especially regarding the authorization for release of documents relating to her activities? And on my tax dollar to boot?
The following e-mail string between Dr. Scott Clay and myself goes a long way to answer that question.
Note: Read E-Mails Bottom to Top.
Dr. Williams - Employee or Consultant E-Mails
Dr. Williams continues to be gainfully employed (as a district employee) at EMSD#63, with or without all of the perks!
So, why hadn’t we officially heard of this exciting news before? One would have thought that this School Board, who in the past had proven to be so infatuated with this “award winning” administrator, would have, at their first opportunity, acknowledged her continuing contribution to the educational and financial health of the district.
EMSD#63 School Board had the responsibility to inform us! They actively inform us when it’s in their interest and actively not inform, us when it is not.
Note: I have reviewed all of the pages and documents at the district’s website and all of the Board Meeting Minutes between April 2009 and April 2010 provided to me under FOIA 100401-001, and could not find a reference to Dr. Williams’ continued employment.
Before I end this post, a word of caution.
If you are invited by school officials to meet “personally” and/or “privately,” to discuss “your questions or concerns” about the district or about “education” in general, or any other nonsense, politely tell them no.
Based on my experience with some school districts, if you are seriously searching for the truth, you will not, in my opinion, find it there.
Finally,
Thank you Tom Robb! Thank you Journal-Topics!
2 comments:
What's up with Clay? It took 4 emails to get to the answer an answer that could have been had with 1 email. And the wordplay, what’s with that? You know there’s something going on when the truth doesn't come out right away.
If Williams is an employee, is she a full time employee? Does she have benefits? What about an annuity? Something’s not right here.
If it weren’t for the Journal-Topics we’d still be mushrooms to these scoundrels.
Now that Williams is gone, I hope you're satisfied.
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