Formerly Saying District Was "Top Heavy in Administration": Kids First Hires a Dozen New District Administrators and Supervisors in 7 Months

Here is a list of mostly non-posted and unadvertised administrative and supervisory positions that the Kids First Hoboken Board of Education majority hired over the last 7 months. Kids First might wish the public perception to be one of cutting administrative and supervisory positions but in fact, they have been very active at hiring administrators and supervisors this year- and almost always electing not to require posting or advertising for these positions:

1) Acting Interim Supervisor of Instruction: Mathematics (@ $500 a day)
2) Acting Interim Supervisor of Instruction: Language Arts (@ 500 a day)
3) Interim School Business Administrator (@$640 a day)
4) Acting Fiscal Specialist ($3200 a month)*

5) Fiscal Specialist Accountant- $65,000 a year
5) Interim Assistant Superintendent ($120,000 extended to $136,000 2/10)
6) Acting Interim Supervisor of Instruction: Special Education (@ $500 a day)
7) Acting Fiscal Specialist for Technology (@450 a day)
8) Legal representation: Eliminated in house salaried attorney and hired a firm per hour
9) Interim High School principal ($560 a day)
10) Hired two people to develop workshops for staff and parents
$1000 per session- 1.5 to 2 hrs not to exceed $10,000

11) Senior Accountant- $85,000 a year

12) Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction: Humanities ($99,978.00)

Kids First, who said that under the previous administration the district was "administration heavy", has gone about systemically hiring 12 district administrators or supervisors during the past 7 months. The previous board majority reduced district administration by 25% over 2 years time.

Kids First may insist that the new hires are "interim" but if the positions are not needed, why hire them? If they are needed, why say the district was administration heavy when clearly MORE administrators were needed?

Also, the hiring of so many non-posted and unadvertised interim positions may be seen as a way of by-passing some collective bargaining units already established in the district. By not openly posting for these administrative and supervisory appointments, this policy limits the quantity and quality of potential applicants for such positions- a policy formerly endorsed by the Kids First members when they were not in the majority.

* "supportive and supplemental fiscal duties as needed"

Board of Ed Agendas 2009_2010

Picture: Hoboken Board of Education posted by nj.com