Baldermann resigns as RBHS chief

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Baldermann resigns as RBHS chief Decision ‘best for me and the district’

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Riverside-Brookfield High School Superintendent/Principal Jack Baldermann resigned his post Sunday after a three-hour, 10-minute closed session at RB. The District 208 school board accepted his resignation, which will become effective on June 30.

The resignation came just two days before an election for three new members of the school board, an election that could very well change the balance of a school board that has been supportive of Baldermann with the notable exception of board member Jim Marciniak.

District 208 school board president Larry Herbst denied that politics had any thing to do with the timing of the resignation.

"There was no political motivation behind this," Herbst said. "It's just time. It was obvious to everyone, especially Jack."

Jack Baldermann, D208 superintendent

Things started going downhill for Baldermann, 46, last June when in the very same conference room which was then also crowded with a group of angry and agitated parents, who demanded that the board investigate rumors that Baldermann was involved in a relationship with

a school employee.

Over the summer an investigation authorized by the board determined that the rumors were true.

Baldermann was suspended for two weeks during the investigation and then his contract was shortened and his annual raise was rescinded.

In the last two weeks things got worse for RB's embattled leader. Both local newspapers published stories that Baldermann's state administrative certificate had lapsed for the entire 2007-08 school year.

Late on April 1 Baldermann, Herbst and Assistant Principal Tim Scanlon met to begin preparations for Baldermann's resignation. The school's lawyer also participated by telephone, conferring with Herbst

when Baldermann was out of the room.

"This was Jack's call, literally," Herbst said on Monday. "It was an emotional meeting."

By Friday the outlines of the resignation were complete and the special meeting was called. Final details were hammered out Sunday.

In an interview Monday afternoon, Baldermann said that he had been thinking about quitting for about six months and that the recent revelations about his certification and the school board election had nothing to do with his decision.

"I think it's a decision that is best for me and the district," said Baldermann, who was reflective but still proud and extolling RB's accomplishments under his leadership.

"I wasn't perfect. I know that. I think there comes time when new leadership could be helpful for the district, and I think that's what best for everybody. I've loved my time here. We had an incredible run, and I still am proud of the student achievement, which is really the thing we should focus on."

Baldermann said that he did not have a new job lined up but was excited about his future which he said could involve leading a school in an underprivileged area, speaking about educational leadership and the programs he led at RB and maybe even writing a book about his initiatives.

Even Baldermann's severest critics acknowledged that Baldermann has been a passionate and charismatic leader who has recruited many talented and dedicated teachers in his almost eight years leading RB and boosted student achievement.

"Jack did a lot of good things for the school," said Jerry Buttimer, a leader in the group supporting three school board candidates challenging two incumbents, and who has had more than few run-ins with Baldermann and Herbst.

"He brought in a lot of excellent teachers."

Baldermann and Herbst agreed that the superintendent's effectiveness as a leader had been damaged.

"He says, he mentioned it, that he feels he's losing some of his effectiveness," Herbst said.

"He probably overstayed how long he should have stayed anyhow, because you know you do lose your effectiveness after five to seven years," added Herbst, who is very close to Baldermann. "Most superintendents don't last more than five to seven years."

The news swept through RB Monday morning. Teachers arrived a half hour early and were told the news at a meeting before school. At least one teacher had tears in her eyes when Baldermann announced to the faculty that he was resigning, according to one teacher who was there.

There was an array of reactions among a few teachers who spoke with the Landmark.

"He's been a fantastic leader, I can tell you that," said Troy Gobble the head of RB's Science Department.

Gobble is just one of the many highly regarded teachers that Baldermann recruited from Sandburg High School, where Baldermann was principal for five years before coming to RB in 2001.

Laura Nickelson, the president of the teachers union, the Riverside Brookfield Education Association (RBEA) made a carefully worded comment Monday night.

"The RBEA acknowledges the progress that was made during Jack's tenure, and we also understand the timing of his decision to move on and we wish him the best of luck in the future," Nickelson said. "And now as a faculty we look together towards our students and focus on their learning and continuing that progress."

One teacher, who asked not to be identified, said that it was clear that Baldermann's days at RB were numbered, particularly after the revelation that he had allowed his certificate to lapse for a year.

"I think what he did was good for the school, rather than going through a long battle and fight and dragging things out," the teacher said. "Now we can get to the business at hand."

Some students learned of Baldermann's resignation on Facebook as early as Sunday night, while others only learned of the news from a reporter after school Monday.

"All day people were talking about it," said sophomore Joe Wilkinson. "Mostly people were happy about it and then there were people who had mixed emotions about it. That was pretty much the main focus of the day."

Herbst said that he was proud of RB's accomplishments under Baldermann.

"I'll put up Jack's body of work over the last eight years against any principal or any administrator, certainly in this school's history or pretty much anywhere in the state," Herbst said. "We have gotten phenomenal service from Jack and the school is a much better place today than it was eight years ago."

Details of Baldermann resignation agreement Riverside-Brookfield High School Superintendent/Principal Jack Baldermann's resignation becomes effective of June 30, 2009 under the terms of the agreement hammered out Sunday between the District 208 school board and Baldermann.

Under the amended contract approved last summer, Baldermann's contract had been scheduled to expire on June 30, 2010. Baldermann said on Monday he decided six months ago that this would be his last year at RB. "For some time I had not intended to come back," Baldermann said.

The five-page resignation agreement provides that Baldermann will provide a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 days of consulting work to RB as an independent contractor to work on transition issues and other assignments over a four-month period through Oct. 31, 2009 at the discretion of the school board president. Baldermann will be paid at his current pay rate of $904 a day for that work.

Both Baldermann and school board president Larry Herbst said on Monday that Baldermann would work no more than minimum 10 days.

"There is no way I'm going to do any more than 10 days," Baldermann said.

The agreement also calls for RB to pay all of Baldermann's COBRA family health insurance premiums until he starts another job with health insurance benefits or one year, whichever comes first.

The motion to accept the resignation also obligates RB to pay up to $750 to Baldermann's lawyer to review the agreement. According to the agreement, Baldermann will also be paid $904 for each day of

unused vacation day, as required by state law. He currently has 25 days of unused vacation time, the agreement states.

Under the agreement Baldermann waives the right to file any lawsuit or grievance against RB except for breach of the resignation agreement.

The board voted 6-1 to accept the agreement Sunday evening. Jim Marciniak cast the only vote against accepting the agreement.

In a short statement before the vote Marciniak said that he did not think that Baldermann should get any special compensation for waiving his rights to sue the district.

"None of this needed to happen," Marciniak said. "None of these additional monies going out the door at this difficult time for our finances needed to happen. Jack Baldermann's making us do it.

"What would the real honorable exit be? Resign, leave. Sign an agreement that you're not going to sue us. But there's a few more dollars to be extracted here. That's what happening with this agreement."

Baldermann declined to comment on that statement, but Herbst disagreed that Baldermann is getting a sweet exit package.

"There's no buyout here," Herbst said. "Nothing that we gave him is not commonplace."

And Herbst noted that Baldermann may well have another job lined up by July 1 and in that case RB won't have to pay Baldermann much, if any, money.

"None of this may come to fruition," Herbst said. "If he has a job by July 1, and he's confident that he will, we won't pay a penny."

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