By Anthony Rifilato
According to an agreement between Britto and the school board - a copy of which was obtained by the Herald last week - the two parties reached an amicable resolution in which the board ultimately did not move to fire the superintendent. Britto submitted his resignation instead.
The agreement did not specify why the board had initially sought to fire Britto, who was two years into a three-year contract when the board announced his resignation. While the board said it could not discuss the details of the agreement, the document shows that Britto did not leave without being compensated: On June 30, the board will pay him $125,125. He will also continue to receive health care coverage until June 30, 2008. Britto's salary for the current school year is $207,000.
Though his term will end on June 30, the agreement shows that he was permitted to use 23 vacation days and has already left the district. Dr. Thomas Caramore has replaced him as interim superintendent, and will be paid $1,000 per day until June 30. The board said it would search for a permanent replacement for Britto during the 2007-08 school year.
Some parents said they were surprised by Britto's departure, especially after only two years in the district. "I was very shocked to hear that he was resigning," said Angie Schenker, a member of the high school PTSA. "I didn't expect it. [The board] went through an awful lot of work trying to find the right person. I figured he'd stay the three years."
Some said that Britto was not a strong leader for the district, and that finding a replacement was the right move. "I think that his management style was not a match for what Baldwin needed," said parent Paulette Palmer, president of the Special Education Parent Teacher Association. "Baldwin needs someone who's going to take charge of the district and provide some insight, innovation and guidance, instead of going with the flow and doing the same old thing."
Poor timing?
Britto's resignation came just a week after the $105.8 million 2007-08 school budget was approved by voters. The agreement was received and approved by the board on May 22, but signed by Britto on May 3, a week before the budget was passed.
"My immediate reaction is that they wanted to make sure the budget got passed, so he would feel he was leaving a district that was not going to have to go through a tough year," said Jonathan Becker, an assistant professor of education policy and leadership studies at Hofstra University. "I suppose the superintendent wanted to make sure the budget passed, and feels like he accomplished something in that sense. It may not have been something that was disingenuous - this may have been his final act."
Some parents, however, said that the move would have made them think twice about voting in favor of the budget if they had been aware of Britto's resignation before the vote, saying that it was a deceptive move. "I don't know if I would have voted for the budget, and I'm sure a lot of other people wouldn't have if they had known about this," said one parent who declined to be identified.
Others said that not announcing Britto's exit until the budget was approved showed good management by the board. "I think it's good politics to do it after the budget passed, because last year it passed by only five votes," said Palmer. "That to me is just smart administration. It makes logical sense."
While the agreement states that the school board did not fire Britto, it is clear that its members were considering it. "The Board of Education of the Baldwin Union Free School District has informed the superintendent of its intention to pursue the termination of the superintendent's employment," the document reads. Later, however, it adds, "The board shall not seek the termination of the services of the superintendent. The superintendent has submitted his irrevocable resignation."
Becker said that a superintendent's resignation or termination before a contract expires is not uncommon. "I can't say that it makes sense or not, but it's not uncommon or unheard of," Becker said. "The superintendent works at the behest of the school board, and if they are not happy with the superintendent for any reason, they have the right to pursue the termination of employment. It's not unlikely these days, given both the financial and academic pressures that school districts are under."
It remains unclear why Britto resigned, and why the board intended to fire him. One source said that Britto's departure was not the result of any controversy, and was strictly job-related. In a statement earlier this month, the board said that Britto resigned in order to pursue other job opportunities, and that board members "will miss Dr. Britto's enthusiasm for learning."
"Without knowing the people involved, it could easily be that he decided he was ready to move on, and had just run his course in the district," Becker said. "These are very political positions, and it's not easy being a superintendent these days."
Board members said they could not comment, and Britto did not respond to requests for an interview.
Another source said that Britto had been looking for another job for quite some time, and that the board had discovered his intention to leave the district, a claim that board members would not confirm. "It just seemed like he wasn't committed to the district," said a parent who asked to remain anonymous. "[The board] found out that he had been looking for a different job, and that he had not intended to stay."
Others said they weren't surprised that Britto resigned, because he never seemed committed to Baldwin schools. "He's been talking of [his job] as not being permanent for some time," said Palmer. "He always spoke as someone who was leaving. He never showed up to important functions for the district. He was never really there for those things you expect the superintendent to attend. The few parents that I talked to were not surprised that he left."
Comments about this story? Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
