As a former resident of California, I still follow the headlines about the state’s troubled public education system. It is rare for these headlines to be positive or uplifting. The latest news from central California about Fresno school Superintendent Larry Powell trading the $800,000 remaining in his contract (3.5 years) for $31,000 a year is remarkable.
Powell’s generosity is inspiring. Powell has found a way to inspire trust in a government run entity—a public school district. His dedication coupled with the skill he developed as a life-long educator (Powell started his career as a high school civics teacher) is no doubt an asset to the community and the 195,000 students under his watch.
The one reason Powell’s act of generosity strikes most deeply to my core is that only a long tenured administrator who has the political skill to count even the head of the employees’ union as a friend would be able to pull it off. Powell executed an elegant maneuver to save programs that drive student achievement. In Fresno, the Superintendent’s salary is paid out of the district’s discretionary budget. By giving up the majority of his salary and all of his benefits, Powell has found a way to steer money to programs for kindergarten, preschool, the arts and college prep classes.
Not every public school administrator can afford to work well below the market rate and I am not suggesting that we ask them to make this sacrifice. I am inspired to see a skilled public servant working creatively to solve the daunting community challenge of our public education system. I hope to read more about the creative solutions for public education and I hope more people are inspired to trust the good work of skilled public school administrators.
