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Anonymous donor's $400G offer convinces embattled Idaho superintendent to step down
Fox News ^ | 5/1/18 | Katherine Lam

Posted on 05/01/2018 2:16:22 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom

A school district superintendent in Idaho, who had resisted calls to leave his post, finally agreed to step down when an anonymous donor reportedly gave him $400,000 to get out.

New Plymouth Superintendent Kevin Barker agreed to resign from his position last Wednesday during a special school board meeting, the Idaho Statesman reported Monday. Barker, who was dubbed a "bully" by some critics, is accused of creating a hostile environment for teachers.

He initially didn't want to leave -- but then Barker got an offer he couldn't refuse. An anonymous third party stepped up and offered Barker $400,000 to leave, which will be paid by that individual. The money won’t come from the school district or “any public funds,” the report stated. Barker has the option to receive the money in one block or have it distributed to him through December 2020.

“Because of his connection with the schools and students the decision to resign was difficult,” Barker’s attorney, Julie Klein Fischer, told the Idaho Statesman. “Nonetheless, this change presents Mr. Barker with the ability to explore other opportunities and allows him much needed time to focus on family.”

Barker will also get a monthly salary of $1,500 for his consulting work with the school district up until June 30, 2020 – even if he gets a new job during the time. His life insurance, full family insurance benefits and retirement contributions will continue through June 2020.

The agreement also states Barker will get a letter of recommendation from the school board and be able to keep his Microsoft Surface and laptop, both of which were purchased by the district.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Idaho
KEYWORDS: publicschool; schoolboard
Now this is really weird. Never heard of a PRIVATE donor ponying up nearly a half million to pay the school district superintendent to leave. He must have really created some rancor.

New Plymouth is 60 miles northwest of Boise on the Payette River.

The history of the town is interesting (Source: Wiki): 
New Plymouth was a colony town, bought and planned before it was settled. It was the combined project of a group of people purportedly dissatisfied with city life in Chicago, who in 1895 formed what they called "The Plymouth Society of Chicago" and William E. Smythe, who was the chairman of the executive committee of the National Irrigation Congress and a famous irrigation promoter. Mr. Smythe was determined to found a colony to serve as a striking argument in favor of his project - irrigation . He spoke throughout the east, urging young and old men to go west in colonies and develop the country with the help of irrigation. He wanted the first colony to be called New Plymouth — after Plymouth, Massachusetts — and wanted it located in southwestern Idaho in the Payette Valley, which he had found apt for his purpose because of the extraordinary water supply via the nearby Payette River.

The town map shows the preplanning that was done...


1 posted on 05/01/2018 2:16:22 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

That’s disgusting.

It’s very common for lowlife school superintendents to be PAID to leave. But it’s usually with taxpayer money.


2 posted on 05/01/2018 2:20:33 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; Responsibility2nd

School Superintendent is an elected office here.................


3 posted on 05/01/2018 2:23:42 PM PDT by Red Badger (Remember all the great work Obama did for the black community?.............. Me neither.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I’ll reserve some judgment since I don’t know more than I just read here, but my first reaction is that this sets some bad precedent. The guy works for the residents. There must be a process to remove him from his post. If the teachers really thought he was horrible they have plenty of political power to lobby for his removal - even to organize a recall, assuming such a process exists. If he was appointed then they would put the pressure on the mayor or governor or whomever.

Bad precedent for public servants in the future who will demand recompense for leaving.

I imagine Idaho schools were not too heavily involved in the recent anti-self defense walkouts but it is really weird to see/hear about teachers pushing a very large, national political process onto their kids, only to them see them ignore or refuse to exert their own political influence in their own best interest. Though I should not be too surprised because these days, especially on the left, it is more about PR shows and stage management than actually working the process to deliver a result. I suppose we should be happy about that.


4 posted on 05/01/2018 3:16:59 PM PDT by monkeyshine
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To: Red Badger

There is no recall process for this post? Why didn’t teachers lobby and petition for a recall vote?


5 posted on 05/01/2018 3:17:44 PM PDT by monkeyshine
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Sounds illegal.


6 posted on 05/01/2018 3:19:04 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (<img src="http://i.imgur.com/WukZwJP.gif" width=800>https://i.imgur.com/zXSEP5Z.gif)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Wouldn’t help here.

Our Super is selected by the School Board.

It is their corruption that is the problem.


7 posted on 05/01/2018 4:02:07 PM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Let me guess, he was attempting to get teachers to actually teach, and this caused the teachers great discomfort.


8 posted on 05/01/2018 4:09:06 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: monkeyshine

I agree about this setting a REALLY bad precedent. Once again, the rich and powerful are getting their way by buying out a public servant. It would have been far preferable to force him out the normal way - expiration of his contract or term; citizen pressure to force a recall; lawsuits; prosecution if he did something illegal. But for a modern-day bounty hunter to buy him out — that’s just wrong.


9 posted on 05/01/2018 4:11:39 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

It seems to me that he is still milking the taxpayers with his $1,500 monthly consulting fee, payment of his insurance and retirement fees, and his appropriation of any computer or other things he may desire.


10 posted on 05/01/2018 5:26:14 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Start using cash and checks or the elite class and bankers will make "cashless" the norm.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

Pretty sickening deal, isn’t it?

Continuing through June 2020:
* Monthly salary of $1,500 for his consulting work with the school district – even if he gets a new job during the time.
* Life insurance and full family insurance benefits
* District retirement contributions.

Also:
* Letter of recommendation from the school board
* Keeps Microsoft Surface and laptop, both of which were purchased by the district.

He must have done something really bad to deserve such a deal. ;>)


11 posted on 05/01/2018 5:35:39 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: All

Barker was accused by opponents — which included the New Plymouth Education Association, the school district’s teacher’s union — for months of being a workplace bully who created a hostile environment for teachers who disagreed with his leadership style. Barker also had supporters attend school board meetings to advocate for him to remain superintendent.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/article210162024.html#storylink=cpy

In March, the school board met with supporters and objectors to talk about Barker’s leadership of the district. The board then released a statement in full support of Barker.

First Baptist Church Pastor Phil Pittman previously told the Idaho Statesman that the New Plymouth Community Cares group began forming Jan. 17, the day New Plymouth High School principal Clete Edmunson initially resigned from the school and students held a protest outside of the administration office. Edmunson said Barker pressured him to resign over a personnel matter, a claim Barker denies, and Edmunson later rescinded his resignation. Edmunson resigned again and is now the superintendent of the Council School District.

The New Plymouth Community Cares group, established in January when the controversy over Barker’s leadership first boiled over into the public sphere, started a movement to recall all five members of the district’s school board. That effort will now likely cease, according to the education association.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/article210162024.html#storylink=cpy


12 posted on 05/01/2018 9:22:15 PM PDT by blu (Save us the time of explaining the links...read the article...unless you're Lazamataz.)
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