Well, Tanya's article below says it all.
So we will suffer through several more months of Cowin Catastrophes.
vj
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from THIS OrlandoSentinel.com page
Lake school superintendent buyout likely won't fly
Tanya Caldwell | Sentinel Staff Writer
June 28, 2008
The buyout buzz is starting to fade almost as fast as it bloomed.
The Lake County School Board can't give Superintendent Anna Cowin money to leave office early, said Bill Montford, the chief executive officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
"A School Board cannot arbitrarily go in, nor can she agree to, a buyout to a contract. There is no contract," Montford said. "She was elected by the people and she has an obligation to serve the people. The only person who can remove her is the governor, with just cause."
Cowin doesn't even want to leave, said Montford, who said he spoke to her Thursday night.
"She has no desire to leave anytime before her time," Montford said Friday.
That may contradict what Cowin told School Board member Scott Strong, who said he thought Cowin was open to a buyout after speaking with her. He presented the idea to an overwhelmingly supportive School Board Thursday afternoon. The board's attorney has been looking into the details since.
That attorney, Steve Johnson, said Friday he has all but come to the same conclusion: that the board can't pay Cowin to leave.
Had Cowin been appointed, the board could terminate her or give her a buyout. The remaining options seem to be three Rs: resignation, retirement or removal from office.
Earlier this week, board members considered having the governor remove Cowin from office over a teacher program they say she mishandled. That option is still on the table, as board members await her written response to an auditor's report about the program.
Meanwhile, they're hoping she'll see some incentive in resigning or retiring early so her successor, Susan Moxley, can take over early. Cowin, elected in 2004, isn't supposed to leave until Nov. 17. Moxley is expected to start next month as a consultant and then take over after Cowin leaves.
Board members said Cowin's early departure could help the district prepare for its new leader. It could also put an end to the hostile relationship between Cowin and the board. Cowin couldn't be reached Friday for comment.
Tanya Caldwell can be reached at [email protected] or 352-742-5928.
