April 28, 2009 7:27 AM
Loudoun County LCPS Hatrick high on pay and perks
This almost passed me by. From a February 20, 2009 article in the Washington Post - D.C. Area Schools Chiefs" Perk that Refreshes: Travel:
Loudoun County Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III spent 49 weekdays from July 2007 through June 2008 traveling the nation and the world in pursuit of reinvigoration and professional growth. He visited Hartford, Conn., and Minneapolis in summer; Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Rome and Madrid in fall; Tampa in winter; and Los Angeles again and Beijing in spring.
In Madrid, Hatrick spoke about best practices in U.S. education at a conference of international school officials. In Beijing, he took a tour tailored to school systems, like Loudoun's, with nascent Chinese language programs.
"We're like everybody else: We need to be refreshed," said Hatrick, who is in his 18th year as superintendent, the longest tenure in the region. "We need to see a world beyond the parochial world in which we live."
Hatrick also took 11 days of vacation, for a total of 60 days of leave in 2007-08. He took more paid leave than any of the other 10 superintendents who responded in full to a Washington Post survey. Fairfax County Superintendent Jack D. Dale ranked second, with 51 days of leave. Prince William County Superintendent Steven L. Walts ranked third, with 46.
Unbelievable. Remember, we're talking about WORK days, of which there are fewer than 240 in a year.
Here is how Board Member Tom Reed saw it, in an email that became public:
I think it is great that our highly experienced Superintendent is both highly in demand and also willing to learn new things. Yes, Dr. Hatrick traveled a lot, but the overwhelming majority of the costs were borne by others, like the State Department, not Loudoun County. Also, professional development is part of his contract with the School Board. Although he sometimes may not be physically in the County, he is still on top of issues and available. And when he is here he puts in more time and energy into his job than anyone I know. Do you know of any executive in government or business that puts more into their job?
Respectfully Yours,~TR
See Part 2
Posted in Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink
