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School superintendents raking in super salaries
Job carries ‘incredible amount of responsibility'
Friday, June 5, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by
REID SILVERMAN
Superintendent Michael Martirano recently signed a new four-year contract to continue as head of St. Mary's public schools. He will earn $213,779 in base salary in fiscal year 2010.
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Public school superintendents run some of the largest businesses in Southern Maryland counties. Each is well compensated through contracts with elected boards of education to oversee thousands of employees who are charged with educating tens of thousands of students.
Charles County Superintendent James Richmond had a new four-year contract approved in February. As in his previous contract, Richmond is paid a base salary of $245,000 each year, significantly higher than his peers — Michael Martirano, superintendent of St. Mary's public schools, and Jack Smith, Calvert public schools superintendent.
In 2008, Richmond, who has decades of tenure with Charles public schools, had a total compensation package — which includes salary, vehicle allowance, deferred annuity, cashed-out vacation days and bonuses — of almost $387,000. Martirano's total compensation for fiscal year 2008 was approximately $273,000 while Smith brought in about $200,000.
Each is among the highest-paid public employees of their respective counties, as are superintendents elsewhere in the state.
The average total compensation for 12 Washington, D.C.-area public school superintendents was $351,730 last fiscal year, according to a Washington Post article published in 2008.
Richmond earns 66 vacation days a year plus 24 sick days, and has been allowed to cash out any unused amount; this was also carried over to his new contract.
In part because of his tenure with the school system and other factors, Richmond's contract is among the most lucrative in the state.
"I love the children and I love the people in the county," Richmond said recently. He has been in the school system for 43 years, including time spent as a teacher, principal and the last 14 years as superintendent — by far the longest term for a superintendent in Southern Maryland in recent times.
"They pay me well," he said. Richmond said he has never negotiated a contract, only accepted what the school board offered him.
He said that "circumstances and situations" led to the school board asking him to take over the helm of the Charles public schools 14 years ago.
"I'm a teacher first, I've always been that," Richmond said. "I had no goal of being superintendent of schools."
Smith, like Richmond, was asked by the school board to move up the ranks to the top position. "They asked me, when I was deputy superintendent," Smith said.
He has an annual evaluation, which is what any compensation changes are based on.
"The first two were very good," Smith said.
Smith can also cash out unused leave. His salary this fiscal year is $169,000; last fiscal year his total compensation was just shy of $200,000.
Smith said he readily accepted the compensation package offered by the Calvert school board. "I'm not going to fight with anyone over money," he said. "There's no conflict whatsoever."
The St. Mary's County Board of Education approved and signed an eight-page contract in April with Martirano, extending the school leader's position for another four years.
Martirano's salary next year will be $213,779. He said this number is based on a combination of his current salary plus performance pay bonus, a deferred annuity and a small amount he was paid for extra insurance, all of which are now combined into his base salary.
"It's a huge job with an incredible amount of responsibility," including overseeing the safety and academic performance of 17,000 students as well as the jobs of 2,300 employees, Martirano said.
Richmond oversees some 3,000 employees who in turn educate 28,000 public school students in Charles. Calvert public schools employ about 2,200 personnel and have around 17,000 students.
"The superintendency is not a 9-to-5 job," Martirano said. "It's almost like a Superman mentality."
Smith said sometimes he worries he may be spending too much time on the job. There are few nights during the school year where Smith doesn't attend some school event or school-related meeting and, like his peers, the workday begins early and can often extend into weekends, he said.
Smith, 51, has worked in Calvert public schools since 1998, bringing with him teaching experience from the state of Washington, Japan and Thailand.
"It helps me see that there are other ways to do business," he said of his time in other school jurisdictions and countries.
For a while now Smith has also been working toward earning a doctorate degree, a status he achieved this spring. Martirano, 50, has a doctorate of education in school management and instructional leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Richmond has an educational specialist degree from George Washington University, making him the only Southern Maryland superintendent without a doctorate.
With his new contract signed this spring, Martirano will now get 25 days of sick leave, which he can save and use toward his retirement, as can other public school employees, or he could cash out the days at any time, similar to the deals Richmond and Smith have.
He will get 48 days of vacation per year and is allowed to carry over those days from year to year or cash out any or all of those days at any time.
Martirano said he normally only takes about 10 days of vacation per year.
He will have 100 percent of his health insurance paid for, compared to 85 percent of most other school employees.
Martirano and Richmond receive a vehicle allowance of thousands of dollars each year. Smith instead chooses to use a Calvert school vehicle for business.
Deputies and assistants oversee day-to-day work
The superintendents meet regularly with small teams of school administrators, who are usually charged with specific oversight, such as support staff or academic performance.
"My job is to develop the vision [for the school system]. We're going to be a world-class school system before I'm done," Richmond said.
He meets regularly once a week, plus other times as needed, with his team of five executives – Ronald Cunningham, deputy superintendent; Paul Balides, assistant superintendent of finance, business and technology; Judy Estep, assistant superintendent of instruction; Keith Hettel, assistant superintendent of human resources; and Charles Wineland, assistant superintendent for supporting services.
"I delegate everything they need to do" to make the school system run smoothly, Richmond said. "If you look at each of them, they have a huge responsibility."
His executive team — the deputy superintendent, and four assistant superintendents — each have compensation packages of more than $200,000 a year, and together last year were paid approximately $1,120,000.
The four top Calvert administrators in fiscal year 2008 had compensation packages totaling $624,175, which included salaries, cashed-out leave and bonuses.
The top level was reorganized last year at both St. Mary's and Calvert public schools when the financial officers were reclassified to essentially director positions.
Smith said he relies on his current team of three executive administrators – Robin Welsh, deputy superintendent; Deborah Pulley, executive director of school operations; and Jeff Walker, assistant superintendent of administration. They meet at the end of each week for several hours to review the previous days' events and work on upcoming issues, he said.
St. Mary's superintendent has just two division heads — Brad Clements, chief operating officer, and Linda Dudderar, chief academic officer. Their combined salaries plus extra pay for longevity pay and/or accrued leave in fiscal year 2008 were $287,252.
Other departments, such as transportation and human resources, are overseen by directors.
Southern Maryland school systems show progress
The superintendents each are evaluated annually by their respective school boards and can be awarded bonuses based on whether they achieved certain goals outlined in their contracts.
Most academic performance measures monitored by the state show the superintendents are doing their jobs well, including gains in standardized tests for elementary, middle and high school students and an increased attendance rate.
"I'm absolutely honored, and it's a privilege for me to serve as superintendent," Martirano said after being hired on for another four years. He said the job is a good match for him and that he has the energy to put into it.
Along with shaking the hand of every graduate and attending countless award ceremonies for both students and staff, the heads of the Southern Maryland school systems also are sometimes faced with tough decisions.
"Probably the most difficult decisions are when they involve the status of someone's job or the status of a student in school," Smith said.
Terminating an employee ultimately falls on the shoulders of a superintendent, as do student expulsions.
The superintendent also oversees placement of employees, including shifting principals from one school to another when needed.
Richmond said that deciding cuts in the school system's budget is among the hardest parts of his job.
Addressing state mandates, such as the High School Assessment graduation requirements, can be time consuming, he said, but it is worth it.
"Accountability is good … [The data] gives direction. I think education is much better" because of today's standards, he said.
Richmond told the Charles school board at the time when his contract was renewed recently that this would be his last four years as superintendent.
"The kids and the staff keep you young," Richmond, 66, said.
He hopes to see a few more of his goals followed through, including the building of a new high-tech high school set to open in September 2013.
"We've tried to harness technology" with an emphasis on math, robotics, space and science concepts, he said.
Hoping to build on the success of North Point High School, the county's technical school, he spends time promoting his concept for the new high school.
"North Point High School is an example of a good political effort," he said. He said he has to sell the ideas of the innovations he wants in the new high school to local and state political officials and, ultimately, to taxpayers.
"Some of the best ideas I get come from students and teachers on how to improve the school system," Richmond said.
He is also proud of a program for 3-year-olds started under his tenure.
"We want to eliminate the achievement gap. The major way to eliminate it is through those early [childhood] programs," he said.
"You can make a difference as a leader if you want to," he said. Being an educator is not just about the money, he said, "It's about motivating people and causing them to want their job."
How they compare
Maritrano Richmond Smith
Base salary
FY 2008 $160,293 $245,000 $157,200
FY 2009 $186,705 $245,000 $169,000
FY 2010 $213,779 $245,000 $169,000***
Car allowance
FY 2008 $9,000 $8,000 CCPS vehicle
FY 2009 $9,000 $8,000 CCPS vehicle
FY 2010 $9,950 $8,000 CCPS vehicle
Leave benefits
FY 2008 $82,945 $92,875* $20,000
FY 2009 **** $75,956** ****
Deferred annuity
FY 2008 $13,205 $42,300* $16,484
FY 2009 $16,934 $42,550** ****
Bonuses
FY 2008 $8,014 $20,000* $6,000
FY 2009 $9,335 $15,000** ****
Vacation
FY 2008 39 days 66 days 36 days
FY 2009 39 days 66 days 36 days
FY 2010 48 days 66 days 36 days
Sick
FY 2008 12 days 24 days 12 days
FY 2009 12 days 24 days 12 days
FY 2010 25 days 24 days 12 days
* -- Calendar year 2007
** -- Calendar year 2008
*** -- Salary has been budgeted at this amount but not announced
**** -- Not yet available
Sources: St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert public schools
