A retired principal running for Fayette school board and a retired teacher are both raising questions about the school district paying more than $26,000 for a nationally known educator to speak at an employee convocation in August.
At issue is Fayette County Public Schools paying $26,500 for an appearance of Ron Clark , a former national teacher of the year, at a time when finances are tight, the retired educators say.
“The amount of money being spent on the speaker alone is just wrong,” said retired Fayette principal Betsy Nantz Rutherford who is running for the 5th District Seat on the Fayette school board in the November general election.
“That is only a small proportion of what it will cost FCPS. Teachers and students need supplies. This would pay for programs we already have in place --Rise, Success Academy, The Learning Center,” Rutherford told the Herald-Leader Wednesday.
The Herald-Leader previously reported the 2022 convocation cost the district more than $100,000.
The money could be used to pay teachers for hours spent preparing their classrooms for opening of schools. which are non-contract hours they spend on their own time; or for music, chorus, art, drama, physical education, and library, Rutherford said.
It also could buy books for kids, pay for additional staff to lower class size or pay for professional development needed for individual schools, she added.
“Teachers want to be in their classrooms preparing for the students and not spend this time at a big convocation listening to someone telling them what to do when they have a major to-do list to complete. They need this money to achieve the to-do list for their students,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford’s opponent in the school board race, 5th District seat school board member Amy Green, didn’t immediately comment to the Herald-Leader.
Clark’s biography on the website for his academy says, Clark has been called “America’s Educator.”
In 2000, he was named Disney’s American Teacher of the Year. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose book has been featured on The Today Show , CNN, and Oprah, according to his website.
His classes have been honored at the White House on three separate occasions., the website said. Clark’s teaching experiences in New York City were the subject of the film, The Ron Clark Story , which starred the late actor Matthew Perry.
Retired Fayette teacher Mark Russell who has appealed the elimination of chorus from Lexington’s Morton Middle School by that school council, told the Herald-Leader Wednesday, “At a time when art, choral, and librarian positions are being eliminated from schools in FCPS, the fees paid to Dr. Clark, who runs a private academy in Atlanta, are nothing short of incomprehensible.
“The buck stops with (Superintendent) Dr. Liggins, however, who needs to be a more responsible steward of taxpayer money.”
Clark’s speech, initially set for 2023, was rescheduled for Aug. 6 at Lexington’s Rupp Arena, according to a contract between a speaker’s bureau and the school district Russell received under the Kentucky Open Records Act and reviewed by the Herald-Leader.
The amount includes airfare, lodging, ground transportation, meals and incidentals, the contract said.
The Ron Clark Academy is described on its website as a non-profit middle school.
Herald-Leader reporting partner WKYT initially reported on the issue earlier this week, saying the station had received information on the costs through an open records request. The Herald-Leader filed an open records request on the costs Tuesday but has not received a response by Wednesday afternoon.
WKYT said Clark was a previous contestant on CBS’ show Survivor.
Fayette County Public Schools’ Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said in response to the criticism, “Ron Clark, who was booked to speak at the FCPS 2024 Back to School Convocation over two years ago, is a dynamic educator and motivational speaker.”
He added: “We are thrilled to have him join us here in Lexington to kick off our school year and are confident that our staff and students will greatly benefit from his teachings and message.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0