Dallas Dance
Two members of the Baltimore County school board voted against the renewal of Superintendent Dallas Dance and said the process by which the board considered the contract was flawed. Others on the board, including the chairman, defended the way in which the contract was debated.
Dance’s new contract gives him a base salary of $287,800, plus retirement and health benefits, a car and other compensation. That’s a 13-percent increase over the base salary he had of $255,000 annually when he started at BCPS in 2012.
Kathleen Causey
“The percentage increase of the compensation … far exceeds any increase that teachers, bus drivers and other support personnel have received over the years and it just goes to the continuation of an increased expansion of the administrative budget,” board member Kathleen Causey said before the vote.
Causey also said that the compensation puts Dance at the top or near the top of all county superintendents in the state, while Baltimore County is not the top in terms of performance. She also noted the system’s aging facilities and some schools’ lack of air conditioning.
In a statement read by Ann Miller, on behalf of herself and Causey, after the board approved the contract on Tuesday, she said, among other things, that there had not been enough time for deliberation, that the board did not have sufficient legal guidance in negotiating the contract and that Dance had put too much pressure on the board to approve the contract. (Her full statement can be seen here.)
Ann Miller
“Kathleen Causey and I did all we could do to bring discussion and try to address issues on behalf of the interests of the Board, school system, and citizens of the county in the contract approval process,” Miller said. “But without the support of a majority of the board, our motions are voted down.”
In response, board member Michael J. Collins said at the meeting that he has a lot of regard for Miller and Causey, but “in this case they are just simply wrong.”
“The reality is that there was a great deal of discussion and it became abundantly clear as the process and the discussions moved along, where exactly the sentiments of the board members were,” he said. “That did not mean that we ignored or didn’t give time for comment by all board members who chose to comment. The suggestion that that was done by the chair is not accurate.”
Charles McDaniels Jr., chairman of the board of education, said he disagreed with Miller’s and Causey’s assessment.
Charles McDaniels
“Consideration of the superintendent’s contract began in the fourth quarter of 2015. I believe there was very thoughtful consideration given to the process. A public hearing in January 2016 was expanded to allow input from the community and stakeholders regarding the superintendent’s performance,” he said in an email. “After consideration and discussion for several months, the board overwhelmingly agreed to rehire Dr. Dance in February of 2016 contingent upon the agreement of contract terms. After another three months of deliberation and negotiation, the contract was finalized on May 24, 2016.
“From my perspective, this does not describe a rushed process. Throughout the process, the board utilized its attorney who consulted outside counsel on issues such as tax law when needed. I recognize that board members such as Ms Causey and Ms Miller who have been on the board less than one year may have a different perspective on the amount of time needed to make an informed decision,” McDaniels said.
Edward Gilliss
Edward J. Gilliss, vice chairman of the board, also defended the process.
“Although the chairman speaks for the board, I can state that my individual view is that the Superintendent’s contract renewal process was deliberate and wholly consistent with expected procedures,” Gilliss said in an email. “I am pleased that the Board and the Superintendent have completed the contract renewal process and are now able to look forward and focus matters relating to continuing BCPS’s educational goals.”
Dance declined to comment.
“The superintendent does not feel the statement merits a reaction or response,” said BCPS spokesman Mychael Dickerson.
Dance’s full contract can be viewed here.
-Kristine Henry, The Towson Flyer