This is a copy of a letter to the editor I submitted to our small suburb newspaper.  One of the local school districts (Adams County District 50) has concocted a scheme to retain its superintendent.  The letter pretty much says it all but in a nutshell the superintendent retires and starts collecting his pension from the state.  He then forms a one-man private company which the school district hires to fill the superintendent's role.  So, he is collecting a salary from the district and retirement from the state!  How do they justify it?  It isn't technically illegal so that makes it okay.  Amazing!

DISTRICT 50 TO DROP ETHICS FROM CURRICULUM? 

Ethics:  A set of principles of right conduct. 

A simple word and a simple definition.  I would have to assume that Adams County School District 50 will be dropping all mention of it from their curriculum.  Certainly a school board that condones and indeed endorses the fraudulent appropriation of state retirement funds (PERA) has no business teaching children ethics. 

The contract the district has established with George Straface, former superintendent and apparently now CEO of a sham corporation hired by the district to serve in the superintendent's role, while apparently legal, is highly irregular, inappropriate and an affront to the public which funds the school district.  Mr. Straface and those on the school board that would endorse this scheme have no business teaching children – it is apparent that they lack even the most basic of moral compasses. 

The fact is that the school district failed to properly plan for the retirement of three senior officials.  This scheme takes advantage of the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA), the same retirement system that teachers depend on to provide for them when they retire.  PERA is currently suffering through well documented financial difficulties that has many teachers wondering if the system will be there for them when they retire.  Now you have Mr. Straface taking advantage of the system and drawing in excess of $100,000 per year from it all the while collecting $180,000 per year from his sham company. 

Ever heard of "double-dipping"?  This scheme fits the definition of that and it is certainly not the type of leadership a school district needs.  Let Mr. Straface move on – good luck in your retirement.  For those members of the board that support this scam, you should give serious thought to stepping aside.  In the meantime, please continue to remove any teachings on ethics from the curriculum as you obviously have no knowledge of them or qualifications to teach them.