One sign that a school board under pressure is losing focus is when you see unworkable proposals floated under the guise of process:
Last week’s Pinellas school board workshop about Superintendent Julie Janssen’s performance raised an interesting side issue: Should one of the district’s attorneys, who now report to general counsel Jim Robinson, report to Janssen as a “staff attorney” instead? It’s not clear if board members are headed in that direction. But enough of them are asking questions that the topic will be aired at the July 14 workshop.
Ron Matus, reporting in the St. Petersburg Times blog.
There are definitely offices that get their own lawyers: the president has the White House counsel, for example. And there are bodies inside large organizations that get to be independent of executives (auditors are one example). And all of us should have some whistleblower protections. But most of us who work for government go to our agency lawyers for questions about agency policy and background perspectives. If we want employment advice, we can turn to a private attorney (or union staff for those of us who are unionized).
At a time when the Pinellas school board is under enormous financial pressure, let's just say it would be highly dubious judgment to pay money for a staff attorney who is essentially the superintendent's personal attorney for employment matters. Or someone who does not report to the board attorney who might present an independent judgment about the legal position of the school system. That's just crazy-making.
Julie Janssen is paid enough money; let her pay a private attorney if she doesn't like the advice the board's attorney gives.