Also tomorrow is the biweekly school board meeting. Unfortunately I have a Planning Commission meeting to be in, but I would love someone to ask about this in the public comment section.

Also tomorrow is the biweekly school board meeting. Unfortunately I have a Planning Commission meeting to be in, but I would love someone to ask about this in the public comment section.

You can always count on my being at the MCAS Board Meetings!!!

So in the category of FWIW, none of the officials I contacted about Harding's status have returned emails. That probably is a good sign that he is not staying on in MC, or there would have been an instant denial.

I think we are going to get a leak at tonights school board meeting.

August 25, 2009 – Michigan City, IN – At its August 25, 2009 meeting, the Michigan City Area Schools Board of School Trustees and Superintendent Michael Harding, through a prepared statement, jointly announced the Superintendent’s decision to step down from his position, effective August 26, 2009.

“I want to thank the entire Michigan City Area Schools community – the Board of School Trustees, the teachers, parents, staff, and students. It has been a privilege to work with all of you over the past five years. Working together, we have made great progress to improve our schools,” Harding said. “This has not been an easy decision for me, but I think the time is right to pursue other challenges and opportunities. I am confident that the future is bright for the Michigan City Area Schools.”

Board of School Trustees President Jim Kintzele thanked Superintendent Harding for his service. “We appreciate the dedication and vision that he brought to Michigan City, and we wish him the best in the future.”

The Board will begin its search for Harding’s successor immediately. Dr. Carla Iacona, Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Administration, will serve as Acting Superintendent until Board members have named an Interim Superintendent.

It'll be alright so long as Iacona isn't interim or hired as the actual Super.

The problem is the system which is little more than a professional union, restricting the appointment of superintendents to educators. This is the case universally in the U.S. Educators belong in classrooms and in design of education content, not in running multi-million dollar corporations. IBM does not have scientists as chief administrators. GE does not have pure engineers as presidents.

Some years ago a friend with a strong business background including an MBA was hired as business manager of a west Chicago suburban school system. I thought they are on the right track! But the system dictated later that if he was to earn more income, he had to obtain an advanced degree in education, that is get brainwashed into the system.

So the superintendent isn't even gone a day and already somebody is complaining of the interm superintendent.

It'll be alright so long as Iacona isn't interim or hired as the actual Super.

So the superintendent isn't even gone a day and already somebody is complaining of the interm superintendent.

Hey Eric, I saw you mentioned (on the facebook page) a $60k rumored payout to Harding... Isn't that something which would have to be approved by the board?

They should be FOIA items. I don't see what the problem would be getting the info.

Also feel free to post any of the items, I know I would love to see them, and I would bet I am not alone.

I did not know you fixed the file post feature. The meeting agendas are posted in my original post.

Harding retires
Superintendent will receive $59K in severance

Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer

MICHIGAN CITY - Even before his announcement of superintendent Michael Harding's retirement at Tuesday's Michigan City Area Schools board meeting, President Jim Kintzele asked for order in the room.

Considering Harding's controversial track record in Michigan City, the warning wasn't without merit. But Kintzele was greeted with silence. Turns out no one, including the nearly 30 attendees, had much to say about it - including Harding himself. He wasn't even there.

Harding had executive administrative assistant Tonya Falls read a four-page statement at the meeting, thanking the board members who appointed him in 2004, present board members, school employees and others in the community for their work. The statement did not address why the 58-year-old decided to retire or his future plans.

In a separate news release, Harding said, "This has not been an easy decision for me, but I think the time is right to pursue other challenges and opportunities." In 2007 he was in the running for at least two out-of-state school superintendent positions, but was not hired.

Harding did not return phone messages left Tuesday.

Effective Wednesday, Harding's retirement leaves Michigan City schools without a superintendent after the first day of classes. "The transition will be difficult, but we'll find a way through it," said Betsy Kohn, director of communications for the school district. "Our first step is to find an interim superintendent, then we'll start our search."

According to an amendment made to Harding's superintendent contract at Tuesday's meeting, he will receive $59,000, half of his yearly salary, as a severance payment upon retirement. He will also be reimbursed for unused vacation and sick days. If his contract had simply been terminated, the school board would have had to pay him his salary for the remainder of his contract, which was automatically extended last year to June 30, 2011. That would have cost more than $255,000.

Rumors of Harding's plan to leave the school district surfaced late last week following an executive session held Thursday to discuss the issue, board member Beryle Burgwald said.

"I was more surprised by the rumors than I was by the announcement. The more calls I got, the more they expanded," Burgwald said. "First he was going to one place, then another."

Harding's retirement announcement was made at the first public opportunity following the meeting, Kintzele said. Both Burgwald and Kintzele said Harding has not told the board what his plans are after leaving the school district.

Harding is best known for butting heads with the teachers' union over their contract, which was expired for more than a year. Negotiations evolved into pickets at School Board meetings, and lawn signs and billboards proclaiming "No Confidence" in the superintendent. But one of Harding's most important contributions to the district was his work on its strategic plan, which serves as a guideline to improving 10 outlined areas within the school system.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39809.61

I have complained about Iacona since I was an employee with the school system. And no, I didn't actually complain about her in my post, all I said was lets hope she is not picked as interim or hired permanently. Acting is ok if only for a short time IMO.

BTW, welcome to the board and thanks for insulting me with your first post.

Board chief explains pay for Harding

Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer

MICHIGAN CITY - The Michigan City Area Schools board was only following precedent when it awarded Superintendent Michael Harding half a year's pay as severance when he requested to retire, President Jim Kintzele said.

"There are severance packages provided to all administrators who have retired, and this is a continuation of that precedent done in order to be fair," Kintzele said. "We tried to handle this as properly and ethically as we could, but no matter what you do, there will always be questions, I suppose."

Harding asked to retire from the school district two or three weeks ago, Kintzele said, and began working with the school district's attorney, William Kaminski, La Porte. The board unanimously voted to give Harding $59,000, plus his unused sick and vacation days upon his retirement, which was effective Wednesday.

"His reasons pertained to family and personal matters, and I didn't question him," Kintzele said. "I took him at his word that he was telling me the truth."

Neither Harding nor Kaminski returned phone messages Wednesday.

My question would be if he takes another job, do we get the $59,000 back?

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=25431

Nope. People "retire" all the time from the public sector and then take new jobs in the private sector. Uncool, but that's the breaks.

"The Board did approve Harding's "retirement" package. The Consent Agenda listed Harding's departure as retirement and not resignation. Not sure why everyone is saying he resigned when he actually retired. I have several calls, e-mails, and soon a request for public records request to find out the details of the deal. I am not holding my breath on the results of my inquiries."
It could be that using the term “retire” rather than the term “resign, could have a financial benefit for Harding. Depending on his age and years of “service” (I think they have to total 85), he could say that he is retiring and then collect teachers/administrators retirement pay and then go on board with another school corporation as an administrator, draw a salary and continue to draw the retirement pay at the same time. This loophole has been modified recently, but there is still some ambiguity in the wording which may allow some persons to draw retirement plus salary.

Its not much of an administrator of children who uses loopholes to make himself money. Especially when that money is coming at the expense of things like other teachers and staff members.

I edited the topic title of this thread to agree with the official story.

Nice edit. A part of me wants to send a letter to the local papers over there to let them know what they are in for.

I spoke with Mr. Travino, East Chicago School Board President, on Wednesday. If you want I have his cell number. PM me if you would like it.

Harding hired in East Chicago

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - On the heels of his resignation as superintendent of the Michigan City Area Schools, Michael Harding was hired Thursday as superintendent of the East Chicago Public Schools.

The East Chicago School Board unanimously voted to award a three-year contract to Harding, 58, at an annual salary of approximately $132,000, Board President Fernando Trevino said. Harding's appointment was effective Thursday.

"We went through a thorough and vigorous superintendent search," Trevino said. "We're looking for positive things from him. He seemed to be the right fit for our school district, and he has the leadership skills to lead this system."

Harding is expected to make an impact in improving test scores, graduation rates and attendance, according to Trevino. The board agreed to help with moving expenses for Harding, who attended the board meeting and made a commitment to move to East Chicago.

Harding did not attend the MCAS board meeting on Tuesday, when his resignation was announced in a four-page statement read by Tonya Falls, executive administrative assistant. In a news release issued before the board meeting, Harding said, "I think the time is right to pursue other challenges and opportunities."

Harding was being paid $118,000 a year here, and is receiving half of his salary in severance pay, $59,000, as well as reimbursement for unused vacation and sick days.

During his five-year tenure as superintendent in Michigan City, Harding was criticized for maintaining his Granger, Ind., residence. He also drew negative comments from teachers and members of the public for contract negotiations with the teachers union that extended for more than a year after the contract expired. Anti-Harding signs appeared on people's lawns and the teachers union paid for billboards criticizing him.

More recently, Harding's leadership was challenged when the school board rejected three redistricting proposals and sent the redistricting committee back to the drawing board. And, in a special election, Michigan City defeated a proposal to build an estimated $38 million tech center.

In 2007, Harding was in the running for at least two out-of-state school superintendent positions, but was not hired.

Michigan City Area Schools has started the 2009-10 school year without a superintendent. Betsy Kohn, director of communications for the school district, said Tuesday a search is under way to find an interim superintendent. Assistant Superintendent Carla Iacona is serving as acting superintendent.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

Oh sweet! Please be true!