$365K Separation Agreement Approved Between District, Superintendent

There is no “earthshattering” reason that led Central Bucks School District and its Superintendent Rodney Green to mutually agree to end his contract three years early, school board President Stephen Corr said Wednesday.

“We did not think this relationship was working,” said Corr, speaking in front of an audience of more than 150 people during a special board meeting, where he painted the picture of an aloof administrator who used “superficial” school visits and Twitter to mask his lack of engagement.

But Green’s departure will come at a significant cost to the district.

The board unanimously voted to approve a separation agreement with Green that will cost the district $365,000, plus one year of health insurance. Under the terms of the separation agreement, Green will be paid in two installments, the first one coming in August. He will keep his district-issued iPad and iPhone as well.

Green is not being terminated for cause under the Pennsylvania code, Corr said. The district’s solicitor reviewed details surrounding the board's dissatisfaction with Green and determined the reasons were not applicable under the code.

Green’s contract, which paid him $225,00 a year, did not expire until July 2016 but the last year of the contact was not guaranteed, explained Corr. Therefore, Green’s attorney, who believed the remainder of the contract was worth $540,000 and the district, who set it at $470,000, negotiated.

“This decision has nothing to do with Rodney Green the person,” Corr said. But, he added, the board felt it would be detrimental to the educational advancement of the district to keep him at the helm.

The dissatisfaction with Green began early, according to Corr. Throughout the year, the board became aware of alarming stories from parents, students, administrators and teachers about issues they had with Green. 

The board formally interviewed 20 employees and another 20 informally as it looked into the complaints, Corr said. 

During the interviews, board members heard accounts of improper conduct at meetings. Green would arrive late, leave early and be on the phone the whole time, tweeting, said Corr.

Central Bucks Staff Developer Corinne Sikora, speaking during public comment, said while she had high hopes for Green, she was quickly disappointed.

Sikora said Green never once attended a K-12 curriculum meeting and witnessed him nod off during other important meetings. She said he also made “inappropriate” comments to women throughout the district.

Sikora was not alone in her frustration. 

Corr said administrators across the district expressed concerns with Green’s hands-off approach. And while parents and students told the board they enjoyed his frequent school visits, those visits seemed to come at the expense of curriculum improvement, Corr said, estimating that Green spent two-thirds of his time in the classrooms.

“While visibility is a nice thing, I’m not sure that visibility is conducive to doing the work that needs to be done in the district,” Corr said. “They were superficial visits that did not further the mission of the district.”

Corr also expressed concerns about Green’s use of the social media site Twitter and that it was a platform for students to inappropriately contact him directly.

The school board hired Green in July 2012 after an extensive nationwide search. He began in October of that year. He came to the district from Michigan and had more than 20 years of experience as a superintendent.

“It was in our best interest to move forward with this mutual separation. This was a very difficult decision for the board made only after a lot of careful thought, vigorous debate and lengthy discussions,” Corr said.

The board is expected to appoint an internal candidate as acting superintendent at a meeting on July 23.