Rhino Times reports on the ‘awkward’ arrangement between Guilford County Schools and North Carolina Association of Educators president Mark Jewell.
Every year, the Rhino publishes the salary list of GCS employees, and Jewell was listed as “Tchr–NCAE VP”—with a salary of just over $74,000. Apparently some county commissioners took notice, prompting County Manager Marty Lawing to query the school system.
Bottom line is Jewell, who has been a GCS teacher for 20 years and involved in teachers’ unions for several more, is basically granted a leave to serve the NCAE as vice president and -as of last year—president. As part of the arrangement, NCAE reimburses GCS for Jewell’s salary.
Jewell is quoted extensively in the Rhino article, saying he is “on loan” at “no cost to the schools.” Still, at least one Board of Education member raised questions about the “awkward arrangement”:
Guilford County Board of Education member Pat Tillman said the local chapter worked against his election to the school board.
“They were absolutely against me, Tillman said. I wasn’t on that apple card. That is certainly a concern we have had–that there not be any proselytizing and promotion of candidates inside the schools.
He said that, of course, educators like any other citizens are free to politic how they want, but he added that it’s strange to have an employee on the GCS payroll who campaigns to elect various candidates and works against others–even if the salary is reimbursed.
“Awkward is the word,” Tillman said of the arrangement.
Guilford County Commissioner Hank Henning added that if GCS wants to hire a lobbyists, that’s fine. On the flip side—-speaking for the county—Henning said “we don’t pay people to hold positions—we pay people to serve the public.”
