Members of the Chicago Board of Education negotiating with School Supt. Manford Byrd Jr. about his salary, perks and sensitivities should make sure their priorities are straight. There is no good educational reason for trying to work out a new contract that will tempt Byrd to stay on at a substantial increase in pay or for an extended length of time.
Byrd`s record does not entitle him to a big increase in pay, even if it could be considered compensation for agreeing to a short-term contract or just a consequence of inflation or rising salary levels elsewhere in the school system. The financially-strapped school system has better uses for its money. It is true that most of what is so terribly wrong with the Chicago schools are problems that Byrd inherited with the superintendency four years ago. Many school difficulties are inextricably linked to economic, social and racial situations beyond the school system`s power to correct.
But excuses and rationalizations aren`t good enough for Chicago children. Byrd has headed the schools for four years now and has not done enough to turn the system around. No one said it would be easy. It is, however, what the superintendent is supposed to do. And Chicago urgently needs to sign on a strong, savvy leader who can do the job.
Unfortunately, the school board has let its search committee use the complexities and uncertainties of the new school reform legislation to drag its feet on finding suitable candidates for the superintendency. The board itself is to be replaced by an interim body by Aug. 1 and by a new permanent school board on May 15, 1990. Because of these complications, it may seem easier to current board members just to re-sign Byrd under whatever contract he will accept. That is a mistake. There are other people who can-and will-do the job.
Byrd would not leave the job empty-handed. After 40 years in the school system, he would get a pension estimated to be about $93,000 a year. He would also collect about $66,000 for unused sick days and vacation days. There is no reason for the board to sweeten his departure further.
School board members should not have to be reminded that their first concern must not be Manford Byrd`s ego or contracts for minorities or racial politics or anything else except the welfare of 410,000 children whose futures have been entrusted to the Chicago school system.
