Hiring draws ire of Brown Deer School Board member

Brown Deer - Three new teachers were approved for hire Tuesday night by the Brown Deer School Board, but not without a fight from one of its members.

School Board member Barry Godshaw disputed the starting salary of one of the new hires, Rebecca Olson, who will teach first and second grade at a cost of approximately $63,000.

Godshaw demanded to know from Superintendent Deb Kerr whether district staff had negotiated Olson's salary down, and who had made the offer.

Kerr responded by saying that the business department had calculated the starting salary based on Olson's teaching and educational background. Godshaw maintained that the district should have negotiated for less or hired someone else for less money.

"I think it's too high," Godshaw said.

He went on to accuse the other board members of "rubber stamping" recommendations from the administration and failing to question the administration's actions. That accusation drew a round of gasps from other board members.

"I resent that," member Michael Bembenek said.

Godshaw said that the administration should use the new salary schedules and base wage provided by the state to determine starting salaries. Board member Kevin Klimek later told Godshaw that the district shouldn't be applying different salary schedules to different employees.

"I don't think we're at the point yet that we're going to throw away the salary schedule we currently have," Klimek said. "I'm going to defer to the administration, and if they believe this is the value of a qualified individual, then I will accept that."

Olson, full-time high school math teacher Sara Brown at $55,000, and part-time government teacher Alycia Kender at approximately $20,000, were hired by a 6-1 vote of the School Board, with Godshaw dissenting.