Andy Kerr’s Days Off
Andy Kerr’s Days Off:
By Regan Benson
MAD synopsis: State Representative Andy Kerr is also a teacher with the Jefferson County School District. Is he paid for the 88 days off he takes every year for the state legislature?
In this submission I would like to bring to your attention my concerns and findings about Representative Andy Kerr HD 26, 2009 Assistant Majority Leader. As a concerned and informed citizen, I follow legislation that affects our public schools. During the last legislative session, and the debates around SB 191 (educator effectiveness and evaluations), I began to pay close attention to voting records. I found Representative Kerr not only voting against this legislation, but other legislation that would ultimately affect his pay check as a Teacher on Special Assignment for Jeffco Public Schools. I believe his voting interest as self serving and financially rewarding and equating to unethical legislator special interest.
In my supporting documentation you will see a timeline of open records requests for public information to include requests for salary, paid leave time from Jeffco, and contract information. I believe Representative Kerr’s voting record to be a conflict of interest, and I do suspect he has been “double dipping” in pay and possibly benefits while serving the State of Colorado and remaining a TOSA since 2005 in Jefferson County Public Schools.
In summary, this is the conclusion of my findings:
1. May 10th 2010, I requested Andy Kerrs 3 year salary history and position information from Jeffco Public Schools.
Response May 12, 2010: 13+ year employee, TOSA (teacher on special assignment) Curriculum Content, 187 day teacher schedule(contract), current salary $69,453, (no history was provided for any pay adjustments in this 3 year period)
2 May 12, 2010, I requested time sheets and calendars reflective of Andy Kerrs work schedule with Jefferson County Schools as I had great concern as to how he could maintain187 days with Jeffco Schools and potentially 100 days in legislative session.
Response May 17th 2010 I was supplied with districts 187 day calendar, Andy Kerrs signed contract from 6/2000, time and labor documents considered personnel records and are exempt from disclosure.
3. May 19, 2010 I received an email from Jeffco Schools communication department telling me that Andy Kerr was now on unpaid leave. Dates of his leave of absence were January 4, 2010 thru May 14,2010.
I requested additional information on contractual leave policies and processes. I received the response May 20th(see supporting docs).
4. June 14th, 2010, I requested information on how Andy Kerr would fulfill his 187 day contract for the current school year 09/10, as well as other pertinent transparency questions.
Response June 17, 2010: Andy Kerr was on leave without pay 88 days and his pay reduced by $32,680.08 to cover this time period. Additional responses from the district included a request for payment from me to obtain leave time information, in which I did not provide payment for as this does not appear in compliance with the CORA.
[...] Andy Kerr’s Days Off [...]
October 11th, 2010 at 3:48 amAnother non-issue. Andy Kerr is not paid by Jeffco Public Schools for the days he is in the legislature. Again–let’s talk about real issues in education–there are plenty of them.
October 21st, 2010 at 5:31 pmKaren, what real issues would you like to talk about since money is well spent in public education and producing good results? Could you provide us with the transparency that Andy Kerr is in fact not paid by Jeffco while in session, and in fact fulfills his 187 day contract? In addition provide us with his contract and work schedule, along with those other “real” issues you speak so firmly on.
October 24th, 2010 at 6:32 pm