After 1 year as superintendent, Manatee County School Board plans on 4 more for Diana Greene

BRADENTON -- A four-year contract to keep Diana Greene on as Manatee County School District superintendent will come before the Manatee County School Board this spring after board members gave Greene high marks in her first job as superintendent.

"I think she's the right fit for this district, and I'd like to continue with her going forward," school board member John Colon said during a workshop Tuesday.

Board Chairwoman Karen Carpenter said she spoke to Greene and was working with the board's legal staff to bring a four-year contract to the board in May. Carpenter said the term of the contract is tentative and negotiable, but she and Greene are happy with the four-year period.

"This is all tentative, subject to board approval," Carpenter said.

A tentative draft of the contract will be available at the end of the month. The contract is slated to be voted on by the board in May, Carpenter said.

In the upcoming contract, Colon and others said they want Greene to be paid at least as much as former Superintendent Rick Mills was. When Greene was hired, she voluntarily reduced her salary in an effort to show solidarity with teachers who had suffered from pay cuts.

Colon said teachers have received raises the last couple of years, so Greene deserved to be paid the same as former superintendents as well.

"Being she's a woman, I believe in equal pay for equal work and I believe her work is more than equal," Colon said.

Greene said she'd like to have a portion of her annual evaluation tied to student achievement, similar to how teacher and school administrator evaluations are linked to student test scores.

"I feel I need to take part of that burden that they have," Greene said.

The board and Greene are still working out what that piece will look like and if there will be a financial piece, or performance-based pay, tied to that evaluation.

Carpenter said she would also like to remove a clause in the contract where the board can vote to terminate the superintendent without cause.

Carpenter failed to have that clause removed from the contract last year and said she would lobby to have it removed again.

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twittter @MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 11:24 PM with the headline "After 1 year as superintendent, Manatee County School Board plans on 4 more for Diana Greene ."