| rdfs:comment | - Lynn Spampinato, former Pittsburgh Public Schools deputy superintendent, has a new job but will continue to receive the remainder of a $213,333 consulting contract with Pittsburgh. Dr. Spampinato, a Lawrenceville native, yesterday was nominated as commissioner of education in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a post that would put her at the helm of the territory's Department of Education. The Virgin Islands has more than 30 schools on three islands and about 17,000 students. Her salary would be $110,000 a year. The nomination is subject to the consent of the legislature.
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| abstract | - Lynn Spampinato, former Pittsburgh Public Schools deputy superintendent, has a new job but will continue to receive the remainder of a $213,333 consulting contract with Pittsburgh. Dr. Spampinato, a Lawrenceville native, yesterday was nominated as commissioner of education in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a post that would put her at the helm of the territory's Department of Education. The Virgin Islands has more than 30 schools on three islands and about 17,000 students. Her salary would be $110,000 a year. The nomination is subject to the consent of the legislature. The news release announcing her nomination said that in Pittsburgh, Dr. Spampinato "expertly provided senior level administration to a school community seeking improvement and reform." It did not specifically note her short tenure in Pittsburgh -- less than a year -- or her abrupt departure, which still has not been explained publicly. The release noted that Dr. Spampinato has 31 years of public school experience. Virgin Islands Gov. John P. deJongh Jr. said, "A close look at her background shows an interesting dichotomy of tenured involvement as well as short-term crisis management." Dr. Spampinato joined Pittsburgh on Dec. 28, 2005, with a three-year contract and a base salary of $160,000 a year. Her charge was to help Superintendent Mark Roosevelt devise and implement plans for an academic turnaround. In October 2006, she went on an abrupt leave. The following month, the school board approved an agreement calling for the district to pay her $213,333 for consulting work through April 15, 2008. She agreed to relinquish her position and not to sue the district. Both sides agreed to limit their public remarks to a brief statement describing her as a productive employee. The statement did not reveal what led to the leave and the departure. Pittsburgh Public Schools Solicitor Ira Weiss said her new job does not affect the consulting work or the pay for it, but he said the district is reviewing the situation to determine what, if any, impact it would have on benefits provided in the agreement. Reached by telephone, Dr. Spampinato said she will complete her consulting work for Pittsburgh on her own time. She said she is working on "a comparison of reports that have been done on career and technical education." She said she has "learned a lot" in her research and will submit the documents she is working on for Pittsburgh. As for her new job, Dr. Spampinato said, "It's very exciting. The governor really wants to turn education around, as everyone does. It's a great opportunity." She said she will be involved both in policy and operations of the schools. This is the second time in three years that Dr. Spampinato has left a job with a sizeable buyout. In 2004, after she had spent eight months as superintendent of Summit School District in Frisco, Colo., the district bought out her contract for $211,000 after a philosophical dispute. Staff writer Joe Smydo contributed to this report. Education writer Eleanor Chute can be reached at echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.
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