JPS hired who else but a disgraced CFO to run the school system. Check out the JPS press release:
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Earl Burke as chief operations officer (COO) for Jackson Public Schools. Mr. Burke's career in public education has spanned 26 years, most recently serving as a 6th-grade middle school teacher at Blackburn Middle School while pursuing a doctoral degree in education leadership at Mississippi College.
Mr. Burke has worked as an educational consultant providing professional support services to school districts, utilizing specific-in-the-field experience in finance, payroll, HR, transportation, and operations to assist in identifying operational efficiencies and improvements.
He also worked for Hinds County School District for 22 years, serving as chief financial officer and assistant superintendent for business operations with responsibilities of supporting teachers, classified employees, school administrators, and central office administrators. His leadership experience includes directing and managing school district finances and operations departments and serving as an advisor to the superintendent and the school board.
He has acquired far-reaching operations experience, as evidenced by successful operational turnarounds, operating efficiency, and the development of exceptional, high-performing teams.
Additionally, Mr. Burke has taught undergraduate students as an adjunct instructor at Belhaven University. He has served on numerous education-related boards and committees and provided leadership at the local, state, and national levels in school financial accountability and operational efficiency. He has also received state, regional and national awards, and professional acknowledgments.
Mr. Burke is a licensed school business administrator by the Mississippi Department of Education and a certified school finance and operations (SFO) administrator by the Association of School Business Officials, International. ....
A Hinds County School District assistant superintendent slammed by the state auditor for allegedly racking up nearly $50,000 in improper expenditures is no longer employed with the school district.
Hinds County School Board President Linda Laws confirmed Earl Burke's departure. She wouldn't say if he was fired or resigned due to the audit report. Burke had been with the school district 20 years. He couldn't be reached for comment.
Last month, Mississippi Auditor Shad White reported his office discovered "alarming business practices" at the Hinds County School District — including a lack of spending oversight and an assistant superintendent who racked up nearly $50,000 in "improper expenditures." Rest of article.
State Auditor Shad White stated in an August 12, 2019 press release:
Auditors found poor controls over the district credit cards and bank accounts which had not been reconciled in nearly a year. Additionally, spending records were destroyed before they were reviewed, and the district failed to adhere to some purchasing laws....
The chief financial officer – an assistant superintendent – was not monitored appropriately and is responsible for nearly $50,000 of improper expenditures. The assistant superintendent initiated a contract to provide a personal “car allowance” in addition to salary without board approval. This caused a $33,000 loss to the district. Auditors also determined the assistant superintendent used district funds to make personal purchases like a monthly in-air internet subscription, a stay in a luxury hotel suite, and other unapproved charges costing taxpayers nearly $10,000.
The audit found other misspending by the CFO such as a $2 million no-bid purchase for Ipads and Macbooks. There was no regular reconciliation of bank statements. Credit card limits were exceeded and improper purchases were made. Burke even charged a Jackson hotel room to the district even though he lived in Clinton. What else did he do or not do?
* Board approved professional travel because it was at "no cost" to the district. Burke reimbursed himself $3,859 anyway.
* Overspent his credit card $1,165 over what was approved by Board.
* 19 reimbursements for personal items such as books, in-flight internet use, and memberships. Such items provided no benefit to the district.
* The CFO liked to have fun on the public school dime. He stayed three extra days at a conference in the hotel's executive suite. The amount spent was $568 over what the Board approved.
* While reconciliations of bank statements were not made, the claims fund had a negative cash balance on a regular basis.
* Burke should repay District $1,953 for improper use of Fuelman card. A Fuelman card was issued for his POV.
* Credi card statements were destroyed after payment was made.
* Burke had a $6,000 annual car allowance. The Board did not approve the allowance nor was approval in the minutes. The audit recommended Burke repay $33,000 to the district. Burke claimed in his wrongful termination lawsuit the Superintendent approved the allowance. The Board retroactively approved the allowance on August 26, 2019.
The Board issued a $64,981 demand to Burke in November 2019. Superintendent Delescia Martin stated in the letter the Board approved the retroactive payment for the auto allowance if Burke repaid the District for the remaining sums and returned District property. The letter states Burke did not comply with the conditions so the Board rescinded the approval for the auto allowance. (The letter is p.9 in the lawsuit posted below.)
Burke disputed the demand and sued the Board on February 7, 2020. He said he only owed the District $576. The case is currently in the discovery phase.
This whole affair should surprise no one. This is Jackson where competence is demoted and incompetence promoted. JPS bombed the third-grade reading-gate tests because it kept the students at home longer than anyone else. Now it hires someone who can't handle money to do what else? Handle the money.
What a city.
26 comments:
Jackson reminds me of the Oligarchs in Russia.
Vouchers and School Choice can force public school flops like JPS to consider serving parents and students instead of themselves. MS should let parents decide where to spend school dollars for their child, teachers' unions can be ignored.
It's the way things are done in Jackson and Hinds County. Anyone who can set the standard as low as possible without criminal consequences is sought and eventually promoted. They make everyone else look good therein providing "job security" for other questionable employees. "Compared to him, I'm doing a great job". It's quite a system, and it's real.
Gotta admire the hubris...
Only crooks hire crooks.
Needed the city job to pay back the county. Now if the powers to be be like him I love him. Just glad my daughter and grandkids left Jackson more than 7 years ago!
Too well connected to fail.
This thing called Jackson-
Jamie you know you a racist little bitch?
The culture of entitlement creates yet another shitty adult. And as usual, the kids will suffer the most.
It's their turn at the trough, baby Why does this surprise anyone. This crap has been going on in Canton Utilities, etc. And you ain't gonna stop it.
How many of his relatives will now be hired for some no-show jobs?
For some strange reason, a reader felt the need to pen a long comment about CMU's troubled history. Not approving the comment. Has nothing to do with this post.
@2:05 When you have no excuse or defense you cry "racism." This City and County are failing 100% of the population. No education? No police? No water? Who is the real racist here?...
While he was CFO of the Hinds County Schools one has to ask how did he not see the 2.9 million dollars missing that a former Hinds County school board member stoke about 5 years ago?
@3:08 - how does a school board member get their hands on any money?
JPS surrounds themselves with similar minded people. Who better to trust with shady practices? What was the agreement that stopped the district takeover? We know it wasn’t the handful of parents on the press conference but most likely a financial exchange. This is the same district that continues to beautify the exterior and front entrance of a school building with a nominal amount of students because they fear closing it down. What’s their solution close other schools and programs to shift them to ward 3. Kick the can down the road…because no one is moving into the area with school age children and with the steady decrease in enrollment, the opportunity to personally incentivize will end. Maybe they want Shad to come and look at the books?
Culture.
MSM running a story in which “volunteer” (pseudonym for unpaid) tutors are needed for JPS “scholars”. WTF…most expensive school district in the State can’t educate the children themselves?
Burn baby burn
When it's the Village Big Man, it's all about the perqs.
this is a classic example of why everybody wants to work for the government
no mater how bad you fuck it up
no matter how incompetent you are
no matter how much you steal
you are never held accountable
try being a fuck-up, incompetent thief in the private sector......you won't last long
this is a classic example of why everybody wants to work for the government
no mater how bad you fuck it up
no matter how incompetent you are
no matter how much you steal
you are never held accountable
try being a fuck-up, incompetent thief in the private sector......you won't last long
8:18 True words. True words.
So after reading the posts and the information provided, it occurs to me that the audit report seems to be a hatchet job on the CFO. Where was the superintendent and the school board? The report let's the board off the hook for oversight. It is written as if the CFO was the superintendent.
School district's get annual audits. The fact that the CFO is suing speaks to the fact that there is another side to this conversation. The guy's bio demonstrates a lot of experience, you might want to consider that there is more going on here than just some auditor findings.
Or you can keep assuming that people are above playing politics.
By the way, I am a retired educator who has seen school employee careers ruined because superintendents are doing CYA and boards are either not knowledgable or don't get all the information.
Its racist to want impoverished minorities to have options for a good education.
Right Melvin?
Gotta keep 'em dumb so they vote for Chucktard.
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