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Brian Hudson and Annie Reed from Suburban Life Publications (Ill.) have been awarded Project of the Year for Division C for “Superintendent pay vs. performance."
About the entry
Brian Hudson and Annie Reed collaborated on a project that put school boards to the test. After the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that school districts could no longer conceal their superintendents’ contracts from the public, Suburban Life Publications set out to determine how school boards were measuring superintendents’ performance. The results were eye-opening: Despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to superintendents, many school chiefs are not being held accountable. Hudson and Reed used charts to look at a variety of districts and break down superintendent pay, benefits, vacation/sick days, reimbursements and more. The project provided important information to readers and set a bar that can be continued year-to-year, or when new contracts are completed. Taxpayers can now ask informed questions of their school leaders, perhaps leading to greater accountability for these superintendents.
Judges’ comments
“Hudson and Reed tell their story in a concise and conversational tone. The reporting is thorough and the writing precise. The Suburban Life should be commended for its work, which shines among the field in this category.”
Finalists
Annie Reed, Suburban Life Publications, “Want in”
Lakeville (Mass.) Call, “Grow”
Brian Hudson and Annie Reed from Suburban Life Publications (Ill.) have been awarded Project of the Year for Division C for “Superintendent pay vs. performance."
About the entry
Brian Hudson and Annie Reed collaborated on a project that put school boards to the test. After the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that school districts could no longer conceal their superintendents’ contracts from the public, Suburban Life Publications set out to determine how school boards were measuring superintendents’ performance. The results were eye-opening: Despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to superintendents, many school chiefs are not being held accountable. Hudson and Reed used charts to look at a variety of districts and break down superintendent pay, benefits, vacation/sick days, reimbursements and more. The project provided important information to readers and set a bar that can be continued year-to-year, or when new contracts are completed. Taxpayers can now ask informed questions of their school leaders, perhaps leading to greater accountability for these superintendents.
Judges’ comments
“Hudson and Reed tell their story in a concise and conversational tone. The reporting is thorough and the writing precise. The Suburban Life should be commended for its work, which shines among the field in this category.”
Finalists
Annie Reed, Suburban Life Publications, “Want in”
Lakeville (Mass.) Call, “Grow”
