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By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer
June 14 -- After months of debate and speculation,
former District Chief Financial Officer Winston Braham --
who left last November after a dispute with other top district
officials -- testified before the City Council Tuesday.
But beyond his take on the exact events leading up to his
departure, Braham offered little additional insight into the
District’s current financial state.
"Things have changed since my departure," Braham
said.
While he disagreed with top officials on several issues,
Braham said his take on how a 5 percent raise for teachers
could impact other collective bargaining agreements, was an
important issue.
“My job was to look at the future of the District,"
Braham said.
In November, Braham did not sign off on a document submitted
to the County Office of Education certifying the District’s
ability to meet the 5 percent raise. Braham said he feared
the tentative agreement with the teacher’s union would
all but deplete the district’s nearly $7.3 million in
reserves over the next three years.
District Superintendent Talarico and school board members
allege Braham sent the document directly to State officials
in the County, without the board voting or even seeing the
document.
Braham disputed the events before the council.
When asked by Holbrook if he would be surprised to learn
the board had not seen the document first, Braham replied:
"I would be very surprised."
Soon after, Braham said he decided it was time to leave the
District.
"It became absolutely clear that maybe I should be the
first to say goodbye," he said.
Despite the continued uproar, many agree that Braham’s
resignation and the controversial confidentiality clauses
in his agreement could lead to greater transparency on the
part of the District.
"We think that controversy can actually lead to good
outcomes," said School Board President Kathy Wisnicki.
Some parents, such as Patricia Crane, who for years has called
on an overhaul of special education practices, said the Braham
saga opened the door for a public debate over the district’s
policy to include confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements
with special education parents.
"The only reason that this has come about is because
of transparency issues brought up by Braham," she said.
"Otherwise, it would never have seen the light of day."
"I don't think it was appropriate as a matter of public
policy," Braham said of the district’s policy.
Braham said he signed his contract, which also included confidentiality
clauses, after his relations with other district officials
soured.
"I saw the contract, I saw the terms, eyes wide open
it was necessary to choose a path that was the most accessible"
to leave, he said.
While the confidentiality clause in his November $189,000
departure settlement was amended by the District to allow
him to speak, Braham held back until a second – more
standard – non-disparagement clause was lifted last
week.
"I'm far more comfortable speaking now that clause was
lifted," he told the council.
Council members Bobby Shriver, Bob Holbrook and Herb Katz
insisted that the District change the contract to allow Braham
to speak.
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