[Reading-hall-of-fame] Events at IRA headquarters

[Jerome C Harste]

Although I was involved in the termination of a contract of an  
executive director of a major organization, I think Ken's suggestion  
is an extremely intelligent way to proceed and wish, in retrospect,  
that I would have had this advice at that time.  I think the thing  
everyone has to remember is that professional lives are at stake as  
well as the leadership reputation of a professional organization.  At  
this point I have only briefly talked to Allen and none of the current  
Board members.


On Feb 25, 2009, at 6:22 PM, Robert Calfee wrote:

> Curiouser and curiouser -- while I'm not sure what role HOF should  
> play, Ken's comments seem sensible, and I support his suggestions  
> for a course of action.  Bob Calfee
>
> Robert Calfee
> 1207 Sproul Hall
> Graduate School of Education
> University of California
> Riverside CA 92521 Fax 951-827-3942
> Stanford School of Education
> Stanford CA 94305
> Home P/F 650-561-4665 Cell 650-833-9434
> 995 Wing Pl Stanford 94305
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
>> Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:25:05 -0700
>> From: reading-hall-of-fame-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk (on  
>> behalf of Ken Goodman <Kgoodman at u.arizona.edu>)
>> Subject: [Reading-hall-of-fame] Events at IRA headquarters
>> To: Reading Hall of Fame <reading-hall-of-fame at nottingham.ac.uk>,  
>> Maryann Manning <mmanning at uab.edu>, Robert Ruddell <rruddell at uclink4.berkeley.edu 
>> >, Rob Tierney <rob.tierney at ubc.ca>, "Altwerger, Bess" <BAltwerger at towson.edu 
>> >
>>
>>
>> Dear colleague:
>> I want to share my impressions of what has happened in IRA recently  
>> and
>> also some communication I've had with Alan Farstrup.  I talked to
>> President Barbara Walkers and ome of the board members in Phoenix  
>> at the
>> IRA conference, . I also talked with some of the staff members. In
>> summary here is what I learned: Since there has been no official
>> statement from the board I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all of my
>> summary though I have restrained from repeating rumors which were
>> rampant  in Phoenix.
>>
>> This is what happened as nearly as I can determine.
>>
>> The Executive committee composed of President Barbara Walker, Vice
>> President Kathy Au, and VP-Elect Pat Edwards. made the decision to
>> terminate Alan Farstrup. They then polled the board who voted to  
>> support
>> their action, An official vote was then held in Phoenix at a board
>> meeting prior to the conference there.
>>
>> According to Alan  there was no discussion with him prior to his  
>> receipt
>> of a terse letter from a Chicago attorney employed by  the Board
>> dismissing him.
>> The staff, to date, has received no notice of what has taken place  
>> other
>> than a memo that there was a new acting executive director. One staff
>> member indicated that he had not heard the word "fired" until he  
>> got to
>> Phoenix.
>>
>> There was an outside audit of the IRA conferences since 2002 which
>> indicated some concerns which troubled the Executive Committee and  
>> the
>> Board. The director of conferences subsequently resigned.
>>
>> The board members were strongly cautioned not to discuss the entire
>> matter. In the last week however they were permitted to discuss it  
>> and a
>> number of people active in IRA were called personally by Executive
>> Committee members. Barbara Walker called Yetta and me.
>>
>> Alan told  me that he would welcome, for his sake and for IRA's  an
>> unbiased mediation and would prefer that to litigation over his  
>> contract
>> which runs through June 2010. Unless there is mediation there will
>> certainly be a court suit.
>>
>> My own view:
>>
>> There may well be charges against Alan which may or may not have
>> warranted terminating him as Executive Director.However it is  
>> impossible
>> for any of us who care about the Association to evaluate such  
>> possible
>> charges since they have not been made publicly. "If you knew what I
>> knew" is certainly not an adequate statement of causes for such an
>> abrupt and extreme action. It is hard to understand why his dismissal
>> needed to take place so rapidly just before the Phoenix conference,  
>> why
>> it had to involve a Chicago attorney, and why such secrecy was and  
>> still
>> is necessary. This certainly will cast a pall over the selection  
>> of  a
>> new Executive Director which is coincidentally drawing to a  
>> conclusion.
>>
>> I suggest two courses of action:
>>
>> As many active members of IRA as possible including past presidents  
>> and
>> past board members should ask the Board to offer to mediate the  
>> terms of
>> Alan's separation from his position. I believe that such mediation is
>> warranted regardless of the adequacy of the charges against Alan. I
>> didn't ask him whether he wants to serve out his contract. In view of
>> what has happened however I would suspect that he would be willing to
>> accept a fair settlement.
>>
>> There are many reasons why mediation would be better than litigation.
>> One is the expense of court and lawyers fees. Another is the negative
>> publicity that IRA would suffer and the impact  that would have on  
>> its
>> reputation and the possible loss of membership. Perhaps the best  
>> reason
>> for mediation is that it is the fair way to proceed and that courts
>> always want to see that internal alternatives have been exhausted  
>> before
>> bringing the case to the courts.
>>
>> I think that it is important that this be a decision of the full  
>> board
>> and not just of the Executive committee. I do not believe that the  
>> IRA
>> by-laws permit the Executive Committee to make this kind of  
>> decision in
>> the name of the board. And I believe that the members of the  
>> executive
>> committee themselves appear to be unwilling to reconsider the  
>> decisions
>> they made and the manner in which they were made.
>>
>> I would also suggest that the board be asked to appoint an  
>> extraordinary
>> committee to investigate the issues surrounding  Alan Farstrup's
>> dismissal and the causes which led up to it.
>> I suggest that such a committee might include: A retired past  
>> president
>> from ten more years in the past. A retired president from the last  
>> five
>> years who did not serve at the same time as current officers and the
>> Executive Director of a sister professional educational organization
>> such as NCTE, ASCD, AERA etc. There should have been such a committee
>> before the Board acted but it is not too late. If there is  
>> substance to
>> the issues which caused the executive committee to act then it is  
>> likely
>> that there are further actions which are necessary  for the board to
>> take to prevent repetitions. And a new Executive Director will be
>> reassured if the air is cleared before he or she takes control.
>>
>> Please respond if you agree or disagree with  my summation and my
>> recommendations. And please make your feelings known to the Board.  
>> Feel
>> free to pass this message on.
>>
>> Ken Goodman
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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