Big Raise for the New Super
The Superintendent’s position in the School District of Culver City has become far more lucrative in the past 8 months than it was for nearly all of Ms. McGaughey’s term. In still another irony, the newly married Dr. Rivera Cote, at 56 years old, is older than the retired Superintendent. She will earn a significantly larger salary than Ms. McGaughey, who was routinely identified as one of the lowest-paid district Superintendents in Los Angeles. Ms. Rivera Cote’s first contract calls for her to receive a $175,000 salary the first year and a conditional merit raise next Jan. 1 to $180,000. Thereafter, all raises will be linked to Teachers Union contracts, which are negotiated each year. The Superintendent will receive the same increase as members of the Teachers Union. Ms. Rivera Cote comes to Culver City from LAUSD. For the past three years, Ms. Rivera Cote, who lives in Orange County, has been based in Gardena where she was superintendent of a section of the LAUSD spanning from San Pedro to Gardena. She supervised 85 schools and 72,000 students, compared to 10 and 6700 in Culver City. Previously, she was in the Long Beach school system for 20 years.
Farewell Gesture
Controversy erupted around Ms. McGaughey last spring when she announced her retirement about 100 days in advance. Her salary at the time was $123,000. Not long after her unexpected decision, Ms. McGaughey was presented with a whopping $30,000 a year raise. By July 31, the McGaughey Era ended. On Jan. 2, the Rivera Cote Era starts.
Postscript
Among School Board members, there was an orderly and traditional annual transfer of power. Saundra Davis stepped down after one year as president. The rotation placed Marla Wolkowitz in the chief executive’s chair, with Mr. Bubar taking his turn as Vice President.
