Editor,
As a former San Mateo County Community College District administrator, I was concerned when the board orchestrated the removal of Mr. Galatolo as chancellor without transparency and created the job of “chancellor emeritus.” The separation agreement indicated that disputes in their employment relationship caused the split after 19 years.
As the board was Galatolo’s employer, I was intrigued they gave him a new contract. Why would the board rehire someone for 32 months totaling $1.25 million plus benefits, without a job description, restricting him from campus, allowing him to work from anywhere, and reporting to his former subordinate, Michael Claire, bypassing board supervision? Sounds like nepotism to me.
Not only was the contract out of the ordinary for a deposed higher education official, but it begs the question: Given the board’s responsibility to the community and its students, what were they getting out of this arrangement? To me, it smelled like a quid pro quo. No doubt, Galatolo had the upper hand in negotiating his “reassignment” to chancellor emeritus; why did the board agree to this?
My view is that, in addition to Mr. Galatolo, the old board failed as trustees. They failed to hold the chancellor accountable, failed to ask tough questions of administrators, and failed in their fiduciary responsibility to the community. There were many incidents reported in the press over the 19 years of Mr. Galatolo’s tenure that should have raised alarms. Where was the board?
Don’t let the board cover up their complicity by taking action now after failing to investigate earlier.
Michael B. Reiner, Ph.D.
Boynton Beach, Florida
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(3) comments
Michael, you are one thoughtful person. I enjoy reading your comments. Ever consider entering politics?
Thank you for the compliment. I had planned to run for the SMCCCD Board. Given my deep knowledge and experience in higher education, I thought the community could benefit from a trustee who understands how the sausage is made in the "deep state" (I use that phrase metaphorically, without political connotations).
Instituitons often have their own survival at heart, rather than serving their constituents' best interest. No one wants to speak truth to power and lose their job.... Well, not everyone. After losing my job at SMCCCD after only eight months, I was forced to move from San Mateo due to the high cost of living (mostly rent) and no income.
Future political aspirations are on hold. In Florida, where I now live, trustees are appointed by the governor, not elected by the people. There are pros and cons of both methods. I am not a fan of Governor DeSantis, so I don't anticipate currying his favor for an appointment. :)
Dr. Reiner
Thanks for staying on this issue. It looks like a lot of this story will be revealed in late April, and it's possible some of the Board members will have some explaining to do. I admire your restraint in not piling on statistics with respect to the District's failure to serve its students. Hopefully, that will get some airplay in late April, too.
"Something rotten in the state of Denmark... " Hamlet, Act I, Scene 4
And there is something rotten in the District.
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