Dancing with the Bear: Negotiating the Superintendent Employment Contract (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780990410324)

Dr. Ralph Baker is a retired California superintendent of public schools serving 24 very successful years as a superintendent in one school district. His leadership brought about outstanding state test scores, excellent employee pay, high site discretionary dollars, and a strong ending balance. Under his direction the schools received numerous state and national recognition awards. The very conservative community passed its first and other General Obligation Bonds to build schools. He personally negotiated his own employment contract on ten occasions. Superintendents have sought his advice and counsel in drafting their employment contracts, and he has personally negotiated on behalf of superintendents. Currently he serves as a District Governance Advisor for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Office. He works with a Team of retired superintendents tasked with assisting school boards to fill vacant superintendent positions as well as working to facilitate high performing Board-superintendent teams. His interest in negotiating superintendent contracts grew as a result of a contract controversy at the end of his career. He made several, avoidable, blunders and his intention was to learn from his mistakes and assist aspiring superintendents and school board members from making the same or similar errors. He earned a Ph.D. in education from Claremont Graduate University, a M.A. in educational administration from California State University at San Bernardino, and a B.A. from the University of California at Riverside. He further holds elementary and secondary teaching credentials from the University of California at Riverside as well as an administrative services credential from California State University at San Bernardino.