Shirlee Zerkel to STRS Board: Follow policy or leave

From Shirlee Zerkel, December 15, 2008
Subject: Black Friday!

Dear STRS Board:

Again I am writing to you concerning the Friday after Thanksgiving that most of the STRS staff had off because Mr. Nehf wanted them to have the day off. Please do not use the excuse that the two executive directors before also allowed the staff to have that day off with pay. I am not talking about the past. That was then; this Nov. 2008 day off is now! Page 53 of Board Policy does not allow the director to make such a decision and doing so is a slap in the face's of Board members who set up the policy. You all have the power to see that policy is followed. Stand strong and correct this breach of policy.

Why have a policy if you allow the director to break policy? The Board has the power to correct this decision and don't just tell him NOT to do it again. Just telling him it was wrong is allowing him to get away with it. I have worked with children long enough to understand that simple rule of discipline. You have to make the staff understand that you are in charge, not them. If nothing is done this time, disregard of policy will happen time and time again and it probably already has. You just have not found out yet.

The policy states clearly this was not to be done. The Board needs to be able to know that policy is followed. Since this decision of an added perk for the staff, I do not see how you can trust anything that comes from the mouths of the STRS administrative staff. How many other directives of the Board are not followed? Don't cover your eyes and ears, and look the other way while the staff does what it wants. You are there to take care of our funds. Allowing the expenditure of approximately $175,000 for a staff day off is not following 3307.15. Most of you wonder why CORE members watch you so closely; this is just one example of why we do. As I said in my email last week, correct this disregard of policy or leave your positions on the Board.