NL school board CEO quits to take job with teachers’ union
English School District CEO Darrin Pike will leave his job to take a role at the province’s teachers’ union later this month, at a time when the two sides are engaged in contract negotiations.
The news blindsided Education Minister Dale Kirby, who said it looks like a conflict of interest, and mused about possibly changing legislation to prevent this sort of thing from again.
Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association (NLTA) president James Dinn said that as an administrative officer, Pike won’t be involved in contract negotiations — at least, not directly at the table.
But Pike’s hiring is definitely a coup for the union.
“There’s no denying the fact that Mr. Pike brings with him a vast array of knowledge and experience,” Dinn said.
“There’s no doubt about it. All knowledge that works in that dialogue, it will be useful.”
In addition to the contract negotiations, Pike will come to the NLTA with a good idea of the school board’s future plans on happening school closures, teacher allocations and a myriad of other issues.
Pike was making more than $176,000 per year as CEO of the school district. His NLTA salary has not been publicly disclosed, but it’s widely understood that he’s taking both a pay cut and a lower-ranking role at a smaller organization by making the move.
Pike wasn’t doing interviews to explain his decision, and when Kirby spoke to journalists, he said he’d talked to Pike, but didn’t ask about what his motivations were.
“I didn’t feel I should pry into his personal decision,” Kirby said.
By the sounds of it, Pike wasn’t exactly courted by the NLTA. The association posted a notice for a position that was vacant, and Pike applied.
“Certainly, it was a surprise,” Dinn said.
Pike was appointed CEO of the English School District in 2013 — around the time the provincial government amalgamated the four regional districts into one new mega-board.
For most of the past four years, Pike has worked with an unelected board of trustees at the school board, which was appointed by the government as part of the amalgamation process.
Pike’s move to the NLTA comes less than five months after the school board elections that reintroduced elected trustees to the system.
Pike’s CEO contract is not a public document, but Kirby confirmed there were conflict of interest clauses in it.
“My understanding is that Mr. Pike doesn’t believe that he’s violated the conflict clauses in his agreement, and the board of trustees has sought legal counsel,” Kirby said
“That legal counsel has indicated their agreement that there is no violation of those terms. But there is indisputably a perceived conflict of interest, in the least.”