The president of the union that represents professors at Palm Beach State College has no confidence in the president of the school.
Nick LaRocca says Ava Parker's leadership over the past 5 years has led to financial disarray.
"All of the teachers and all of the staff at Palm Beach State College are underpaid compared to same folks at Indian River, Broward and Miami-Dade (State Colleges)."
He says that Parker uses taxpayer money on what he calls "unnecessary, often bizarre items," including a $10,000 wall in her office that turns opaque when you hit a button.
He also accuses Parker of spending way too much on her upper administrative staff.
"Many of them earn total compensation and benefits in excess of $200,000 in taxpayer money, some of them $300,000 in taxpayer money."
LaRocca also complains that the president has been furloughing staff.
Pres. Parker had this reaction:
"I'm disappointed that the negotiations with faculty have led them to this point, but I'm looking forward to continued conversations with them so that we can reach a resolution that is something that both sides can agree upon."
She says most of the classes have gone remote due to the pandemic...and many of the staff members who have been furloughed were able to apply for other positions with the college.
Parker also denies the claims of paying upper-staff members as much as $300,000.
"The administrative salaries that we pay are in line with or less than those of our sister institutions."
As for that wall, as described by LaRocca above, President Parker could not confirm the cost, but says that when she took over the administrative offices five years ago, they had not been updated in nearly 20 years.
The United Faculty union plans to announce the results of a no-confidence vote at Noon on Monday, and it will be forwarded to the Palm Beach State Board of Trustees, the Chancellor of the Florida State College System and Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
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