The buyout of St. Paul Schools Superintendent Valeria Silva's most recent three-year contract has drawn considerable attention for its nearly $800,000 price tag.
Interesting, too, is the extent to which the two sides went to ensure that she was not to be blamed in any way for a rough 2015-16 school year -- or for any perceived failures since the current deal went into effect last December.
The separation agreement approved by the board last month makes clear she was being terminated "without cause."
It also contains a guarantee that the two sides would be united in how the agreement, which makes possible an early transition from Silva to a new leader, would be presented to the public.
"The parties will work together on agreed upon messaging about transition," the document states.
So how did that play out?
Board Chairman Jon Schumacher said in a district news release: "St. Paul is a growing, dynamic district and transitioning to new leadership now rather than in 2018 will ensure the ever-changing needs of our students are met."
Silva wrote in a note to staff, families and community partners: "As many of you know, my intention was to continue as superintendent until my contract ended in 2018. However, the Board of Education has decided to accelerate that schedule by transitioning to new district leadership sooner than that."
