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– That this has been a demanding first year for her, there is no doubt. In that situation, there are some factors that I still wish Marte Gerhardsen had handled differently, such as the team’s management of the learning environment and the increase in principals’ salaries.
Oslo School Board Inga Marte Thorkildsen criticizes education director Marte Gerhardsen in her first interview after Dagbladet’s articles about the Oslo school. Yesterday he received criticism from, among others, Marit Arnstad of the Center Party.
– It is important that the top managers of large organizations listen to the rank and file and be humble with those who are going to lead. I think the director takes the signals she receives now and will adjust the course accordingly, continues Thorkildsen.
Agreement with the salaried party: – Horrible
Have confidence
Councilor Thorkildsen declined to meet with Dagbladet for an interview, but answered questions via email.
– Do you trust Mars Gerhardsen?
– Yes.
The storm against the Education Agency in Oslo, Norway’s largest municipal agency, has grown in strength after the Dagbladet revelations. It first emerged that the number of directors at the agency has increased, despite Gerhardsen’s promises to the contrary.
Dagbladet then told the directors about the pay party, a pay party that Thorkildsen is now distancing himself from.
Dagbladet has also revealed that millions of tax dollars have gone to US advisers, headhunters and advisers.
Call on the carpet: – Enough is enough
– Don’t lift a finger
The opposition in Oslo sternly rebuked Thorkildsen for the use of consultants, but the city council believes the criticism reeks of double standards.
-I record that some of the most critical of the use of consultants did not lift a finger to do something about it when they themselves governed, says Thorkildsen.
He repeats that the city council is actively working to reduce the use of consultants in the municipality.
– I am ready to answer all the questions from the city council, but I would like to remind KrF that they were responsible for an education agency with more than double the consulting budget that we control now, and almost the same number of directors, she continues .
– Do you think it was correct to increase the number of directors in the agency?
– I am not a supporter of various directors of the education agency. I hope that the number of directors in the agency does not increase, but decreases in the long term, replies Thorkildsen.
– Do you want to take steps to ensure that no more directors are hired?
– The director of the agency is responsible for hiring those he needs to comply with the decision of the city council. I think you have realized very clearly that I am not excited about more directors, writes SV city council to Dagbladet.
The salary party “is not okay”
While teachers at the Oslo school have been asked to show restraint in the salary arrangement this year, at least 12 agency directors and section leaders have received large salary increases.
Thorkildsen writes in the email to Dagbladet that it was Gerhardsen’s fault for giving the big salary estimates.
– I agree with them that it is not right for a principal to get a high pay raise while teachers and others on the front line in a crown year must show restraint. It was a mistake to grant big pay increases now and therefore the system must be changed, in close cooperation with the unions. I take it very seriously when I receive messages from school employees saying they react to what they experience as discrimination. This is especially serious at a difficult time when many have worked harder to ensure that our students have the best school day possible.
After the revelations: – Shocked
Will not reverse
At the same time, Thorkildsen writes that he does not want to go in and reverse the pay increases.
– I am concerned that the expansion of wage evolution in society should not increase in general. And I am glad that the director understands that these increases were unfortunate and that, after all, this has led to a new and better system that guarantees more dialogue with the unions.
– When were you informed about the salary increases?
– I was not informed about this. It is also not uncommon for agencies to brief political leaders on administrative salary determinations.
– At the town hall, he said that he is not responsible for the salary evolution in his agency. You said salary is something you “don’t confuse me with and you’re not responsible for.” Are you still serious?
– I should have put it differently. I understood that the opposition meant that I had to participate directly in individual decisions, and in that case I did not agree with that. As a councilor, I am responsible for the overall salary development in the agency. But it is the director of the agency who determines people’s salaries. I am fully aware that the political leadership cannot delegate parliamentary responsibilities and of course I do not want that either, replies Thorkildsen.
Spend millions on American coaching
Review all contracts
Dagbladet has also revealed that the Education Agency spends millions on the same leadership training that is used in large American companies. Thorkildsen says the focus should be on building competition internally “rather than paying expensive companies to give advice that we should be able to give ourselves.”
– This is also the reason why we have asked the agency to review all its consulting contracts and assess whether they agree with the objective of trust-based leadership and management, writes Thorkildsen.
Last year, the Education Agency spent more than a million on headhunters. Thorkildsen’s reminds Marte Gerhardsen that the municipality of Oslo also has an environment that can help with employment.
– The Education Agency is a great organization. Hiring many top managers at the same time requires large resources. This is the responsibility of the agency manager and I assume that she also assessed the municipality’s own competitive environment for recruitment before making the decision to use an outside company.
