From Deseret News archives:
State ed leader resigns post
Patrick Ogden, who has worked as state associate superintendent of business services for eight years, sent brief word of his resignation to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington.
"Superintendent, I hereby tender my resignation from my position as associate superintendent, business services, for the Utah State Office of Education, effective Oct. 31, 2007," states Ogden's resignation letter, according to office spokesman Mark Peterson.
Ogden had no additional comment on the resignation. But he did tell the Deseret Morning News that he wants to find another job in the public sector.
"I don't know what it will be in," Ogden said.
Ogden was placed on paid administrative leave one week ago after submitting the State Board of Education's budget request a month late to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. Harrington said the budget report still was not fully submitted until Tuesday. She called tardiness and completeness of reports a chronic problem, but said Ogden was not alone responsible for all of it.
Harrington said she also had concerns about other decision-making but would not elaborate.
A team of finance, statistics and accounting offices, led by associate superintendent Larry Shumway, has been examining the matter. A report is expected to be released today.
Ogden said he wasn't interviewed as part of the report.
The report is expected to make recommendations for improvement, Harrington said. Whether they would have led to Ogden's dismissal is now moot, she said.
Ogden has overseen business services at the State Office of Education since 1999. He had 14 years prior experience in the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, where he was manager of policy analysis.
"I don't think there's anyone in the state that understands school finance better than Patrick Ogden ... and he's very good at explaining it. He was always bringing the best in technological innovation to it as well, and oversaw the data business as the data business exploded in state offices of education across the country due to No Child Left Behind provisions," Peterson said.
Harrington said her office will immediately seek a replacement. She hopes to begin interviews the first week of December and name a replacement by Jan. 1.
The legislative session, where the education system's budget is on the line, begins Jan. 21.
"It's a hard time to have someone join the team and be thrown into the legislative cycle," Harrington said, "but there's no choice in the matter at this point."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com
