Besendorfer, who has been in the district for seven years, announced her resignation today to become the chancellor of Western Governors University Missouri, an online school.
The following news release was issued by the Joplin R-8 School District.
Joplin Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angie Besendorfer announced today her plans to resign from Joplin Schools and accept a position as Chancellor of WGU Missouri in January 2014.
“A decision like this is really difficult,” said Dr. Besendorfer. “I love the direction Joplin Schools is going, and it's hard to choose to leave, especially at such a transitional time for the district, but WGU Missouri is also an innovative education institution and offered me an exciting opportunity that I just couldn't refuse.”
Dr. Besendorfer has worked for Joplin Schools as assistant superintendent since 2007. During her tenure, she led important initiatives related to teaching and learning that have impacted education in Joplin Schools at all grade levels. She has also played a primary role in the recovery process after the May 22, 2011 tornado. After the disaster, she spearheaded the design process for both temporary and permanent facilities, and she was instrumental in the implementation of the one-to-one laptop initiative at Joplin High School.
“Dr. Besendorfer has a passion and vision for education that goes beyond the traditional classroom setting,” said Joplin Schools Superintendent Dr. C.J. Huff. “Her collaborative work with staff, parents, and the community has helped to develop a collective vision which has laid the groundwork for Joplin Schools' efforts to provide a 21st century education in our community. We hate to see Angie leave the Joplin Schools’ family, but we are excited for her and the role she will continue to play in Missouri education.”
“We’re delighted to have someone of Angie’s caliber and commitment to education join us as Chancellor of WGU Missouri,” said Western Governors University President Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall. “Providing high quality, affordable degree programs for teachers and administrators is a significant part of what we do, and Angie’s background and experience in K-12 education will be key to helping us grow and develop our teacher education programs in Missouri.”
WGU Missouri is a nonprofit, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. Established by the state of Missouri through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri offers more than 50 accredited, competency-based undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.
Ding dong the witch is gone. Something to be really thankful for this year.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Ms.Besendorfer...I have a good friend in Florida who is associated with an on-line university. He is very successful and is proud he gets to serve thousands of people.
ReplyDeleteNow Randy will have to find someone else to demonize. He's got to use up all that hate and envy somewhere.
Good for her! Bad for Turner. What will you do with your life now?????
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Dr. Besendorfer! Missouri owes much to your educational leadership, and I believe you, as all good leaders do, have left a deep legacy in Joplin. We will be changed by your leadership, but we will also be strong enough to carry the torch.
ReplyDelete10:29--
DeleteHahahahahaha! Oh yeah. You'll be changed by her leadership for sure. Changed in a bankrupt, disgraced sense. Time to take off those rose colored glasses now.
You people are sick to support her. Must know your time is near also. Hang on to those coat tails. Maybe she'll take you fools with her.
ReplyDeleteOh, there are plenty others to watch & report on!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, another send us your money and we will send your degree by return mail. Guess this is one way to get all her foot soldiers certified.
ReplyDelete9:53 am and 9:54 am same thought, different words. Both hit the nail on the head!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's possible to destroy an invisible school. If so, she'll find a way. Thank God and Greyhound, she's gone.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder why people who don't like Turner read him so often. If he were truly that biased and hateful, he wouldn't post your comments. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Bessie will be gone..but, what she leaves behind will never ever ever be cleaned up..but, the good news is that since she will be dealing with grown up students her every move will be online & watched.& fully questioned...
ReplyDeleteI'm worried about who they'll replace her with. Hopefully not one of her Modot spies.
ReplyDeleteIs she taking her $50,000 furniture with her???
ReplyDeleteTotally overlooked this until just now! What great news.
ReplyDeleteI think it's funny some of you are still choosing to support her even though she is effectively leaving you to the wolves.
People who resign going into the weekend (or a major holiday with a four-day weekend) are purposely trying to avoid the attention that goes along with a resignation. Beloved figures retire or leave in a public way and the institutions that love them have receptions and celebrations.
Let me spell out the subtext: Besendorfer is leaving under the cover of night, skipping rent. This is a walk of shame. When you are in an administrative position, they let you do it this way so that you get to "save face" (see: Bruce Speck of MSSU, Debbie Linnes of St John's, etc.). Part of it is mutually beneficial, because the institutions are also looking to save face and not reveal the full extent of the problems within.
You all who choose to hate Turner are going to shift the goalposts with some "what are you going to do now?" instead of acknowledging the reality here, that Turner was right. She wouldn't be leaving now and in this manner if he weren't on the right track; no one with a compulsion to power like her would willingly exchange influence in as large of a district as Joplin for some no-name diploma mill.
Turner's efforts contributed to things happening the way they have, make no mistake. What some of you like to mischaracterize as an "obscure blog" actually has a lot of influence. Of course, that's why he provokes such negative reactions, but it's unlikely those folks will ever admit it, so devoted are they to rationalizing their own complicity in corruption.
A greater tragedy is left in Besendorfer's wake: a lot of good teachers and principals were lost during this little exercise in unchecked authoritarianism. She's gone, but the system that allowed her to rise to power is still there. Are Huff and the boards jettisoning her in an attempt to save themselves? Once again, where is the Globe to explore this when there is obviously much more going on behind the scenes? Looking forward to seeing the rest of the story.
Thank you, 5:46. Beautifully stated.
ReplyDeleteYes, she is skipping town. Is the BOE going to go after her certification like they do other teachers attempting to leave?
ReplyDeleteDr. Huff's email to the district was short and brief, probably no true love loss. May even save his job.
She is like Mr. Bruce Ismay, getting on the lifeboat when the ship is sinking.
As with all the other districts she left, before being dismissed at many of them, she leaves with the damage done.
They are out of money, test scores continue to get lower, obviously something is not working. Maybe all of the excess work and belittling of teachers has finally caught up with them.
And no Dr. Huff, crying will not get you out of this mess.
Please read oddly enough she jumped ship in Reeds Springs too!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hwy-13.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4451
5:46....I don't support anyone in r-8 but your statement is a joke. Turner is gone and that is a positive change. Truth is, this issue has lost steam. Hence Turner listing support with the "big website venture". It is all but gone and no one really donated any money to him to start it up. Fact is this stuff happens everywhere and it will all blow over soon. Parents will move on, students will move on, teachers, admin & board members will move on. Its just life.
ReplyDelete9:24--
DeleteYour comment is incredibly irresponsible. It implies that no one should ever protest against injustice, even those in education, because the mistreatment is "just life" and those experiencing it should just accept it and move on. What kind of idiocy is that? Being able to speak and protest is the essence of being American. I'm thankful there is a place where the truth can be told.
9:24, this is 5:46.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your response, but you're copping out.
You begrudgingly acknowledge that there are issues with R-8, etc., but the best you can offer is "this is the kind of thing that happens everywhere and so it doesn't really matter." It's "just life" and we should move on.
These comments are an aside tacked onto several swipes at Turner, making it seem like he is your real target.
It's interesting because on the one hand, you do not consider the behavior of actual administrators with real power worth worrying about, but you do perceive Turner, a guy who writes on the internet, as a problem worth your attention. Why not the same "it's a part of life, let's all move on" attitude?
It's inconsistent.
You're either a) completely oblivious to your own inconsistency, or b) don't care about being inconsistent because you're more concerned with trolling.
You can declare my statements a "joke" if you want to, but I feel it is not too arrogant to say that I'm at least constructing something resembling an argument. I'm willing to adjust those arguments based upon new information if need be, and if you have some real criticism, please make it. I don't have to rely on insults in lieu of making a point, because I have one. I encourage you to adopt a similar philosophy, so that people may take you seriously as well.
10:05. Get over yourself. The blogosphere isn't the appropriate place to try to make yourself feel scholarly. Once again you need to re-read the statement. You seem to have a difficult time with simple comprehension......I never acknowledged any problems in the district. I simply said I didn't support any one person or faction. Is this the best you can do?
ReplyDelete10:42--
DeleteYou lost the fight terribly. Probably the best thing you can do is just hush and move on. You're in over your head. Why is a blog not the place to have an informed civil discourse? Seems perfect, to me. I hope the person you so harshly and unfairly criticized continues to speak. We need informed and thoughtful commentary as opposed to thoughtless, harsh drivel.
Aw come on, these people are simply building their resumes so they can move on, and the historic method of doing that is to accumulate as many people under them that public funding will support. You really do not have to worry about Huff, he will be moving on shortly and probably will not give a single thought to the Joplin he has left behind.
ReplyDelete3:54. You are showing your ignorance. Do not embarrass yourself. There was no fight to be had. You are the one who is clearly in over your head. I was not making a case but rather giving an opinion. It is comical that if you make an observation or give an opinion that you and a couple want a thesis provided complete with research and a.p.a. format. I didn't make allegations therefore I will not provide documentation. If I wanted to, believe me I could. You really need to find a hobby and see your way out of my conversation. Happy thanksgiving to you.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm hardly ignorant. Fortunately, I'm not as condescending as you. But the truth will prove us right. So we can wait for you to see how wrong you are. It is to laugh. Go get back on your little pedestal now and pat yourself on the back for your clever retorts. We can wait.
DeleteIf anyone wants to know exactly what 'ole Bess is please read a very powerful book entitled "The Sociopath Next Door." You don't even have to be a non-certified administrator to know that she is a Sociopath.
ReplyDelete"People who resign going into the weekend (or a major holiday with a four-day weekend) are purposely trying to avoid the attention that goes along with a resignation. Beloved figures retire or leave in a public way and the institutions that love them have receptions and celebrations."
ReplyDeleteNuf said. The only that is missing is wanting to spend more time with her family.
What Dr. B leaves behind, 200+ strong educators either with careers ruined or gone from this district and enjoying life and educating somewhere else. People in positions they did not deserve or earn. And the following numbers speak for themselves:
ReplyDeleteFinancial numbers are one thing, graduation numbers are another, however, the main indicator of every thing that DR B is having this district do is supposed to raise the MSIP/MAP test scores, and Joplin, well, it ranks, out of 12 area school districts, last or in the bottom 3 in each MAP category. Here are the AYP Numbers, these are things that they hide:
Rank School District APR Score
1st Nixa 97.9
2nd Bolivar 97.1
.......
9th Webb City 87.5
10th Nevada 85.4
11th Carthage 85
12th Joplin 78.6
Here are some other numbers:
In the 3 year comparison from 2011-2013 for the MSIP 5 MAP Index Scores for English LA 3-8, Math 3-8
Joplin ranking out of 12 schools is last 2 years and next to last 1 year.
The 2013 MSIP 5/MAP Index Scores for 2012-2013 Joplin is tied with another area school for last out of 12.
Numbers speak for themselves. If teachers are not happy, kids are not happy. Kids not happy, parents not happy. Overall, non happy people will always equal low test scores, right?
Regardless if you like or dislike Randy Turner, the numbers that are presented do not lie.
And when it was announced, JoMo teachers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Some even cried. Well said, 5:46
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