Huff promotes Besendorfer's attack dog to top administrative post

The woman who has played a key role in the departure of hundreds of teachers from the Joplin R-8 School District in the past two years is moving up the administrative ladder.

With Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer leaving the district, instead of searching for someone who might be qualified to take over the duties, it appears that Superintendent C. J. Huff has instead promoted Besendorfer's attack dog, human resources director Tina Smith to the newly created post of chief operations officer.

The move comes at approximately the same time that the Turner Report published information from Division of Employment Security documents that indicate that Huff and Ms. Smith buried allegations of insurance fraud and violations of other laws against Mike Johnson, the former district director of buildings, grounds, and transportation and current head of building projects.

The documents also included an allegation that Ms. Smith hired a district employee to paint her house.

Ms. Smith has also worked hand-in-hand with Besendorfer to remove principals and teachers who either dared to oppose Besendorfer or who stood in the way of someone Besendorfer wanted promoted to certain positions, often making sure that they are escorted out of the building, sometimes by police officers, not only to humiliate them, but also to send a message to other employees.

The one thing Ms. Smith is not is a chief operations officer.

But then again, perhaps I am being a bit too harsh. Promoting someone who is not qualified has been a hallmark of the Huff Administration, always backed by 7-0 votes from the Board of Education.

Consider this segment from a post I wrote November 25.

Anyone who thought the Joplin R-8 School District saved money when two of its four superintendent positions were eliminated has not been looking into the growing number of $50,000 plus employees who work out of the Administration Building at 32nd and Duquesne.

During Jim Simpson's last year as superintendent, he had three assistants, Besendorfer, Doerr, and Domer. Paul Barr was CFO, a position he still holds, Angela Neria was in charge of technology, a position now held by Klista Rader, and Janet Earl ran special education.

Since that time, the following positions have been created:

-Director of Community Development- held by Kim Vann, who also serves as head of Bright Futures. Ms. Vann's background is not in education. She previously worked with the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce.

-Human Relations- Tina Smith, with no education background, handles the job that was previously done by Steve Doerr, a veteran educator.

-Director of Curriculum and Instruction- Sarah Stevens was brought up from Besendorfer's personal training ground of junior administrators, the teaching coaches, this year to take this position.

-Director of Elementary Education- Jennifer Doshier was rewarded for her part in the elimination of nearly every teacher during her final year as McKinley Elementary principal by being moved into the central office.

-Director of High School Instruction- Jason Cravens handles this position.

-Assistant Director of Special Services- Mark Barlass had to be hired for this position since his immediate superior, Director of Special Services Lisa Orem, is not certified in special education. In fact, she is not even certified as an administrator any more. DESE records indicate Orem's principal certificate expired more than two years ago, on Sept. 1, 2011, and she is only certified as an elementary teacher.

Director of Buildings- Michael Johnson handles this position.

Teaching/Learning Coaches and 21st Century Learning Coaches- In addition to having principals and assistant principals at each school, Besendorfer has added teaching/learning coaches, ostensibly to help teachers, but with the understanding that they are to serve as the eyes and ears of upper administration (Besendorfer) at each school. The coaches have weekly all-day sessions in which they report to upper administration about what is going on in their buildings. After the addition of laptops for all high school students in the fall of 2011, the district added four 21st Century coaches, and then requested money for seven more in its 2012 federal Race to the Top application. Despite the U. S. Department of Education's rejection of the request, the seven coaches were hired.

Career Pathways Directors- Many of us can remember a time when principals ran a school, and if the school was big enough, there might be an assistant principal or two. Joplin has a principal, three assistants, and six Career Pathways directors. The district, under the Besendorfer plan of moving every high school student into one of five Career Pathways, has one director in charge of each pathway, and then a director in charge of the directors. Again, all of this was included in the Race to the Top application, which was rejected by the federal government. And again, despite the large amount of money, the cost was absorbed by the local budget. Of the six Career Pathways directors, only two are educators. Like so many of the other positions that have been added, they have been given to either people who have no educational background or who are woefully underqualified for the positions they hold.

In this kind of atmosphere, it would be a surprise if Tina Smith didn't rise to the top.

Angie Besendorfer may be headed for Western Governors University, but her legacy will live on.