At a time when it appears that the district may lose more than 100 teachers for the third year in a row, Mrs. Smith introduced the "Eagle of the Week" program.
One employee will be spotlighted each Monday on the district website, she said. "We knew we needed to do a better job of recognizing our staff on a regular basis."
The Eagle of the Week winner will receive dinner for four at a local restaurant and have his or her photo taken.
That should keep any more teachers from resigning.
Maybe they should raise salaries and cut down on the bureaucratic bs that brings down teacher morale. It is a black mark on Joplin schools when they can't retain teachers. Cecil Floyd has 4 new third grade teachers this year, at least 3 are 1st year teachers. They have left in droves over the last 3 years. When teachers are leaving Joplin to teach in galena, Major problem.
ReplyDeleteAnyone ever wonder why she abruptly left the same type of HR position at the Pittsburg School District?
ReplyDeleteIs the photo with C.J?
ReplyDeleteSo the R8 can treat their employees like crap and hide bad issues of terrible and destructive behavior . And in return they get a meal to Sonic or Chick fil A? That seems fair. Nice job Mrs Smith way to follow the lead of that hag Bessendorfer who got out before she was booted out. Hopefully the exit door for you opens much sooner. #youhavenoclue.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, this really makes up for making less money still than we did before the Recession started!! And then we can watch all the worthless extraneous personnel that wander around doing nothing all day making 20 grand a year more than the teachers.
ReplyDeleteTeachers leave because the district treats them like crap. This is insulting at best. Demeaning. You can't threaten people at every turn and then think this kind of stupid and empty gesture will make up the difference.
Let's see. This is the same person who "interviews" people she already knows will be fired, who hired an employee to paint her house during district hours, who overlooks abuse of employees to keep Mike Johnson and CJ Huff happy, and has staff humiliated by having them escorted out of the building by police officers. No one wants one damn thing from her or CJ Huff or anyone associated with them. What will raise staff morale will be firing them and restoring some sanity and some respect in the district. Until then, she can stick her restaurant coupons.
ReplyDeleteSuppose you'll get a special escort if you refuse the 'honor'?
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't Carthage schools have the same issues. I haven't had to deal with board, but with 3 children and 3 grandchildren who attended or attend R9 school I have found the principals and teachers are top notch, and the bus drivers are great. Maybe Joplin should follow their model for education.
ReplyDelete@8:51. $20,000 more? There are people at thetTaj Mahal aka Administration building making at or above $80,000 or more for.simply pushing paper and going to meetings. That makes me.sick as a tax payer to think the ones who are actually responsible for the learning of the students are forgotten when it comes to.compensation.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't so terrible, it would be funny. Do they really think this will help morale??? How childish and stupid are they?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they could create a new position - every school could have a person or two whose job it would be to improve employee morale.
ReplyDeleteThey could call them the "Sunshine Squad".
And maybe the Sunshine Squad should wear some kind of identifier so everyone would know who they were...
Like an armband! Yeah, that's it! Huff and Smith's underlings could march around our schools wearing an armband with the letters "SS" on it.
So that we will feel safe as administration promises to return R-VIII to its former glory, scapegoating internal agitators as the true cause of all of its problems.
If only there were some... solution... that would take care of these agitators once and for all. A final solution.
I think the Anonymous comment at 9:11 wins best comment of the day award.
ReplyDelete9:56--
ReplyDeleteI concur!!! Had to laugh even though I felt like crying. It is too true.
No one wants their grubby little "award." Note that it is not even admin who is making the nomination. They don't have to even think about it. Just send the coupons over. There's some real effort.
By the way, there was a "sunshine squad" prior to the bond issue vote. The Bright Futures group spread sunshine in every building via cookies, lunches, shiny baubles, etc., to try and convince staff that Big Daddy Huff cared about the peons in the district and so therefore they should vote for his dream school bond.
They were never seen or heard from again once the bond issue squeaked through. Funny, no one misses them.
The audacity of Mrs Smith simply amazes me. But then again it seems right on par with what has been going on at the R8 Administration. So I hope she reads this even though they tell employees not to I know she does. Think about it Smith. Do seriously believe that by offering a teacher a meal they will stay with b the district? I mean get real. This will fail as badly as her haircut. Yes I went there.
ReplyDeleteLOL 9:21
ReplyDeleteMaybe the "SS" could sing a song, holding hands, and dance down the hallways making things better for everyone. This could be their theme song by The Partridge Family, "Come on get happy." Sing along people....
Hello world, here's a song that we're singin'
Come on, get happy
A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy
We had a dream we'd go travelin' together
And spread a little lovin' if we'll keep movin' on
Somethin' always happens whenever we're together
We get a happy feelin' when we're singin' a song
Travelin' along, there's a song that we're singin'
Come on, get happy
A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy
We'll make you happy
We'll make you happy
I bet the applications are going to start rolling in now!
ReplyDeleteThe mass exodus of teachers for 2014 has already begun. No one can take it anymore. All conversations seem to revolve around how to get out of the district. It's horrible here. No respect for staff at all. This idiotic idea won't do anything but convince them theyre right to get out. What a condescending slap in the face. How about decent wages competitive with other districts our size? How about treating staff with respect instead of constant intimidation? How about fewer days of stupid PD about the latest initiative/program/staff that will create miracles that never, ever happen. How about worrying more about instilling decency and work ethic in the kids instead of blaming the teachers for the kids not learning? You will lose more than 100 this year, if you haven't already, but R8 is becoming very secretive. They don't post how many they need of any one type of job opening. They just give one listing. The problem is that high quality candidates become fewer and farther in between. Good candidates will go to more stable districts with better reputations and more pay and benefits. Those with no vested interest in the school have no reason to stay.
ReplyDeleteVote out that stupid board that once again voted 7-0 for everything last night and put in some people with some common sense. Or settle for a district that continues to spiral downward with less and less learning every year.
Now, don't you all be so hard on Ms. Smith and the district. The token tote bags given to staff last week have nothing whatsoever with trying to convince staff they care about them in order to get staff votes. Not their incentive at all. No siree. Why, it would be downright cynical to think they gave staff token gifts because they just realized they need staff votes to keep their board members in place. Yes, those same board members who have not taken care of the staff and who have allowed these same administrators to be abusive, unjust, and tyrannical.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking it'll be impossible for them to buy my vote. To assume we're so dumb that we can't make that connection is insulting. The mass exodus will continue until the Huff regime is gone. All of them.