Though the speaker did not mention the child by name, he told the story of a child who was saddled with problems the moment he was born.
"There are some kids," he said, introducing the story, "we must get away from their mothers at birth and dads."
The speaker, C. J. Huff, said during his first year as superintendent of the Joplin R-8 School District, "I had a third grade boy, great kid. His mom and dad were absent. I think His dad was in jail; his mom was always out partying. He was left in the care of his 'in quotes' aunt and uncle. That night, the aunt challenged him to a drinking contest. Jack Daniels."
Breaking into tears, Huff said, "He died in his sleep that night. It made headline in the paper, front page stuff. The aunt and uncle were convicted. Good kid, he was raising his brother and sister. He made a mistake, a fatal mistake."
Huff indicated that the story of the boy's death and the drinking game did not make much of a splash in Joplin. It was not even on the front page of the newspaper, he said. "Our community, even though it was in the paper one time did not know that story."
Huff said he felt he had to tell these kinds of stories to let people know what he and the people in the Joplin school district have to deal with every day.
If the boy had survived the drinking contest, Huff said, "if he had not died in his sleep, he would have been taking the state assessment test with a hangover."
Huff told the Wisconsin educators they had to tell the politicians the truth about what is happening with children.
During his one hour speech, Huff told the story of the May 22, 2011, Joplin Tornado, and how he was proud of "the team I have and my school board. I will take credit for hiring some great people," he added.
Huff also recounted the story of his promise, made two days after the tornado, that school would start on time in the Joplin R-8 School District. "I didn't ask my school board for permission," he said. "I just did it."
He then talked about the work that was done to arrange temporary schools for those whose buildings were destroyed by the tornado.
After opening his presentation with stories about the tornado, Huff talked about the difference Bright Futures has made in the Joplin Schools and how much the graduation rate has gone up since he arrived in 2008.
He ended the speech, saying that though he had once considered the first day of the 2011-2012 school year to be his greatest day as an educator, it had been replaced by one he had just lived through one week earlier- the opening of the new East Middle School, Irving Elementary School, and Soaring Heights Elementary School.
12 comments:
I find this speech offensive. As educators, we are told that the issues students have at home are beyond our ability to control, and we are to consider those issues as explanations for student behaviors and attitudes, not as excuses for lack of academic growth. Apparently, however, if you are a failing superintendent, you can justify the stagnation of learning in your district by blaming the conditions the students endure at home.
This sounds more like front loading for a man who is looking for a new workplace. Excuses, excuses. We have too many of those and not enough explanations.
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, as far as drinking goes.
Why would CJ ask the Board for permission? They give him everything he wants anyway. Some things are just a given.
What does he mean the tragic death of this child didn't make a splash? What a jerk. That story made the news big time. It broke the hearts of those of us who knew the child. Quit using the tragedies of this town to try and propel yourself forward, CJ. Don't use this child or those we lost to the tornado to make yourself either a victim or a hero, depending on what your current speech needs.
SHAME ON YOU, CJ HUFF. shame on you
He hired some great people? Who are they, and when are they going to get to work? So far things have done nothing but get worse and worse with the folks he has on staff at the moment. Don't hold back, CJ, start using the A Team at any time.
Exploiting tragedy: CJ Huff's primary political tool
"Our community, even though it was in the paper one time did not know that story."
I call b.s. on this claim.
Thank you CJ for being you!
The graduation rate has gone up. Incredibly. No other district can match it. I know mine can't. But your scores indicate that they don't know much, with barely half the kids reading at grade level. Which brings us to, what is the point of a diploma if the graduates don't know anything? Another reason not to go to Joplin.
9:05 a.m.:
I wish someone would hire him. And his special team, too. Like yesterday.
Why do people still want to listen to this man blather on about his supposedly heroic deeds? Not only that, but they pay for the "privilege" of hearing his worn-out, mostly fictionalized account of his actions and his successes after the silver-lined funnel that helped him and his cohort in deed, Angie Besendorfer, propel themselves onto a national stage. Do they not research a little farther and see what a crock it all is? I would before I'd spend 8 grand or more on a snake oil salesman.
The comment that the graduation rate has gone up since he took over has to be a complete lie. I know personally that there are kids who would literally rather drop out and transfer to a different school than be another notch on his graduation rate. At least that's how I felt and what I did, in fact. C.J. Huff is the epitome of everything that is wrong with public education today.
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