This blog features observations from Randy Turner, a former teacher, newspaper reporter and editor. Send news items or comments to rturner229@hotmail.com
Monday, May 26, 2014
Open forum: What can be done to rescue Joplin R-8 from financial disaster?
All right, readers! It is becoming obvious where C. J. Huff is heading in his efforts to lift the Joplin R-8 School District out of its current financial woes.
I want to hear your suggestions on how you would do it if you were put in charge.
11 comments:
Anonymous
said...
1. Fire CJ Huff immediately. 2. Fire the MODOT leeches. 3. Put someone up there with some common sense. 4. The Board needs to ignore the mandate of Flowers and Huff and they need to become much more involved.
Cut back on the damned technology and add some common sense items like books. They never crash and they're easy enough to replace, and they need no huge staff to constantly monitor them. Find a happy medium.
Cut back on the incredible number of new classes and focus on priorities. You know, reading, writing, arithmetic. History and science. They have all of their lives to work and go for additional training. For most of them, what they are given in public school is their only formal education. Stop cheating them by pushing the technology and careers. Cut back on that, increase the basics.
Get rid of all TLC positions. Allow them to return to the classroom where they can demonstrate their "expertise" daily by working with students instead of trying to one-up each other by coming up with the most ways to collect data and criticize teachers. There should be no shortage of positions open that they can fill due to the enormous yearly turnover. Cut unnecessary administrative positions at the admin building. I agree with 6:28 that there must be textbooks and that the technology can be scaled back greatly. Administrative salaries should be comparable to teachers. If teachers salaries are below the state average, then those at admin should have below state average salaries for their positions as well. I think everyone should also do their part in trying to stop these tax cuts at the state level that continue to erode funding for education. I will gladly pay $30 more a year in taxes if it means millions more to schools. With that being said, though, we must have administrators than handle the money properly and put the needs of the students first.
I wish I could say to CJ what I really want to say, but there are kids reading this, so I'll just suggest that R8 take a commission from his stupid cry baby speeches. That ought to have them straightened out in no time.
FACS classes could have bake sales. Business classes could have rummage sales. Automotive could have car washes and detailing. Why, the kids could save the district. They can only do better than the adults who are supposedly running it.
It's occured to me that Huff can't let go any of the bulked up administrative staff including the spies detailed to the individual schools. Right now they've got a good thing going, but if they lose their jobs, or are in fear of that, all sorts of interesting information will be seeing the light of day.
As is obvious to all, the first order of business is getting rid of Huff. If, as is suspected, he's been falsifying his required ethics reports by not reporting income from speeches, it should be a no brainer for a majority of the board. If that doesn't happen, and he avoids a criminal indictment and conviction, we'll have to wait until we can further reform the board in future elections, with various disasters along the way provinding the necessary impitus.
Note on paper vs. e-books: with all that money already spent on buying all those laptops, it's not an obvious way to save money to immediately move back to paper.
It isn't a cure but, there was an agreement by memorandum with the Joplin Tornado TIF board that in exchange for the school district supporting the TIF a one time payment of, I believe, around eleven million dollars would be forthcoming in the third year of the TIF. This was all negotiated with the master developer. This money should be coming due next year. It hasn't been mentioned by any media or anyone. I would guess the master developer hopes it stays unmentioned as the TIF doesn't have the money. The way it was written, I don't think the TIF board could be held in violation of anything because it was just a memorandum of understanding.
1. ALL new administration with cuts to the number. That means Tina Smith and that nasty Mike Johnson too. 2. DETAILED information published well ahead of board meetings with a way for the public to have input. All that technology could be put to use for the public to have input. 3. No early childhood center until all the old schools are updated to match the new ones. 4. COMPLETE audit by OUTSIDE sources. PUBLISHED! 5. If you want to keep the TLC's and use them as coaches then replace them all and start over. 6. Replace all principals and directors that were TLC's. 7. Have a balance of technology and books. 8. Don't support any more of those TIFs. 9. Board members need to listen to the public and the employees. Checks and balances.
The board and administration need to pay very close attention. We were duped into passing the last bond and that won't happen again. Until there is TRUE transparency and voter representation, I will NEVER vote for another bond or levy and I will NEVER vote for an incumbent board member. I'll be sure to let everyone I know that and why. The Globe isn't the only way to get the word out, right Randy?
Transparency would be a big help. I think fewer things would 'slip through' if details were published. New board documents on the website do not have details like they have in the past.
11 comments:
1. Fire CJ Huff immediately.
2. Fire the MODOT leeches.
3. Put someone up there with some common sense.
4. The Board needs to ignore the mandate of Flowers and Huff and they need to become much more involved.
Cut back on the damned technology and add some common sense items like books. They never crash and they're easy enough to replace, and they need no huge staff to constantly monitor them. Find a happy medium.
Cut back on the incredible number of new classes and focus on priorities. You know, reading, writing, arithmetic. History and science. They have all of their lives to work and go for additional training. For most of them, what they are given in public school is their only formal education. Stop cheating them by pushing the technology and careers. Cut back on that, increase the basics.
Get rid of all TLC positions. Allow them to return to the classroom where they can demonstrate their "expertise" daily by working with students instead of trying to one-up each other by coming up with the most ways to collect data and criticize teachers. There should be no shortage of positions open that they can fill due to the enormous yearly turnover. Cut unnecessary administrative positions at the admin building. I agree with 6:28 that there must be textbooks and that the technology can be scaled back greatly. Administrative salaries should be comparable to teachers. If teachers salaries are below the state average, then those at admin should have below state average salaries for their positions as well. I think everyone should also do their part in trying to stop these tax cuts at the state level that continue to erode funding for education. I will gladly pay $30 more a year in taxes if it means millions more to schools. With that being said, though, we must have administrators than handle the money properly and put the needs of the students first.
I wish I could say to CJ what I really want to say, but there are kids reading this, so I'll just suggest that R8 take a commission from his stupid cry baby speeches. That ought to have them straightened out in no time.
HUFF NEEDS TO RESIGN TOMORROW. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION.
FACS classes could have bake sales. Business classes could have rummage sales. Automotive could have car washes and detailing. Why, the kids could save the district. They can only do better than the adults who are supposedly running it.
It's occured to me that Huff can't let go any of the bulked up administrative staff including the spies detailed to the individual schools. Right now they've got a good thing going, but if they lose their jobs, or are in fear of that, all sorts of interesting information will be seeing the light of day.
As is obvious to all, the first order of business is getting rid of Huff. If, as is suspected, he's been falsifying his required ethics reports by not reporting income from speeches, it should be a no brainer for a majority of the board. If that doesn't happen, and he avoids a criminal indictment and conviction, we'll have to wait until we can further reform the board in future elections, with various disasters along the way provinding the necessary impitus.
Note on paper vs. e-books: with all that money already spent on buying all those laptops, it's not an obvious way to save money to immediately move back to paper.
It isn't a cure but, there was an agreement by memorandum with the Joplin Tornado TIF board that in exchange for the school district supporting the TIF a one time payment of, I believe, around eleven million dollars would be forthcoming in the third year of the TIF. This was all negotiated with the master developer. This money should be coming due next year. It hasn't been mentioned by any media or anyone. I would guess the master developer hopes it stays unmentioned as the TIF doesn't have the money. The way it was written, I don't think the TIF board could be held in violation of anything because it was just a memorandum of understanding.
1. ALL new administration with cuts to the number. That means Tina Smith and that nasty Mike Johnson too.
2. DETAILED information published well ahead of board meetings with a way for the public to have input. All that technology could be put to use for the public to have input.
3. No early childhood center until all the old schools are updated to match the new ones.
4. COMPLETE audit by OUTSIDE sources. PUBLISHED!
5. If you want to keep the TLC's and use them as coaches then replace them all and start over.
6. Replace all principals and directors that were TLC's.
7. Have a balance of technology and books.
8. Don't support any more of those TIFs.
9. Board members need to listen to the public and the employees. Checks and balances.
The board and administration need to pay very close attention. We were duped into passing the last bond and that won't happen again. Until there is TRUE transparency and voter representation, I will NEVER vote for another bond or levy and I will NEVER vote for an incumbent board member. I'll be sure to let everyone I know that and why. The Globe isn't the only way to get the word out, right Randy?
Transparency would be a big help. I think fewer things would 'slip through' if details were published. New board documents on the website do not have details like they have in the past.
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