That is the amount of extra money many of them will receive per week if the budget is approved without change.
According to notes prepared by CFO Paul Barr and placed in the board packet , teachers and other R-8 employees will receive an extra $200 to $300 next year. That is the total amount for the entire year.
The notes also mention that the amount of money R-8 employees have to pay for their portion of health insurance will go up by $12 per month.
In other words, those $200 to $300 raises will actually be between $56 and $156 for employees or between one dollar and three dollars extra per week.
The recommendations also include something that the Huff Administration has made an every year thing- teachers will not receive their steps on the salary schedule.
Joplin R-8 teacher pay, which under the stewardship of C. J. Huff's predecessor, Jim Simpson, had moved to second in this area behind Webb City, now trails Webb City, Carl Junction, Neosho, and Carthage, to name a few.
But the darkness that has enveloped the teachers and staff in the Joplin school district is not everywhere. There is a building where people do not have to worry about making ends meet.
In the Administration bunker at 32nd and Duquesne, a state list provided annually by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from information supplied by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, shows 35 people who are listed as working in the central administration building pulling down annual salaries of $50,000 or more.
Six employees, including C. J. Huff, made more than $100,000 during the 2013-2014 school year.
The list does not include at least four other employees who are likely at the top of the pay scale- Chief Operating Officer Tina Smith, who was human relations director last year, CFO Paul Barr, Building Projects Director Mike Johnson and Director of Community Development Kim Vann.
Those administrators are not included because they are not educators so their salaries do not have to be submitted to the state.
Those making more than $50,000 and classified as working in the central office are listed below:
C. J. Huff $177,275
Angie Besendorfer $134,489
David Rockers $103,887
Mark Barlass $101,281
Jason Cravens $100,898
Lisa Orem $100,652
Jennifer Doshier $92,580
Steven Reed $85,300
Amanda Boyer $76,549
Mary Alexander $73,045
Susan Soat, $69,923
Hannelie Smit $69,923
Lisa Shellenburger $69,923
Mary Lowry $69,923
Sabrina Davis $69,923
Susan James $68,495
Judith Mills $66,930
Vicky Arnold $66,525
Sarah Stevens $64,497
Klista Rader $64,326
Robin Duke $60,574
Melinda St. Clair $59,786
Janie Jarrett $57,722
Bobbie Augspurger $57,500
Jennifer Shannon $57,284
Rayma Taylor $54,439
Julie Sinclair $54,055
Kristi Mickey $51, 503
Rick Williams $51,274
Dustin VanGilder $51,274
Michael Sapp $51,274
Eric Pitcher $51,274
Richard Freeborn $51,274
Adam Bell $51,274
Sara Thomasson $50,780
(More information to come)
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18 comments:
Not including the 4 other employees that are most likely making $100,000+ per year, this is well over $2 million a year the administration is making. This list does not even include the money paid to the learning coaches that do not work directly with students. How many learning coach positions are there, and what is their salary?
This is outrageous. It is beyond compare. Paul Barr is going around shaking down the schools for cash, and we have all of these people making this kind of cash? And teachers, who work harder and harder every year, get farther behind?
It may be illegal to strike, but when has legality been an issue in R8? It would certainly be possible to have an epidemic case of blue flu. Until teachers and staff stop folding like a weak flock of sheep, this won't change. The only way to change this is to make it impossible to ignore any longer.
CJ has a long day planned Monday. He has to meet with the auditors, he has his ethically questionable deal with Besendorfer, and he has school board meetings. Perhaps we should come to the meeting in large numbers, and he and his cohorts on the board can look us square in the eye when they vote on this debacle. Who wants to do anything at all extra next year? Your Eagle Advantage has been hit too, so I'm sorry, that won't make up for what you're losing. It's time, teachers, to take a stand. Who has the courage?
I'm finished with curriculum. That's it. It's been the worst implementation of any project I've ever seen anyway, and I've already given away too much of my time. They can shove it. I'm staying home where I am appreciated.
Stop writing, people, and go home. The sun will still come up. Sarah doesn't get you anything to teach with? She's the one hurting the kids, then. Maybe some of those ridiculous numbers of people on this post can figure it out. I'm sure they're all experienced educators, right? Like Tina Smith, the number two person, who has no experience in education? R8 has become a joke.
How many of these people live in and pay taxes in this district? Or even this state?
A good friend of mine did the math. Not counting the loss of Eagle Advantage, which has been cut in half, teachers, if they are lucky, will get $1-3 dollars a month. That's not even a cold drink.
Screw that.
Gee, add in CJ's speeches that he's not reporting, and he's making over 200 grand a year or near about. That must really be nice. I'm making within a few dollars of what I made six years ago. And my cost of living is much higher. I haven't milked the tornado for all it's worth, seeing as I have ethics, so I am falling farther and farther behind. Perhaps I should rethink my ethical stance so that I won't be a burden on my children when I retire. Maybe I can have a private pool and private swimming lessons and lots of new vehicles, and maybe get my hair and nails done perpetually. Maybe my children can have the best of everything, too. Right now we are paycheck to paycheck and enjoying less every year.
I hope you're happy, CJ Huff, because you and all of your greedy friends are enjoying life at the cost of the rest of us. Any board member who supports this will definitely hear about it. And, you will never be reelected. You, too, are culpable for the mess this district is in. Do not make it worse by supporting this lousy budget proposal. For once, stand up for what is right. Just one time, do the right thing.
Mr. Turner: I am certain that you are aware that Adam Bell and Rick Freeborn do not work at the central office. They have both spent their days at temporary high schools working diligently to keep 2400 computers operating. Likewise, Dave Rockers and Steve Reed are the directors of Frankin Tech and do not work at 32nd and Duquesne.
That was the listing the district provided for the state. There are a few toward the lower end of the list who are do technology support at the schools, but their home base is listed as central office.
This district is the perpetual laughing stock of the state. Why the board has continued to put up with this inept jackass is the world's biggest mystery. The finances of this district are an embarrassment after the bond and the donations, we are having an audit, the lawsuits are flying, and the academic progress we once had has been completely reversed.
Why the hell is this man still employed? It's humiliating to be a part of this district now.
I don't see a long line of people forming to do the extra duties around the district. New teachers coming in have the potential to make more than teachers already here for the same number of years with the loss of the step. I don't feel like knocking myself out now.
This is insulting. All those people whose jobs didn't exist before Greedfest set in are making so much more than the teachers, whose jobs are harder every year. Teachers will have to call for assistance from Bright Futures to take care of their kids if this crap keeps up.
We cannot wait six months for the audit to be finished, plus the time it takes to get the report--in other words, another school year---teachers cannot take another year of abuse and disrespect like this. It is totally depressing.
I'd like to know how Mike Landis can go home if he votes for this. Does he not want his spouse properly paid? Does he not want his children to have what they need?
How about Sharp and Steele, who have friends in the district. How do they look at them and pass this? They are not friends, if they do, or maybe not friends to the teachers. Please, look at that budget and tell me that funds can't be reallocated to look after staff first. The community development and career path people are doing far better than those who actually work with the students, not to mention the would be academic coaches.
Let me remind you, school board, that you have allowed administration salaries to bloat to the point that they are paid WAY ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE, while TEACHERS ARE PAID WELL BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE. When Jim Simpson came in here, he knew the first thing he had to do to make improvements was not invent a tremendous number of non-teaching jobs with inflated income, but to catch his teacher pay up and make it competitive. This improved morale and attracted better teachers. Apparently, Huff and the board that allowed this mess to be made do not understand that concept. We can hope the auditor will inform them, but that won't help us next year. Please, Board, do the right thing and tell CJ no this time. Take care of what is important.
I want to know why Bright Futures is integrated into the school district. Its first year it had no funds in the budget. Then it was over 700 grand for two years, and now over 600 grand. I was under the impression that Bright Futures was a faith based, volunteer organization committed to helping students in need. Now it is strongly school supported with district personnel employed in it, one of them simultaneously employed by Bright Futures USA. It has a reputation for laundering funds so that some things can be paid for without going to the board. I hope the auditor can find that, as well as the funds that have been shifted to the Foundation, from what we've heard. It's time to run the thieves out and take care of staff at all levels, except admin. They are already very well paid with little to show for the investment.
It reminds me of how politicians always give lip service to caring about our soldiers, but our soldiers are so often overlooked in terms of benefits and care. The politicians send them off to do the hard work, take credit when things go well, and blame the people on the ground when things go bad. In every scenario the politicians keep the spoils for themselves.
Replace "soldiers" with teachers, it is the same thing.
C. J. Huff $177,275 Superintendent
Angie Besendorfer $134,489 Assistant
David Rockers $103,887 FTC
Mark Barlass $101,281 Special Services Director
Jason Cravens $100,898 Director (secondary)
Lisa Orem $100,652 Title 1 Director
Jennifer Doshier $92,580 Director (elementary)
Steven Reed $85,300 FTC
Amanda Boyer $76,549 Early Childhood Director
Mary Alexander $73,045 OT/PT??
Susan Soat, $69,923 OT/PT
Hannelie Smit $69,923 OT/PT
Lisa Shellenburger $69,923 OT/PT
Mary Lowry $69,923 OT/PT
Sabrina Davis $69,923 OT/PT
Susan James $68,495 Beacon
Judith Mills $66,930 Behavior Specialist?
Vicky Arnold $66,525
Sarah Stevens $64,497 Curriculum Director
Klista Rader $64,326 Technology Director
Robin Duke $60,574 Special Education Facilitator
Melinda St. Clair $59,786 Special Education Facilitator
Janie Jarrett $57,722 Career Pathways
Bobbie Augspurger $57,500
Jennifer Shannon $57,284 School Psychologist
Rayma Taylor $54,439 Career Pathways
Julie Sinclair $54,055 School Psychologist
Kristi Mickey $51, 503 School Psychologist
Rick Williams $51,274 Technology
Dustin VanGilder $51,274 Technology
Michael Sapp $51,274 Technology
Eric Pitcher $51,274 Technology
Richard Freeborn $51,274 Technology
Adam Bell $51,274 Technology
Sara Thomasson $50,780 School Psychologist
Something interesting to note is, directors are supposed to be cheaper than assistant superintendents like we used to have with Dr. Doerr, etc.
Some of these jobs (like the therapists) would pay more in the private sector than they do in education.
During Simpson's time, new teachers were coming in higher on the salary scale than experienced teachers. Nothing new there.
A superintendent, director, etc. should be making more because they are responsible for more and should have more education than others. That isn't an issue, that's real life. The issue here is we have LOTS of money at the top. The folks down below are unappreciated and overworked while those at the top are getting to enjoy long lunches. The teachers work their tails off and are then told they're wrong and too negative. I'm waiting to hear one of the people at the top say, "Let them eat cake."
Two of the people on the list are the Career Coordinators. They are the two teachers who were 21st Century Coaches or something after the tornado. I've heard that one has left the district to teach somewhere and the other is in a new 12 month position (more money) at admin.
Four of the Career Coordinators were not teachers and three of them are still with the district. I don't know what their jobs are but I've been told they're paid on the teachers salary schedule. The district spent a lot of our tax dollars sending them all over the country for tours, conferences and professional development. Looks like this pd has really helped our children.
Are these 12-month positions? If so, you should calculate the 9-month equivalency in order to fairly compare. Also, a job title and description should be in order. If these are individuals with admin/management duties on a 12-month contract, many of these figures don't seem so extreme. However, $177,000 a year in Joplin is difficult to justify, especially considering claims that it is above state average while teacher pay is below. What was Huff's year-one salary? By what percentage has it grown? Compare that to teacher pay growth and then we have some talking points. Write that story.
Didn't Huff, Besendorfer and the directors get around a 10% raise last year? The district has the money to give admin extraordinary raises but not enough to give teachers their step (less than a 2% increase.)
A 31 to 86 cent per day increase before taxes and retirement is sure motivational and tells teachers that they are really appreciated! Teachers won't be able to afford to support the $5 eagle pride fundraisers or much else. This may add up to a long term decrease in sales tax revenue for the city and district.
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