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Nothing could be further from the truth.
If the original budget plan submitted by CFO Paul Barr and signed off on by C. J. Huff had been approved teachers and staff would have received $200 to $300 raises, which would have almost been totally eaten up by the $12 per month increase to the amount employees will have to pay for their health insurance.
In other words, the pay increase would have been between $1 and $3 per week for employees who have already become used to not receiving anything from the Huff Administration except the back of the hand.
The only reason the employees received raises is because the board's Finance Committee did not go along with the Huff Administration's assessment of what the final budget should look like and found expenses that could be cut to give employees a little extra money for the 2014-2015 school year.
The teachers were aware of what was in the original budget, so were Turner Report readers. In the Joplin Globe's preview of Monday night's board meeting, which was labeled "From Staff Reports" and appeared to be a news release issued by R-8 public relations, only one sentence was given to the budget and not one mention was made of the plans for teacher and staff pay.
If that was not enough to get teachers riled, what happened at the end of the televised meeting did the trick.
C. J. Huff insisted that it was time to take care of the teachers of the district and make Joplin salaries competitive with other school districts. Why, he even said he would form a committee headed by COO Tina Smith that would work on that.
Anyone who did not know any better might have thought that C. J.. Huff went to bat for his employees and secured those raises for them, though nothing could be further from the truth. He had already signed off on a budget plan that would have essentially kept his employees going into the hole for another year.
The Huff Administration has found room for excessive trips, layers of unnecessary administrators and public relations/community development people, Jumbotrons (electronic video scoreboards), laptops and iPads for everyone from eighth grade up, and nearly 40 people making $50,000 or more in central administration.
To the Huff Administration, teachers are interchangeable commodities. If that were not the case, then why have we had more than 300 teachers leave the district in a three-year period?
The teachers know the truth and from what I am hearing in the community, that truth is spreading, even without the help of the Joplin Globe.
People are ready for the C. J. Huff Show to fold its tent on move on.
13 comments:
From my earlier post, http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/06/rnc-2016-list-could-narrow-this-morning.html/
Let's give the Board's Finance Committee a big hand!!
Maybe they are finally getting some backbone to make some right decisions for this district.
Anyone remember when CJ first came to the district? At the annual meeting at the start of every year he was so impressed that our teachers were some of the highest paid in the area. He was also proud that the non certified staff were also some of the highest paid. Now he says everyone is over paid l. Very sad.
I feel encouraged that you mention that you are hearing throughout the community that people know what is really happening at R-8. I am always hoping this blog is followed by more than just a few disgruntled teachers and parents. Huff has shown time and time again that he has little regard for anyone employed by the district that doesn't work at the administration building. I am glad that teachers will get their raises, but unfortunately money does not solve the multitude of problems. Until teachers are given the freedom to teach again without having every moment of every day planned for them, until the district ends their obsession with statistics and data and judging success by a number on a spreadsheet, until the middle-management layer known as the learning coaches are removed, and until teachers feel like they are respected and valued as professionals, the raises will do little in keeping teachers from seeking employment in better districts.
These raises are nothing short of a Big slap in the pockets of the hard working teachers who many have second jobs to support their family while the fat cats at the bunker on Duquesne and 32nd live it up on huge salaries. Thanks again for Nothing Joplin R8 for another failure.
Do you see a pattern developing:
- David Humphreys asks for an audit by the State (via a petition) for the R8 school district - then CJ all of a sudden asks the state to audit the R8 school district
- The School Board Finance Committee works on the morning of the School Board meeting to reinstate the payment steps (after the Board agenda was already prepared leaving out the payment steps) and CJ does not raise a fuss
- Teachers attend the school board meeting to protest the small raises (and the fact the Joplin R8 teachers are low paid - then all of a sudden CJ Huff announces that a task force (led by Tina Smith) will look into the teacher's pay
What you are seeing here is a "classic" case of "reacting" - so that I will not "look bad" to the media and public.
This proves that CJ Huff tries to get his way until the heat is on - then he will cave in and spin it like it was his idea.
This proves that there is COMPLETE lack of leadership in the R8 school district!!!!
Leadership is having a VISION charting a course and getting everyone on board so that everyone is going in the same direction.
The BOTTOM LINE is that the R8 district needs a leader not someone who reacts so that they will not look bad. The Joplin citizens, students and teachers - can be much better served by another School Superintendent (given that this position is paying over $177,000 per year).
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I worked with 2 former Joplin teachers this past year. One said their job in our school district was like Mayberry compared to Joplin. The other when I asked her what she thought about the Joplin School System replied, " I'm here now!"
The DESE website shows that the average increase in pay for teachers across the state from 2010-2013 was $1,084. In Joplin, teacher pay increased from 2010-2013 a grand total of $312. Part of this is reflected in teacher turnover, with fewer teachers on the upper end of the scale. Part of this is because we have not had a raise over 1.2% since the recession. However. CJ Huff's income, when he was hired six years ago, was $160,000 and is now said to be $177,000. This is a tremendous increase, not including his speaking fees. He also does not pay for his insurance. His pay also does not reflect the raise that he is said to have gotten after Angie Besendorfer left--it is purported that CJ, Paul Barr, and Tina Smith all got large raises after she left--split her check, so to speak.
The question is, has he earned his salary? When CJ Huff came here, the district was accredited with distinction, the teacher pay was competitive, and scores were rising. In 2008, English/Language Arts, all grades combined, were at 51.9% advanced/proficient rate district wide. In 2013, they were at 52%, so no growth of note. In mathematics, the district overall had an advanced/proficient rate of 51.4%. In 2013, that rate had fallen to 46.8% and is continuing to fall. The teacher turnover rate has been tremendous, and the layers and layers of programs and extra non-teaching employees have been of no benefit. And, it is difficult to understand how the increase in administrative pay, particularly CJ Huff's, can be justified.
In any other district he would have been fired long ago. The embarrassment of the law suits, the suspicious terminations of staff, the drop in academics, the audit, and the bad press should send him packing now, as it is better late than never.
The saving of the step is purely symbolic. It doesn't amount to a ton of money. but it's the first time Huff didn't get to just push something through without resistance. In other districts, teachers are getting their steps and a raise. In Joplin, it appears it's a choice. Last year's whopping one percent raise made exactly no difference in my pay. Tina Smith was even so considerate as to waste paper, ink, and postage to send me a letter telling me it would make no difference. I was really jealous of the teacher who got enough of a raise to buy a soda at the end of the month. Woohoo...
I have several R8 teacher friends (I worked there several years ago).These friends are J'S grads and loyal staff of 10+ years. Never have I heard them complain. Today, was the straw that broke the camel's back. They are mad and feeling betrayed. I would not be surprised to see several of them leave in next year's 100+ teacher turnover.
It's sad. I loved working in Joplin. I even actually liked Huff. I know if these teachers are finally complaining ...things are really bad.
Why does it take a committee headed by the all-knowing Tina Smith to work on finding ways to make Joplin salaries competitive with other school districts? I don't need a committee and can give CJ a few ideas without even thinking for more than 10 seconds.
1. Stop giving yourself and the other top administrators hefty raises every time the mood strikes you.
2. Stop creating new administrative positions that pull down big salaries.
3. Get rid of the TLCs since their only purpose is to spy on the teachers and staff.
4. Take the money spent for the opening day rah-rah session that everybody hates. Seriously, nobody is interested in what you have to say anymore.
5. Take all the money saved in steps 1 through 4 and give it to the people who are actually doing the work...teachers and staff.
There, problem solved.
Nobody else wants the Huff Circus to come to their district. The clowns running the show are just way too scary. Everyone's worst clown nightmares exemplified.
Just a quick thought... If there is a state of the at high school opening this summer, went is the rah-rah not being held there? I have never seen the need for this rah-rah and making it may mandatory. ( sick or not)
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