"How can the Joplin R-8 School District have so many special events and not have a special event coordinator?"
The thought of C. J. Huff, Kim Vann, and God bless her, Tina Smith, having to take time from their valuable duties, whatever those may be, to plan a special event never brought tears to my eyes, but then again, I am not a superintendent so tears don't come quite as easily for me.
Thankfully, in a few weeks, thanks to the ad that was posted this morning, Joplin Schools will have a special events coordinator, who perhaps can start his or her duties by planning a farewell luncheon for all of the part-time reading instructors who weren't rehired due to budget cuts.
Or maybe a "Welcome State Auditors Festival" to show there are no hard feelings.
According to the advertisement on the district website, the special events coordinator will have to make do with $32,000 a year, which is going to make it hard to find somebody good, since no one wants to work for teacher pay.
Position: Special Projects Coordinator
Term: 12 Month
Classification: Classified/Exempt
Location: Administration
Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree preferred;
3-5 years related experience and/or training preferred
Equivalent combination of education and experience
Skills/Behavioral Competencies
- Excellent communication skills; speaking, writing listening
- Superior organizational skills
- Strong analytical, detailed planning, and project management skills
- Ability to grasp concepts quickly, innovate, and think beyond traditional methods
- Curious and creative by nature
- Proactive, self-motivated, flexible and able to self-supervise/work independently
- Detail-oriented while maintaining sight of big picture
- Personal maturity and good judgment
- Strong work ethic
- Highest ethical and professional standards
Supervisory: No
Reports to: Director of Communications & Community Development
Responsible for coordinating and executing a variety of project based administrative duties which require attention to detail, a proactive can-do attitude, and strong problem solving skills.
General Expectations:
- Supports the mission of Joplin Schools.
- Supports the value of education.
- Complies with the privacy rights of students.
- Safeguards confidential and/or sensitive information.
- Communicates effectively with all the members of the school district and community.
- Provides excellence in customer service both internally and externally.
- Reacts to change productively.
- Keeps abreast of new information, innovative ideas and techniques.
- Maintains accurate records and filing systems for accountability and audit purposes.
- Ensures that all activities conform to district and state guidelines.
Essential Functions:
- Demonstrates an ability to coordinate activities between departments and individuals to produce a desired result.
- Manage calendars, coordinate and schedule meetings.
- Provide project updates and share relevant information.
- Provide administrative and logistic support for all district project-based assignments.
- Assist with special projects and reports as needed.
- Schedule travel arrangements.
- Research various topics; summarize findings in writing and verbally.
- Organize and manage special events and meetings.
- Prepare event budget and manage event finances including check requests, invoicing, and reporting.
- Negotiate event discounts/advantages on behalf of the school district; identify cost-savings.
- Propose ideas to improve the project/event planning and implementation process.
- Solicit and secure sponsorships for events as needed.
- Carry out all other duties as assigned
Physical Demands
Level: Light
- Occasional Lifting up to 25 pounds
- The individual who holds this position is regularly required to walk, hear and speak and must have close moderate and distance vision ability.
- The individual must be able to travel between district facilities. The position requires a moderate amount of travel.
Attendance
Regular and consistent attendance is an essential function of this position.
The work conditions and environment described here are representative of those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Conditions and Environment
The work environment is consistent with a typical office environment.
Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees, and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.
| Primary Location | ADMINISTRATION BUILDING |
| Salary Range | $32,000.00 / Per Year |
| Shift Type | Full-Time |
Wonder where the extra money is coming from? Also, has anyone else noticed the bus parked on Rangeline and 32nd with a banner looking for bus drivers? Thought they did not have enough money for them so many were let go. Also a nicely placed post on the R8 Facebook page as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is outrageous. The fact that said person would report to the "Director of Communications" makes it worse, as that implies there is already more than one person in that department, which was newly formed last spring.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand it anymore. We let go essential jobs and make more and more nonessential jobs because things aren't going well. Please, Board, do something! Fifteen grand for ribbon (not a kids' project, by the way), fifteen more for wifi on buses, fifteen for Facebook, 32 grand for this job, who knows what the other two are getting. This madness, and it is truly beginning to appear to be madness, must stop. Only a madman would continue down this path, but then, he has nothing to fear from his governing body, does he?
They need bus drivers because they took away full-time status and benefits from that position, so a lot of their drivers quit. Add to that the lack of support for discipline--as in the incident last spring--and the fact that the first six days of the year were robbed from them, and the Huff regime's priorities become quite clear. It's not "for the kids" one damn bit.
ReplyDeleteAnd explain to me please how this can be? We saw all of the schools and clubs get shaken down for activity funds and cash and teachers are writing curriculum for free since there wasn't enough money allocated for that screwed up mess, but we can afford this job and that stupid ribbon for the high school?!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the next 100 to go if CJ isn't gone before school starts. It has to stop.
CJ Huff and his cohorts are running rampant and need to be stopped NOW. Simply ridiculous. My favorite part (unfortunately for the high school students and staff) will be when he FAILS to start school on time, even with the start date pushed back for meetings. To even think that I was once employed by this pathetic school district is a disgrace to my namesake. Shame on CJ, shame on his cohorts, and shame on the School Board members.
ReplyDeleteNegative blogs and bloggers like you are why Joplin R8 can't have nice things. Why is everything always reduced to money and how much something costs?
ReplyDeleteWhy not let the kids and staff have some fun? It really should be all about the kids shouldn't it?
This Special Events Coordinator is in addition to the 5/28/14 position posted on the Joplin Schools website for Assistant Bright Futures Coordinator. For 30K per year the qualified (or unqualified if you are a friend) will assist the BF coordinator.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a new position. It was created in January. The employee who held position was worth way more than $32k. Thankfully she is moving on to bigger and better things. However a district the size of Joplin does need someone who can help execute projects district wide.
ReplyDeleteWhatever wrong decisions CJ Huff has made, you Mr Turner are doing just as many. Divided towns are hard to repair. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Why not look for ways to help instead of fueling the fire?
2:06,
ReplyDeleteMr. Turner IS trying to make things better. Improvements can't be made without an honest look at what exists.
I think they used to make the secretaries do all that event business on top of what they already had to do. I do agree that it's too much for one or two people to just 'dabble' with.
MANY things need to be changed. This particular position may not need to be cut, but there are certainly some others that should be eliminated or the salary should be cut.
12:43,
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is coordinating events for the kids.
Whether the position was created in January or yesterday makes no difference. It is ANOTHER new position in administration. Call it a coordinator or whatever you want, it's a clerical position and should be paid in accordance with the same crappy salary schedule the other clerical staff in the district are paid. There are plenty of people classified as "clerical" who have worked in the district for years and are worth far more than they are paid.
ReplyDeleteTo 12:43, What Joplin R8 needs are teachers and support staff to help "the kids" learn. All the nice things in the world aren't going to make them any smarter if they don't have qualified teachers. They aren't there to have fun, they are there to learn.
Everything gets reduced to money because we have a superintendent spending money like it is falling from heaven on whatever pet project strikes his fancy on any given day. Then when it comes time for raises there is no money.
If telling the truth and bringing some of this administration's nonsense out into the light is fueling the fire then so be it. As a taxpayer I want to know how my tax dollars are being spent.
This position will include setting lunch appointments, getting the buffet at the Admin Castle ready, making hair appts. for family, as well as providing healthy shakes for the one who had the gastric bypass surgery on school time.
ReplyDelete