C. J. Huff, Joplin Schools paid $175,000+ for unqualified administrators

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) records show that the Joplin R-8 School District was paying more than $175,000 to administrators who were not qualified for their positions at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.

According to DESE records, Lisa Orem, who now holds the newly-created title of Student Services Program Coordinator, pulled down a salary of $100,652 during the last school year, despite the fact that she let her administrative certification expire on September 1, 2011, and is currently only certified as an elementary teacher.

That lack of certification was one of the reasons why the Huff Administration had to add Mark Barlass, a former colleague of Lisa Orem's as her assistant two years ago. Barlass now holds the newly-created title of Executive Director of Student Services and is paid $101,281. Barlass is certified in special education, which is one reason they had to hire him, since Orem had no certification in that area (or any other administrative area) and the job at that time was called Director of Special Services.

Orem and Barlass made a combined $201,933 last year to do a job that was previously done by one person, Valerie Earl, who made approximately $99,000.

The Huff Administration also hired a new principal for McKinley Elementary for the 2013-2014 school year, who had no certification as a principal.

Despite the fact that McKinley had a young and almost completely new faculty, the inexperienced Terri Hart, who had been working in central administration was hired. DESE records show she was finally certified as a principal on December 18, 2013, more than four months after she began her job.

The pay scale for a principal with no certificate- Terri Hart received $75,511, according to DESE records.

The story of how Hart was selected when there are many people who are actually certified to be principals who were ready and willing to do the job was explained in the November 18, 2013, Turner Report:

Things were not going well at Joplin's McKinley Elementary School during the 2012-2013 school year.

Younger teachers were having a hard time dealing with Principal Jennifer Doshier's somewhat mercurial demands. They talked with a veteran teacher, who agreed they had reason to be concerned. The things she was hearing were serious enough that the veteran teacher called Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer, who suggested that the veteran teacher bring the younger teachers over to the administration building at 32nd and Duquesne to discuss the problems.

After the meeting started, the veteran teacher reassured Dr. Besendorfer that the teachers were not blowing the situation out of proportion.

Dr. Besendorfer offered a sympathetic ear, nodding as the teachers spoke, every once in a while commenting, "This is unbelievable," or "this should not be happening."

As the meeting closed, Dr. Besendorfer told the teachers not to worry. "I will take care of this."

As the veteran teacher and the younger ones left Dr. Besendorfer's office, for the first time in a long time they had a feeling that their jobs might just become a little more bearable.

Dr. Besendorfer, true to her word, took care of the situation. By the time her solution had been implemented, the younger teachers, none of whom had tenure, did not have their contracts renewed, and the veteran teacher, a woman well respected in the community, was escorted out of McKinley Elementary and placed on a paid leave of absence. Later, she was transferred to another job in the district. Probably the only thing that saved her position was that she had tenure and the district was already in the process of being embarrassed as it made efforts to fire another tenured teacher.

By the time, the year ended, nearly every teacher in McKinley Elementary had either been non-renewed or had resigned.

Angie Besendorfer did not forget about Principal Jennifer Doshier. Ms. Doshier was promoted to upper administration, in the recently created post of director of elementary education.

Meanwhile, Ms. Doshier's replacement, the principal who would have to deal with a completely new, highly inexperienced young faculty- is Terri Hart, who was moved from an upper administration ;position as curriculum coordinator...and who, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, does not have a principal's certificate.

Parents of McKinley Elementary students should not worry about having such an inexperienced principal at the helm- she won't be here for long. She has told some people that her plan is to get a job at Pittsburg State University and others that she hopes to become a superintendent at a small school.

The one thing she makes sure everyone knows- McKinley Elementary is just a steppingstone.

It should be noted that Jennifer Doshier, who was promoted to the position of director of elementary education, now holds the title Executive Director of Elementary Education.