Board President Annie Sharp thinks Huff already has that power.
During an interview last month with Judy Stiles of KGCS' Newsmakers program, Sharp said, "The only person we do hire is the superintendent."
Sharp indicated many people do not know this.
Many people do not know this because it is not true, even though it is certain Huff is happy that she thinks it is.
It is not true according to board policy and not according to the law, but Huff is attempting to make that change tomorrow night, by slipping that and a number of other policy revisions that concentrate more power in his hands into the consent agenda, which has routinely been passed 7-0 by the Board of Education without any discussion of the items.
Those items have included millions of dollars worth of contracts and change orders and major policy revisions. Consent agendas are designed to allow school boards, city councils. and other governmental panels to quickly dispose of routine items.
In the Huff Administration, it has been a way to push through items without bringing them up for public discussion during the televised board meetings and often to slip them past board members.
For the most part, consent agenda items have not been discussed at all until Debbie Fort joined the Board of Education. During the May, June, and July meetings, she has questioned items, including the long-term financing for the $8 million in "might-as-well" spending, which has appeared to irritate some of her fellow board members.
One thing is for sure, if Huff's brazen power grab succeeds, it will not be by a 7-0 vote, thanks to board member Dawn Sticklen's resignation. As noted earlier in the Turner Report, Sticklen resigned after transferring her daughter to the Webb City R-7 School District.
(Note: Annie Sharp's comments about the superintendent are included at the first of the video. She has some choice comments through the rest of it, as well.)
11 comments:
Then why does the board have to okay teacher contracts and principal contracts?
This is insane!!! If Huff wants his own school so he can be the emperor, he needs to pay for it himself.
Is there a way to start a petition to get rid of him and those board members?
torches and pitch forks
Mrs. Sharp is going to follow CJ off the cliff and ruin her chances of getting on the MSSU Board of Governors. One of the keys about being on a board is you need provide direction and guidance. If you abdicate all your authority then what purpose do you serve? Who does Mrs. Sharp represent, the administration or the taxpayers?
If you only hire one and he can't do any better than this, then you should all be recalled. You can't even employ one good person for one job.
The entire district is in shambles and the board and its president will not recognize the problems or do anything about them. They would have to admit they'd been fooled all along. Anne will say what CJ tells her to say.
Ms. Sharp spent the day with us moving boxes. So did Mr. Steele. Both said they don't think that place is going to be ready. But they will let CJ decide. So what is the point of having a board? CJ will do what gets him noticed. He's an angry, despotic fool with no limits. It makes me angry as hell that they will put my kids at risk so he can have absolute power.
FROM THE MISSOURI SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE:
MSBA has developed these model contracts as a guide for use by our member districts.
Superintendent MSBA member districts only
Principal MSBA member districts only
Teacher MSBA member districts only
Extra Duty MSBA member districts only
Letter of Intent MSBA member districts only
Tenured Teacher Letter MSBA member districts only
Contract Extension MSBA member districts only
Contract Modification andExtension MSBA member districts only
I WOULD SAY THAT THE BOARD HIRES ALL EMPLOYEES LISTED HERE!!
I have to wonder what he has on them that they are so scared to even do what is good for kids and they don't care what happens to their teachers. If the teachers aren't happy they don't care. They will just hire more. And those scores? Keep going downward. Maybe that auditor ought to see if there is a link between cj and why his own board won't stand up to him. Pathetic bunch.
But they'll be happy enough to see their staff in the morning, you bet, and give their sappy speeches to act like they really care. Well, guess what, Anne Sharp and Co., your actions speak louder than your words and we know you don't care. You'd let the staff be contracted out and save the fair wages. Save your words. Nobody cares.
Ms. Sharp is taking the administrative line on this issue, which is way out of line with common school board operation.
To ask for a levy adjustment to increase revenue while also eliminating board oversight on hiring is absolutely unconscionable. Ms. Sharp is an elected public official. Her primary responsibility is to the voters and families of Joplin, not the superintendent.
If she does indeed see the superintendent as the board's employee, stop acting as though he's your boss!
This board is being manipulated by the administration through circumvention of the state Sunshine Law. They create committees that are small enough to not be covered under the law. Then, these small committees of 2-3 create items for the consent agenda without having any public discussion. Any board discussion is stifled, and a vote is held on consent items . . . and there you have it. It's illegal, and it undermines the effectiveness of the elected school board, whose leaders don't seem to mind being dragged around by their noses. Joplin schools deserve better.
What we have here is a rubber stamp board president "leading" a rubber stamp board.
It's like asking the legislature to pass a law that would limit their ability to make laws.
Ridiculous. Further, how can the board be the final arbiter of its employee grievance policy if they don't also oversee the hiring process? Will they eliminate that responsibility next? Only in Joplin could this happen.
money gets you on the board of governors and she has plenty of that....Childress trust money
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