The following comment, claiming to be from a Joplin High School student, defends the six-and-a-half-mile ribbon, claims that students have no problems with the $20 parking fee, says I am slandering the school system, and that I was not worthy of being a teacher "in this fine district." The comment was in response to the post on the parking fees.
As a product of the Joplin school system, I contend that you are both ill informed and slanderous in your blind allegations of my wonderful school system.
I agree that, like every other school district in this great country, issues do exist. Yet I do not believe you have the intelligence or insight to speak of them.
I am a senior and my peers agree that this fee is just in the protection it provides to prevent any harm that may come to us. I ask you to please make amends to the fact that you were not worthy of being a teacher in this fine district and move on because you are simply wasting your 1st amendment rights by posting in this blog.
Furthermore, to the fine people who have commented, many of you simply have not taken the time to inform yourselves of the situation that has perplexed the high school. The purchase of the ribbon was extremely well researched and done in a way that saved a considerable amount. It was done not just for the school, but for the fine city that helped us take flight once again.
Additionally, despite my disagreement with being called a "herd of sheep" I believe that you cannot put a price on the safety that the fee provides for the students of the JHS/FTC campus.
As for the laptop fees, even the most miniscule amount of research will show you that the average fee for high school students that have the privilege of taking part in this form of 21st century learning is $75.00 per incident with very few offering an insurance plan under $100.00.
The reason this parking fee is required is because driving in fact is a privilege. In a same way drivers pay tickets and taxes so that they can be protected by police officers, we are paying so that we may be safe.
A free alternative to driving is offered to students in the form of bike racks for cyclist parking, sidewalks for walking, and a very accommodating bus system.
You are extremely ignorant of the issues Randy Turner, please leave the employees and attendees of the Joplin School district alone because you are no more than an annoying hindrance to them.
19 comments:
If I were this 'student' I believe I would have been proud to add my name to this uplifting comment. Surely there is no fear of reprisal if you are supporting the district and its goals?
signed Eddie Haskell
Yeah this was definitely not written by a student. Who do they think they're kidding?
Although I don't disagree with the $20 parking fee, I'm curious how this "student" believes paying the fee will protect students from any harm that may come to them?
In all the extreme research that was done on the ribbon, they should have concluded that an additional $11,000 could be saved by ditching it as a bad idea.
Dear Student,
While you are also welcome to your opinion, it seems to be one that is uninformed.
Having a child who was a student in Mr. Turner's class and also being an educator, I think I'm qualified to say that he is/was and excellent teacher.
As a tax payer and community member, I am also qualified to tell you that the schools could have and should have been an accomplishment to be celebrated but now are a source of disappointment and embarrassment.
As someone from R8, I am also qualified to tell you that it has reached a low point that I never dreamed possible.
$60 was the going rate to have anything fixed on a laptop last year. I agree that there needs to be a fee, but the laptops are old in tech terms and definitely not worth the replacement cost I would have to pay so the $50 fee will be my choice.
Driving is definitely a privilege but if I pay $20 for a car to park in that parking lot, my kid better be guaranteed a place to park. Have you ridden the bus? Not accommodating or safe.
Fine city? Not so much any more. The people running that are just as bad as the Huff brigade.
As to being ignorant and annoying, I'll chalk that up to you being an uninformed, inexperienced young person. Please believe me when I say that not all the seniors agree with you. Many of them know things you seem to not know. You should practice some of your research skills and find out the truth. A little tip: you won't find the truth at the ad building or from the principals or TLC's.
Good luck on your final year in high school and your future.
I have two high school students. Neither one of them wants to pay $20.00 to park. Where is the money going? Towards paying off the 8 million dollar loan? And then relinquish their right to privacy as deemed by the new parking lot permit to search and seizure at any time. While neither one of my kids have anything to hide- they both feel their rights are being violated. And that my dear opinion writer is the 4th Amendment.
$11,000.00 for a ribbon- either paid for by donation or sponsors is still an exorbitant expenditure. Can you honestly name any other business in Joplin who spent the same amount on their grand re-opening after the tornado? It's vulgar. The money could have been better spent on providing services to students ( remember that is what education is about- STUDENTS). I'll be curious to see what business names are connected to the ribbon… Landis Construction? Ortho4States? Western Governors University? Sticklen Law Firm?
And since you brought it up- computer insurance is a good idea. Computers are expensive to repair and replace. However, you must NOT be a student because you would know that last year, any computer incident cost $60.00 to get back after it was serviced. Not sure where you get your figures but not from being a student.
Get real.
Wonder if they charged the $20 fee AND required a drug test, the busses would be a choice for many more. Just askin...
There is a serious implication in stating that "this fee is just in the protection that it provides." Really? Is this paying for the resource officer, or is this extortion? A shake down? How are you safer paying $20 over $8? This little comment is so full of egregious errors, ranging from red herrings to fallacies to incredibly trite and fluffy writing that I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or retch while reading it.
Years ago, when I was a teacher, if a student had turned in such an inflammatory, but otherwise empty, paper, I would have sent said student back to put in some facts and some evidence. Since this "student" claims to be a 21st Century learner, he or she should be well acquainted for the need for evidence to support one's claims. Which student group, particularly, did the research, and what sources were used? Have you polled the student body to support your claim that they are happy to pay the extra $12.00? I doubt you have. Did you bid this project out, and was this truly the lowest bid? I sincerely doubt this, also.
In contrast, Mr. Turner always provides documentation for his allegations. He always has evidence. Now, which of the two of you is truly inept and ignorant? I think your post speaks for itself, dear "student." Go back and do some real work, write a supported response, and then maybe we'll see how you do. Until then, my advice would be that you get some therapy to deal with your grandiose vew of self. A college professor will eat you alive if this is the kind of pap you turn in for a grade. In the meantime, we will anticipate seeing you and your proud peer group out wrapping your ribbon around the school on October 3. Please don't make the custodians or volunteers do this little bit of goodness for you. If you are proud of it, own it.
What kind of harm are they expecting to come to them? I am confused.
O.K. Huff. Did you or your ugly little dog "COO" write this?
Is there any way you can add a 'like' button to comments, Randy? Some of these are just stellar. It clearly shows that you have an informed, in-touch readership. Kudos, commenters!
I sure hope this 'student' reads these words of wisdom and breathes a sigh of gratefulness to the gods of anonymity for surely it was the rough draft of this magnum opus that was accidentally submitted. That must be it.
Pretty petty to be posting a student's post as a headliner for this blog. Aren't you all adults? In fighting is everywhere, but to start a school year with all this?
What you call pretty petty, I call showing a willingness to promote views that do not necessarily coincide with my own. I have done that on a regular basis and will continue to do so. I have run C. J. Huff's first two blogs, in their entirety, with no editing. No editing was done on this high school senior's post either, but I exposed his or her point of view to more people than would have seen it as a comment on another blog post from a couple of days earlier. I can't help it if the majority of the readers do not share the same sentiments as those writers.
3:28--
It is quite unlikely this was written by a student. Highly unlikely. It sound to Palinish. There are expressions that no one who's been around kids would expect to see in their writing, such as "perplexed the high school" and "fine city" followed by "fine district" and "take flight again." Oh gag. If it's a student, then Joplin Schools has its work cut out for them fixing this child's writing.
It's cheesy adult writing trying to pretend to be a student, and more than likely, someone who isn't around teens very much. You know, like Joplin's upper admin. Totally clueless. This whole comment that was posted reflects how incredibly desperate the Huff administration is. It's almost as pathetic as his little blog.
I am a retired teacher, and I have no doubt that this was written by a student. In fact, I have an idea which student (rigid personality) wrote this poor sample of writing. I recognize the student's writing "style."
And now comes the speculation of who done it......this is just garbage.
Repost of my comment to this highlighted comment:
I don't know, Anonymous @10:39 PM. Back when I went to Parkwood in the late '70s (what became the only high school that was then destroyed by the tornado), we didn't have any fees, stickers or explicit and unique rules that I can remember. There was a parking lot or two, we parked at it, it was simple and it worked fine.
Randy I was wondering...since the district did not go after your teaching certificate are you currently looking into other districts to continue your teaching career?
Just curious. How do you know the district did not go after my teaching certificate?
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