The following comment was received in response to my post earlier this morning about Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff's tradition of having his photo taken with all kindergarten students on the first day.
Mr. Turner,I understand that you are a very unhappy man that is no longer employed by the Joplin School District. At some point you are going to need to learn that this is not always going to be about you and the history that you have with Dr. Huff,
I have students that attend these schools and overall under all the circumstances that he has had thrown at him I feel he is a remarkable person.
In fact he is the reason that we moved our children and put them in the Joplin School District, I have never had regret for making that choice.
I may not agree with all the choices that he and the school board made during the rebuilding phase- but I guarantee you one thing these kids will be in a STATE of the ART school and have a great opportunity to learn!!
At some point (and it needs to be sooner than later) you need to grow up and move on with your life!!! I’m going to be deleting you from all my social media outlets I have had enough of your negativity.
Of course, the reader has every right to feel that way. As for me, I can't recall ever being upset by having an anonymous person deleting me from all of his or her social media outlets.
Did his mom send this???? Lol!
ReplyDeleteState of the art? A well maintained, safe and secure building is what the kids need. All of the special led lighting as art, top of the line gyms and althletic practice fields (etc.) are really nice and does out shine all of the schools in the vicinity of Joplin. But what should be first and foremost is providing the best education. Please remember it is just a building.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that nearly all of the negative posts on this blog seem to be written by the same person who has an affinity for capitalizing random words?
ReplyDeleteno not his mom his sister, his sister she has to follow the money
ReplyDeleteRA Sayes:
ReplyDelete"In fact he is the reason that we moved our children and put them in the Joplin School District."
That was a mistake! Didn't they see recently that even one of Huff's BOE members (clones) moved her kid out of the district. Does that tell you anything.
Repeating my reply to this featured comment:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @8:40 AM: for the vast, vast majority of things students learn in K-12, "STATE of the ART" is entirely irrelevant. Unless, of course, newer methods can be proven as better.
"State of the art" reading instruction was the Whole Word method in the period leading up to Why Johnny Can't Read in 1955, which in a couple of years was followed by a Saturday Evening Post article on why "Johnny Can Read in Joplin", and which was then reprinted for wider consumption in the Reader's Digest, I read my grandmother's copy of it in the '70s. That I was able to read in was in part true because Joplin was still using the same approach.
Books and paper, or perhaps a laptop, a good teacher, a black or white board and/or overhead project, and earnest work are what's needed to learn at this level. Heck, the same it true for the beginning STEM courses taught at college, those foundational courses don't even need to teach much beyond the state of the art in the 19th century (chemistry needs early 20th century quantum mechanics, and biology is the outlier with so much new stuff continuing to be discovered ... but then again the tools to teach this remain the same).
I don't know of anyone who believes the "good teachers" are optional, and if under the well documented tyranny of the Huff regime, which began long before the tornado, makes it difficult to impossible to attract and retain good teachers---it says something when 1/6 leave each year---then all that "STATE of the ART" gloss is just lipstick on a pig.
Heck, what about the end of enforcing discipline for all but I assume the most severe cases? Unless Randy and the others are lying through their teeth about this, Joplin is going to be graduating a lot of people who are going to make the city into a very nasty place. I was born and raised in Joplin (and taught in the R-VIII schools by mostly good teachers who with the administration enforced discipline), and have retired to it. I'm not looking forward to that prospect.
Regarding your statement: "I’m going to be deleting you from all my social media outlets I have had enough of your negativity." PLEASE COME BACK (sorry 9:28, I couldn't help myself)). It's diverse opinions such as yours which make this site so much fun to follow.
ReplyDelete10:21, couldn't say it better!
ReplyDeleteI have known CJ, his family, his wife as well as her family since they were both in grade school. His mother would never send something like this. CJ comes from a good family. On the other hand, I could see his wife or mother in law posting this. They are very hateful people, who truly believe they are better than others. Also, CJ does not have a sister, so I doubt that "his sister" wrote it either. Now, i am in NO WAY defending CJ, I can't believe some of the things I have seen him do since he has been employed to a school so close to home. Very different than the way he was raised and the way the rest of his family is. His wife's family is really rubbing off on him! THEM FIRST!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, knowing personally how obsessive Dr. Huff is with The Turner Report I wouldn't be surprised at all if he wrote it himself. The man is never short to create positive spin for himself. Shameless really.
ReplyDeleteThe commenter has fallen prey to the PR campaign. Sad.
ReplyDeleteriddle me this......new state of the art school?? why no green tech used to build...such as solar, wind, water? This could have been rolled into a new course of study for the school....green technology studies! This is a huge area for jobs right now and any green tech will be for some time! We have no forward looking people in the admin and that is sad! Joplin had the chance to develop some kind of leading tech in the new school yet it is business as usual....plus $20 to park!
ReplyDeleteAt some point Dr. Huff is going to have to realize that this is about more than just him and his ego! He is screwing up the education of many, many children! Finally people are starting to take notice and have a voice!
ReplyDeleteActually, the school has been built to be more green. All the lighting is made to save and conserve energy. When possible the classrooms use only natural light.
ReplyDelete$20 for a yearly parking fee is not outrageous. Go to any college campus or large city high school and you'll find that most parking passes range from $40-$75 a SEMESTER.That's anywhere from $80 to $150. $20 doesn't seem like that much now, does it? Everything costs money. Whenever your child needs a repair on their laptop, someone has to pay for it, and the child is the one who signed the laptop form saying that they would be held accountable for their usage of the computer, and the parent/guardian signed the form as well, stating that they would pay any fees due to damage on the laptop.
The school is going to be a safe and secure building. Extra precautions are being taken for the safety of the students. Plus, people and students have been complaining about how, excuse the term, "ghetto" the Joplin School district is; well, they are trying to make the school nice and give students more opportunities for their future. The school district is trying to allow for the students to be ready for the job world, and with the technological advances that are constantly being made, the youth of the day need to keep up today, so that they are ready for tomorrow.
You have corrupted teachers and board members in every school, and in every school district. Not every person given a position may truly deserve it, but that does not mean you should degrade the entire district for it. There are many hard working, underpaid teachers who are doing their best to give your ungrateful child an education that will benefit them and prepare them for the real world.
I don't understand all the enthusiasm for the "State of the Art" school. My daughter's school is about 100 years old. There are no video screens in the common areas. She doesn't have a laptop. But the school's test scores are the best in the region because it has teachers that love those kids as much as their own flesh and blood.
ReplyDeleteSchool isn't just about test scores. It's about making you successful in everyday life. Joplin is giving kids more chances to succeed even if they come from a poor part of town, or a bad family. The district made the school more college based, so that students are less apprehensive to go to college, and feel more college-ready. They are giving the students elective courses that they can actually apply to having a job. No more just sports, band, and choir, with minimum funding. R-VIII wants the students to learn and enjoy and want to stay in schools. It's all a numbers game that adds up to whether or not the future generation succeeds.
ReplyDeleteIf you think Joplin Schools are making kids more prepared for everyday life you are fooling yourself. Anyone who is honest with themselves that works for the district can tell you how untrue that statmenet is. They are just shipping these kids on thru and admin is the lead cause. Teachers can't teach because they have admin wanting other things. It really is a sad state right now.
ReplyDelete