The process for the selection of a new member of the Joplin R-8 Board of Education has begun and even more important than the identity of that new board member is the message that the selection will tell us about our current board.
From what I am hearing from people who have contacted the state auditor and provided information to help with the ongoing audit, one thing is becoming increasingly clear.
The audit, whenever it is presented, is going to serve as an indictment of the Board of Education.
Seven people have had the opportunity to put an end to the excesses of the C. J. Huff Administration. Instead of taking action they have silently sat by and voted 7-0 over and over again to enable a superintendent whose mercurial, narcissistic personality and inability to tolerate even respectful differences of opinion have led the district on the road to financial ruin.
C. J. Huff is not the one who is directly responsible to the taxpayers. The board of education was elected to represent us. In case after case, this is not what has happened.
Consider these examples:
-The board, by a 7-0 vote of course, approved a comprehensive five-year improvement plan that acknowledged that the reserve fund was going to be in single digits, but never made any efforts to cut down on excessive spending. No efforts were made to cut down on travel, the number of $50,000 plus employees working at the central administration office tripled, and most notoriously, the district has been put in a position of having to borrow $45 million, with approximately $20 million of that amount falling into the category described by CFO Paul Barr as "might-as-well" spending.Now we are in a position where we have almost no reserve fund.
-Twenty percent of the five-year improvement plan was devoted to improving the district's public relations. Much of this has been done by building a public relations and special events type of thinking that has resulted in even more expense and p. r. nightmares like the six-and-a-half-mile ribbon.
-The board allowed C. J. Huff and his former assistant superintendent Angie Besendorfer to create a climate of fear that has contributed greatly to more than 300 teachers leaving the school district in the past three years. Board members have remained slavishly committed to a chain-of-command that keeps them high above the fray while allowing Huff to know quickly which administrators, teachers, and non-certified staff to target.
-All part-time reading teacher positions were eliminated while the position of events coordinator had to be immediately filled. And the events coordinator receives more money than teachers.
-During the last board meeting, Board President Annie Sharp quickly cut off an attempt by board member Debbie Fort to get information about the parking fees at the high school. Tell the people to contact the principal, Sharp said. So much for public relations.
The problems that exist in the Joplin R-8 School District have occurred, in large part, because the board members have allowed themselves to be manipulated by an integrity-challenged superintendent who has lied to them repeatedly (board members have acknowledged this), but he doesn't make them do any heavy thinking and he feeds them at taxpayers' expense once a month.
The choice of a board member to replace Dawn Sticklen is important, though that person will only serve until April. Just as important as who is chosen, however, are what criteria the current board members think should be used to select the new board member.
Are they looking for a fresh viewpoint to improve the board or will it be business as usual?
8 comments:
I have been told that Annie Sharp is telling people that the $20 parking fee has been charged for years and years. That Randy Turner and others are just spreading lies about the district. I understood it wasn't the "parking fee" but the increase in the amount of the fee that was in question. If this $20fee has indeed been charged for "years and years", why didn't Miss Sharp address that when asked. What is going on with this parking fee?
The fee is an old fee. My neice attended JHS before the tornando and my sister had to pay a parkig fee. This is not a new idea.
The fee is really not the point. It was a question that could have easily been answered at the board meeting, but instead of many parents being able to find out at once, parents were told to contact the principal. About the fee, it should be remembered that none of the students and many of the parents have no experience with having to pay for parking at Joplin High School since there has been no Joplin High School for three years. It would have been the perfect time for the board to handle what many of its constituents consider to be an important issue.
Thanks for the information on the parking fee. I thought the past fee was less than $20 and the fee was increased. However the issue should and could have addressed at the board meeting and avoided any misunderstanding. Sometimes I think the BOE enjoys all the controversy and are purposely vague.
Here's what it looks like to me:
$The board does not respond to parents.
$The board does not respond to
taxpayers.
$The purpose of the board is to hire a superintendent and issue the carte blanche cards.
$The superintendent and his staff handle all the pr work and filter the information so that the board has no sads. By doing this, the board is not informed that anyone else has a sad,as this is R-8 where everyone is happy to have a super super like they have.
$Board meetings are for feel goods and fluffing, no sads allowed here either. Carefully controlling the agenda and messages prevents upsets and ensures no person with a sad is allowed to speak.
$By definition most everyone is happy, so if anyone has a sad, they must be a Turner supporter.
$No need for questions, the superintendent and his miracle working staff already have all the answers.
$If the super super ever leaves disaster will befall R-8, so no criticizing the super super and his miracle staff is allowed.
$Every official communication is a opportunity to make the super super look good.
Whatever this year's parking fee plan, the tone of Ms Sharp's reply to Dr Fort's question was rude and snotty.
If they want public image to improve, Ms Sharp needs to learn some better communication skills.
I sure hope they choose a new board member who can get along with the teachers and parents.
What I still don't understand about the fee is this; it's a public place paid for by the taxpayers, therefore why is there a fee? And ok there was a fee when I graduated in 2007 but it was only $8. So now the question is why was there such a significant increase? These audit results can't come fast enough.
The previous fee was $8, now it's $20.
Most schools charge a parking fee.
The board isn't doing what we elected them to do--oversee the operations of the district.
Shame on all of you.
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