Thursday, February 19, 2015

Hero of Joplin Tornado to speak at Bright Futures Conference, McGrew no longer listed

Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff will be one of the two keynote speakers at the second annual Bright Futures USA Conference scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at Missouri Southern State University.

The role Huff played in saving Joplin is detailed on the conference's speakers page:

Following the devastating tornado on May 22, 2011, Dr. Huff declared that school would start on time. This key factor drew the community of Joplin together just days after the tornado and provided a positive light for the country to rally around in the midst of such tragedy and destruction.

Dr. Huff is well respected by the community and his peers as a man of vision and a man who keeps his word.

Huff will spread his light to the more than 200 who have already signed up for the conference.

According to the website, his topic will be "Building the Culture of Service Learning," which is described in this fashion:

No act of kindness is more sincere than when it comes from a child. Harnessing the genuine compassion, which exists in all children, we are able to cultivate the next generation of servant leaders. Constructing successful service learning opportunities reveals how big things can come in small packages.

Huff's speech is scheduled for 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The other keynote speaker is Carrie Caruthers, Harrisonville, a member of the Bright Futures USA Board of Directors.

The list of speakers no longer includes Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Shawn McGrew, who was listed as training and operations manager for Bright Futures USA. It was noted in the Feb. 1, 2015 Turner Report that McGrew having a paid position at Bright Futures USA would appear to be an ethical concern as long as he is a member of the school board.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

And on Friday Dr. Huff is going to speak to all of us. Maybe if we are good comrades our Great Leader will give us gifts and treats.

Anonymous said...

If Huff paying himself $8,000 for his conference speech. It would be like him to do that. But don't worry, it's all

For the kids,
Anon

Anonymous said...

He looks so beatific in that photo. Maybe it's true and he really does rule by divine right...nah.

Anonymous said...

Some of those 200 registrants are R8 people. I wonder if they even had a choice about signing up. It's not like anyone has a choice in anything else. I can't imagine paying over 200 bucks to listen to this pompous windbag brag on himself.

Anonymous said...

I don't suppose it's ever occurred to this fool that we would have started school on time anyway. Teachers would have taught in tents or trailers if that is what it took. He didn't create any miracles here. He just did what was obviously needing done. Seems like that is what he is paid to do.

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine listening to any of these people, much less paying for the "privilege." McGrew is hardly fit to moralize on service learning. He'd be great if you wanted to hear about self-serving learning, however.

Anonymous said...

For CJ Huff to speak about service learning is an abomination. The man who has unjustly fired staff, allowed his hired thugs to harass people, who overlooked the fact that his tech security head had pornographic pictures of high school girls on his computer, and who has destroyed this district financially does not have the right to speak about service. Unless you're referencing hard labor. He has a right to do that service for us. Maybe he'll learn something.

For the kids

Anonymous said...

I wonder who determined he "is well respected by the community and his peers as a man of vision and a man who keeps his word?" His overpaid puppets probably like him, mostly because they are overpaid, but respect? I doubt even they respect him.

Anonymous said...

...Wait, are we sure he's even met any children, ever? I mean, I know we have pictures of him with every kindergartner, but has he ever talked with any of them or observed their behavior among their own peers? Because that whole thing about genuine compassion and sincere kindness in every child? Um, no. Not so much. I mean, look, I love kids, too, but they are ... kind of uncivilized little savages. Until they grow up a little, that is, given that they receive the proper guidance from kind adults. But among themselves and when they are young, they are selfish little sh*ts, mean to each other and lacking empathy. That's normal, really, that's how the human brain develops, but come one, anyone who believes in or talks about the inherent kindness in children just doesn't understand or know any children, or they are idiots who reject facts about human development that are less than flattering. Either way, he's full of it.

Anonymous said...

Who writes that crap for him? I can't imagine there are that many community members that actually have any real respect for him at all, I know his staff doesn't!

Anonymous said...

The hero of the Joplin tornado, I think is most fitting for CJ Huff, for without his divine light, the admiring and leaderless METS, NCAD, JPD, JCSO, JFD, RMFD, St Johns, Freeman Health, something like 400 Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement agencies, thousands of volunteers, could not have possibly worked to stabilize Joplin.

Funny, I don't see The Newton County or Jasper County officials capitalizing on their efforts and service during the Tornado AND Recovery, just these hacks in Joplin.

Fire all of them. The entire BoE, Joplin council, CART, Joplin school district admin, all of them and start anew.

Anonymous said...

Was our great leader not splendiferous today? So folksy. That survey? Good grief. Fewer than 50% of staff even responded out of fear and then fewer than 50% of those who did responded that they trust him or his staff. How bad does it have to get to get the attention of his board?

And then he had the unmitigated gall to claim that HE gave us a jeans day every Friday. As I recall, HE and his board prez were dead set against the idea.

Then there was that video. Cute kids. Nice folks. Totally scripted complete with sappy music--again--and lots of pretty graphics. That colorful pinwheel was just too adorable for words. And the four pillars of education? Why, Great Leader says it's nothing new. It's our imagination that we had never heard of the four pillars before...

Waste of time. Total waste of time. But hey, it's...

For our kids

Anonymous said...

My favorite CJ quote of the day:

"There is no such thing as a bad idea."

Anonymous said...

CJ: 'Remember the truth is only found in my blog'

Do not believe...your eyes, your experience, current employees, former employees, testimonials, court documents, public records, logic, your gut, insiders, outsiders, anything not verified and bonified by CJ's blog, and above all DO NOT believe Auditors!

Anonymous said...

Hi, my name is CJ. I put numbers on a Jumbotron PowerPoint. You know they are valid, because I say so. I know an insignificant number of you are umhappy and distrustful, but we can all just laugh it off, Hey I'm CJ...your buddy siege, I promise I won't hit you again... I mean, I've been under a lot of stress lately, and, you know I love you, we can work this out, and maybe you can try a little harder, I mean, we have to stay together....,for the kids.

Anonymous said...

Now, don't be too hard on the poor guy. The district meeting today was for several reasons not stated with his learning intentions--he wanted you to see that he had not wasted money by looking at all the wonders at that great big school, he wanted to warm your hearts before the election so his friend Anne would be reelected, and he wanted you to have a special gift before he cuts your jobs and slashes your stipends. Remember him fondly if you're cut from the herd. He really cares and it was all....

For our kids

Anonymous said...

Did anyone notice those cookies came from Harp's? Once again, CJ has failed to support the local businesses that support his district with their tax dollars. Or maybe no one in Joplin would take a district check. That's always a possibility.

Anonymous said...

I thought Suzanne would surely be handing out yard signs and bumper stickers while she had a captive audience. She just reminded us again that we don't ever get told thank you. We already knew that. I didn't need to drop everything I needed to do in my building to go watch Suzanne lead the wave and remind me that they don't appreciate us unless there is a major election or issue to vote on. This much I knew. It wasn't worth the drive to watch CJ fail to explain why no one trusts him and to watch that video.

Oh, and Ms. Sharp, I noticed you were in very casual clothing today. And you're correct, I didn't see you as professional. But thanks to the efforts of Fort and a few others on the board, you were outvoted and I was able to wear my jeans today. Thanks for not supporting me in that much, even. I'm sure doing the wave with us like children makes up for it.

Anonymous said...

What did those cookies and bottles cost the district, anyway? Had to be in the thousands. I would rather have something I could use in my room since they have been claiming they are too broke to buy anything for classroom use. Their daily actions tell me how they feel about teachers. Today didn't schmooze that over.

Anonymous said...

The magic is gone, CJ. It's just gone.

It's time for you to move on.

Anonymous said...

WINTER IS COMING....