The appointments came despite a petition for a writ of mandamus filed Wednesday in Newton County Circuit Court, asking the court to rule that Jim Kimbrough should have already been seated on the board following a 3-2 vote at a May 29 special board meeting, which would have meant that there were never three vacancies and the decision should not have been forwarded to the Commission.
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How did the Joplin School District reach this point. Read the whole story in this newly-published book.
33 comments:
I see more court filings in 3...2....
We're Jasper county....don't try to push us around Newton county.
Good to see young, fresh faces.
A wind bag and a guy that never knew a rate increase he didn't like. Well, at least the athletic department will have an advocate.
Great! Let's put our Huff/Besendorfer days gratefully behind us and get on with the business of doing what's best for Joplin kids and educators! These are exciting times for Joplin Schools...let's try to keep them drama free :)
I gotta say, this looks like a good move by the county commission. Immaturity, bickering and petty personal hostilities among those on the board, departing the board, and running for seats on the board are hurting the school district. Too many axes to grind and egos to defend. Picking three relative outsiders, with leadership experience and a history of supporting the Joplin community is the best solution. Great job, guys!
Maybe they will give the "Unprepared Idiots 3" a little lesson in professionalism, tact and diplomacy!
Was Nodler the guy who pitched a fit at a local movie theater a few years ago because of having to watch a movie with some mentally challenged people?
Great. Retreads. The same 40-50 people will continue to hold a pillow tightly over Joplin's head. Let mediocre schools, rampant social problems, and pathetic economic opportunity run amok, they say! Meanwhile, they will make their profits and wallow in their anemic social circles.
Everyone keeps saying Jim Kimbrough "should have" been put on the board. Didn't Jim Kimbrough choose not to run for re-election? Didn't he make the choice back then not to be on the board?
I know...flip flop...flip flop... and people change their minds, but seriously, if he changed his mind, what did he pay or promise Martucci, Koch and Fort? Why would you turn this place into a circus for one guy?
Why make us the laughing stock of the state (or an even larger population if you want to be so bold as to think anyone else cares)?
Why this one guy? Is it the teachers? Who has said you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours? I'm just not sure why Joplin's reputation is worth this one guy? Mr. Kimbrough if you are such a great guy that these people are willing to go to bat for, why don't you do the magnanimous thing and just step away from all of this. If you truly are the person the people of Joplin want to sit on the board, you will have your shot at the next election in April.
Do the right thing Mr. Kimbrough.
He didn't want to run for a 3 year term. That's been made public. He will run for 1 more year which is what these seats will be for. What's so hard to comprehend 9:10?
It always impresses me how trying do the right thing, in this case, end the Huff regime, earned nothing but disdain by people who only offer up petty excuses like "bickering".
As for Kimbrough and those who've been supporting him being illegitimate because he changed his mind, well, people are capable of that after circumstances change. In fact, you want people who can change their minds when things change, like a board candidate dropping out after it's too late to change the ballots, and someone is needed for a 1 year interim position, vs. the 3 years Kimbrough decided not to try for.
What is the deal with every board, committee, panel, that makes or influences policy having to have representation from Empire District Electric Company? It seems like there is always a local bank president available also to tell us what to do. No wonder the actual elected school board members hit a brick wall with everything they suggest, none are sophisticated bankers, doctors, lawyers, hospital administrators, big dog utility company CEOs, or any of the aforementioned wives. It is perfectly understandable.
Go home Huff, you're drunk again.
Ahhh....good times...good times.
You really haven't been paying much attention, have you?
Wow what a bunch of pusses.....
I am not happy with the choices.....
Let's give it a chance. And move on....
There election is 9 months away. Grow up.....
I THINK ITS TIME TO ASK BOARD MEMBER BANWART LANDIS STEEL HUFF THAT THE BEST THING THAY CAN DO FOR JOPLIN IS LEAVE TOWN,
AND CALL COUNTY COMMISNOR JOHN BARTOSH AND ASK WHEN HE IS UP FOR REELECTION HE NEEDS TO GO AS WELL,GOD HELP OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THESE CORRUPT PEOPLE
HUFF LANDIS STEEL AND BANWART SHOULD BE CALLED OUT BY THE MEDIA AND ASK IF THERE AWARE OF WHAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH,AND WHY OUR CUSTODIAN STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING SHORT OF STAFF FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS WHAT A MESS HUFF GOT OUR SCHOOLS IN AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT ISENT OVER YET,STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT JOPLIN TAX PAYERS,WE SHOULD ALL THANK BOARD MEMBERS MR KOCH MRS FORT AND MRS MARTUCCI FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING,HOPE THAY STAY STRONG THAY NEED OUR SUPPORT,O YA WASENT RON GANTZ ON THE SCHOOL BOARD YEARS AGO,THE VOTERS DID NOT RELECT HIM WONDER WHY ?????????
Less than 24 hrs to Friday happy hour!
Party!
@10:55 God help our schools if you took a spelling course from Joplin Schools. And I'm sure having these people leave town will solve everything.
Full disclosure:
At the bank, Gatz was direct supervisor of JPC/CART member C. Wert.
At Empire, Gatz reports directly to B. Beecher, JPC member.
As a teacher at one of these "mediocre schools," I just want to let readers know that the last few years have been pure hell, as we've worked our tails off trying to improve. I am in no way a Huff regime supporter, but I am a Joplin Schools supporter. Many readers on this blog have no idea what happens behind the walls in the schools, and I can only claim to know what happens in mine. I know that we spend way too much time pouring over data and having meetings during plan times and after school. I know that our TLC did everything possible to pit teachers against each other and make our jobs more of a "Who Has the Smartest Students?" competition. I know I cried many, many, many days on my way home from work, because I was incredibly frustrated by not being allowed to teach how I knew was best. I know I looked for other positions in other districts, but couldn't go through with the application process because of my desire to see Joplin Schools once again be the best district around, and maybe my own selfish desire to say, "Hey, I was a part of that!"
Every time that people make comments about how awful the schools are, I take it personally. My students improved so much this year, and I believe they are the most well-prepared students I have ever had the privilege to teach (with zero responsibility going to Stevens and her wonderful curriculum designing--which was actually done by teachers). My school may be unique in Joplin, as we love our students and we have fabulous teachers and staff, but I don't think that's the case. There are so many incredible teachers at every level who are choosing to stick around when others are fleeing. But we aren't being labeled as "brave" and "respected", so much as "cowardly" and "incompetent."
In the end, there's only so much a school board, superintendent, admin, TLCs, principals, other teachers, parents, and community members can do to improve any school. I will still secretly rebel and teach the way I know is best. I will still proudly wear my Joplin Eagles shirts out in public. I will still go through the stupid hoops admin makes up jump through. I don't agree with much of what they make us do, but I am still a Joplin teacher.
i hope that our three board members that truly care now a ATTORNEY THAT NOT IN JOPLIN THAT WILL FILE A LAW SUIT ON BEHALF OF THE JOPLIN TAX PAYERS OUR RIGHT TO VOTE HAS JUST BEEN TAKEN FROM US,AND THE SCHOOL BOARDS RIGHT TO PUT MR KIMBROUGH BACK ON OUR SCHOOL BOARD FOR ONE YEAR,I WONDER IF THE JOPLIN TAX PAYERS SAID THAY WERE NOT GOING TO PAY THERE TAXES THAT GO TO THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN UNTELL THIS WRONG IS MADE RIGHT.
IF WE ALLOW OUR RIGHTS TO BE TAKEN NOW HOLD ON THERE WILL BE MORE TO COME.ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND SAY THIS IS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT
Let's see if I have this straight. In order to avoid requirements of the Sunshine Law, the commission appointed a committee of one whose sole purpose was to advise the commission, who didn't hold meetings, didn't get involved with silly requirements of the Open Meetings Act, then met and explained how it acted legally, all in the best interests of the citizens of Jasper County and the Joplin School District.
Hell, is Archie calling the shots again?
TAKE YOUR DAMN CAP LOCK OFF!!
If Jim Kimbrough wanted to serve for one year, he could have run against Martucci and Good. That seat was only for 1 year. I like Jim. He was one of my educators. But, keep it straight. Please don't bend the truth about his motivation to be appointed, not elected, to the board.
1:15 PM: What if Kimbrough didn't want to continue serving at all, except that after Lane got his job up north after it was too late to change the ballots, or especially after Lane nonetheless won, he decided he wanted to or was willing to fill in for a year. That's not the same thing as deciding to run against Martucci when it was an option before the ballots were final.
Seems a little underhanded doesn't it? I wouldn't have expected any less from our county commissioners.
This is a travesty of justice. I hope this backfires in Lynda Banwarts face ....
All eyes are on you Sallie Beard, Gary Nodler, and Ron Gatz.
If you vote straight Yes with Lynda Banwart, we will know it was a set up. If there are real discussions then we will know the choices made by CC were at least decent.
Yes, Nodler and his wife asked to have some mentally challenged folks removed from the movie theater. they were making ro much noise for Gary.
Nodler? The guy that lost to Billy Long in the primary?
Sunday, August 07, 2005 Portrait of Nodler beginning to emerge
Area educators were probably somewhat astonished when Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, was chosen to head up the committee to rework the Foundation Formula, through which Missouri elementary and secondary schools are funded.
During the time three years ago when education funding was reaching a crisis situation, I attended a meeting at which Nodler's name was brought up. An area superintendent said Nodler had told school administrators that what they wanted did not matter. He was at Jefferson City to do what Leggett & Platt (the biggest contributor to Republican campaigns in Missouri and one of the biggest in the nation) wanted him to do.
I e-mailed Nodler at that time, told him of the comment and asked for a response. Three years have passed, Gary, and I'm still waiting.
What brought these fond remembrances of my state senator to mind was the article written by Max McCoy, Joplin Globe investigative reporter for today's edition. For those who have not read the article, Nodler apparently threw a fit when he was unable to enjoy the movie "Fantastic Four" because of noise created by a handful of developmentally disabled adults.
Who filed the petition in Newton county?
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