Taxpayer: District cannot afford Cognitive Coaching, new initiatives

(A reader submitted the following comment concerning a Wednesday night post about the Joplni R-8 Board of Education delaying a decision on paying $69,000 (plus more than that to hire substitutes when the training takes place) for a consulting firm to come to Joplin.)

Thanks, Dr. Fort and other board members for asking the questions that should and must be asked. 

The district CANNOT AFFORD to sink any more money into these initiatives at this time. Joplin is still talking as if there is a bottomless pit of money. There is NOT! Let these things go for now and keep teachers in the classroom. 

And the idea that those who are at the top salary levels keep harping on - If you don't give us the highest wage possible, we'll go somewhere else and you'll be sorry. - has become disgusting to me. 

That argument sure doesn't work for the majority of the working public who must work harder and harder for less and less. We just got rid of a superintendent who was one of the highest paid in the state and he still very nearly destroyed our school system. 

The $180,000 (plus God knows how much in benefits) is more than fair and the public must demand results for that salary just as we demand performance from our teaching staff. 

The BOE needs to concentrate on supporting and paying the most important members of the district - our teachers. And, no, I do not work for the school district. I'm just a taxpayer. 

So BOE and Dr. Ridder, come clean to the public, get your financial house in order, concentrate on quality teaching and stop the ridiculous idea of adding more and more unproven programs.