But if you are one of those who dares to question the edicts that come down from Central Office, or if you happen to fall afoul of one of those chosen few, your days are numbered.
A months-long investigation, including interviews with current and former staff and a review of documents, including some obtained through Sunshine Law requests made by district patrons and others provided to the Turner Report by current and former staff members revealed a culture of fear in the school district, where a person can work for years without having a single negative job review, get on the wrong side of the wrong person and suddenly be the recipient of a career-ending grievance.
Burr had questioned some upper administration decisions. That was enough to put her on the target list.
Though Burr was reinstated just four days later after a public outcry, the message had been sent loud and clear.
If this can happen to Satotha Burr, it can happen to anyone.
The toxic atmosphere has led to a large turnover of both teachers and administrators, including many of the veterans who had made up the backbone of the district.
But nowhere was the impact so dramatic as what happened to the district's Finance Department after it discovered the junior high building project was not coming in under budget as board members had been told, but was more than a half million dollars over budget.
That discovery, the diversion of money from other district accounts to cover the shortfall and maintain the pretense of fiscal success and the discomfort department members felt when asked to divert the money led to the removal or resignation of all five department members.
As noted in the February 8 Turner Report, Board of Education members were under the mistaken impression that the junior high project was coming in considerably under budget when Rob Singh, the district's accountant, and Associate Superintendent Trish Wilson discovered it not only was not under budget, but it was more than a half million over budget.
In a July e-mail, Technology Director Scott Harris said there was a funding problem with the fiber wiring at the junior high. It had been wired incorrectly and it was going to cost $25,000 to fix it.
"That's all well and good," Superintendent Dan Decker (pictured) said, but where is the extra money going to come from?"
It ended up coming from the district's technology fund.
Six days later, Public Relations Director Meagan Spangler sent an e-mail to Wilson about signs needed for the junior high, another expense that had not been included in the budget. Wilson forwarded the e-mail to Decker, who said the money might have to be taken out of the junior high budget.
On July 8, Junior High Principal Jenifer Cryer e-mailed Wilson asking what she needed to do to buy bookshelves, PE storage shelves, rolling carts and teachers' desks, none of which had been included when the district issued furniture bids, despite paying an extra $300,000 for furniture when officials thought the project was more than a million dollars under budget. Again, the message was forwarded to Decker, who asked two questions- "Do you see any way we can do this and not get plowed by two of our board members (Douglas and Day)" and "Who dropped the ball on this?"
In an August 8, 2017 e-mail, accounts payable clerk Dawn Speak told Superintendent Dan Decker there was a glitch in the junior high landscaping project, The purchase order had been coded to the junior high account, but that account had been closed..She asked Decker if it could be paid out of buildings and grounds-other purchased services."
"Can we do it out of summer projects?" Decker responded.
On the same day, Wilson received an e-mail from Junior High Assistant Principal Keith Rook providing a list of other items that had been left off the junior high building project accountant, including athletic items, a piano for the music room. She forwarded the message to Decker.
It was during that same time period in July and August that members of the Finance Department told the district's auditors they were uncomfortable with the maneuvers they were having to make to keep up with the appearance that the building project had come in under budget.
Money had been moved from the technology budget, the district uniform account, buildings and grounds and other accounts to cover the shortcomings.
Making it clear that he did not think Decker or the board members who had been heavily involved in the project, President Steven Douglas and former president Brett Day, had been honest with the people, Singh tendered his resignation August 4.
It was shortly after that, on August 11, that Wilson was placed on administrative leave, though she had never received any complaints about her job performance from either Decker or the board.
A few days after that, in an unusual move, Douglas, without Decker or any of his fellow board members present, met with the remaining three Finance Department members and tried unsuccessfully to explain why Wilson was no longer there.
Dawn Speak asked Douglas why the district was not being honest with the public about the junior high project.
Douglas dodged the question and Speak said she would probably lose her job for speaking out.
"Why would that happen?" Douglas asked.
Speak had a good idea of how things worked in her place of employment.
One week later, though she had never had any negative evaluations, Decker let her know that her days at Neosho R-5 were numbered.
The message was delivered, not face-to-face, but in an e-mail.
"Good afternoon, Dawn,
I am sending this note to have the information I am going to share in writing. I feel I have been more than patient through the whole endeavor of the last few months. I have let you vent to me and talk to me in a way I would not tolerate from veruy many people and have tried to be understanding.
However, I continue to get complaints from people in every other department that you are rude, hateful, disrespectful and hard to work with. I believe I have given you enough time for this behavior to cease.
This department is going to move ahead in a positive way, with or without you. We have new people who are happy to be here and working very hard and I don't want a cancerous attitude to continue to infect the department.
With that said, I know you are going on vacation and I want to request that while you are off you decide if this is a place you can come to work, be happy and positive.
If this is not something you do and we have the same issues when you return, I will have no choice but to terminate your employment with the Neosho School District.
Lisha Hardy, who was in charge of the district's health benefits, resigned in December.
In November, with all of the pesky members of the Finance Department that had questioned the administration and the board's transparency on the junior high project, Douglas proudly announced that the project had come in under budget.
All it took to be able to make that announcement was the departure of five people who had given 47 years of their lives to the Neosho R-5 School District.
Meanwhile, the central office has struggled for months with an inexperienced finance team, often not having financials available for board meetings and the accountant who was hired to replace Singh was fired.
And planning continues for the Goodman Elementary building project.
(Note: This post has been corrected to show that it was an extra $300,000, rather than $700,000 that was spent on furniture.)
Previous Posts
Neosho Superintendent signed non-disparagement contract, agreed to $150,000 "donation" from architectural firm
Former Neosho R-5 accountant: Finance Department told to keep quiet about Junior High project funding errors
Neosho R-5 administrators say there are things they can't tell staff, but they will be transparent about it
Neosho Daily News on junior high investigation: We report news, not speculation or gossip
Neosho R-5 School Board President: There was no trickery with our lovely junior high
State investigators examining discrepancies, lack of transparency in Neosho Junior High building project
57 comments:
I knew upper administration were headed the wrong direction when they made a PR move to change the name from Neosho R-5 to Neosho School District.
I don’t understand why Decker hasn’t been fired. You can get rid of people that are doing their job, doing what they were hired to do, but keep a man that is destroying the school district. I also think that Douglas and Day need to step down as board members. As an elected board member their responsibility is to manage and oversee all operations of the school. To do what is best for the school and the children. Clearly they have not done this. There are seven board members and two have been running the show while the remaining five were kept in the dark. They didn’t know what was going on in the beginning when the JH issues were discovered, but after they found out, they did nothing! So does their silence mean they agree with what Douglas and Day have been doing? That they want to be associated with the cover-up and downfall of the school district? The remaining five board members have a voice and a vote. Why haven’t you done something to stop what is going on? Maybe since you haven’t had the guts to speak up, maybe you need to step down too. We voted for you, elected you to do a job. I thought as pillars of our community you were ethical, had morals and values. Guess I was wrong. The school is spending a lot of money to try and get their finances in order and fix what they have broken. Why not clean house and bring back the “Fabulous Five” Finance team. 46 years of experience is a lot of experience to kick to the curb. Seems like all your troubles began when employees started standing up for what was right and wouldn’t compromise their morals and values. I am asking the citizens of our community to speak up, demand that changes be made. We elected these people to do a job and clearly they aren’t doing it.
Randy there seems to be an error in this paragraph due to a few missing words:
Making it clear that he did not think Decker or the board members who had been heavily involved in the project, President Steven Douglas and former president Brett Day, Singh tendered his resignation August 4.
Since it's an important part of the story I thought you would want to know.
I cannot believe how quickly Neosho has learned from Joplin on how to screw up a half way decent educational system into a cesspool. Of course, you have the Joplin fiasco, the Joplin city politics and newest edition of Neosho politics of its mayor and schools selling guns. What if a 12 year old buys a raffle ticket and wins the assault rifle? What if dad buys or has one of those bump stocks and converts the weapon intended for soldiers puts that bump stock on his new assault rifle? Being 72 years old I am blessed with my kid out of the Neosho educational system and not having to think about bullet proof backpacks for my kid or grandkids. Others with kids in school need to start getting involved to take back their schools and city. I would heartily recommend ousting the present board members and higher officials and let the teachers do the choosing of who is going to lead them. Why would any reasonably sane company come to this wide spot on the road of failure unless they desire a ready pool of undereducated serfdom to work in their dirty and polluted factories protected by republican lack of oversight. Disgusting
To Anonymous 6:42: Thanks for catching that. It has been corrected.
“Disagreement is part of being a person who has choices. One of those choices is to respect others and engage in intelligent conversation about differences of opinion without becoming enemies, eventually allowing us to move forward to compromise.”—-Ben Carson
https://twitter.com/dopplerdouglas/status/967021261653192705
What's worse? Thinking Ben Carson is a figure to quote, or picking this quote?
Does anyone know what the procedure is for removing a superintendent from his position as well as the board president and another board member?
How does one even discuss this openly when they are the ones in charge to begin with?
People who feel they should be removed from their positions cannot very well say so openly when are employed by the district or even live in this small town with children attending school here.
Where do we start?
I don't believe there is enough ink for Ms. Spangler to clean this up! (Imagine how long this email is going to need to be after her last few! Someone needs to educate her on how to GET TO THE POINT .... if she ever figures out what that point really is!)
Are the board minutes available online?
If not, maybe that's something Ms Spangler can work on to help keep the citizens and taxpayers informed!
For those in our district who are NOT a part of the fraternity/sorority or the chosen beautiful people, it has become an increasingly difficult place to be. I have watched excellent educators targeted, humiliated, and dismissed when they have differing ideas or question. Those of us with experience have been replaced and/or ignored for district committees. Our veteran building level administration tries to do what's right for our buildings but often find themselves between a rock and hard place as anyone who worked for previous central office administration continually find themselves without central office favor meaning they are under scrutiny working harder with less. A general feeling of distrust regarding central office is prevalent. If this is brought up though, it becomes the building principal's problem as no expressed concern ever seems to stick to Decker or the Central Office staff. If you speak to a board member, there is a statement of "we will look into that" or "if Decker makes enough bad decisions, we will hold him accountable", but I have yet to see any action of the board that makes me believe there will be a difference.
Those who have been most richly rewarded in Central Office are those who are willing to sacrifice their principles and ignore/look the other way regarding the inequalities, failure to follow policies, unethical behavior. The jokes and innuendo Decker regularly displays with those in "his" circle is unprofessional and when you find yourself in earshot of it, you must just laugh it off otherwise you might find yourself as the next target. (I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation with no one to be able to report it to safely) We have become a school of PR - what will sound/look good for the 1 minute news spot, even if only 10% of our students get this experience, we do it invest in it because how it will look. We have a district that is competing against one another rather than working together to provide better for ALL of our kids. As I write this truth, I am terrified that I some how will be discovered.
10:22 Anonymous- From my own experience you are spot on correct. When people ask me why we don't stand up for ourselves and let others know about the situation, I have to tell them the truth which is: we will LOSE OUR JOBS. I'm hoping this is finally coming to light and things will change for the better.
Send those good veteran teachers up to Joplin. We're still rebuilding from the Huff era.
I was terminated cause I missed work when my child at 5mth got RSV. I was told I will finish out the year but will not be rehired cause they couldn't take the chance of my child getting sick. Not surprised this has happening in Neosho they can get away with talking to people like this. I was told to keep my mouth shut and do what I was hired to do.....
That is against the law for them to terminate you based on child care/illness. Contact an Attorney.
Anonymous 3:48: agree! When the biggest most important issues are to "brand" your district and change its name which has nothing really to do with educating children, I question your priorities.
This district leadership has become complete dysfunction!! No real financials for months! New accountant lasted 5 months...did she hold others accountable too? All the 1,000’s of dollars to train her down the train. Now another new person and yet again spend 1,000’s of dollars to train them. Good use of taxpayers dollars Neosho! Asst. Supt. asking to purchase a building, adding positions and you have no idea how much money you have? Is Tim Crawley still “consulting?” Who is he to consult with now? Has he been put in charge of the new Goodman Elem. building? If so, watch closely taxpayers!! Apparently, and according to documents you have provided here Randy, there are other expenses the board is not being transparent about. Mr. Douglas quotes Branco and Sapp cost but it seems he's leaving out others expenses the district had to cover. If I remember right they sold this project to us, the community, and staff as a “turnkey” project. All teachers would have to do is walk in the door and teach. I was told several months ago this project with ALL expenses (not the two Mr. Douglas seems to want to quote) was over budget by 1.2-1.5 million dollars! Transparent? I think not!
The fear of losing one's job is real in this district. Administrators and teachers will not speak up about any issue because the word “grievance” has become the go to in this district. It has been unbelievable to watch as many good teachers, administrators and staff have been hurt terribly and treated very unfair. When is it enough Neosho? I have worked in other districts and have never heard the word “grievance” mentioned by upper administration. Ever!
To Anonymous 7:00am: The school is not selling guns. There are raffle tickets for sale and there is a minimum age to buy them, and the winner must go through a background check. The raffle is a fundraiser for a baseball team that is not affiliated with any school.
Maybe the ink will be "Vegas Gold" in color.
Our district needs strong, sound leadership. We do not have it. We don't need a PR person. We need a leader who is REAL with the community and the staff. She makes 15,000 more than I do and I've taught in this district for more than 25 years. There is something very wrong with that!!! Nothing against her, but that money could be allocated more wisely for STUDENTS. Decker makes nearly 160,000 and what are we getting for that? Currently we very rarely see him in the buildings.The only time we hear from him is a forwarded email from state government or John Maxwell email. No one has any idea what He does each day. Furthermore, out Assisstant Superintendent over curriculum is not present among us. She us not in our buildings and teachers are having to create and organize the curriculum on top of everything else. What IS her job? Is there someone checking the job descriptions and holding these highest paid people accountable?
No one knows. We need someone who already has practical experience with MO curriculum and can organize it for those doing the educating. We shouldn't have to do her job and ours. We often don't even get our questions answered.
There needs to be an anonymous paper/pencil survey of teachers over what we actually see from these top 2 people. And the board needs to step up and stand up for what the teachers are saying. If we were as present in our job as they are in theirs, we wouldn't have a job, nor should we. We need new leadership!!!
Neosho school district is an absolute toxic place to work. Qualified good people have been run off or forced to resign because of the environment Decker has promoted. If you disagree with any opinion of central administration you are soon without a job. Critical thinking is a value that in most jobs or schools is considered a good thing. In NSD it gets you fired. If this superintendent and school board work at any other job in America they would have been fired yesterday.
I wonder how many people commenting here are either from 1) Support Satotha Burr Facebook page or 2) Satotha Burr herself still mad at being almost fired. Example - @9:19 sounds exactly like her “ What’s your point ?” She’s not a victim.
Defect defect deflect
Not sure where you got the info Randy but Burr was investigated for hostile work environment and harassment. Don’t make her a martyr
She is part of the toxic environment. Culture of fear. Favoritism.
Watch the sheep defend HER now.
Wow. I didn't things could get any worse than when I chose to leave the district almost ten years ago.
Lol...Randy, what you posted about the Carver principal isn't true.
RUMOUR is ...the school board is going to buyout the last two years of Deckers contract to get rid of him. That would be $300,000+??? So we as taxpayers will be paying to get rid of someone that has destroyed the school district. At this time the school board is under a lot scrutiny for questionable acts. They should not have the right to make this decision. I would rather have this money spent on something that benefits the kids. Wake up, why not just fire Decker!!!
Still a very stupid idea. There are sooo many other items that could be used for a raffle/fundraiser.
Yes, I am a gun owner.
This makes zero sense. What does 9:19's comment have to do with Mrs.Burr?
EXACTLY!!! Pretty sure the others who have been fired didn't get 2 years pay when they left. I think we need to have yearly contracts for the superintendent as well. Do your job, be evaluated and then get extended another year if you've met the expectations.
When ou we going to look at director ofcurriculum. We hop scotch from what's in on what's new and never stay the course on any program we start. Look at the map scores and see if we are improving or doing what's best for kids. Another Decker hire because she was a friend!
It seems that Neosho has lost all transparency. And it seems that a thorough cleaning is in order before the district is in shambles. BOE members that thought they were smart enough to keep us the dark and a Superintendent that thinks he is another CJ Huff need to be replaced. Now.
The "Big" names in Neosho pushed the last bond issue through- "For the kids" was their mantra. I wasn't fooled then and I won't be fooled the next time you come knocking on my door for a tax increase. I don't intend to take it sitting down and being quiet (as we are expected to do). Nor will I pretend that a tax increase is okay to cover up for your mistakes. You overspent MY tax dollars. Find some other way to fund your NEEDS - there is too much fluff and not enough educational materials, too much for show and not enough for learning. You could start by reducing the salary of the Superintendent. But don't ask me to support or vote on your show palace where learning is not taking place.
Yes lets look at curriculum director! Lets look at MAP scores for our district for the past 3 years! Have we improved? How do we compare to other districts around us? Why do we not talk about our scores any more or curriculum for that matter? How about the reading model shoved down our throats? is it really effective? Another anonymous pencil/paper survey that should be done. Not a survey from our PR director, no one will be honest or even do it...no trust! How much time and focus does curr. dir spend on this ONE program and elem ed? How many conferences does she need to attend? How much time is spent in our buildings? Secondary education teachers, admin how much time has she been in our buildings? Let's look at literacy coaches? a district literacy coach?...how does she spend her time? Does it matter since she is friends with 2 board members and promised this position? No one can ever get answers from curr. dir. phone calls, emails go unanswered.
Solution: move Decker to transportation director or some other position for 2 years so you don't have to eat his contract. He can try to get anotherjob if he doesn't like his new assignment. Move an interim to superintendent for 2 years. There our atleast 2 or 3 people in the district who could do it. Do we really need 2 more years watching our district suffer under his leadership or lack of it!
No Joplin is not they allowed a good teacher to be fired just recently from a grade school she had worked in for 15 years because of trivial little things that all teachers do and said she was not following board rules. It is still bad there too. Breaks my hear to hear this about Neosho, but Joplin you still have a long ways to go too.
No you are not. A good teacher was fired after giving 15 years of her life to an elementary school there because all of a sudden she wasn't following board rules. Hog wash! She was too as much as any other teacher was. I think it was a personal vendetta of her principal to her. Up until last 2 years she had had nothing but great evaluations and great MAP scores from her classes. Sick of this happening to teachers.
I like the idea of moving Decker but I think he needs moved to a custodial position. The custodians work their butts off for low pay. Let Decker see what real work is.
Might want to look at how the cafeteria insurance plan was suddenly given to board member Phil Wise's insurance group before he resigned the board last August. Also is it customary in most districts to have the PR person in charge of the CSIP plan. I mean she does get paid big bucks, but what exactly does Decker do?
I thought the same thing! Very strange and unethical that he had direct involvement in the process with insider information then receives this account? But, I thought he received the medical insurance account? If so, that is one massive commission each month. Guess his service to the district wasn't nearly as important as the $$$. So, resign from the board and have the other board members vote to hand you the business. Wow!!! I for one would like to know what he stood to make from this little transaction? If he did get the medical insurance business it was thousands per month!
So wait a second. Meagan Spangler, the district's public relations director is working with the assistant superintendent of curriculum and finance, Beck Sears to update the school district's CSIP plan?
According to the outline for the CSIP, "Districts should identify individuals who will assume leadership responsibilities in the process and those who will be a part of the collaborative team. Assisting a collaborative team through the planning process requires a leader with special skills in group dynamics and group processes. The facilitator is responsible for moving the team through the process and not for developing the plan. The team should assume responsibility for developing the plan. The CSIP team should include all key stakeholders; the community, members of the district’s staff, and the board of education. To implement a highly effective plan, everyone in the district must understand the goals, expected outcomes, have vital roles of interdependency, and share the same vision. It is essential that the team reflect a cross-section of the community if the plan is to be accepted by the community at large and those who must later implement the plan." https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/MSIP5-CSIP_Guidance.pdf
So Spangler, whose position is to clean up after Decker, give press statements, and update the district's website is now developing a strategic plan related to the strategic direction of curriculum and instruction in the school district? That makes perfect sense! Meanwhile, thanks to the new PCL Model and the direction of Sears and her assistant Baum, I'm no longer trusted to plan my own lessons. They're scripted from and I constantly have administrators roaming in and out of my class making sure I'm following the model.
Maybe we should incorporate this book into the model: https://www.amazon.com/Emperors-New-Clothes-Both-Read/dp/1601152701
You can partially blame this mess on the previous board. We had a chance to hire a home town guy that loved Neosho and had experience at every level of school administration. He was a cpa and vice president of crowder. Home town jealousies would not let that happen. So Chris, Lynn and Caroline thanks for nothing You own alot of this!
Ms. Sears. Brett, and Steve and their PCL Model...someone research what other schools are doing this model...someone please do an anonymous survey of all elem. teachers and admin to get their honest opinions of this so model (pencil and paper of course) If as a teacher I cannot be trusted to teach my children day in and day out, to teach them how to read...then by all means hold me accountable...BUT don't shove this model down my throat and my colleagues throat because an upper level admin doesn't know how to lead a group of admin. in the right direction. It's easy to adopt some program or model and not have to be in buildings observing classrooms and admin. It's much easier to fly off to the next out of state conference to see what else is the next best thing!! How much have we spent on this model? What outcomes can be proven to inform us if it has been worth the added positions and money spent? Not fabricated outcomes produced by her asst. Baum but true, honest information! I would bet our admin. would like their Title I money back, or their teaching positions back. Ask them! Look at our scores the last 3 years...look at our APR...there's a reason its not being discussed. Ask questions Neosho...ask about this model...ask for honest feedback...Thank goodness under Mrs. Condict we had some good years because I understand that's what carried this district this past year. What happens next year when our good years drop off??? We will even be accredited? Neosho...teachers we need to start speaking up! I mean...that can't fire all of us!
And our so professional PR Director...Meagan or Spangs...or M...however she decides to sign off on her long, trying to cover up the muck, emails! Does she really think we buy it? Or even read them? Working on the district CSIP...a person who knows nothing about education, MAP scores, End of Course exams, how to improve these test scores, curriculum, the struggles teachers encounter every day, how to manage a bldg or classroom, how to lead a group of professionals, etc. I wish she could hear all the comments my colleagues made when she attempted to do her "learning talks" what a joke! Does she honestly believe we were honest with her and Mrs. Patterson (Deckers secretary). I mean come on...you bring the supts secretary to hear and get our honest opinions. Just another example of she has no idea about education, trust, how to lead. Does she think for one second we believe it was "confidential" , thats just humorous. We all know she goes right back and tells Decker. Does she realize things may have been shared to test her? or set her up? HA! And I believe the CSIP was due what 2 years ago? I've done some research, if districts have a PR Director they work on the district website (take a gander at ours...horrible...old information and just looks terrible) which is one of her responsibilities. They push out positive information on ALL buildings (not just the couple of admin bldgs in which they are friends with...the only people she speaks to). In other districts they follow the same policies that everyone else does...like show up to work on time!!! (I'd love a job I could roll in whenever I wanted, 9am, 10am, 11am). Wouldn't that be nice...and make 65,000+???? Who holds her accountable? Oh yeah Decker...
Very well said. Yes, Tonya Patterson, Deckers Secretary and Meagan Spangler doing CSIP. What qualifications do they have for this job? But yet we were required to participate and give info knowing Decker would know what was said. So again, we were not able to be honest in the meeting. So much fear with the staff!!!
He worked here and quit when he didn't get his way. If he would have stayed the course he would have been our Superintendent. He left on his own mid year. I say he showed his true colors and the board did the right thing by passing over him.
Does Spangler or Patterson have an education degree? What gives them the right to even be involved with teachers on anything! Spangs came to the district from DOWNSTREAM CASINO! 65 thousand a year and can't even keep the district website up to date. Patterson is a secretary for the district. What's her educational expertise. This is out of control. School board get the right people with experience in the right places and might make you look good for a cbange. Decker must go!!!!
7 member board. 3 can't get anything done. Who else joined them to vote no on our hometown boy?
PR and a secretary doing learning posts with admin, faculty and departments for our CSIP? The Supt secretary and PR director did these wanting us to share our opinions and thoughts of the district. Like we would be honest with them knowing it would go right back to the supt. Spangs why would you do these? And why would you select the supts secretary to do these? Our only guess is you wanted dirt for the supt. and/or it's your lack of leadership ability or lack of education on leadership knowledge and best practices! And what is Ms. Sears doing...Alma, Glenda did the CSIP prior to Sears...does she not know how? Does it require her to be present and on campus to much? Does it take her away from the PCL model? Do other districts PR director do their CSIP plans?
Putting a veteran administrator on leave based on a couple of complaints...from who? A couple of teachers who aren't doing their job, who are being held accountable, who are required to teach!!! Was it investigated on whether or not these complaints were remotely legit before taking such extreme measure? Who did they complain too? It seems from what staff were told the complaints were not even true but was an attempt to humiliate a great admin... for what? I have heard they complained to Ms. Sears and everyone knows she has an ax to grind with Mrs. Burr.
AND...Decker and Sears bring the PR director and Supt. secretary to sit in on individual interviews as "witnesses" with the entire Carver staff while Mrs. Burr is on leave!! TELL ME HOW MANY HR LAWS WERE BROKE FOR THIS STUNT!! Faculty that wanted their spouse to sit in was told NO by Decker because he had a witness present...If anyone should have been involved other then Decker and Sears shouldn't it have been our HR director? Where was she? How many of Mrs. Burr's rights were violated during this process? Decker demanded faculty fill out a survey AND sign there name per board policy. Please direct me to this board policy-I have yet to find it. So many wrongs and lies happening...Come on Neosho!!! Speak up, go vote in April for a CHANGE!!!
There are 7 members. Phil Wise was a relative and couldn't vote. So that left 6 with those 3 voting against. Like I said they own alot of what's happening!!!
Yes, good point. Why wasn’t the HR director involved? Well could it be that Decker doesn’t trust her to do the job? Maybe she doesn’t have the qualifications to do the job? How did a part-time print room worker get promoted to HR director? Did she get her high paying job because she is in the “chosen group” at CO, one of the favorites? What qualifications does Tammie Hays have? This year “Supt. Hays” (nickname given to her by staff) is deciding who the administrators can interview for positions. She reviews the applications and narrows it down to the ones that will be interviewed. How does she know who will be a good fit in each of our buildings? There again, what qualifications does she have to make these decisions?
There is a panel of teachers that voted to make this move. Everything is above board with the insurance switch. Premiums were cheaper and coverage was better. We compared all of the choices. This was the right move for Neosho employees.
What a joke! If Decker or the school board ran any other business they would have been fired long ago. If you don't agree with what their point of view you better start looking for a new job. We have a so call PR director now making educational decisions for the district? We have a secretary deciding who can be interviewed for teaching positions and reading director who is pushing a model that doesn't work. A curriculum ass. superintendent who's harder to get in touch with than the pope. You can't make this stuff up. It's like a Saturday night live skit! Wake up school board and realize this is a dysfunctional superintendent with a questiinable staff that is there to protect he's poor decision making.skills
Deductible is $2500 for me.
When is enough. Staff that disagree are forced to resign or be fired. Questional decisions on the whole jr. high project. 2 board members doing behind the scenes negotiations. Collusion with the architect. People unqualified to be involved in the educational process. We deserve better than this! Clean house and start over. It's gotten beyond fixable.
Phil wise didn't get our medical contract. Cigna has our medical, so Phil Wise had nothing to do with your deductible. We only get our supplementals through him and they were a much better deal than we had before.
But there are policies in place through msba that strictly prohibited board members from doing business with school districts. The question would be when the discussions and negotiations were taking place. A part of that process would have included his discussions as a board member which should have never taken place while he was still on the board. This creates a huge conflict of interest so really were talking about the timeline in which this happened and the discussions which took place in board meetings. If these discussions took place before he resigned, even though he may have won the bid after he resigned, then this is a massive violation of board policy. If I were the other companies bidding on this business I would definitely have filed a complaint.
Word is our "district" literacy coach will be moved to the central office next year! Which means, I assume, that we will be hiring another literacy coach to replace her at South Elem. Sears says she is SO busy. Teachers I have talked to never see her in their classrooms, yet she can be found crocheting in her room!! We got rid of the instructional coaches we had a few years ago, did away with their positions, and NOW we have hired 5 literacy coaches, possibly 6 for next year??? And they only work with Elem. Well, our asst. supt says they are available to help other buildings if needed but how can our district coach help MS, JH, HS when she hasn't taught above 2nd grade? And the others have very little teaching experience and only at elem. This model is not working! Not the answer for us! Before we dump more $$ into this someone please investigate what it has done for our students and staff...Linda Dorn has made a killing off of our district. A district our size with 5 literacy coaches, possibly 6, is just insane! Maybe our secondary teachers and administrators would like an instructional coach, we would probably be willing to share one or two to get at least some help since we aren't getting it from our curr. director. Someone mentioned above about doing an anonymous survey, paper/pencil, so honest feedback can be give...what a wonderful idea!!
I did feel pressured into voting for the new JR high, since we kept voting it down and it kept coming back around. I finally gave in and voted yes, only to then find out the vote went through before the land deal was finalized. Now reading about this latest conflict and still not being convinced it has truly been resolved. To also learning the halls where the JR high students used to be at the HS are just sitting there empty, not being used, nor repaired like they were supposed to be. I have to wonder, will the state get involved to audit/investigate this mess? Plus I must say, it will honestly take a miracle for me to vote yes again on any new tax bond for the Neosho School District.
It is sad that the Admin are more concerned with finding out who is commenting and possibly talking to Randy then they are about all that is going on. Employees are frustrated, upset, angry and scared for their jobs. They are desperate for changes to be made. Important changes that need to happen. There are 4500 students who’s futures are in your hands. Open your eyes and listen to what is being said. Set aside your pride and do what is right for the kids.
The goal of schools is keep our students safe and to prepare them for the future. It is our responsibility to set good examples and create a system that is about them and for them. We seem to have lost sight of this important mission in the Neosho schools. It seems to me that many good people, who put students first, have been hurt tragically and now this district is in a place where students will be hurt by the decisions that have been made. Earlier this year, I read a post about another district putting a superintendent on leave and the incredible waste of taxpayers money this was. That district lost focus, and now Neosho has as well. What has happened here is a complete tragedy for those involved but we will continue to see the effects for many years in the faces of the students that Neosho is suppose to be educating and helping. I find it appalling that students do not come first and the needs of adults who are charged with their care are put first. I am astounded that the conversation is not about lagging test scores and how the needs of the students are not being met. I am a huge believer in public education, and fight against anyone who thinks it is not the key to success, but this makes me embarrassed and ashamed to be a part of a system that is so corrupted.
I was forced to resign by Burr. Her exact words were "You just aren't a good fit." Toxic and hostile work are too kind of words. She should have been fired and lost her certification but the district won't stand up. People are terrified of losing their jobs. I was bullied and harrassed repeatedly. Then I was given a horrible reference when I left, all of which were lies. The whole district is horrible and I'm so thankful to be out of it!
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