The nightmare world Chris Nicastro wants for Missouri's children

This video is about the New York school system, but it might as well be about Missouri.

In the video, parents and students talk about how much they love school...except when it comes to tests. Their message applies to Missouri, where Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro and our state Board of Education have fallen into lockstep with those who would turn our schools into testing factories.

Ms. Nicastro has prostituted our schools in efforts to gain millions in federal Race to the Top money and sold out teachers by working with retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield's people to eliminate teacher tenure and require teachers to be hired or fired on the basis of students' standardized test scores.

Ms. Nicastro and the board recently bought standardized tests from McGraw-Hill, but also paid for a series of practice standardized tests to be given throughout the year.

The video, though it is not about Missouri, should be an eye-opener for the people of this state.

R-8 School Board President Flowers: We must sell ourselves tastefully

Thanks to Joplin Globe education reporter Emily Younker for reminding me of a quote from last night's Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting that I neglected to put in my post last night.

When I wrote about the plan to help the district's impending (actually, it is already here) financial crisis by selling advertising on everything from new buildings to classrooms to parking lot flags, I did not mention the note of caution that Board President Jeff Flowers added.

:"I just want to make sure it's done tastefully and appropriately, not just for the dollars," Flowers said.

He is absolutely right and hopefully, the discussion will be continued next month when the board meets in the E-Z Payday Loan Room at 32nd and Duquesne.

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The prosecutor tells KMOV that it wouldn't happen in a perfect world. That certainly helps a lot.

Joplin High School band teacher placed on administrative leave

Joplin R-8 school officials confirmed tonight that they have placed a district teacher on paid administrative leave after matters were brought to the attention of school officials.

Sources at Joplin High School told the Turner Report the teacher is veteran Joplin High School band teacher Rick Castor.

Details on the reason for the leave have not been confirmed.

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Solution offered for Joplin R-8 financial problems: We're selling education

Now we know how the Joplin R-8 Administration plans to build its rapidly dwindling reserves.

You would think the plan might involve cutting spending- maybe stop hiring more $50,000+ plus officials to staff the adminstration office at 32nd and Duquesne, or perhaps eliminating the travel by administrators and the various teaching and learning coaches (the junior administrators in waiting) to various seminars in Washington, D. C., Colorado, Florida, Texas, or anywhere else that might be offering an opportunity for a getaway.

If you thought that, you would be wrong.

By a 7-0 vote (of course) a few moments ago, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education gave the go-ahead for a plan to start monetizing everything from the website, to the naming of classrooms and buildings.

The proposal, which was conceived by the district's director of community development Kim Vann and presented by board member Dawn Sticklen, began with a note that other people are making money off Joplin Schools, such as those who publish sports schedules and calendars, so why should the school not get in on the action?

As possible fundraising ideas, Ms. Sticklen mentioned the naming of the new facilities that are being built across the district and even classrooms in those buildings as well as sports fields.

Advertising could even be placed on the parking lot flags, she added.

Naturally, Ms. Sticklen said, rules would have to be implemented in the sale of such advertising that would "protect the integrity of education."

At a time when "filling the fund gap" is becoming more and more important for the school district, she said, these ideas could bring in much needed revenue.

Another source of income, the district website, could also bring in some cash, Ms. Sticklen said, noting that the site has 250,000 visitors a month. "This is traffic we can monetize."

Board President Jeff Flowers said there is "a lot of interest in the business community" in this kind of advertising.

Ms. Sticklen said the advertising would be more beneficial for the businesses than giving donations.

The board has to come up with some money somewhere since it recently approved a "strategic plan" that calls for reserves to drop from their already dangerously low 14 percent to 8 to 10 percent by next year. The plan also includes, without saying how it would be accomplished, that the reserves will go back up to 25 percent (the recommended level) by 2015.