First, I would like to congratulate the taxpayers of Joplin on our wonderful new middle schools that we as taxpayers funded.
I have watched the construction of these buildings, and it makes me proud of our school system regardless of the lack of foresight that occurred when one of the buildings was built outside of the city limits, and outside of the jurisdiction of the Joplin Police Department.
Even with the incompetence that has been displayed during these construction projects, I feel that my tax money is being well spent. On the other hand, I see the Joplin School District officials waste a tremendous amount of my hard-earned tax dollars on things such as glossy brochures that benefit the children in no way. The school district is also discussing adding a public relations position that will cost the taxpayers a tremendous amount of money each year.
To my knowledge, it has always been the duty of the superintendent to handle the public relations affairs. Why in the world would the Joplin School District all of a sudden need a public relations director? How would this enhance my child’s education in any way? Is this an attempt by the school district officials to try to spin the facts of what is really happening within the school district?
I have also noticed that our school district has recently added a position that pays $80,000 a year. This position is for an assistant to one of the assistant superintendents. Why does an assistant need an assistant when the superintendent already has three assistants? Why not combine the role of public relations with the role of the assistant’s assistant if the superintendent does not feel that he can handle the job of public relations, as superintendents in the past have? The top officials in our school system have their priorities misaligned. They need to focus on what actually benefits our children instead of their pet projects and wants. The Joplin School District belongs to the taxpayers, and your and my tax dollars are being wasted for reasons that do not benefit our children in any way.
Allan Walker
Joplin
Opinion
Voices: Benefiting the child
- Opinion
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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Our View: Victims should come first
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