"Independence School District has lost sight of its greatest asset."

Another critical article or editorial in the Examiner?  There have been two such articles since January.

Independence Schools must maintain focus.

The article is written by Matt Beem who is also a regular featured columnist in the Examiner.  The money quote:  "I’ll tell you what I think’s going on. I think the Independence School District has lost sight of its greatest asset."

He is asking for any thoughts or comments about his article to be sent directly to him:
matt@hartsookcompanies.com.

We are confident that your replies will be kept confidential and treated with respect.

We agree with Mr. Beem.  Independence will never be the athletic powerhouse that some administrators are hoping.  Anyone who truly understands our community knows this.  There will always be stand-outs and exceptional teams.  But not the year after year after year dominance that a powerhouse would display.

Many administrators in the district come from small towns.  This is not a bad thing - but it is not experience directly related to Independence which is the 5th largest city in the State of Missouri.  The District is the core of this large, increasingly urban, district.  For many small towns, the sports teams are the center of pride and social life.  That is, never has been, and never will be Independence.

To demonstrate this, go back to the comments made by new Superintendent Herl.  "This is a large city connected to a large metropolitan area, but the town is very contained here. I grew up in a small town, as did my wife, so that is a nice feeling to have here.”  See April 10, 2013, Examiner Article.

West Side Cafe

Many people are surprised to learn that the District OWNS a restaurant and catering business.

Other school districts may own a restaurant as part of their culinary arts program.  Students work and manage the restaurant as part of a certification program.  Shawnee Mission School District has such a cafe.

However, ISD's venture is different.  It is an actual restaurant and catering business owned by the District and operated by a former CO administrator and her husband.

Notice on the District website

Information on the Ennovation Center's website (includes menu)

Article in the Independence Retired School Personnel Association newsletter (PDF)
On page 7, "The district owns this new venture, operated by Claudia and Joe Ketterlin. You might remember Claudia as Human Resources Director for the district before she and her husband opened JoJo’s Café in Gaslight Square off Noland Road." (Emphasis added)

Facebook page

PROBLEMS with this arrangement:

• West Side Cafe competes with other private businesses in western Independence - tax-paying businesses.
• West Side Cafe has been given a virtual monopoly on District business which no other private business enjoys.  Principals have been instructed that they MUST use the Cafe.  The Cafe has been given access to the employee email directory and sends out emails asking employees to place orders.
• The financial arrangements behind West Side Cafe are unknown.  The contract was never discussed or approved at the public Board meeting.  The public does not know how much the managers are paid.  We do not know how profits and losses are distributed.  What is the business plan?  Has the monopoly and access to employees been properly valued in the financial terms?  What happens if the business fails?  What happens if the business succeeds and needs to move out?
• The Superintendent never discussed in public the need for a restaurant - or even a cafeteria - for employees at Central Office.  How does this fit into the PURPOSE of the School District?  If the employees at that site needed a place to eat, then could there have been another arrangement made?
• Who approached who?  The District could have put out a Request and sought to partner with another existing business in western Independence.
• HOW DO THE CHILDREN BENEFIT?  How is this what is best for children?
• What expenses does the District bear?  Lights?  Water?  Use of equipment and depreciation?

From my waiter

"What is up with the Independence School District?"

At lunch, my waiter and I engaged in some chit-chat.  And then he launched into a discourse about his girlfriend's classroom and her concerns about Special Education (not enough staff to service the needs).  Clearly a concerned young man and citizen.

I was at a gathering about a week ago and two retired teachers from other school districts (but who live in Independence) asked essentially the same question, "What the heck is going on in Independence?"

People are concerned.  They are asking questions and seeking answers.  They hear things at church, from their neighbors, in line at the grocery store.  However, the typical venues of inquiry are closed.  The Examiner does not report on substantive issues pertaining to the school district.  There is just a veil of silence - only the news releases from the District's PR Department seem to pierce this cloud.

Citizenship is more than just voting for a bond or levy when asked.  Citizenship is more than just feeling good about your schools.  Citizenship is about asking questions and holding elected officials accountable.  Citizenship is about making sure that public schools are serving the public interest.

Votes to hire, fire, promote or discipline employees

The School Board must discuss matters related to "human resources" during closed session.  Thus, the details of the discussions related to hiring, firing, promoting or disciplining an employee are kept confidential. However, many people do not know that the record of the VOTES on the decision to hire, fire, promote or discipline must be made available to the public within 72 hours.

See the Attorney General's Opinion 129-97 (1997).

Brain Drain

Anecdotal accounts make it appear that many experienced staff members are leaving the district - even taking positions in other districts for less money.  Now there can be a lot of reasons for staff turnover but whatever the reason it should not be taken lightly.

The exit interviews with district staff are very perfunctory.  Mostly about COBRA benefits and when the last paycheck will be delivered.  Generally, just the bare minimum for the District to cover its legal butt.

Unlike most businesses and many school districts, the Human Resources department apparently does not track why employees decide to leave.  It has been this way for years.  These are valuable questions to ask.  Is the employee leaving to seek another job in another school district?  Why?  Are they retiring?  Are they retiring earlier than expected?  Why?  Are they leaving the teaching profession entirely?  Why?

Elementary School Principals (Corrected) (Updated 5/28)

As requested, here is a list with the comings and goings of the elementary school principals.  (Though admittedly - it may be incomplete.  Very little information on district website.  Please post corrections in the comments.)  It would be interesting to know who does and does not live in the District - this might give a better picture about potential turnover.  Most of the "attention" has been on the secondary level. 

However, the principal is a "big" person at an elementary school.  These schools are smaller and most students know their principal.  The principal probably knows most of the students by name.  Having unnecessary turnover at this level is problematic - kids need stability.

Benton
Leslie Hochsprung - STAYING

Blackburn
Laura LaCroix - GONE to Liberty
Sara Terril will be her replacement.

Bryant
Jon Pye - STAYING

Fairmount
Jeff Anger - STAYING

Glendale
Todd Siebert - STAYING

Korte
Ron Albertus - STAYING

Little Blue
Jeffrey Williams - STAYING (first year as principal)

Luff
Antoinette Mallums - RETIRING
Melissa Carver from Lone Jack will be her replacement.

Mallinson
NEW 2013-2014 - Susan Barnes
From Seneca, Missouri

Mill Creek
Kathy Butler - GONE to Lone Jack
Anthony King will be her replacement.

Ott
Ronnee Laughlin - STAYING

Procter
Debbie Marlowe - RETIRING
Amy Hawley will be her replacement.

Randall
Christy Compton - STAYING (first year as principal)

Santa Fe
Janet Gibbs - STAYING

Southern
Kathy Ambrose - STAYING (first year as principal?)

Spring Branch
Janet Richards - TRANSFERRED to Bridger
Aaron Kirkhoff will be her replacement.

Sugar Creek
Aaron Kirkhoff - TRANSFERRED to Spring Branch (first year as principal)
Shellie Dumas will be his replacement.

Sycamore Hills
Anne Pye - STAYING

Three Trails
Robert Streich - STAYING

Transparent as mud

No school board minutes have been posted on the District website since September 2012.

Be careful what you ask for... (Updated)

Remember when the Examiner published an editorial "Rethink the Residency Requirement"?  People were shocked that the Examiner published anything critical of the school district.  But there has been no follow up.

Here's what the Examiner wrote:  "The potential turnover caused by this policy is far more worrisome than any theoretical gains."

Here's the turnover at the secondary (high school and middle school) level.  Now just because someone is "staying" doesn't mean that they aren't looking.  Depends on whether or not they live in the district and we don't know all that.
 
Truman
Barr - GONE to Ray-Pec
Boatright - STAYING
Bult - GONE to Grain Valley
Loewe - STAYING
Maglinger - TRANSFERRED to WCHS

Chrisman
Becker - STAYING
Clemons - STAYING
Woods - TRANSFERRED to Van Horn
Salinas - STAYING
Gramkow - GONE to Fort Osage

Van Horn
Netzer - RETIRED
Layden - PROMOTED to principal
Nowak - PROMOTED to principal (Nowlin)
Wendy Kline will be a new assistant principal.

Bridger
Clemons - GONE to North Kansas City
Painter - STAYING
Tauveli - STAYING

Bingham 
Willich - GONE to Park Hill
Garmon - GONE to Raytown
Playter - PROMOTED to principal

Pioneer Ridge
Wieshaar - STAYING
Dorris - TRANSFERRED to Bridger
Jacobs - GONE to Lee's Summit
He will be replaced by Amanda Drinkwater.

Nowlin
Wolff - GONE to ?
Bungart - RETIRED
Henson - STAYING
Bray - STAYING

Those Golden Years

There was some chatter about retiring administrators and the difference between 3 and 5 years.  Here's the scoop.

It takes 5 years to "vest" or become part of PSRS.  Then your eligible for retirement benefits - though we are not sure about how that differs from someone who has been in 25 years or more.  Once vested, PSRS takes the average of the highest 3 years to determine the retirement benefit.

In ISD, this is how all this played out:

Sharon Byrd, former principal at Sugar Creek, left Kansas City in 2007 and joined the ISD.  She's been in the district 5 years.  Now, she could have been or should have been booted out last year - but was given some fluff job for this year - to get her to year 5 - and vested.  So now she should be able to draw both retirement from PSRS and the Kansas City system (which is separate from PSRS).  (Does anyone know what she was even doing this year?)

Ron Albertus, principal at Korte, joined ISD in 2011.  He had previously retired from as superintendent of a rural district in Illinois.  (Whoa! Culture shock!)  All bets are on that he'll retire in 2017.  (That seems like a long way off.)

Greg Netzer, soon-to-be retired principal at Van Horn, retired from Kansas City, KS school district and has been with Independence - you guessed it - 5 years.  He's vested.  But one saving grace is that the Kansas retirement system SUCKS - so he probably deserves this and more.

Kansas Konnection

It was a surprise to many when Hinson selected a small town superintendent (Herl) to be the deputy superintendent.  Shoot - most schools in Independence had more students than Herl's former school district had in total.  But that was three years ago - so he's had plenty of "on-the-job" training by now.

But to select AGAIN another small town superintendent from Kansas to be the deputy superintendent seems - well - strange.  Seriously - is there no one in Missouri that is qualified?  Is there no one with URBAN experience that is qualified?  Remember that Kansas and Missouri have different ways of funding their public schools.  So this new guy will need "on-the-job" training as well.  Fortunately he'll be paid well to do it.

(Of course, there is always Leonard Westbrook to help out.)

Dr. Lance Stout will be the new deputy superintendent.  (Was he in same doctoral program as Herl?  Did they know each other there?  Why bring this guy to Independence?)  He was the superintendent in Liberal, Kansas - which has just under 5,000 students in total.

Here's the link to an interview with him from the hometown radio station.
http://www.kscbnews.net/news/?nk=23436
He's been in southwest Kansas ALL HIS LIFE!  Hmmmm.  He'll know a lot of the Independence community.  I wonder what the increase in the salary is?

There there is Gregg Webb - the new football coach for Truman.  He's from Eudora, Kansas.

#noclass

Have you seen the sign out in front of Matt Mallinson's Medicine Shoppe?  Ugh.
"Mayor Matt Mallinson thanks you." #barf

It will be interesting to watch who is his replacement on the Independence School District's Board of Education.  #bobblehead

Who is Scorpio Horn?

We received several anonymous tips that a lot of the "sports" focus in the District is related to Scorpio Horn.  At first, we must admit that we thought that this must be some joke.  Sounds like a porn star name or something like that.  But over the weekend, we've received enough information that it appears that people might have something to say about this.

Apparently, Scorpio serves as a youth at-risk specialist.  He's also connected to the Bears for Tomorrow program.

From the information that we received, it appears that Scorpio works at buildings that feed into Chrisman.  There seems to be a lot of confusion about what exactly he is supposed to be doing - but everyone seemed to agree that he is making sure that at-risk kids stay in the athletics pipeline.  Whatever his role - it is apparent that people stay out of his way because of their fear that anything said/done goes straight to the top.

Some people have commented that District administrators are concerned that people are moving out of Independence and to other districts because we don't have the "good" athletic programs like Blue Springs.  The assumption is that sports is the WAY OUT for these kids - probably just as it was for Horn - we guess.

There are rumors that Scorpio makes a butt-load of money to do this - but that seems a little out of line given his background.  But several people have emailed that tidbit - so it definitely out there.  ISD does pay its favorites well - we know that.

Quick Biography / Bears Tomorrow
https://sites.google.com/a/bearstomorrow.com/bears-tomorrow/news/welcometoscorpiohorn

2009 Examiner Article that highlights Scorpio's older brother who was a pro football player.
http://www.examiner.net/sports/bluesprings/x826025683/Been-there-done-that

2011 Bears Tomorrow
https://sites.google.com/a/bearstomorrow.com/bears-tomorrow/news

Examiner article about Bears Tomorrow and lawyer Bob Buckley
http://www.examiner.net/features/x1569731417/Buckley-devoted-to-helping-future-Chrisman-hoopsters

Anonymous Commenting Now Available

We've changed the settings so that people can post anonymously.  Sorry that this was set up before - we thought that it was.  There was a toggle switch that we needed to change.

Comment AWAY!!!!!

You can't handle the truth!

We take it as a sign of success that the District has blocked access to this blog from the district's web servers.  Not that we were expecting people to access the blog from work.  Duh.

Share the link with a friend:
http://watchingisd.blogspot.com

A good job if you can get it

What Central Office administrator was sent to North Carolina on the top-security mission to administer the MAP tests to our students at Mindstream Academy?  (Yes - we have another group of students at the "camp".)  Several days - several tests - several rounds of golf.  Oops, did we say that?  Just assuming.  Hope the weather is nice out there.

Just a reminder:  Your public tax dollars are going to a private school in another state.  Nice.

What is up with the coaches?

What is going on with the coaches in district?  Lots of moving around.  Post comments!!!!

We heard that at the beginning of the year there was quite a "Come to Jesus" meeting between Hinson and the coaches.  Apparently, he hates to lose.  Is this what is going on?

Worst Principal has the Best School

Now remember that it is SO important - VITAL - that all district administrators live in the district.  This is what is "best for kids."  (Cough, cough, wink, wink toward the real estate agents, builders and developers.)

Any administrator who doesn't live in the district really isn't doing their job 100% - they are bad, bad, bad.  Either move in or move out.

So it was a SHOCK to many watchers of the District that Truman High School was recently recognized as one of the best high schools in Missouri.  US News and World Report 2013 Rankings placed Truman as 16th in the state.  Only seven schools in the metro area were in the top 20.

Wow.  Someone probably needs to tell US News and World Report to adjust their rating scales.  They need to add a score for "Does the principal and assistant principals live in the district?"  If NO, then rate the school ZERO.  Seriously, US News and World Report must not understand education.

Link to Examiner article:  HERE

Is it Human and is it a Resource?

Ask around Independence about Linda Gray-Smith and you'll hear an almost unanimous opinion:  awful.

Ask around Chillocothe, where Linda G-S was superintendent, and you'll hear an almost unanimous opinion: awful.

So how did she find her way to Independence?

We've heard that she only has a year or two left here in Independence.  Then she'll retire.  So typical of how we work.  Keep dysfunctional administrators around so that they can make their 3 highest years and retire with the full hog!!!!  Legislators complain about teachers sucking the public teat with our pension system - but the real abusers of this system are the administrators especially superintendents.

Someone here in Independence is doing Linda G-S a favor by hiring her.  Just to finish up so that she can get her full retirement.  She used to be a principal up in Lamoni - so maybe there is some Community of Christ or Graceland connection.  Or there is just a superintendent connection.

Below are some links.  Random - I know.

Contract with Chillocothe

She's used to getting her way or else

Revenge Part II

Her replacement

Superintendent Let Go

Board removes her name from the bank accounts

Board in April 2011