Thursday, October 16, 2014

C. J. Huff was paid for workweek speech in New Mexico

The message was sent to all Joplin R-8 teachers from the C. J. Huff Administration May 7, 2013:

Today is National Teachers Appreciation Day- to the nearly 600 Joplin Schools'teachers, thank you today and every day for working hard to help our students succeed.

While the teachers were working hard at their jobs, their boss, Superintendent C. J. Huff, was spending the work day far away from Joplin- presenting the keynote speech that morning at the annual New Mexico Mines and Safety Conference.

"He was selected as a keynote speaker (Leadership in Action: Build Better Teams by Creating Common Ground) because of his experience and insight following the tragic tornado in Joplin," Randy Logsdon, senior safety adviser for Intrepid Potash-New Mexico, told The Turner Report, in an e-mail.

"The theme for the 2013 NMMHSC was “Everyday Heroes” and his remarks helped to set the stage for the remaining 1 ½ days. He followed up the keynote with a break-out session (A Conversation with C.J. Huff) immediately following the keynote session."

Logsdon was the man responsible for lining up Huff and he did so through the Washington Speakers Bureau.

"We learned about the Washington Speaker’s Bureau (WSB) in the process of searching for an appropriate keynote speaker," Logsdon said. "We decline to comment on Dr. Huff’s fee except to report that all the arrangements and negotiations were coordinated through the WSB. The NMMSHC paid what we felt was a reasonable speaker fee through WSB for Dr. Huff’s participation. We also provided compensation for his travel expenses through the WSB."

The Washington Speakers Bureau website indicates that Huff charges between $7,501 and $10,000 per speech. A Bureau representative told two Joplin High School students doing an investigative report for the now-defunct Joplin Schools Watch blog about Huff's work for the bureau.

"He (Huff) is absolutely active in giving speeches. We have booked him fairly often. He's well-versed in current issues in education and politics."

Asked what Huff charged for his speeches, the woman said, "His fee is $8,000, plus you'll be responsible for travel expenses." The students had called on the pretext that they were considering hiring Huff as a speaker.

If Huff has spoken frequently for Washington Speakers Bureau, he has not admitted it. He told Joplin Globe reporter Emily Younker in an article published July 28, 2013, that he had been approached by the bureau and had made one speech.

Whether he made only one speech as he says or many more as the Washington Speakers Bureau representative said, he has never listed any work for the Bureau on the financial disclosure documents he is required to file annually, under penalty of perjury, with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

His disclosure forms for 2011, 2012, and 2013, when he spoke in New Mexico, do not mention any paid speaking engagements. Missouri law requires superintendents and chief financial officers of school districts to reveal any outside source of income that pays them more than $1,000.

Huff has also not shared information about these speeches with the Joplin R-8 Board of Education.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's say, hypothetically, if a guy wanted to do something like ref a game at a state tournament and that guy was a teacher, in order to make things fair for all, the district would have to let him go since CJ gets to double-dip with no repercussions. Said ref shouldn't have to pay for his own sub, either, since CJ leaves all of his work to his flunkies back home. What's good for CJ is good for the rest of us. If he can get paid for work at R8 while he's out promoting his myth about himself and getting paid, to boot, the rest of us can too. I'm putting in for my sub right now.

Anonymous said...

If I read this correctly, CJ lied to the Globe. What will Ms. Stark do about this? I guess you can't say that he lied to the board since he never tells them anything to begin with.

Isn't it interesting he can be gone so much and nobody on the board notices? They took his demand to stay out of his daily business a little too seriously.

Anonymous said...

So what? The board will do nothing. The state will do nothing. Hitler rose to power among a people who allowed it. We, and our representatives, will continue to allow this cancer to grow unchecked; until one exasperated individual resorts to an illegal and immoral act. This is not a threat. We have seen it happen elsewhere, One person goes off the deep end, with tragic real world consequences for real people. And everyone always says the same stupid thing.."I don't know how this could have happened."

Anonymous said...

6:45 PM,

You are making a logical argument that clearly outlines what is fair, just, and equitable.

Unfortunately, those who make and enforce the rules typically exempt themselves from those very rules. Ever see a police officer driving well in excess of the speed limit: without emergency lights and sirens? Internal affairs exists for a reason,

The BOE theoretically provides oversight for the Superintendent, They abdicated this responsibility. Either not enough people know or not enough people care enough to vote them out; and/or run aganst them (save one or two exceptions).

Even if the auditors find wrong doing, they will gloss over it. Remember the pictures of "conservative" Huff with the Democratic governor?

We are down the rabbit hole, and here is no end in sight.


Anonymous said...

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others". George Orwell

Anonymous said...

It has been mentioned, more than once, how no one notices CJ's absence. He would gloat about how a great leader has such well established procedures, that things run smoothly without his constant attention.

Back here on earth, things are run horribly whether or not he is present. His Gestapo sees to that.

One could argue that if things were truly bad, the parents and employees would do something about it.

Do what? Go to the board? Get DESE involved?

Sovereign Immunity.

At present all we can do is vent...anonymously.

I just wonder at what point, some one will snap.

Anonymous said...

"All power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely..." Lord Acton