EXODUS MANDATE-WV

2014 WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL NEWS

THE FOLLOWING HEADLINES ARE SIMILAR TO HEADLINES FROM THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.  THE SAME (OR WORSE) WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR! THESE INCIDENTS REPRESENT ONLY A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN THE SCHOOLS OF THE SMALL "BIBLE BELT" STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA! MANY OTHER SERIOUS INCIDENTS ARE NOT MADE PUBLIC.

SADLY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE CHILDREN CANNOT BE CHANGED. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE THAT YOUR CHILD WILL MAKE IT UNHARMED? EVEN IF A SERIOUS EVENT DOES NOT SHATTER YOUR CHILD, THERE IS NO WAY TO AVOID EXPOSING YOUR CHILD TO THINGS THAT WILL HARM HIM/HER EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY, AND/OR SPIRITUALLY.

If you think that your school is an exception you are willingly blind.

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO GET OUR CHILDREN TO THE SAFETY OF HOMESCHOOLS OR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. THE DANGER OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS CONVINCED A LOT OF NON-CHRISTIANS TO ABANDON THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. CHRISTIANS HAVE THE BIBLICAL MANDATE TO EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN ACCORDING TO DEUTERONOMY 6:7 AND COLOSSIANS 2:3. 

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!

"Christian parents are _commanded_ to place their children under godly and Christian teaching, not neo-pagan or humanistic instruction. Whether we acknowledge it or not, only two choices remain-- obedience or disobedience to God’s commands. (See Col. 2:8; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Deut. 6:1-9; Mal. 4:6; 2 Cor. 6:14-19 along with Luke 6:40. Matt. 22:37-38 and Eph. 6:4)" E. Ray Moore.

In the governor’s own words
From Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s 2014 State of the State address:  “One of the most important keys to our growth and economic success is our educated workforce. We must have skilled workers to fill jobs.  To reach this goal, education is the number one qualifier for the jobs of today and tomorrow...Tonight I ask the State Board to implement an A through F grading system for our schools.” This year the governor would not admit the pitiful performance of “public” schools like he so eloquently did in 2013.

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!!

“The difference between insane asylums and our public schools is that in the insane asylum you have to show some improvement before you can get out.”
Anonymous

Please look at the school news below as well as for other years (along with my articles) for documentation about why tax-payers should “just say NO!” to pouring more money down the government school rat-hole.

Among these headlines you can easily follow common threads of drug abuse, sex (including teachers with students and promotion of sexual perversion), lack of disciple, violence, poor academic standards, crime, anti-Christianity, and wanting more and more money “for the kids”.

Sex crimes in the education system are rampart and traceable to the decay of society which is closely connected to humanism taking over “public” schools. Parents in Kanawha County warned of this in 1974. Now, we are simply reaping what is sown.

The sin of sexual abuse is inexcusable, but the fact is that it is rare that church personnel molests a child. That is not so with school personnel. You will be amazed at the reports of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. See the comments on this issue on the main WV News page. Also, teachers, unlike preachers, do not get scandalized for their adultery and other sex escapades with adults. See the March 26, 2009 headline “W.Va. teacher charged with sex assault of teen” for a sad, but pertinent point.

The moral sickness in the school system goes all the way back to 1977--a couple of years after the Kanawha County Parents sounded the alarm.

(Note: Some of the links are closed by the media outlet after a period of time. Several of the headlines came from Charleston Daily Mail and Gazette on-line searches. All articles can be found by contacting the news source.)

Be sure to see the 2013 REPORT OF WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEST PERFORMANCE. The 2013 report is on November 7 of 2013.

(Note: Some of the links below are closed by the media outlet after a period of time. All articles can be found by contacting the news source.)

Climate change learning standards for W.Va. students altered 12-28-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141228/GZ01/141229489/1101
At the request of a West Virginia Board of Education member who said he doesn’t believe human-influenced climate change is a “foregone conclusion,” new state science standards on the topic were altered before the state school board adopted them. School officials said the changes are meant to encourage more student debate on the idea that humans’ greenhouse gas emissions are causing a global rise in temperatures — a theory that an overwhelming majority of scientists accepts. Earlier this month, the state school board adopted the new education requirements, based on the national Next Generation Science Standards blueprint, with the plan to instruct teachers how to teach them by the 2016-17 school year. The science standards are not part of Common Core, which contains nationally suggested standards for English and math, but they do have Common Core connections embedded and were crafted with aid of the same Washington, D.C., nonprofit group. West Virginia’s Common Core standards are also dubbed Next Generation…Jackson, a former state senator, said he didn’t read every page of the standards before voting to pass them. He said he wouldn’t be concerned if West Virginia science teachers taught about human-driven climate change in the classroom. Chad Colby, director of strategic communications and outreach for Achieve, said states can adopt the Next Generation Science Standards blueprint verbatim or change them without facing any punishment. West Virginia was among 26 states that helped write the blueprint…Do they (students) know how to critically read and think?” Language similar to the requirement that students question the credibility of computer climate models doesn’t appear for every other topic, like evolution, that is scientifically uncontroversial but potentially controversial with the public. For instance, one objective will ask tenth graders to directly “communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence,” but students are nowhere asked to question whether carbon dating is a viable method of measuring the age of rocks containing fossil. “Perhaps if it was 30-40 years ago when the evolution thing was a more openly discussed topic in the news, then that might have had our concern,” Sizemore (science coordinator for the state Office of Secondary Learning ) said…When asked how the state Department of Education would ensure that teachers instructing students on the climate change standards actually foster fair debate backed up by solid evidence, school officials argued they have little control over local curricula or ability to monitor it, and have a lot of professional development to do before the requirements go into effect. It’s also currently unclear how students will be tested on the standards. Sizemore called the “and fall” addition to the global temperature rise standard “fabulous.” She said she wants students to be “skeptics” who back up their assertions with evidence. Karl’s comment: Students will not likely be allowed to produce articles that are critical of the degree of manmade climate change. Ms. Sizemore is a little behind in her knowledge of current events. School officials DO have much control over local curricula. Any connection to Common Core is tainted.

State launches new education database 12-22-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141222/DM01/141229802/1300
The state Department of Education has launched an online database that aggregates school data such as designations, test scores and student proficiency rates. Funded by a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the database was created to provide public access to essential data and analysis tools the department claims will support student achievement and school improvement. The database, called ZoomWV, was launched last week in conjunction with the release of state assessment scores…That has been a controversial move, especially among Common Core opponents who believe data compiled by school systems will at some point be leaked to or shared with outside parties. While there are no data collecting mandates for states that adopt Common Core, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said its collection is needed to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness. While all state departments of education gather and use student data in some form, Davis stresses that protecting student privacy and confidentiality is a priority in West Virginia. “Student-level information cannot be accessed through this database,” she said…She also said it is more or less hack-proof…The policy does permit the sharing of information with state offices and education agencies, but restricts access to only educational purposes. The online database will be updated periodically with assessment scores and school designations coming once a year. Karl’s comment: A unified (One World) education (and government t0 is a done deal. Computer power will play a major part in getting in running it. Many of those involved in this project are unaware of being pawns in this End Times situation. A con man will not tell you he is working a con. He will make it seem like he is doing you a favor. So, this online database is portrayed as helpful and, if not for the ultimate intent, it might be. Saying it is “more or less hack-proof” is ridiculous. Just think about the National Security Agency spying on Americans and the Sony hack by North Korea.

No Charges Filed After Crossing Guard, Motorist Altercation 12-19-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Parents-Aid-Crossing-Guard-After-Altercation-With-Motorists-64463.shtml#.VJS7m1vE
No charges will be pressed in the case of a St. Albans elementary school crossing guard and driver who were involved in an altercation after the driver reportedly sped through a crosswalk. St. Albans police said it happened on Kanawha Terrace at George C. Weimer Elementary about 7:15 a.m. Friday…The crossing guard admitted to hitting the driver's rearview mirror, police said. The driver then confronted the crossing guard. Principal Pamela Snead said parents came to the aid of the crossing guard when he was approached by the driver. Police said both parties became very heated… Snead said students were frightened by the incident, but her staff did a great job of handling the situation. Karl’s comment: “Students were frightened.” Need I say more?

Officials cite ‘strong showing’ on test scores 12-19-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141219/DM01/141219159/1276
The Kanawha County Board of Education reviewed state assessment scores Thursday, which were higher than the state average but slightly lower than previous years . (Karl’s comment: Notice how the sentence cushions the bad news by opening with “higher than the state average.” Being higher than lousy is nothing to brag about.) The scores, released several months later than usual, show that only about half of Kanawha County students were proficient in reading and math. The state average for reading and math proficiency was 47 and 42 percent, respectively. While students didn’t make significant improvements — a major factor in how individual schools are graded — (Karl’s comment: Hold on for an astounding attempt to con the citizens.) county officials were pleased with the results. “This board has worked hard to move the district forward,” Superintendent Ron Duerring said. Duerring said the county had a “strong showing” despite several changes to the way the test is administered and the water crisis and adverse weather that closed schools for 19 days. “That shows our curriculum is strong,” he said. (Karl’s comment: County officials are lying or they are pleased with failure!!! Dr. Duerring job is to deceive the dumb-downed low-information public and he succeeds.) School officials said Wednesday that about 17,500 students took the test. There are about 28,000 students enrolled in Kanawha County Schools. (Karl’s comment: Why didn’t the other 10,500 students take the test?!) The test, which was first administered in 2004, was updated and renamed WESTEST2 in 2009. This is the last year the test scores will be used due to the state’s switch to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, a Common Core-aligned achievement test. All testing data can be viewed on the state Department of Education’s website through a new data portal called ZoomWV. (Karl’s comment: Changing the test over and over, after moving from a nationally normed test, allows for more ways to hide the pitiful performance of “public” schools.) According the state database, Kanawha County’s four-year graduation rate improved, and at 75 percent is the highest since 2009. (Karl’s comment: Depending on which old fashioned scale one uses, 75% is a middle C or a D letter grade. Certainly nothing to brag about. The comedy continues in the 12-18 headline.)

West Side Elementary continues to struggle, but other Kanawha schools improve 12-18-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141218/GZ01/141219170/1101
Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary saw its standardized testing proficiency rates drop even lower in the 2013-14 school year, while Kanawha County high schools on average had their highest four-year graduation rates in at least half a decade. These were among the points highlighted in Jon Duffy’s presentation to the Kanawha school board Thursday concerning Westest reading and math scores and related data. (Karl’s comment: Mr. Duffy had to use a predominately black school to provide cover for his next smoke-and-mirrors statement about graduation rates.)… Mary C. Snow saw its math proficiency rate drop from about 27 percent in 2012-13 to 20 percent in 2013-14. Its reading proficiency rate dropped from 27 percent to 17 percent. (Karl’s comment: I taught at that school, then called Glenwood, while Mrs. Snow was the principal. I don’t recall the school ever being close to that bad. Read on for Dr. Duerring’s skilled list of excuses.) Superintendent Ron Duerring attributed the drop to administration changes and a “significant number” of teachers leaving …(Karl’s comment: To the aforementioned excuses, the county adds another.)…and the Jan. 9 Freedom Industries chemical leak into the Elk River. This was also the first year the test was taken online. (Karl’s comment: Taking it on-line may be problematic, but now we get to some simple math percentages.) In Kanawha, the state’s largest school district, 54 percent of students weren’t proficient in math in 2013-14, up from 51 percent in 2012-13, and 49 percent weren’t proficient in reading, up from 47 percent in 2012-13. (Karl’s comment: Using the word “up” may be confusing to “public” school grads. In this case, “up” is worse. The same for “increase” in the following.)… Statewide Westest data, released to the public earlier this month, showed 58 percent of students in grades the state monitors -- 3 through 8 and 11 -- failed to show proficiency in math. That’s an increase from 55 percent in the 2012-13 school year and the highest the failure rate has been since the 2009-10 school year, when 58 percent didn’t meet the threshold. The number of students who failed to hit the mark in reading also increased, from 51 percent to 53 percent, also the highest since the 2009-10 school year. (Karl’s comment: Likewise for “above” and “lowest” as follows.) Kanawha’s four-year graduation rate for 2013-14 was above 75 percent, up from 71 percent the prior school year. Duffy said the district’s dropout rates in the last three school years have been the lowest since 2004. Kanawha’s 2013-14 ACT and SAT scores and Westest proficiency rates still exceeded the state average at almost every grade level (Karl’s comment: Exceeding bad, terrible, what?) – only the Westest reading success rate in 4th grade was on par. (Karl’s comment: On par with bad, terrible, what?) About 60 percent of Kanawha schools also placed in the top two categories of Westest’s Accountability Index – the highest percentage of the state’s 10 largest districts, he said. The index, first used in 2012-13 and being replaced by an A-F grading system next year … (Karl’s comment: Sixty percent is an “F” in any reasonable grade scale. Being the highest of terrible is pitiful. Going to a letter grade will deceive the public even more. For example, a “C” could be close to a “D” and an “F” could be close to a zero.)… Success and Transition are the highest of the five labels schools can achieve, while Priority schools are those that are persistently the lowest-performing statewide. Mary C. Snow is Kanawha’s only Priority school, and one of 29 statewide. There are about 650 schools in West Virginia. A quarter of Kanawha’s schools are now designated success schools, down from more than 40 percent in 2012-13. (Karl’s comment: Again, using poor old predominately black Mary C Snow Elementary to provide cover for disclosing that the pathetic 40% is now a woeful 25%. See 12-5-14 entire below.)…

Grad rates drop at more than half of 4-year public colleges 12-15-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141215/GZ01/141219502/1101
More than half of West Virginia’s public four-year institutions saw their six-year graduation rates drop from the 2011-12 school year to 2012-13, according to a report presented Monday to a legislative interim committee. Only two universities — Marshall and West Virginia — out of the 11 schools had increased rates, but both remained below the median graduation rate for selected comparable institutions, according to the report from the state Higher Education Policy Commission. WVU’s rates increased from 56 to 57 percent, below the 71 percent median for its peers, and Marshall increased from 44 to 45 percent, below the 51 percent rate for its peers. Nine out of the 11 schools had graduation rates below the median rate for selected comparable institutions, while only two universities — Shepherd and West Liberty — exceeded their peers’ median rate. Shepherd’s rate, however, still dropped, from 43 to 38 percent, while West Liberty’s held at 41 percent. Other than West Liberty, the only other schools’ rates to remain the same were Glenville State College, at 30 percent, and Fairmont State University, at 34 percent. Graduation rates at Bluefield State College, Concord University, Potomac State College of WVU, West Virginia State University and WVU Institute of Technology all dropped. Concord’s drop from 38 to 36 percent was enough to push it below its peers’ median rate, which increased from 37 to 40 percent. Paul Hill, chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission, said the peer institutions were chosen about a decade ago on general factors like population and the fact they accepted similar students…A separate report presented Monday by both the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia found that more than 65 percent of state high school graduates attending community college for the first time in 2013 took at least one higher education developmental course required because they weren’t deemed ready for college-level material. That’s down from 70 percent the year before. About a fourth of public four-year college attendees needed one or more of such developmental courses in 2013 — virtually unchanged from 2012. Of all the state high school students enrolled at public colleges who took the ACT, only about a quarter scored at or above ACT benchmarks in all four subject areas, also a slight decrease. Hill said his agency is pushing to eliminate not-for-credit developmental courses, instead having colleges put students who may not be ready for higher-level work in credit classes but offering extra help like tutoring, more laboratory sessions and one-semester courses stretched out over two. (red font added) Karl’s comment: Higher education may not be doing a good job academically. They certainly excel in injecting a liberal anti-God mentality into students. However, this report is a slam on “public” schools and is verified time and again in these WV School News pages. Just search for keywords like “test”. Eliminating the “bonehead” no-credit courses will help hide the fact that the students are poorly educated.

Putnam school board seeks waiver from Common Core classes 12-15-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141215/GZ01/141219476/1101
Putnam County secondary math teachers don’t like the structure of certain Common Core courses. And, they feel that their students aren’t getting the course material either. Putnam County Board of Education members unanimously approved seeking a waiver from the state from Common Core “integrated” math curricula on Monday night…At the last meeting, 26 out of 27 teachers present voted in favor of seeking a waiver from the state to teach classes like elementary algebra and advanced geometry again, Hatfield said. Karl’s comment: See the 12-7 entry below and LOL with me!

School official charged with domestic battery 12-14-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141212/GZ01/141219722/1101
Police charged the assistant principal of the Ben Franklin Career Center with domestic battery earlier this month for allegedly scratching and biting her boyfriend. Wendy Denise Bailey, 43, of Nitro, got into a verbal argument with her boyfriend that turned physical in a room they booked at the Charleston Marriott Town Center hotel on Dec. 6, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Karl’s comment: Sad situation.

School Official Identifies Improvised Device That Led To Huntington High Evacuation 12-11-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Huntington-High-Students-Being-Evacuated-After-Student-Brings-Fireworks-To-School-62855.shtml#.VIpD4rtuhy0
The improvised device that led to the evacuation at Huntington High School Thursday was a hollow Easter Egg filled with BBs and firecrackers, a school official said. In a news release and in an automated message, Jedd Flowers, director of communications for Cabell County Schools, described the device that prompted a heavy response from police. Flowers said the student has been arrested and is in police custody. The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. Flowers said about 1,600 students were safely evacuated to the high school football stadium, and buses were called to take the students home. Karl’s comment: Another day of terror.

Capital principal says racism stained Super Six 12-11-14 http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141211/GZ02/141219758
… There were conditions surrounding the game Giles protests. And they were conditions, he believes, that have racially biased roots. It started immediately, Giles said, when he tried to park his car toward the field, so if his wife got cold she should could watch the game from within. Holder of a pass giving him a parking slot in the stadium end zone, he said he was approached and “engaged” in a confrontation with a police officer. “Would it make a difference to you if I told you I’m Capital’s principal?” Giles, an African-American, said he asked. The conversation, Giles said, ended abruptly. The officer left. But Giles’ uncomfortable experiences didn’t…It struck him that there were police dogs present. Many. They were in the parking lots sniffing. They were on the field. Then, during the player introductions, Giles said, the game officials stood between the teams, as if preparing for conflict. “I’ve never seen that before,” said the principal. SSAC executive director Gary Ray said Thursday the dogs have been present at all Super Six championship games “for two or three years” because of grants awarded to the police. He said officials also stood on the field during the Class A final. “We tell them to be out there and available because we had some jaw-jacking a couple years ago during the introductions,”…Twenty-five penalties. Giles doesn ’t take kindly to the proceedings. In his eyes the white officials — according to Ray from the state’s Mason-Dixon officiating board — had an agenda. The Super Six program listed five participating officials — one African-American — from that board. “Their intent on Saturday was to control the black kids,” Giles said. “Do we have kids that mouth off? Yes. But that’s exuberance. They are in the state championship. “It didn’t have to be like that. There has to be a better understanding of culture.”…This kind of an attitude comes from fear, a lack of understanding of culture, and myths…“They wanted to control the game because it was the blackest state championship in state history,” said the principal. Karl’s comment: Mr. Giles is an example that liberalism is not limited to white folks. Liberalism is evil and racism is not simply a matter of black and white.

WV Board Approves School Day Flexibility Pilot 12-11-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/WV-Board-Approves-School-Day-Flexibility-Pilot-62823.shtml#.VIpEDLtuhy0
Betty Jordan, executive assistant to the state schools superintendent, told the board Wednesday that districts chosen for the pilot will be able to shorten instructional periods and count out-of-classroom teaching, like online instruction during a snow day. Karl’s comment: Homeschoolers lead the way in flexibility.

Principals Trained For Active Shooter Scenario 12-10-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Principals-Trained-For-Active-Shooter-Scenario-285427671.html
Principals from across West Virginia received active shooter training at the Principals Leadership Academy on Wednesday. Karl’s comment: You don’t practice for something you think will never occur.

Boone County school placed on lockdown while threat investigated 12-10-14
http://wvmetronews.com/2014/12/10/boone-county-school-placed-on-lockdown-while-threat-investigated/
A Boone County high school was placed on lockdown for several hours Wednesday morning after a shooting threat was making its way around social media. MetroNews affiliate WVOW Radio in Logan reported the threat at Scott High School in Madison was made on the social media app called “After School”. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Common Core has teacher support 12-7-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141207/DM01/141209338
Karl’s comment: This article is loaded with so much propaganda, I had to comment within the article.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want us to take a step back,” said Teresa Hammond, a former Kanawha County teacher who now works with the state Department of Education as a math and science coordinator. Having only been with the department for a few months, Hammond witnessed the early stages of Common Core application in her classroom and doesn’t see why legislators want to replace what she says are well-researched standards. Hammond said the issue likely is due to a misunderstanding of what curricula and standards are and how they differ. Karl’s comment: Of course a state administrator is not going to criticize what her department is doing. “Well-researched” is, at the very least a debatable matter. See “The Common Con ”.…

“Teachers are the ones who determine curriculum,” she said. “So, when people have problems with what’s being taught, it’s really a local issue.”…“Many people think this is political, but it never has been,” Hammond said. “It’s based on how children learn and what they need to know and do, and what we can do to get them to be college- and career-ready.” Karl’s comment: Front line teachers do no such thing. Ivory tower professors and administrators decide curriculum. There is so much money involved in the process that it is for certain highly politicized.

While public support for the controversial standards has dwindled, educators are still supportive, though they are critical of a lack of training on how to teach the standards. Common Core was created in 2009 through a partnership of governors and state school officials who wanted to replace what were seen as outdated and strict requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Karl’s comment: Again, see “The Common Con ”. If there was any “partnership” of any depth, it was like rival gangs agreeing to share control of turf.

The U.S. Department of Education supported the standards and, with the help of President Barack Obama, offered $4.3 million in Race to the Top competitive grants and NCLB waivers to adopting states. More than 40 initially signed on. Karl’s comment: Support from the USDE and President BO is enough to cause alarm from any rational tax-payer and parent. $$$$$$$$$$ Cha-Ching!

States are allowed to make changes up to a certain point, so shortly after Common Core’s introduction, a team of West Virginia educators was asked to bring the state’s 21st Century content standards into alignment. The new standards are called the Next Generation Content Standards… Karl’s comment: Remember those names. It is all part of the web of deceit.

“The old standards were more about what teachers were responsible for doing, and the new ones focus on what children need to understand,” Hammond said. Hammond thinks that reversal better supports students because it takes into account the way they learn. “Before, standards were just a checklist for teachers,” she said. “These standards aren’t about what a teacher checks off at the end of the day, they’re about what kids need to do.” Karl’s comment: What a bunch of educationese straight out of Alice in Wonderland!

Tega McGuffin, an 11th grade history teacher at Oak Hill High School in Fayette County, can attest to this. McGuffin, who started teaching eight years ago, has gone through standards overhaul several times during her short career, and while that has been stressful for her and fellow teachers, it has given her a good understanding of what works for her students. “I think (Common Core) is better because it emphasizes college and career readiness,” she said. “It also calls for learning on a deeper level.” Changes spurred by the standards have relegated McGuffin to more of a support role in her classroom, but she said that has freed up students to take a more active role in their education. “Student engagement is probably at an all-time high,” she said. Karl’s comment: Hmmm. I sure seem to recall “college and career readiness” were always the goals even when I was in school prior to 1967.

When asked to give an example of this, McGuffin described a recent history lesson where she had her students address the issue of the United States entering World War I. Instead of lecturing, McGuffin had her students play the role of an adviser to President Woodrow Wilson, and asked them to use 20th Century ideas to back their reasons for entering the war or remaining neutral. The group of usually uninterested teenagers was hooked. McGuffin said her students explored concepts and formed cohesive arguments, which would have been difficult to do in a traditional lesson plan… Karl’s comment: That example, is just what a good teacher has always done. I am not saying I was a good teacher, but see an example of what I did . I could go on and on, but must mention the entomology lessons I taught that resulted in a ministry.

Hammond was successful in employing similar methods when she was still in the classroom. She said lawmakers and the public need to trust teachers. “This can’t be top-down and administrative-heavy,” she said. “Teachers need to be given time.”… Karl’s comment: Trust teachers! See the 12-5 entry below and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

“Teachers have a hard time valuing something that changes like the wind,” she said. “We have a set of goals and they should be unwavering. Karl’s comment: BWAHAHAHA! Here is an excerpt from a 2007 article I wrote about my career as a teacher: Together we had to implement every ivory tower gimmick that those who had spending power could purchase. There were Learning Packages, un-graded report cards, Curriculum Maps, various grouping methods, Cooperative Learning, New Math, Whole Language, State Standards, Curriculum Frameworks, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Inquiry Based Learning, Performance Outcomes, Learning Stations, Multiple Intelligences, Mastery Learning, Portfolio Assessment, Individualization, Discovery Learning, Hands On Learning, Collaborative Projects, Block Scheduling, Concept Maps, Curriculum Frameworks, Glasser Schools Without Failure, every new technology gimmick, and discipline strategies galore.

Parents, ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN PARENTS, must open their eyes or their children will suffer!

Less than half of W.Va. schools meet state goals 12-5-14 (NOTE: This is part of a three article report.)
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141205/ARTICLE/141209481/1300
Less than half of West Virginia public schools are meeting goals for both student learning and improvement, according to data released Friday…The report said 299 of 650 schools met one or both of the learning and growth performance goals for all students in the 2013-14 school year. The accountability system puts each school in one of six categories with a success ranking at the top and a priority ranking indicating areas that require the improvement and resources…The success category means a school is on track to continue meeting learning and growth-performance goals for all students. The report said 119 schools were in that category, down from 190 in the previous school year. The 180 schools in the transition category had met one but not both goals, down from 257 schools the year before. The support category listed 215 schools that aren’t going in the right direction and need help in every area, up from 75 in the previous school year. The department said considerably more schools didn’t meet their targets because their goals had increased from the previous year, leading to an increase in schools in the support category and a drop in those in the success category. (Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA! Want a good deal on a bridge in Brooklyn?) The number of schools in the focus category was unchanged at 97. The category designates significant achievement gaps and the need to concentrate on a single key issue…According to data from the annual WESTEST2 standardized test, 42 percent of state students were proficient in math, down from 46 percent last year, and 47 percent were proficient in reading, down from 49 percent. The accountability system shows that of those students meeting proficiency levels, 61 percent are keeping up with growth expectations in math, and 66 percent will do so in reading. And 76 percent of the students who didn’t meet proficiency marks in math and 69 percent of those in reading showed no academic improvement. Karl’s comment: This is the same song, same verse, sung since I started doing this. I wonder if this is why the test result release has been delayed. Note: This result appeared on a Friday. Even IF, the report gets better it will always be suspect. Without a biblical base, there is no basis for truth. Read on for another article on the atrocious academic abilities of West Virginia government school students.

W.Va. standardized test scores drop 12-5-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141205/GZ01/141209486/1101
(Karl’s comment: This article reports the flip percentage of the above. In the above 47% passed and in this 53% failed in reading. For math it was 42% passed above and 58% failed here.) More West Virginia students failed to hit proficiency marks in the 2013-14 school year, according to the Westest standardized test scores published Friday — several months after the results are normally released. Fifty-eight percent of students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 failed to show proficiency in math — an increase from 55 percent in the 2012-13 school year and the highest the failure rate has been since the 2009-10 school year, when 58 percent didn’t meet the threshold. The online data say a massive drop in test scores starting after the 2008-2009 school year was because the state raised the level to be deemed proficient. The number of students who failed to hit the mark in reading also increased, from 51 percent to 53 percent, also the highest since the 2009-10 school year. The lower success rates come in the final year of the test, and the first time students took it online instead of on paper. After more than a decade with Westest, West Virginia is switching to a new exam, which is based on national Common Core standards. (Karl’s comment: See “The Common Con”.)…The results show that, in Kanawha, the state’s largest school district, 54 percent of students weren’t proficient in math, up from 51 percent in 2012-13, and 49 percent weren’t proficient in reading, up from 47 percent in 2012-13 . In a statement, Kanawha School Superintendent Ron Duerring said Kanawha students were above average for West Virginia in math and reading, according to the data. (Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA! If a farmer says his cow is not as sick as his neighbor’s cow, will you still by either rcow? He blamed it on “ lost instruction due to the water crisis and inclement”. One excuse is as BAD as another. When will tax-payers wake up?!) In neighboring Putnam County, 45 percent of students weren’t proficient in math, up from 40 percent the previous year. That was driven by 5 percentage point increase in the number of students scoring in the novice, or lowest, category. In reading, the number of students not making the cut went from 41 percent to 42 percent. (Karl’s comment: Putnam County is supposed to be the place to be.)

Third-graders had some of the lowest proficiency marks in the state — 37 percent in math and 43 percent in reading. Eighth-graders scored just two percentage points better in math and 5 percentage points better in reading. Only 40 percent of 10th-graders were proficient in math and 49 percent were proficient in reading. The number of schools designated “success” institutions — the highest designation in the state’s Accountability Index — dropped from about a quarter in 2012-13 to less than a fifth in 2013-14. The Accountability Index, first used in 2012-13, measures, among other things, students’ scores, how much they’re improving and how certain groups are performing. A quarter of Kanawha’s schools are now designated success schools, down from more than 40 percent in 2012-13. The number of success schools in Putnam dropped from 10 to two. (Karl’s comment: “Success schools”—an oxymoron are supposed to be the best schools. See above.)

“It’s important to point out that each school’s individual target increased,” state Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordiero said in a news release titled “Hundreds of State Schools Showing Improvements in Academic Proficiency and Student Growth.” “Due to this increase in the target, many more schools did not meet their targets.” Carla Howe, interim executive director of data governance and accountability for the education department, said each school has individual targets for improving reading and math scores, with a shared goal of getting them to be 75 percent proficient by 2020. (Karl’s comment: This is a sneaky way of looking failure squarely in the eye and saying “It is not there.” It simply confuses the tax-payers. They could have let most schools reach their goals before raising the bar higher.)…

Westest 2 scores are typically released to teachers in the summer of each year and to the public by August…When asked why the release of the scores to the news media and the wider public took until Friday, Codiero said the separate Accountability Index labels weren’t ready to release to both the public and schools until now because they were delayed by a fact-checking process that included schools objecting to certain data that factored into their designations. (Karl’s comment: As I said in the first paragraph, “BWAHAHA! Want a good deal on a bridge in Brooklyn?” One more report follows. Be sure to see it! Continue the charade in the next headline.)

State official breaks down WESTEST 2 results 9-9-13
http://www.wvea.org/News---Events/2013-Archive/September-2013/State-official-breaks-down-WESTEST-2-results.aspx
A West Virginia education official said the latest results from WESTEST 2, the state’s yearly assessment of student skills, serve as proof that major improvements are still needed within the state’s education system. “We’re showing some improvement but, really, the improvement is not moving fast enough,” said Juan D’Brot, executive director of the Department of Education’s Office of Assessment and Accountability. “Part of the challenge is that it is a really big problem.”…Results from WESTEST 2 were released on September 4 and showed 49 percent of the state’s students are proficient in reading while 46 percent are proficient in math. New data, though, showed that many of those proficient students are not improving their skills at expected rates. [Karl’s comment: Note the date on this article! Note the focus on “some improvement” instead of facing failure. Why didn’t the report say 51% and 54% were NOT proficient? “Proficient” means “ well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge ” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proficient). Although the test scores would show a wide range in the “proficient” category, does anyone really believe that most of the students classified as “proficient” are “well advanced”? Of course, liberals blast it and tax-payers continue to blindly believe the bunk.]

School Bus Driver Accused Of Asking Minor For Sexual Favors 12-3-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/School-Bus-Driver-Accused-Of-Asking-Minor-For-Sexual-Favors-61234.shtml#.VH-8Is9AIiY
A Logan County school bus driver was arrested Tuesday after troopers said he messaged a minor on Facebook and asked for sexual acts in exchange for money. (The man) 52, of Man was charged with soliciting a minor via computer, according to a criminal complaint from Logan County Magistrate Court … West Virginia State Police Trooper M.J. Miller said (the driver) had been employed as a bus driver in the transportation department of Logan County schools for about 33 years. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!! (According to >http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/WVSP-Bus-Driver-Charged-with-Soliciting-16-Year-Old-Boy-on-Facebook-284604261.html< the student was a 16-year-old boy.)

Tucker County School Placed on "Precautionary" Lockdown 12-3-14 http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=Tucker-County-School-Placed-on-Precautionary-Lockdown-19828
A developing incident at a Tucker County school led a precautionary lockdown Wednesday. According to Superintendent Dr. Eddie Campbell, the school was on a "Code Yellow lockdown," but no students or faculty were injured as a result of the "situation." Tucker Valley Elementary-Middle School was placed on the lockdown after an issue that "involved personnel" according to Campbell. He described it as "not an incident, but a situation that could become something." The Board of Education and local authorities…A Code Yellow means that the building was completely locked down, and students had to stay in their classrooms. Eventually, a modified code yellow allowed students to continue their day going from classroom to classroom, but the building remained on lockdown. Nobody was able to enter or leave and all after school activities were canceled. Karl’s comment: I will post details if reported. Whatever the degree of danger, it is another example of the stress (terror?) that is a regular part of government schools.

School board seeking court's decision on employee's suspension 11-13-14
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x1753183710/School-board-seeking-courts-decision-on-employees-suspension
The Kanawha County judge received the case after (the teacher) appealed a decision from the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board that sided with the school board in suspending him without pay based on information in criminal complaints. That information included evidence that (the teacher) had received photographs from a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy showing their genitals after he posed as a 16-year-old boy online. The images had been taken from (his) personal electronic devices when West Virginia State Police served a warrant at his home. The alleged crimes occurred over a two year period, when (he) was employed as a math teacher at Cabell Midland High School and later as a librarian at Geneva Kent Elementary School…(The teacher) argued that he should not have been suspended after his arrest because "being charged with a felony" is not grounds for suspension listed in West Virginia Code. Instead, the code states that a school board may suspend or dismiss an employee for "immorality, incompetency, cruelty, insubordination, intemperance, willful neglect of duty, unsatisfactory performance," or a felony conviction or guilty plea to a felony charge…The charges against (him) were dismissed in September 2012 because the evidence gathered from the search warrant was deemed inadmissible in court. (His) employment with the schools was then terminated on Jan. 8, 2013 and he voluntarily relinquished his teaching license at that time. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Common Core will face challenge under new Republican majority 11-25-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141125/DM01/141129457/1300
A Republican state lawmaker said there could be enough votes in the House of Delegates to repeal the Common Core standards in the upcoming legislative session…The first test could come next month when the advocates against Common Core will have an opportunity to air their grievances for the first time in a committee hearing…In the past, Boley has introduced several education bills, including one last year that sought to place a two-year moratorium on the implementation of Common Core assessments, prohibited the state Board of Education from sharing personally identifying information of students and teachers and created a study committee. The bill did not advance out of the education committee. In a text message, Plymale said on Tuesday, “Common Core standards in West Virginia have never been voted on by the Legislature or any legislative committee and we look forward to a thorough review to ensure our children are receiving the best education possible to prepare them for the future workforce.”…West Virginia educators penned their own version of Common Core, called the Next Generation Content Standards. They were fully implemented this fall…“I would like to see us throw out Common Core standards and adopt the standards Massachusetts used to have,” she said. Opponents to Common Core have often pointed to Massachusetts’ old standards as a valid replacement, but that state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education replaced them in 2010 when it formerly adopted Common Core…(The) Washington Post expects it will be an important issue in 2016. West Virginia would not be the first to repeal the standards. Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have all withdrawn, and Ohio and Louisiana are in various stages of opposition. Karl’s comment: It will only be re-named because a national (ultimately international) curriculum is the goal. Even if it could be eliminated (and it cannot) Christian parents should not have their children in pagan schools. The curriculum as always had a pungently rotten core and Common Core will not make it pleasantly ripe.

Putnam County principal: Adding LGBT club would ‘create bullying’ 11-14-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141114/GZ01/141119503/1101
A Putnam County high school will not allow a Gay-Straight Alliance club on campus, despite students’ requests. Winfield High School Principal Bruce McGrew said that, while there was student interest in such a group, no teachers wanted to sponsor it…When asked if he would allow a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender student support club at the school if a teacher did offer to chaperon, McGrew said he would “rather not answer that.”…The school hosts a Christian Teens club, a Fuel Bible club, a Students Against Drunk Driving club and several others, according to the school’s website. Putnam County Schools Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said the club was not being discriminated against and that, if there is a faculty sponsor available, “we certainly would entertain that idea, as we do with any other club.”…Steve Shamblin, a Kanawha County teacher and a representative of the county’s branch of the American Federation of Teachers, was recently contacted about the issue, and said this is not the first time he’s heard of school push-back against LGBT groups in the state. Shamblin is the leader of a Gay-Straight Alliance at Riverside High School. “Kids know that, on club day, they can stop by here and talk,” he said. “I get as many straight kids as gay kids, who just want to ask what they can do to help and make sure their friends aren’t bullied. It promotes tolerance at our school. They know it’s safe there.” For the first time in state history, the West Virginia Department of Education included specific protections for LGBT students in its 2011 anti-bullying policy. The reformed policy now lays out punishment for students who bully fellow students over their sexual orientation and “gender identity or expression.” “I think a part of the problem is that schools hear ‘gay’ and think it’s pushing the gay agenda, but it’s a safety thing,” Shamblin said. “Whether a kid is gay or straight or whatever, it’s important to empower them for who they are. It’s a journey finding out who you are in high school for every kid, and everyone needs somebody to listen.” Jennifer Meinig, executive director of the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that to not allow an LGBT student club at a school would be breaking federal law…Andrew Schneider, executive director for Fairness West Virginia, said the idea that a Gay-Straight Alliance at a school would put students at risk of bullying just doesn’t make sense. Karl’s comment: It IS about an agenda! The so-called fairness group is an agenda driven group. As I said in Protester Voices—The 1974 Textbook Tea Party (2010), “Another abnormal agenda is engulfing public schools. That is the homosexual crusade to call evil good and good evil.” (pg. 329) We MUST rescue our children!!!

Extra Security At Valley High School Following Threat Made By Student 11-13-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Extra-Security-At-Valley-High-School-Following-Threat-Made-By-Student-57293.shtml#.VGaY6s9AIiY
Deputies with the Fayette County Sheriff's Department are stationed at Valley High School on Thursday following a threat made by a student on Wednesday. Valley High School Prinicpal Craig Loy won't go into detail about the threat or the status of the student who made it. He said school officials take these threats very seriously and proper protocols were followed on Wednesday once they were alerted to the threat. Parents were not notified of the threat because Loy said it's "not due process or protocol to notify parents," which has some parents upset. "I can understand parents and they way they feel," Loy said. "That's their child. They want to make sure they are safe. That's something that would have to be addressed by the county board of education." Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Federal legislation aims to protect students from sexual violence 11-13-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141113/DM0104/141119617/1300
The Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predator Act would require state education agencies receiving federal funds to conduct background checks on all employees who have access to children…(They) introduced the bill in the Senate in response to a case in Fayette County, where 12-year-old Jeremy Bell was raped and murdered by a school principal who had came to West Virginia after he was quietly dismissed for sexual misconduct in Pennsylvania... 410 teachers across the country have been arrested this year for sexual misconduct. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Mingo County regains control of schools from W.Va. board 11-12-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141112/GZ01/141119784/1101
Mingo County officials regained control of their school system Wednesday, after the state had overseen the system for almost a decade…A review by the Office of Education Performance Audits found that the school district has improved in all areas, including curriculum development, finance and personnel issues, facilities and programs…
The state also intervened in 1998, after a slew of academic and leadership problems in the county. Karl’s comment: Search these WV News pages and you will see other examples of failed WV school systems.

Kanawha schools spending $190K more to fix problems with iPad program 11-6-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141106/GZ01/141109474
To fix early problems with a plan to provide iPads to every middle and high school student in Kanawha County, the county school board approved Thursday changing its system for managing the technology. The change will add roughly $190,000 atop the $14 million original agreement with Apple to lease 20,000 products from the company — many of which are also being provided to teachers and principals across the county as part of the Learning 20/20 plan. Karl’s comment: See the June 30 entry and this recent ironic headline: Kanawha Schools’ iPad program called a success so far 11-3-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141103/DM01/141109779/1300
While students have yet to receive their devices, the implementation of Kanawha County Schools’ one-to-one iPad program has already been hailed a success, technology director Leah Sparks said Monday at a Board of Education meeting.

Threats At Two Local Schools Prompt Police Action 11-1-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Threats-At-Two-Local-Schools-Prompt-Police-Action-54751.shtml#.VFV6es9AIiY
Threats made at two different schools Friday: One in Jackson County and another in Lincoln County. Both cases set-off alarms with law enforcement. Social media played a role in bringing those threats to police and to parents, some of whom, chose not to send their kids to school in Lincoln County Friday… Ripley High School went into lockdown mode for about 45 minutes, starting at 11:15 this morning. Ripley Police officers scoured the school and by Noon, gave the all-clear. And over in Lincoln County, there was an increased security presence at Lincoln County High School. Extra police presence were called-in there. It seems a student made a threat to bring a gun to school. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Parkersburg South Teacher Accused of Verbal, Physical Abuse 10-29-14
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/PSHS-TEACHER-ACCUSED-OF-ABUSING-STUDENT-280733542.html
A Parkersburg South special education teacher is under investigation by the district.
The father of two freshmen - non-verbal autistic twin boys - spoke out, saying the teacher was both verbally and physically abusive. Their father told the board he made the discovery after listening to a three and a half minute recording on his son's electronic device. "You can hear one of my sons being told, more than seven times, to flush a toilet for another child and ultimately being yelled at by a special education teacher. That is unacceptable. You can clearly hear that same son being smacked by the same teacher," says (the father). Mr. and Mrs. Riggs say they then searched the internet history on their son's iPad and they found the teacher and/or aides used the device for personal use, including a login for a teacher's personal email. Karl’s comment: It is sad, but the spiritual abuse is sadder.

Extra Security Remains At Riverside High School After Alleged Shooting Threat 10-28-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Alleged-Threat-Of-Violence-At-Riverside-High-School-Prompts-Extra-Security-53657.shtml#.VFA9689AIe4
School officials at Riverside High School have released more details into a threat made on Monday, prompting extra security at the school on Tuesday. "What the threat entailed was, ‘tomorrow is going to be my last day and I am going to come and shoot up the school,’" said Valery Harper, Riverside High School Principal. Harper said the threat was reported by another student to administrators on Monday afternoon…"Unfortunately we've had this happen in the past and this is our protocol is to have that extra security,” Harper said. “It's reassuring. Reassuring to parents, reassuring for the students, reassuring for the teachers." Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Police: Student Brought Gun Onto Parkersburg South High School Campus 10-28-14
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/Police-Student-Brought-Gun-Onto-Parkersburg-South-High-School-Campus-280694892.html
Parkersburg Police investigate a gun on the Parkersburg South High School campus.
We're told this happened last Tuesday. This involved two students, but only one faces charges. Police tell us one student brought the handgun onto the campus, but the gun never made it inside the school. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Parents say screaming child, 4, left unattended by teachers 10-23-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141023/DM01/141029574/1420
The parent of a Kanawha County preschooler alleges his son was left unattended in a room Thursday when a teacher discovered he had lice. (The father), whose 4-year-old son attends preschool at George C. Weimer Elementary in St. Albans, said he received a phone call Thursday at 10:38 a.m. from a teacher who instructed him to come pick his son up from the school’s clinic in the main lobby area. Mitchell then called his wife and asked her to pick up their son. Once she arrived at the school, Mitchell said his wife went inside and could hear their son screaming “bloody murder.” She then looked for him and found him sitting alone inside a room crying…Elementary Education Director Robert Calhoun said he was aware of the incident and was in the process of investigating each side’s story. He confirmed that the boy was left in the clinic alone, but said a secretary was next door and checked on him periodically. He also said it is not uncommon for a school to isolate a child when they have lice. (The father) doesn’t see things the same way. He said his child was neglected. “My kid is not going back,” (The father) said, later adding he will find another school for his son if something isn’t done. Karl’s comment: If only the father would permanently rescue his son!

Common Core Standards Continue Stirring Debate 10-23-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Common-Core-Standards-Continue-Stirring-Debate-52574.shtml#.VEmLpM9AIe4
West Virginia is in its first year of implementing what are called the Common Core Standards. Karl’s comment: It is really just another Common Con. The concept has been adopted by 46 states, and it's been hyped as the way of getting American students to be as successful as kids around the world.  Karl’s comment: This is an admission (widely known) that the American education system is a failure. It puts a big emphasis on English and math, but the way these standards are being rolled out is controversial. There is a group calls itself West Virginians Against the Common Core.  Karl’s comment: The group has good intentions, but whatever curriculum is used will not solve the academic problems, not to mention, the moral problems of government schools. It is traveling the state, insisting the new educational standards now being implemented in schools are not the best way to improve student performance. "They put our children on a road that is not going to lead to academic success," said Jane Robbins, American Principals Project senior fellow. Some parents and educators say how the Common Core is designed, with a sole focus on English/language arts and math, dumbs down the learning process…West Virginia's new state superintendent  Michael Martirano  strongly supports the Common Core  (Next Generation Standards) Karl’s comment: Of course. He would not have been hired otherwise. and has high hopes for how the model can get kids thinking outside the box with more creativity, and learning real-world problem solving skills..And as West Virginia schools now embrace this new model of teaching, Martriano is confident the state will see results, turning the tide on decades of dismal performance ratings. Karl’s comment: The superintendent admits what parents ignore, West Virginia student have performed dismally for decades! More are embedded in the story in red font.

Don Surber: Has the school bureaucracy won? 10-22-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141022/DM04/141029783
West Virginians spent $750,000 for an independent review of their expensive and underachieving public school system in 2012.The report boiled down to 18 words: “We have encountered no other state that insulated its education system so much from gubernatorial — or voter — control.” The education system’s response to that report proved the report’s point. It took the bureaucracy 12 months to respond to the report …(T) he bureaucracy, unions and Democratic Party have “insulated (our) education system so much from gubernatorial — or voter — control.” .. We need elected officials running the school system because the bureaucrats have screwed it up … West Virginians, the nation’s second poorest people, beat the national average in spending per student.Only three other states -- Wyoming, New York and New Jersey -- devote a higher percentage of personal income to education. Karl’s comment: The author advocates a unique fix for an unfixable system.

Gun Found In Student's Jacket At George Washington High School 10-21-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Gun-Found-In-Student-39-s-Jacket-At-George-Washington-High-School-52291.shtml#.VEb4U89AIe4
Charleston police said a 16-year-old student was charged and will face possible expulsion after a gun was found in a student’s jacket at George Washington High School.  Charleston Police Sgt. Paul Perdue said the gun was found Monday in the student’s jacket. The 10 th-grader said he found the gun in a yard and brought it to school…The weapon was a .380 handgun and was not loaded…The student will be at Highland Hospital for seven days. When he is released, the juvenile petition will be reviewed and an expulsion hearing will be held in the future. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Education Summit Seeks To Improve WV Schools 10-20-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Education-Summit-Seeks-To-Improve-WV-Schools-51958.shtml#.VEV_289AIe4
West Virginia schools often fall near the bottom in national performance-based rankings, but state education leaders are determined to reverse that trend. When it comes to our schools: it's everyone's business.  That's the message the Education Alliance hopes those who gathered for the state education summit Monday in Charleston take away.  Getting students to be college and career ready is a big job, and it's one that can benefit by building bridges with businesses in the state, and tailoring education to meet the needs of West Virginia employers…Educators are convinced the state's schools are taking steps in the right direction to build a better future and turn the tide on decades of troubling student performance statistics.  "There can be a lot of hope.  We're not just who we were in the past, but we really can move forward in the future," said Erika Klose, Winfield Middle School science teacher. Karl’s comment: As I have documented on these WV News pages, West Virginia schools still ARE what they were in the past except they have removed any semblance of Christian standards.

Social media posts by high school students in Kanawha County about LGBT community causing concerns 10-16-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/26808773/social-media-posts-by-high-school-students-in-kanawha-county-about-lgbt-community-causing-concerns
"Kill the lesbians and *******, they are pointless in life,"..."If it was up to me, I'd shoot every one of yall ************* in the heads and burn yalls body,"..."Gays need to be shot, hung, or drowned."..It appears the comments were posted on the Instagram account of a Sissonville High School student this week.  It starts out innocently enough.  The student said he disagreed with the fact that West Virginia now allows same-sex marriage.  It's the comments under that post that some are alarmed about.  The comments appear to be from other Sissonville High School students. Karl’s comment: The comments are way out of line, but typical of what I have seen posted by liberals regarding Christian conservatives.

Police: Berkeley man threatened to shoot up school 10-13-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141013/GZ01/141019736/1101
A Berkeley County man used online social media to threaten to shoot up his former high school, according to the county’s sheriff…Light allegedly said he was planning to shoot up Musselman High School on Monday…About half of students at Musselman High School didn’t come to school Monday, said Lemaster and Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Manuel Arvon. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Deputies: Herbert Hoover High School student stabbed by Sissonville High School student during football game 10-10-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/26759975/deputies-herbert-hoover-high-school-student-stabbed-by-sissonville-high-school-student-during-football-game
According to Kanawha County Sheriff's deputies responding to the scene, the stabbing happened near the school, during the Friday night football game.  Hoover was playing Sissonville High School.  Deputies said a group of Sissonville students and a group of Hoover students began to argue, and the Hoover student was stabbed as a result.   Karl’s comment: There was some dispute over where it occurred, but it could easily happen in a school hallway.

Hedgesville teacher facing sex charges fired 10-9-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141009/GZ01/141009238/1101
The Berkeley County Board of Education has fired a teacher who is facing sex charges involving a student…The 31-year-old…is charged with third-degree sexual assault and computer harassment. He’s scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing in Berkeley County Magistrate Court on Oct. 22. (He) is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Fayette School officials discuss teacher shortages 10-9-14
http://www.register-herald.com/news/fayette-school-officials-discuss-teacher-shortages/article_b640ec19-d421-5e22-ad39-7dabf3c07e8b.html
Currently Fayette County has 35 vacant positions, with 12 filled by retired teachers…At the Oct 6 Fayette County Board of Education meeting, China Parsons, parent of a Fayetteville Elementary first-grader, expressed concern that twice this year her daughter’s class has not has a substitute teacher, and students were divided up and moved to other classrooms.   Karl’s comment: If it were Christian schools the media would be in an uproar.

Grant County regains full control of schools 10-9-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141009/ARTICLE/141009231/1300
Grant County is in full control of its school system for the first time in nearly five years...The state board took over the school system after an audit found problems with curriculum, personnel and leadership. Karl’s comment: This is not uncommon in West Virginia.

Two WV Teachers Suspended Over Class Activity 10-8-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Two-WV-Teachers-Suspended-Over-Class-Activity-49152.shtml#.VDXwJs9AIe4
Two Marion County teachers have been suspended for a class activity that left several students injured…Parents previously told the board that students were tied together during an outdoor team building exercise. They said the activity left students with scraped knees, injured ankles and grass stains on their clothes. Karl’s comment: Let’s see, was that a social studies class maybe?

New W.Va. superintendent releases schools plan 10-8-14
http://www.wchstv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.wv/20102112-www.wchstv.com.shtml#.VDXxDs9AIe4
West Virginia's new superintendent of schools has released his goals for improving the state's public education system, including a focus on improving student attendance and graduation rates…The plan would increase pre-kindergarten offerings in all elementary schools and early childhood learning centers, including the expansion of programs before and after school and during the summer. He wants to maintain learning environments that are free of bullying, improve school attendance and reduce truancy, suspension and juvenile incarceration rates. He promotes expanding technology offerings, diversity in the workforce, highly qualified teachers and teacher retention. Martirano says a new accountability system for grading public school performances will ensure that students are college and career ready. Karl’s comment: They are paying that guy big money to spout the same old off-key tune that has been sung for decades of failure. The stress on getting the children at a younger age and longer days is alarming. Oh, another thing, the “bullying” term is code for pushing the homosexual agenda.

Grading K-12 performance on STEM and second languages 10-7-14
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/education/219941-grading-k-12-performance-on-stem-and-second-languages
Since Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, school quality has primarily been measured in terms of reading and math scores. While there's a lot to be said for keeping close tabs on how well students are mastering the basics, focusing exclusively on these skills can leave us insufficiently attuned to how well students are faring in other subjects that are crucial to their career success and to the nation's international competitiveness. Two of the skill sets that matter most are STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects and world languages…Fortunately, a new report helps shine a light on how the U.S. is faring in these critical areas. In September, the Chamber of Commerce released Leaders & Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on K-12 Educational Effectiveness (a co-author of this piece, Hess, was an adviser on the analysis). The report examines the share of students in each state who are passing Advanced Placement (AP) courses in STEM subjects or in world languages. The results suggest that a lot of work lies ahead. Parents and taxpayers should care about two big things when it comes to these areas: how many kids are being prepared and how well they're being prepared…When it comes to STEM pass rates…(t)he bottom five performers were North Dakota and Nebraska (tied at 4 percent), West Virginia (3.6 percent), New Mexico (3.5 percent), Louisiana (1.9 percent) and Mississippi, bringing up the rear at 1.2 percent…The results are similarly disappointing when it comes to language skills…The bottom five were Louisiana (0.32 percent), Hawaii (0.20 percent), West Virginia (0.12 percent), Mississippi (0.05 percent) and North Dakota (0.04 percent)…The fact that states are performing so poorly in educating students in STEM and world languages represents a major missed opportunity to prepare students for 21st-century employment, and prepare the country to thrive internationally…Some states are doing a far better job than others addressing those challenges, but it's hard to conclude that even the best states are succeeding.

From the report: Return on investment (ROI) is an essential calculation for any business. Leaders need to know how much bang they are getting for their buck. West Virginia, Louisiana, and Delaware…saw low NAEP performance combined with high costs. (pg.8) (For the) AP language exam…Nearer the bottom of the list, West Virginia saw just over one tenth of 1% of students pass a foreign language exam… (pg. 40)
Karl’s comment: Government schools, especially in West Virginia, are shooting blanks in their bang-for-buck guns.

West Side to house Expeditionary Learning schools 10-6-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141006/GZ01/141009516/1101
Some schools on Charleston’s West Side could soon change the way students learn and interact in classrooms. The Kanawha County Board of Education is hoping to turn the low-achieving Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary and Grandview Elementary into Expeditionary Learning schools, putting an emphasis on project-based learning and providing a new kind of professional development for teachers. Expeditionary Learning Schools focus on a more active, in-depth approach to learning -- often taking place outside of the traditional classroom setting -- and also emphasize collaboration and application of skills, according to the organization’s website…“We need to do something different than what we’ve been doing because West Virginia ranks low in our student achievement on a national level,” Maynard said at Monday’s Kanawha school board meeting…Maynard said he foresees Cabell and Kanawha county schools becoming “the Cleveland Clinic” of schools, with the ability to change the way the state of West Virginia does public education…Maynard said the project -- which would require both grant and local funds -- is the best school reform model he’s ever seen. Karl’s comment: BWAHAHAHA! It is just another big-time buzz word. To borrow from Shakespeare, It is a tale "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Putnam County schools get kits to treat gunshot wounds 10-1-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141001/DM01/141009889/1300
Shootings at high schools in Kentucky and North Carolina Tuesday prompted Putnam County officials to take stock of the school system’s emergency response procedures and the resources used to keep students safe during an emergency. Over the past year, Putnam County school nurses have received extra training, trauma kits have been purchased for every classroom and later this month, teachers will be trained to administer CPR. Students also will learn what they can do during an emergency…
In total, the county has placed nearly 700 kits in its 22 schools at a cost of $75,000…
Watson said a component of having safe schools is increasing awareness among its students, though she admits children shouldn’t have to be subjected to thoughts of an active shooter coming to campus. “Recent shootings have changed that,” she said.
Since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., school shootings have happened at an accelerated rate. Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence awareness group, claims  86 have occurred since then . That number may be inflated as it includes any instance a firearm was discharged near a public school or college. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Monroe County Teacher Facing Sex-Related Charges Makes a Plea in Court 9-24-14
http://www.yourohiovalley.com/story/26618807/teacher-facing-sex-related-charges-makes-a-plea-in-court
A teacher at Swiss Hill Vocational School pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to several charges…She was arrested after a six-month investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, Ohio BCI and the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office. Officials said she had alleged inappropriate behavior with a student. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Kanawha Deputies Say First-Grader Brings Unloaded Gun On School Bus 9-24-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Kanawha-Deputies-Say-First-Grader-Brings-Gun-On-School-Bus-42264.shtml#.VCNJc89AIe4
A first grade student from Midland Trail was caught on the school bus with a small handgun Wednesday. Kanahwha deputies told Eyewitness News the child was showing the unloaded gun that was in his backpack to another student. Deputies said another student heard the two children and reported it to the bus driver. The bus driver pulled over and saw the gun and called 911. Deputies said the gun is an older model, and it is unclear if it would have worked. The child has been released into the custody of his parents. A school resource officer is investigating. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

W.Va. public school truancy rate tops 30 pct 9-21-14
http://www.wchstv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.wv/220d507b-www.wchstv.com.shtml#.VB-I4M9AIe5
State figures show that nearly a third of West Virginia's public school students were truant during the 2013-2014 academic year. According to Department of Education data, 58 percent of McDowell County's students were marked as truant. That was the highest rate in the state. Jefferson County had the lowest rate, 7 percent. The statewide rate was about 31 percent. Students are marked as truant if they miss at least five days of class without an excuse. McDowell County Superintendent Nelson Spencer tells The Sunday Gazette-Mail that truancy cases are a byproduct of poverty and drug abuse. He says the school system has hired "graduation coaches" to work with at-risk students in high schools . Karl’s comment: Children just do not want to be in those fortresses of failure. “Poverty” is no excuse. “Drug abuse”, to some extend is a possibility, but liberals have caused that and schools have helped. For propaganda purposes, they will figure out some way (dumbing down standards, questionable, incentives, forged figures, etc.) to declare an improvement.

Teacher Arrested For Growing Marijuana, Allowing Juvenile Son To Use Drug 9-18-14
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/State-Police-Says-Woman-Was-Growing-Marijuana-Allowing-Juvenile-Son-To-Use-Drug-41443.shtml#.VBtV0s9AIck
State Police said a woman faces charges after they discovered she was growing marijuana and allowing her juvenile son to use the drug…The school directory on West Virginia Department of Education's website lists (her) as a special education teacher at Scott High School…Some parents in Boone County believe this is an example of why teachers need to be drug tested. "I think they should be drug tested. It's getting now to where all professions should be drug tested. I'm a nurse, I'm drug tested, the doctors are drug tested. Why not the teachers? Your kids are entrusted to them," said Judy Steele. Karl’s comment: This is just another “high” in the low level of standards in government schools. You can easily follow common threads of drug abuse among these headlines for many years.

Investigation: Wayne High School hidden camera charges relate to head football coach's affair 9-11-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/26512009/investigation-wayne-high-football-hidden-camera-charges-relate-to-head-coachs-affair
Hidden cameras in a high school football building where girls (sic) teams sometimes dress. Prominent citizens charged. And accusations of a scandalous affair between two coaches. All at a West Virginia championship program… Long time Wayne High School football video coordinator Scott Followay says he first learned his then wife, cheerleader coach Christi Followay was having an affair with his supposed good friend, head football coach Tom Harmon… Followay says he did not set up this camera and doesn't know who set up the hidden big red camera. But he says he is involved in the Wayne School Board's own investigation into coach Tom Harmon and his possible code of conduct violations. Followay said: "That this was being done while they were paying Mr. Harmon to be at school, and not out on a ridge." Karl’s comment: Another school “soap” that is dirty.

Harrison County teacher faces drug charge 9-5-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140905/GZ01/140909559
Police in Harrison County say a special education teacher has been arrested on a drug charge. Media outlets report 32-year-old (female) of Fairmont was arrested Wednesday night. Harrison County sheriff’s Deputy Jeff McAtee says (she) allegedly bought hydrocodone pills from an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer and was charged with possession with intent to deliver a narcotic. County schools Superintendent Mark Manchin says (she) has been suspended from her job at South Harrison High School pending the outcome of the case. Karl’s comment: This is another of many such incidents. Just search these WV News pages for <drugs>.

Putnam tests hundreds of students for drugs each year 9-1-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140901/DM01/140909937
Putnam County is one of 15 school systems in West Virginia with random drug testing policies for students who drive to school, participate in extracurricular activities or have been placed in the program by a parent or guardian. The board budgets $50,000 each year for the tests, ...While few students have been caught - less than 1 percent of the 1,072 tested students had positive results in 2012 - school officials don't see the program as a waste of money…"We view this as a preventative action."   Karl's comment:  Drug use is not uncommon for students AND teachers.

Two Marion teachers on leave following complaint 8-28-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140828/GZ01/140829247/1101
Marion County school officials are investigating parents' complaints that their children were injured while participating in a class activity.  Schools Superintendent Gary Price tells The Times-West Virginian that two North Marion High School teachers involved in the activity are on leave pending the investigation's conclusion.  Parents told WBOY-TV that students were tied together during a team building exercise, causing various injuries and leaving grass stains on their clothes.  Karl's comment:  Team building?  What about math and science academics?

W.Va. ACT test scores below national average 8-27-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140827/DM01/140829293
West Virginia high school graduates tested below the national average on the ACT college readiness exam this year, a new report has found.  The state's composite score of 20.6 - on a scale of 1 to 36 - has remained the same for the past four years and continues to come short of the national average of 21. Only 21 percent of ACT test takers score higher...Of the 11,191 high school graduates who took the test in 2014, 68 percent are considered ready for college-level English. Less than half are prepared for college reading, math and science, and only 19 percent of students are ready for all four.  Karl's comment: Dismal performance and more money are consistent and constant with government schools.

4 workers accused of stealing food, supplies from Kanawha County high school 8-27-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201408271150_efd7327.shtml
West Virginia State Police have charged four workers with stealing food and supplies from a Kanawha County high school… All four work at Riverside High School…State police say the workers stole thousands of dollars' worth of food and supplies, including turkeys, hams and cleaning items. The thefts occurred over several years.  Karl's comment:  The 8th Commandment was tossed out of government schools with the other nine.

Former Logan County Teacher Arrested On Drug-Related Charges 8-26-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140826_27507.shtml
A former Chapmanville Regional High School teacher has been arrested on drug-related charges. (The woman), 47, of Pecks Mill in Logan County was arrested on four counts of delivery of crack cocaine, according information on the Logan County Sheriff's Department's Facebook page. Karl’s comment: This is another of many such incidents. Just search these WV News pages for <drugs>.

W.Va. teacher unions want more flexible evaluations 8-20-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140821/GZ01/140829801/1101
The West Virginia Board of Education already voted in July to delay a test score-dependent part of its policy for another year, hearing the same complaints from the state’s branches of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. The board voted to delay a requirement that makes 15 percent of math and reading/language arts teacher evaluations — subjects found on standardized tests — based solely on test scores. The changes will not be implemented until the 2015-16 school year, with the school board voting to use this year as a pilot for implementation of other aspects of its new teacher evaluation policy.  West Virginia Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordiero said that because the state is part of the last tier of school districts to implement major changes associated with breaking away from No Child Left Behind, state officials were able to delay it because they’re still in a “peer review” phase and abiding by different timelines than other states...

Common Core standards will be fully implemented in West Virginia this school year, with the Smarter Balanced Assessment — the state’s new standardized test replacing the Westest 2 — to be implemented for the first time in spring 2015.  “Even talking with our national leaders about possibly focusing on something instead of state tests, and using multiple measures, that could be huge,” said Christine Campbell, president of the state’s branch of the AFT. “West Virginia could say, ‘Let’s really do this right, and give ourselves that extra time to provide the support and resources needed at the classroom level to be successful on the Smarter Balanced Test.’...Dale Lee, president of the state’s branch of the NEA, said he hopes for longer than a one-year delay, pointing to past failed expectations of NCLB. Under NCLB, all public school students in the state were expected to be scoring at proficient levels on standardized tests by this year, but the latest numbers show that only about half of West Virginia students achieved proficient scores. “Everybody in education knew that wasn’t going to happen. It’s like saying 100 percent of kids in West Virginia won’t have cavities, and, if they do, let’s blame the dentists,” Lee said. “But it’s easier to explain that than to continue to create a curriculum thats based solely on testing. I’m at the point where I’m saying, why do we continue to play this game when we know it’s not going to work?” Karl’s comment: Common Core is worse than the multitude of pie-in-the-sky programs I saw over my 34 year teaching career. The union leader’s analogy fails because dentists do not set the menu for what the children eat.

Critics of Common Core education standards to hold forum in Bridgeport 8-17-14 http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201408171756_6fd532a.shtml
The forum is sponsored by West Virginians Against the Common Core. The group wants a moratorium on the new standards and objectives until further studies can be done. Karl’s comment: It is just another COMMON CON.

State Board of Education returns partial control of Fayette school system to county 8-14-12
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201408141408_7194323.shtml
The board took over the school system in 2010 after the Office of Education Performance Audits found serious curriculum and facility problems. Karl’s comment: This is another example of a failed governmental system. The State cannot fix it and neither can the Feds.

UPDATE: John Marshall Teacher Pleads Guilty to Battery Charges, Promptly Re-Arrested 8-13-14
http://www.wtrf.com/story/25392130/full-complaint-john-marshall-teacher-facing-charges-after-allegedly-making-unwanted-advances-against-female-student
(The man), a John Marshall High School teacher accused of making unwanted advances against a female student, pleaded guilty to battery charges on Monday, and was promptly re-arrested by police on different charges. According to Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Cecil, Will was re-arrested on five counts of possession of child erotica, which is a misdemeanor… (A) female student said she reported to the school's resource officer that on April 9, (he), 33, allegedly attempted to embrace and kiss her when she was sent to Will's classroom on an assignment to take photos for the school's yearbook…According to the complaint, (he) had previously been reported to the Marshall County Board of Education for a similar incident. He was arraigned and released on a $1,500 bond. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

BOE member starts parent involvement committee 8-12-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140812/GZ01/140819756/1101
Kanawha County School Board member Ryan White has created a “parent involvement committee” that aims to turn around low student achievement and other problems in the school system through community events and better communication between families and educators. “We want to get parents involved with the kids and communicating regularly with the teachers so that teachers will know what’s going on at home and parents will know what’s going on in the school,” White said. “We want to help out a lot more outside of school than what we do now and make it more of a 24-hour learning environment.”  The committee is made up of parents, teachers, principals, union leaders, Board of Education employees and other education leaders. Karl’s comment: This is nothing but a political con job no matter how innocent the intent. Government schools DO NOT want parents to really get involved. See what happened in 1974 .

Prevention Resource Officers: A Growing Trend in W.Va. Schools 8-11-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Prevention-Resource-Officers-a-Growing-Trend-in-WVa-Schools-270816221.html
Now in his second year at the school, Blake is one of 63 Prevention Resource Officers (PRO) in West Virginia. Compare that to when the program started 17 years ago with just one officer, who was at Hurricane High School. "We have to put out a lot of fires because of social media," Blake said. "We have to calm a lot of these things in the school, so that we don't have any problems when the kids come back to school." PROs will only be found in middle and high schools in West Virginia. However, they're not to be confused with School Resource Officers (SRO). Many schools have those, as well. SROs are officers placed in schools primarily for safety, without the additional requirement of mentoring students. Karl’s comment: This is simply armed police inwar zone prisons. See Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-97 , Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools 2009-2010 and School Violence: Data & Statistics--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .

As school starts, more teachers needed to fill holes 8-11-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140811/GZ01/140819967/1101
In 2012, at least 1,850 teachers retired in West Virginia —about 230 more than the state saw in 2008, according to the state Consolidated Public Retirement Board. Those numbers don’t include members of the Teachers Defined Contribution Retirement System, which has a smaller membership than the state’s Teachers Retirement System and was closed to new members in 2005. Last year, in Kanawha County — the state’s largest school district — 216 teachers quit their jobs. Karl’s comment: The number of good teachers, whether Christian or not, has been decreasing from retirement. The few Christian teachers that remain are severely limited on what they can do.

Back-To-School Shopping Costs 8-5-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140805_27031.shtml
Parents should expect to spend more on glue, pencils and backpacks this school year. The average family will spend $669 dollars on school supplies, which is up five percent from last year, according to the National Retailers Federation. That amount jumps nearly three hundred dollars for college bound students. Karl’s comment: A family can homeschool for less than that.

Teachers say ‘flexible learning’ will help students achieve success 8-4-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140804/DM01/140809803/1300
While it has been billed a school of the future, it shares many similarities with the open-concept schools that were popular in the 1970s. But Pam Dorini, principal at Edgewood Elementary, will be the first person to tell you her school isn’t an open-concept school. “We have flexible learning spaces,” she said. “I know that sounds like a mix of vernacular, but there is a huge difference between open-concept schools and what we have.”

Following the abrupt social, political and cultural changes of the ’60s and ’70s, open-concept schools started popping up all over the country. These schools didn’t have walls to separate classes, so teachers eschewed traditional teaching methods for more communal, hands-on learning…Open-concept schools around the country, like Piedmont Elementary and Andrew Jackson Middle, ultimately failed, and walls were constructed to return them to a more traditional setting. Despite failing, the open area school design is slowly making a comeback.

(At Edgewood some) will be merged into two classes of second and third graders and two classes of fourth and fifth graders.

While many classrooms at Edgewood Elementary are open and merge grade levels, preschool, kindergarten and first grade classrooms will remain traditional. The rest will be merged into two classes of second and third graders and two classes of fourth and fifth graders. These four classrooms are called “exploritoriums” and contain about 50 students, three teachers and one specialist. The room is open, but there are distinct areas for math, reading and science.

The purpose of these blended classrooms is to make school more interactive for students, who are some of the lowest performing in the county. School officials are hoping the change in philosophy will help students, who will now be tasked with discovering knowledge on their own. “We’re their facilitator,” said Sue Baldwin, a second and third grade reading specialist. “We’re here to guide them along the way.”..
“Students are going to be more responsible for what they learn,” said Kate Elkins, one of the teachers who will share a classroom with Baldwin.

After years of planning and construction, the school’s total cost is about $21 million. Kanawha County is paying $11 million of that sum while the state School Building Authority contributed nearly $10 million. (emphasis added)

Karl’s comment: BWAH HA HA! If I wanted to write fiction that slams Kanawha County Schools I could have done no better than this reality! Those “merged” classes are simply split levels that teachers have always detested. An admitted idiotic idea, slightly dressed up with new lingo (vernacular?), and only for $21 MILLION DOLLARS! MARK THIS COMMENT!!!!! Check that school's progress yearly and it will be a forlorn failure!!! This is for sure a “school of the future.”

High Standards, Training Important In Having World-Class Teachers 8-6-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyeoneducation/eoe140806_46.shtml
You have probably heard it before -- American schools are falling behind.  Now, a California educator and former U.S. teacher of the year is traveling the globe to see what other countries are doing differently to drive student achievement. That teacher is bringing some of what he has learned to West Virginia, hoping it helps our kids make the grade. Keith Ballard is a father and middle school teacher in San Diego, Calif. Over the years, he has grown more disappointed with the quality of American education. So he has traveled the world, researching the 16 best school systems to see why they are so successful. "The most important things are the teacher training and teacher quality and the institutions and how they're prepared. That's what I see that's going on in the best countries in the world and for the most part here in America, I think we kind of miss the boat on that," Ballard said…Ballard is sharing some of his advice to achieve those results with teachers around the nation, including educators in Logan County. Karl’s comment: BWAH HAHA! That con has been done for decades! Liberal colleges keep producing indoctrinated teachers who indoctrinate children into liberalism. American schools are not falling behind (as widely documented), they are already behind and falling more behind!

New teacher housing for McDowell County 8-6-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140806/ARTICLE/140809491/1300
President of the State Board of Education...(Gayle) Manchin and AFT President Randi Weingarten were unveiling the plan at a news conference in Welch...Nelson K. Spencer, superintendent of the McDowell County Board of Education, said that there are currently about 20 teacher vacancies in his school district, including five math teacher vacancies at Mount View High School. The new apartments, he said, will help with recruitment of teachers. Karl’s comment: If the teacher union is in it something stinks even if Mrs. Manchin is married to the Senator who once was pro-life .

Teacher absences cost county more than $4.5 million 8-3-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140803/DM01/140809815/1300
Kanawha County Schools spent about 2 percent of last year’s budget on substitute teachers, which cost the school system more than $4.5 million. The state gives each county board of education money to pay substitute teachers, but Kanawha County spent about $1.5 million more than it was given last year… Thaw said absences have been an issue for years though. Not much has changed since 2007 when the board failed to pass a stricter attendance policy that would have capped the amount of days a teacher could miss at five. Karl’s comment: Thaw, a fake friend of Bible believing Christians, is right. The point missed in this article is that no matter how good a sub may be, the students are penalized by loss of continuity if not expertise.

New Edgewood school a learning tool in itself 7-30-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140730/GZ01/140739984/1419
…The $21 million “school of the future” is filled with these “conversation starters” — many of which are geared toward environmental health…For the most part, there are no traditional classrooms. Instead, dozens of students at a time learn in large, open “exploratoriums” where teams of five teachers are available for instruction and students break into groups or work individually to focus on several different parts of one lesson…The 52,000-square-foot school on a scenic hilltop on Edgewood Drive in Charleston is among the nicest and most expensive in the state, Ashley said…The school will be filled with iPads and Apple TVs, along with expansive wireless connections. A TV production room sits in the computer lab so that students can make quality morning announcements…Edgewood Elementary will have an in-house Prestera Center, which will offer mental health services to students and also provide on-site counselors. The center will even have a room with one-way glass so that counselors can observe how at-risk students interact with others. Karl’s comment: This is high tech version of another pie-in-the-sky project doomed for failure. Additionally, the one-way glass and mental health services are major red flags.

Teacher Arrested For Drugs 7-28-14
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/607721/Teacher-Arrested-For-Drugs.html?nav=515
Tyler County fifth-grade school teacher…and her boyfriend were arrested Friday by Sistersville Police on drug charges after a search of her home turned up marijuana and prescription pills. Two 18-year-olds at (her) residence also were cited for simple possession of marijuana in the search. Karl’s comment: Search these WV news pages and you will find lots of teacher drug use and not nearly all of it is reported.

Sistersville Elementary School Teacher Arrested 7-27-14
http://www.wtrf.com/story/26125082/breaking-elementary-school-teacher-arrested
An area teacher remained in jail on Monday facing drug charges after a weekend arrest. Karl’s comment: This is another of many such incidents. Just search these WV News pages for <drugs>.

Nitro High Gets Funding For Police Officer 7-20-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140720_26705.shtml
For the second year, federal funds will help provide a police officer at Nitro High School...Mayor Dave Casebolt says Blake provides security, but he also teaches important safety classes and is an excellent role model for students. Karl’s comment: They omitted the main reason—to police the students.

Elkins High School Teacher Charged With Soliciting a Student 7-17-14
http://www.wboy.com/story/26046525/elkins-high-school-teacher-charged-with-soliciting-a-student
West Virginia State Police have arrested an Elkins High School teacher for soliciting a 16-year-old girl on a computer. (The man), 34, is accused of exchanging sexually explicit cell phone calls and text messages with a student, said state police.  When interviewed by state police, the girl told them that Johnson also asked her to send pictures of her posing inappropriately.  Karl’s comment: This is in an area where I spoke (We Must Get Our Children Out!) at a church in 2007. After I finished, a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area. See 2009 News for March 26.

Could state take over West Side schools? 7-16-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140716/GZ01/140719475
Making the West Side of Charleston its own school district — separate from the Kanawha County school system and overseen by the state — is the latest suggestion in an attempt to turn around the area’s struggling schools. Bill White, a member of the West Virginia Board of Education, brought up the idea at a public meeting last week. On Wednesday morning, he said he hoped to get the state board to seriously consider taking over the low-achieving schools on the West Side, which has long dealt with drug-related crime and poverty. Karl’s comment: The students are predominately blacks. Black Christians, like white Christians need to rescue their children. Read what a black man says about this matter.

Plaintiff Testifies In Case Against Wood County Schools 7-16-14
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/Plaintiff-Testifies-In-Case-Against-Wood-County-Schools-267401811.html
He says he was beaten by a teammate on his ninth grade football team-and the coach did nothing about it. (He)was a member of Parkersburg South High School's freshman football team-as was (the other boy), the student he fought with in the team locker room four years ago…He says he suffered a broken nose and cheekbone, and bleeding on his brain… (His)s teammates testified-and one said he texted classmates-that then-football coach Dwain Sponseller left the locker room during the fight, and, although he was close enough to see it, did nothing to stop it. Karl’s comment: Another certified education expert is in trouble.

West Side pilot project leads to trying times for teachers 7-15-14
https://www.wvea.org/content/west-side-pilot-project-trying-some-teachers (Originally printed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.)
Since last school year, at least 10 of the teachers at Mary C. Snow have left, plus its principal, Mellow Lee, who had been in the position since the school opened in 2011. According to representatives with both of the state’s teachers unions, some of those teachers quit to avoid new requirements associated with an ongoing Community School pilot on Charleston’s West Side, which aims to turn around student achievement at the area’s five schools and connect the schools with various social service entities…In addition to specific professional development for teachers, a plan approved by the state Legislature last year also allows for West Side schools to implement a slew of strategies outside of the state’s public school norm, like year-round school, school uniforms and special birth-to-3 initiatives. Karl’s comment: Lots of excuses and more wasted money!

Next schools chief says W.Va. will be ‘top state in education’ 7-8-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140708/DM01/140709359/1300
“We will make West Virginia the top state in education,” he said. “We will provide every child with a world-class education and make certain they are college and career ready”…West Virginia would have to climb from the bottom half of most education rankings for his promises to become reality…In his nine years in St. Mary’s County, Martirano was able to improve the graduation rate at his 26 schools by 10 percent. Now, nearly 92 percent of students receive their diploma. Karl’s comment: BWAH HA HA HA! If the Lord tarries, check in five years and you will see he failed because government schools cannot be fixed. Improving the graduation rate could only mean they pushed through more kids who were academic failures but got a diploma.

In the Gazette article (http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140708/GZ01/140709413/1101) he said, “So, if you go through with a very systematic process of tightening up our structures and what we offer starting from birth through the development process and keeping children in school and making sure we have a rich curriculum and having accountability pieces along the way, wonderful things can begin to happen to children.” His strategies have ALL BEEN TRIED, but the alarming part is that he made it CLEAR that the State wants our children from birth!

His salary is ridiculous! From a WCHS-TV report: Martirano is taking over a system with 772 schools and 282,000 students. In Kentucky, the superintendent handles more than double the schools and students, and makes $5,000 a year less. Maryland is next on the salary scale, with double the schools in West Virginia and three times the students, the leading educator makes $210,000 a year, $20,000 less than Martirano. Virginia has even more schools and more than a million students, with its top educator making nearly $30,000 less annually than Martirano. Ohio has nearly five times the schools and six times the number of students, but its state superintendent makes only $175,000. And finally, in Pennsylvania, with nearly 3,300 schools and nearly as many students as West Virginia's total population, the top educator makes about $140,000 a year. (http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/wastewatch/waste140708_73.shtml)

Edgewood Teachers Work To Incorporate Project-Based Learning 7-2-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyeoneducation/eoe140702_41.shtml
Charleston's newest school on the west side, Edgewood Elementary, will welcome students this fall. This summer, educators at the school are preparing for how to incorporate new, innovative teaching practices. Teachers at the school will be incorporating a concept called project based learning, where kids get a chance to develop what they're learning into a real-world concept…A group of students were given the task of using what they'd learned in the classroom to design the playground space for their new school from scratch…While the project was fun and rewarding for kids, it also helped teachers execute the core standards of learning…Teachers say they want project-based learning to be as organic as possible, letting students generate the ideas for the projects and then coming up with the solutions.. With 21st century technology in hand, the world is their oyster. There's already talk about how to use these tools to tackle everything from bullying to recycling. Karl’s comment: (1) It is subtle, but the One World, earth worship (recycling), Common Core, and the homosexual agenda (bullying) bases were all touched. (2) “Project Based Learning is another buzz word to con taxpayers. I saw many of these gimmicks come and go in my 34-year career. The NEA description is damning of itself. “ What is Project-Based Learning (PBL) and how long has it been around? As far back as the early 1900s, John Dewey supported the ‘learning by doing’ approach to education, which is the essential element of PBL.” (http://www.nea.org/tools/16963.htm) John Dewey hated God!

The WV Department of Education discloses the pie-in-the-sky strategy of Project Based Learning “When engaged in standards-focused Project Based Learning (PBL), students are working in teams to experience and explore relevant, real-world problems, questions, issues and challenges; then creating presentations and products to share what they have learned. The teacher’s role is one of coach, facilitator, guide, advisor, or mentor; it is not one of directing and managing all student work. Well-designed projects that meet PBL criteria differ from activities, or even projects, that have been traditional in the classroom.” (http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/pbl.html) For more on the subject and a handy chart see http://www.redhotconservative.com/students-hate-project-based-learning-aka-pbl/.

Major Technology Upgrade for Kanawha County Schools 6-30-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Major-Technology-Upgrade-for-Kanawha-County-Schools-265293481.html
More than 1,800 iPads are being distributed to teachers, which will be followed by all middle and high school students receiving them. They're aiming for that to happen by late October… The iPads won't replace regular computers or even text books, at least for now… Also along the lines of  security , there's no need to worry about your children using school iPads to access sites and apps that they shouldn't. All of that has already been restricted. Once all middle and high school students have iPads, they'll start working to make sure elementary students get them, as well. Karl’s comment: See the item for June 2.

Clinical Psychologist: School Violence Growing Across Nation 6-26-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140626_26122.shtml
"When we were kids we used to worry about the atomic bomb and we used to duck under our desks as a drill, now the children in kindergarten are practicing drills in case somebody comes and takes over their school," Dr. David Clayman said.   The clinical and forensic psychologist said there's no national study currently out there to explain why school shootings and bombings are becoming more prevalent across the country. He said the fact that we are all hearing more news stories about these incidents indicates a trend may be forming.  Lincoln County high school educator Mike McCormick agreed.   Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Criminal Complaint Details Alleged Jackson County Bomb Plot 6-26-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140626_26106.shtml
The criminal complaint filed against a Jackson County man accused of threatening to detonate a bomb at an elementary school details his fascination with explosive devices and death and his intentions to have a device that caused as much destruction as possible…A short time later, RHM and the other officers arrived at the residence and soon located the incendiary device where both Garnes and the CI said it would be. The aforementioned explosives technicians furthermore confirmed that the said device was that of an explosive and destructive nature. Further searching of the residence found numerous handwritten notes detailing Garnes's fascination with death, misery and killing people and children. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

New W.Va. schools chief to focus on graduation rates, minority and low-income achievement 6-26-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140626/GZ01/140629409/1419
(He) said West Virginia’s consistently low national rankings in student achievement don’t worry him, they motivate him. The solution, he said, is a larger focus on early intervention, quality pre-kindergarten programs and more opportunities for struggling students to recover… When asked about major educational issues — such as Common Core — Martirano said he’s very supportive but concerned about the amount of misinformation out there among parents, communities and even teachers. In his district, Common Core regulations were implemented a year in advance, with all schools participating and also offering several informational sessions for parents. “I’m a very assertive communicator. One of the primary ways to handle this barrier and combat fear is through communication about what the Common Core actually is. It’s a more rigorous curriculum that’s going deeper, instead of being an inch deep and a mile long,” he said. “I was, quite frankly, taken aback by the misunderstanding out there, but once we were able to provide communication and show exactly how it plays out, then people became extremely calm and understood the need for it. Karl’s comment: Mark this spot and my words! In 5 years he will be making promises and excuses about why the achievement is still poor or pathetic. Common Core is NOT the solution!

The problem with pre-school 6-22-14
http://www.register-herald.com/editorials/x611395404/The-problem-with-pre-school
Melanie Cutright, a principal in Wood County, told lawmakers in Charleston last week that West Virginia's strong push into pre-K education may actually be hurting kids. Cutright was referring to the practice of including 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in the same classroom, which she said creates an impossible environment for teachers and students since kids at that age develop at such different rates. Parents of 5-year-olds have some expectation of their children being prepared for kindergarten the next year, she said, but with an age and developmental range so disparate, lesson planning is challenging. “It’s difficult to make sure instruction is appropriate for a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old,” she said. Cutright was not condemning pre-K education, but concerns about its worth — both to young children and to taxpayers — are growing. The issue is important, because in his State of the Union address in January 2013, President Obama made a pledge for universal pre-K programs nationwide, which would cost taxpayers billions. Obama claimed the science was settled, and that a pre-K program nationwide would go far to heal all problems with public education in America.

From http://www.register-herald.com/local/x1396894254/Does-pre-school-law-hurt-kids: The law expects teachers to have their students reading on some level at the end of a year of pre-K, but often, Cutright said, that is not what’s happening. Instead, she said, boys who can’t read as expected are labeled and placed in special classes, even though if they were allowed to wait until they were physiologically mature enough to read anyway, they wouldn’t have a problem.
She likened the situation to parents who expect their 2-month-old infant to walk and take the child to a series of doctors and rehabilitation clinics, and maybe even medicate them. In a matter of eight-to-17 months, the child will walk anyway, but not because of any intervention. Cutright said her school enrolled a 2-year-old with special needs, who will be in the same class as a 5-year-old, with 18 other students in-between. “At least four of these children will have special needs,” she said. The classroom teacher will have only one aide to assist her during the school day, Cutright said… Cutright said she feared two things: that including the number of pre-K students would bolster county school board budgets and that the school was being treated as a day-care facility. Finances are always important, she said, but should not be the major factor in deciding to put younger children in school. She stressed that pre-K is not day care, and has a completely different mission that includes promoting oral language skills and pre-literacy skills. Pre-K teacher Shelly Wooldridge told the committee that some children come to school before they are toilet-trained, creating yet another issue for teachers and time away from other students. Karl’s comment: Government educators have pulled stupid stuff like this since “public” education began. The comments above are damning and vindicate homeschooling and struggling Christian schools. It’s all about money for the system and (MORE IMPORTANTLY) getting to indoctrinate the children as early as possible. Pity the parents who fall for this welfare scam!

Superintendent: ‘too much anger’ over Winfield graduation 6-16-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140616/GZ01/140619397/1101
Putnam County Schools Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said Monday there’s been “way too much finger pointing and anger” in the controversy over a revered former Winfield High School coach not being allowed to give a religious speech at graduation… McCoy said he’s been giving the speech for at least the past 10 graduations, and said he tried to avoid controversy over school prayer with lines like, “If I could pray, I would ask God to bless all the seniors.”… “This board is made up of honorable men,” Hatfield said. “Men who serve the public from goodwill and civic mindedness ... and I, too, am an honorable man. I always strive to make the right decisions for the right reasons.” He said the decision came solely from a need to comply with a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. He reiterated that after last year’s graduation he forwarded one or more complaints he received about McCoy’s speech to Winfield High Principal Bruce McGrew, who Hatfield said was expected to act on the complaint “because the school was clearly in violation of the law.”…“As individuals, we believe in the words of Coach McCoy’s speech,” Hatfield said. “As leaders of the school system, we must uphold the law.”…Hatfield said “we need to put this behind us.” After the meeting, he told reporters that he had heard opinions both in favor and opposed to the decision. Karl’s comment: The schools belong to God-haters. Parents who want to protect their children should not send them to the pagan indoctrination centers.

Fayette County school bus driver...pleaded guilty to sex crimes with a minor 6-12-14
http://www.wvnstv.com/story/25763438/fayette-county-school-bus-driver-steven-malay-pleaded-guilty-to-sex-crimes-with-a-minorupdate
(The man) is charged with engaging in sexual contact with a 14-year-old Oak Hill girl who rode his bus.  He had contact with the girl at her home while her parent's were sleeping…"We feel that when you put your child on a school bus and put them in the custody and the control of the Board of Education, you're trusting those individuals to protect your children." Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Former Clay County teacher caught using drugs when cops execute search warrant 6-10-14
http://www.tristateupdate.com/story/25745925/former-clay-county-teacher-caught-doing-drugs-as-troopers-enter-home-to-arrest-her-on-drug-charges
A former Clay County, West Virginia elementary school teacher is behind bars after being arrested on drug charges. (The woman) and her friend, Jeremy Gray were taken into custody Tuesday around 9 p.m. Trooper s said when they arrived at (her) home on Blue Knob Road in Maysel, West Virginia, (she) was caught in the act of doing drugs. Troopers said (she) was selling meth out of her home, adding that she gave them a full confession. Workers with Child Protective Services were called to assist with the arrest, because (she) has a small child in her care. Karl’s comment: Search these WV news pages and you will find lots of teacher drug use and not nearly all of it is reported.

School secretary accused of sending explicit messages to student 6-9-14
http://www.wvva.com/story/25730947/2014/06/09/school-secretary-accused-of-sending-explicit-messages-to-student
A school secretary at a Wyoming County high school has been charged after allegedly sending explicit messages to a student via social media…(She) admitted to sending explicit messages on Facebook to a 15-year-old male student at Wyoming East High School, where she worked as secretary. The messaging allegedly occurred for approximately three months. Police were notified of the activity by the student's parent. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on th e main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Manchin hopes new superintendent brings change 6-8-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140608/GZ01/140609427/1419
The fact that we're so low in student achievement and have always been 49th or 50th and always said, 'thank god for Mississippi' - that gave me concern too. But there are people out there that are excited and want to be a change agent. Karl’s comment: READ THIS VERY SLOWLY: “The fact that we're (WV) so low in student achievement and have always been 49th or 50 th. If you will not listen to me, listen to the governor’s wife.

‘Oh my gosh’: Jackson County shows off new school 6-3-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140603/GZ01/140609782
The school’s future students gasped as they caught a glimpse for the first time on Tuesday. One girl said, “Oh my gosh, look at all the colors.”…Local and state officials dedicated the technology-packed Kenna Elementary during a ceremony Tuesday morning…While the school is merely bricks and mortar, it has the potential to improve learning dramatically, Hess said. He hopes it will fuel the entire district’s momentum toward getting a computer tablet in the hands of every student in the county. Kanawha County Schools announced earlier this week that it will achieve its goal of a 1:1 student-tablet ratio this coming school year…The nearly $12 million project — which was paid by both the state School Building Authority and the Jackson County school board — has been a long time coming. Karl’s comment: Check the academic results in 5-10 years and you will see it was a waste of money. Worse, the shiny new school will not protect the children from physical, emotional, and spiritual attack. See the next item.

Jackson County, WV mother concerned about bullies 6-3-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25685669/jackson-county-wv-mother-concerned-about-bullies
A mother from Jackson County, WV is struggling to help her 14 year old daughter who she says has threatened to take her own life several times because of constant bullying. "She has been told to just kill herself drink bleach she wasn't worth living. She was ugly fat and she is all of 95 pounds," said (the) parent. Her voice quivers whenever she talks about her daughter and the things she says have happened to her at Ripley Middle School…Chase pulled her daughter out of school for medical treatment for issues she said were brought on by bullying. "I got a phone call that they (girls) were putting vulgar stuff on the walls while the poor thing was gone," Chase said. "She wasn't talking to them. She wasn't doing anything to hurt them." Karl’s comment: My voice quivers with dismay that the mother has not rescued her little girl!

Kanawha middle, high school students to get iPads in classrooms 6-2-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140602/GZ01/140609869
Every middle and high school student in Kanawha County will have access to an iPad starting this fall…Elementary schools will also see a significant increase in access to technology, though they will not see a 1:1 student-tablet ratio like the upperclassmen…The program will also emphasize “anytime and anywhere learning,” which will provide students more access to learning materials on snow days and other time out of class…with Common Core and a new type of Westest coming… Karl’s comment:This sounds good if there was any reason to believe school officials. There is not one reason to believe them, especially if are suspicious that they want to be able to track the students 24-7 or brainwash them .

Buffalo Elementary One Of Three Schools Selected For Pilot Program 5-29-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140529_25813.shtml
"We want to be able to work with those children from the time that they're born, and have that family feel," said Title 1 Reading and Math Teacher at Buffalo Elementary.
Toyota donated more than 34,000 dollars to start this program in West Virginia. Buffalo Elementary is one of only three schools in the state that's going to try “Born Learning Academy,” which focuses on ways parents can work with their kids outside of the classroom, starting from the time they are born until they start school. Karl’s comment: The plan is to train parents, but the problem is that it ultimately is leading to what the teacher said. The government wants the children from birth . Corporations would better invest money helping homeschoolers.

Ex-Riverside High School baseball coach accused of hitting student 5-28-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25633299/ex-riverside-high-school-baseball-coach-accused-of-punching-student
The mother of a student at Riverside High School has accused former coach --- of hitting a student in the face on March 6, 2014. On March 28, 2014, (the man) resigned as head coach of the baseball but stayed at the school as a teacher. Karl’s comment: Physical harm is bad, but spiritual harm is MUCH worse!

Students from Winfield, WV are upset that religion based tradition has been called off 5-28-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25635017/students-from-winfield-wv-are-upset-that-religion-based-tradition-has-been-called-off
Students at Winfield High School in Winfield, WV have started a petition asking the Putnam County Board of Education to reconsider their decision to remove a popular graduation day tradition. Coach Leon McCoy is well known in Winfield, WV. He has made it a tradition to speak at Winfield High School's graduation. But after complaints from some parents about the religious theme in his presentation the speech has been called off… The Putnam County Board of Education in Putnam County decided the speech he has been giving for years violates a Supreme Court ruling that bans state sponsored prayer in public schools . Karl’s comment: Even if the event continues, it is a well-intentioned sham to allow compromising Christian parents to continue sacrificing their children to Pharaoh’s schools.

Four million dollars worth of school lunches is unpaid for 5-22-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25592667/four-million-dollars-worth-of-school-lunches-is-unpaid-for
Harry Reustle, Kanawha County Schools Treasurer, says that staff makes up $43,000 of that $4 million debt…(A mother) says, "it just seems ridiculous, especially for the teachers. I mean they get a pay check so I don't understand why they wouldn't pay for their lunches". Monthly bills let parents and staff know what they owe.  Once they reach the $100 mark they also get a written notice.  If the debt reaches $175 then it is turned over to a collection agency. Currently $3.6 million is in collections.  There is little more they can do to force school employees to pay what they owe. Karl’s comment: Teachers stealing? You read that right!

Raleigh County school custodian arrested on sex assault charges 5-22-14
http://www.wvnstv.com/story/25592275/raleigh-county-school-custodian-arrested-on-sex-assault-charges
Troopers with the West Virginia State Police are concerned that there may be more victims of a man suspected of sex assault and sex abuse who have yet to come forward. James Arthur Shirley, 25, was arrested by State Troopers on Thursday, May 22.  He was a custodian at Stanaford Elementary School in Raleigh County.  Shirley is charged with six counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse and six counts of Third Degree Sexual Assault.  He also faces three counts of Burglary. Karl’s comment: It does not say the victims were students, but that is a minor point. You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

A pair of students at Park Middle School are arrested for marijuana possession 5-22-14
http://www.wvnstv.com/story/25589351/a-pair-of-students-at-park-middle-school-are-arrested-for-marijuana-possession
Beckley Police said that they were called in to investigate a drug case at a middle school, and the suspects are students. According to detectives, they went to Park Middle School on Monday, May 19 where they discovered a 14-year-old who had a packed marijuana pipe.  They also found a 12-year-old with a small bag of marijuana.  The kids had less that a gram of marijuana on them.  Police Officers said that the kids were arrested on possession charges.  Their names have not been released, because they are minors. Karl’s comment: There have been drugs in middle schools for years! I retired in 2005 and vividly remember the regular lock-downs to accommodate drug-sniffing dogs going through the halls.

Mingo Co. Middle School Drug Testing Orientation Sessions set 5-18-14
http://loganbanner.com/news/news/3697889/Mingo-Co.-Middle-School-Drug-Testing-Orientation-Sessions-set
Mingo County Schools Department of Student Services will be expanding the Random Drug Testing Program to the six middle schools beginning with the 2014-2015 school term. The Office of Student Services and Attendance has scheduled parent orientation sessions at each middle school to discuss the Mingo County Schools Student Drug Testing Policy 5530.01. The policy will cover students in grades sixth through eight participating in athletics, extra-curricular activities and opt-in participants… The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that most people use drugs for the first time when they are teenagers. Karl’s comment: Middle school students use illegal drugs.

Student Wants To Attend His Graduation 5-13-14
http://theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/601151/Student-Wants-To-Attend-His-Graduation.html
The Brooke County Board of Education was asked Monday to allow a high school student, who has been removed from school for allegedly possessing a dangerous weapon, to attend his commencement program. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Investigation Continues Into Alleged Mingo County School Sexual Abuse Coverup 5-9-14 (This is about another kind of abuse.)
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140509_25326.shtml
Now, other parents are speaking up, saying they have been treated the same way by Mingo County school officials. Randy Bishop said he was not the least bit surprised to learn administrators at Burch Middle School, along with Mingo County school officials, are accused of covering up those sexual abuse allegations brought forth by two girls. He claims his special needs grandson was continuously bullied at the school and there was never a proper investigation. "It's not safe here. I don't want him injured any more," Bishop said. Bishop said he took his grandson out of the school because of the bullying. He came to an interview with Eyewitness News, armed with complaints he's filed, incident reports and even medical records that indicate his grandson was "assaulted." He said the school administration brushed his concerns under the rug. Karl’s comment: He should keep the boy out permanently. Lots of stuff is “swept under the rug” in government schools.

AG: Mingo school covered up sexual abuse 5-8-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140508/GZ01/140509331/1419
The (3) girls, seventh-graders when the alleged abuse began in 2012, say they were restrained, grabbed and groped by two male students on the school bus and in the school’s computer lab. One of the girls also says she was sexually assaulted by one of the boys during a school field trip to Charleston. The filing in Mingo Circuit Court says that when the girls reported the abuse, they were “threatened with discipline and/or retaliated against by members of the Burch Middle School administration when each pursued punishment for the offenders. Named in Morrisey’s filing are -- the principal of Burch Middle School in Delbarton; -- the school’s vice principal; -- the school’s guidance counselor; -- a coach at the school; and -- superintendent of Mingo County Schools. The filing alleges not only a lack of investigation, but active retaliation by school administrators against the two alleged victims.

These are the most recent allegations of sexual abuse in Mingo County. In 2013, (a male teacher), agreed to give up his teaching certificate and resign as a math teacher and boys basketball and football coach at Matewan Middle School. In exchange, former Mingo Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury dismissed three counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of battery against him. (He) was investigated for allegations that he groped, kissed and made inappropriate comments to two female students in front of others. Later in 2013, the State Police arrested a Burch Middle School teacher’s assistant and her husband, a custodian at Matewan Middle School, after they allegedly sent female students explicit sexual messages and videos.

Karl’s comment: There were (at least) two more incidents. In 2013, -- a teacher at Matewan K-8, turned herself into authorities after she was accused of maintaining a relationship with a 13-year-old female student. (http://www.statejournal.com/story/25466250/wv-attorney-general-morrisey-seeks-injunction-as-part-of-alleged-school-sexual-abuse-assaults) During that first investigation, it was alleged that the two were writing love notes, calling each other "babe", and touching each other on various parts of their bodies, troopers said… Troopers said multiple students have come forward, saying they've witnessed the allegations…Other allegations include that the two burned each others (sic) love notes, and kissed for the first time inside the school, according to State Police…However, now they say additional charges are expected to be filed.  This time, against her husband, -- for allegedly committing the same crimes.  His victim, troopers said, is another 13-year-old student who troopers said just recently came forward. (http://www.wowktv.com/story/24199488/matewan-teacher-charged-with-sex-abuse-involving-student-more-charges-expected-jennifer-parsons-john-parsons) A 12-12 2013 WV News item about this county had this: Troopers said, while troubling, this is only once instance, and they hope it doesn't tarnish the education of the children.  "I know it's hard after this situation but you just have to keep faith in the school system and the teachers, you know, because the majority of the teachers aren't like this.

When I thought it could not get any worse it did! You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

It pales in comparison to the above, but this school system has serious additional problems. The state Department of Education has controlled Mingo County Schools for all but three of the past 16 years. A slew of problems including a $2.2 million budget deficit, the third-lowest test scores in the state and a lack of leadership led the state to take over Mingo County Schools in 1998. While the county regained control in 2002, the state once again intervened in 2005.Despite some improvements and efforts to regain autonomy, control has yet to be given back to the county school board. In 2013, the Office of Education Performance Audits found that financial, personnel, facility, transportation and policy development problems were not resolved, and despite some improvements, it would not relinquish control because there was “more work left to be done.” ( http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140508/DM02/140509329/2006042942 )

Teen Charged Following Threat Made At Cabell Midland High School 5-9-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140509_25314.shtml
A 16-year old student has been charged following a threat made at Cabell Midland High School.  Cabell County Sheriff Tom McComas said the boy will be charged with three counts of making terroristic threats.   Karl’s comment: See the next item.

Arrest Made In Connection To Threat Made At Huntington High School 5-8-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140508_25284.shtml?wap=0
The suspect is a female student at the school…A written threat on the wall of a bathroom was discovered Thursday afternoon. The threat prompted additional security from the Huntington Police Department and students to be placed in their classrooms for the remainder of the day.  Karl’s comment: Lots of obscenities are on school restroom walls. That is bad enough, but the anger is there and it is only a matter of time until something explodes. Tick, tick, tick.

West Virginia students last in reading scores of 13 states; tied for last in math 5-7-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201405071402_977145e.shtml
A new report shows West Virginia high school seniors had the worst reading scores of students sampled in 13 states last year — and were tied for worst in math. Wednesday's national assessment, known as the nation's report card, did show that test scores had improved in West Virginia in recent years. The average West Virginia math score was up four points from 2009 — one of only four states to show improvement over that period. The state's average reading score was also up, but just one point, which is not considered a significant difference in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The state tied with Tennessee for worst in math. West Virginia's last-place finish in reading was just behind Tennessee, but the margin is not considered significantly different. Karl’s comment: From “terrible” to “very bad”! Search the WV News pages for more examples of awful academics in the expensive “education” enterprise. Use >TEST< in your Search Box.

Ex-high school band director gets probation for taking sexually explicit photos of girl 5-1-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201405012056_3a41a8c.shtml
A former Lewis County High School band director has been sentenced to probation for taking sexually explicit photos of an underage girl. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

JMHS teacher arrested for battery 4-30-14
http://www.wtov9.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/-jmhs-teacher-arrested-battery-4128.shtml
A Marshall County teacher has been arrested after he allegedly tried to kiss a student and pursue a relationship. (He), 32, was arraigned Tuesday and released on his own recognizance, charged with one misdemeanor count of battery. According to a criminal complaint, Will allegedly told the teenager she was beautiful, he missed her and repeatedly tried to contact her through social media before he attacked her on April 9. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Huntington Middle School Launches "Kindness Campaign" To Counteract Bullying 4-30-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140430_25070.shtml
"There were days where I was just slammed into the locker, and nobody would do anything about it," (the) eighth (grade girl) said.   Karl’s comment: The girl’s experience is not uncommon.

Kanawha teacher dress-code vote nixed 4-22-14
http://wvgazette.com/article/20140422/GZ01/140429741/1101
The policy, which would have regulated when teachers can wear blue jeans and would’ve banned shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops, initially was listed as an item on Thursday’s school board meeting agenda, but has been removed, according to an amended agenda sent out Tuesday…The draft of the dress code also focused on lengths of beards and mustaches and required tattoos to be covered “at all times when possible,” as well as banning excess or oversized piercings other than on the ears. The state’s teachers unions have being fighting against the issue for months, saying it’s insulting and unconstitutional. Karl’s comment: The teacher unions have low moral standards, so this is a logical extension.

Student charged with threats against school employee 4-22-14
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x571849984/Student-charged-with-threats-against-school-employee
The following information was provided by reports filed with the Cabell County Sheriff's Office: ALL OTHER OFFENSES: Two reports were filed following unrelated incidents at Cabell Midland High School last week. A 17-year-old student was charged with threatening a school employee and disrupting the school process. On Tuesday, April 15, an administrator reported that banging sounds were coming from the boys restroom near the cafeteria of the school at 12:20 p.m. during the second lunch period. When an administrator entered the restroom, he found a male student inside one of the stalls shaking the door, as if trying to tear it off its hinges. The administrator asked the student what was going on, and the student cursed at the teacher while moving toward him in an aggressive manner. The student asked the administrator what he was "going to do about it," when another administrator came in the restroom.

The administrators told the student to go to the main office of the school, and he continued to yell and curse while walking through the hallway, despite the employees telling him multiple times to stop. In an unrelated incident on April 17, a teacher informed an administrator that a student had his cell phone out while taking the WESTEST 2 at about 10 a.m. The student was sent to the administrator's office, and the administrator questioned the student about why his phone was out during the test and if he had been cheating or otherwise texting information about the test or taking photos of it. The suspect gave his phone to the administrator, who reported finding nude photos of female juveniles on the phone. The administrator said the student admitted the photos were of female students at the school. An officer was dispatched to Guyandotte Elementary School at 1:26 p.m. on April 18 in response to a video of a fight posted on the internet. Karl’s comment: I have said many times on these WV News pages that stuff like this is frequent and mostly not revealed to the public.

School lawyers to review Parkersburg S. wrestling T-shirts after Bible verse draws complaint 4-20-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201404201543_3f7799a.shtml
Wood County school officials have asked their lawyers to review a wrestling team's T-shirts that bear a Bible verse on the back. Superintendent Pat Law tells media outlets that the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation complained about the Parkersburg South High School team's T-shirts to school officials. The verse states, "I can do all things through Him that strengthens me." Karl’s comment: If they were in a Christian school they would not face this unwinnable issue. [After posting this, a 4-23 headline confirmed that the “ Bible verse (was) removed from Parkersburg South gym, wrestling team's website”. (http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201404231224_72b28d2.shtml)]

Teen Charged with Felony After Fight at School 4-18-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Teen-Charged-with-Felony-after-Fight-at-School-255815831.html
  A brutal fight at Huntington High School that was caught on a student's camera ended with one student behind bars facing a felony charge…Another student recorded the episode on a cell phone. According to the criminal complaint, (the girl) slammed the other girl on the ground, punched her in the head, and banged her head on the concrete floor. The video shows classmates standing by and watching. After seeing the video, Huntington High parent Jonda Sipple says violence that graphic should not have been allowed to last so long…Cabell County Schools Communications Director Jedd Flowers says a school resource officer is normally there and deals with student fights, but that officer was gone on a student trip Friday morning, which is why the principal called police. Karl’s comment: Violent fights are not uncommon, I witnessed them in my middle schools. Notice that the POLICE OFFICER deals with FIGHTS (plural). A following article (http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Brutal-Fight-Leads-to-Policy-Changes-at-HHS-256089651.html) disclosed School administrators are working to track down who recorded the fight, which is against school policy. If that student is caught, they will face a 10-day suspension… Cabell County Schools Spokesman Jed Flowers tells WSAZ.com there have been 14 incidents of battery against students at HHS in the 2013-2014 school year. Principal Webb says there are usually five or six fights each year. Cabell County Schools classifies battery against a student as any type of unwanted touching. So far, there have been nine incidents reported at Cabell Midland High School, which is the only other high school in the count. (emphasis added) My 4-17-14 email to the Putnam County Superintendent of Schools requesting information about school resource officers was not answered

Changes Coming To Kanawha Co. Pre-K 4-16-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyeoneducation/eoe140416_21.shtml
Head \Start students at three schools will move to a full-time schedule, going to class four days a week…It's not just class schedules that will be changing. Students will also be on new buses. Four-year-olds will be grouped with all elementary students, instead of being bused separately like they are now with half-day school…(A mother said, ) "It's ridiculous. They're going to be terrified. I don't know what they'll do. A part of me doesn't even really want to send her because I think it's just too much and too soon...They're still babies at four I think. They're so little and cute and just shoving them into school all day...I don't know. I'm just not happy with it," Karl’s comment: The mother (and all mothers) are mandated, by Almighty God, to protect their babies. That includes educate them in a godly matter until they are adults. The state seduces them with “free” day care.

Student charged with making terroristic threats at Point Pleasant High School 4-11-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25224938/student-charged-with-making-terroristic-threats-at-point-pleasant-high-school
A student from Point Pleasant High School was charged with making terroristic threats on April 10.  Police say they aren't releasing the exact threat.  Officials say the teen didn't have a weapon and believe he was alone in making the threats. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Local Schools Continue To Strive For Safest Possible Environment For Student 4-9-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140409_24608.shtml
As a mom of a kindergartner, (the mother) is automatically on guard when she hears about another school tragedy, like at a Pennsylvania High School Wednesday morning. "As parents, it's always scary to leave your child with someone else. You want to make sure they're safe. You want to feel comfortable with where they are, and having a child in school, normally, you feel comfortable, but when you hear about things like this, it goes through your head, well, 'what if that was my child, what if that was my baby?'," she said…Assistant Superintendent for Cabell County Schools Todd Alexander said their protocol starts with prevention, including anti-bullying programs at an early age...They've also implemented a full threat assessment procedure that mirrors how the secret service treats a perceived threat. Karl’s comment: Another article reported: But outside of preventative measures the schools also constantly train their staffs to be prepared for any situation using a color coded system. "We learned a lot from doing this last year and this year, especially with code reds. What we'll have on our website--and it's not social media, it's our website--we'll put down what needs to be said or what we're able to say because when a code red is called the police are obviously involved at that point," Harrison County Safety Discipline Director Ken Winkie told 5 News. "Every school in our county--the 24 schools--have to practice their code drills all year long," he added. (http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=Pittsburgh-School-Stabbing-How-Would-Our-Schools-Respond-15312) The mother is, to be nice, naïve. The “Safe Schools” mantra is a farce and anyone who believes it is a fool.

W.Va. State Police say teacher arrested after student claimed he had sex with her in 2013 4-9-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201404091846_7b4c65d.shtml
West Virginia State Police say a teacher from Marlinton has been arrested on charges she had sex with a student in 2013. n a release issued Wednesday, state police say 25-year-old (teacher) was arrested this week on three counts of sexual assault by a guardian. Investigators say a former student of Pocahontas High School came forward to say he had sexual relations with (her) when he was a student. Karl’s comment: See the 1-7-14 item below.

Mold Removal Project Approved at Kanawha Co. Elementary School 4-7-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Mold-Removal-Project-Approved-at-Kanawha-Co-Elementary-School-254295001.html
Kanawha County School Board members on Monday unanimously approved a plan to clean up Mary Ingles Elementary, which has experienced serious mold issues during recent months. Karl’s comment: See the next item and 9-19-13 and 10-12-12.

Parents Concerned About Leaky Roof at Piedmont Elementary 4-4-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140404_24478.shtml
In many classrooms and hallways, students dodge buckets catching water from leaky roofs. Some parents at Piedmont Elementary are concerned about their children's safety. Parent -- said she is worried about tiles falling down and hitting children.  (The parent) said that since November, they have been dealing with a leaky roof and missing ceiling tiles.  "If there's a lot of moisture, there may or may not be mold,"  (The parent) said…Central Elementary, South Charleston Middle School, Marmet, Piedmont, McKinley and Sharon Dawes also are dealing with problems.  Our kids are very important. They're our future, and we need to take care of them," (The parent) said. Karl’s comment: See the next item.

Leaking School Roof Raises Concerns For Tornado Parents 4-2-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140402_24429.shtml
Some Tornado parents are fed up with what they are calling poor conditions at Andrews Heights Elementary School. Buckets are placed throughout school to collect water from a leaking roof. (A mother) said she sends her child to school to learn, not to get sick. "In his classroom alone today, there were five five buckets," (she) said. "There are a lot of health concerns because there's mold in the ceiling tiles and everything else that's been linked to long-term health effects." … "The leaking roof I know has started last year and got progressively worse into this year," (a father) said. Karl’s comment: I have said it before, mold illness is bad, but spiritual illness is much worse. Also, if this was a Christian school—liberals would be in an uproar. The county superintendent just used this as a plug to get building fund money.

School Security Guard Charged with Breaking into School 4-1-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/School-Security-Guard-Charged-with-Breaking-into-Office-253291561.html
A security guard at Cabell Midland High School is accused of breaking and entering after surveillance video captured a break-in during the weekend…According to the Cabell County Sheriff's Department, (he) was caught on camera breaking into a window in the assistant principal's office. Karl’s comment: He said he didn’t steal anything.

Former teacher sentenced in decades-old sexual abuse case 3-31-14
http://wvmetronews.com/2014/03/31/former-teacher-sentenced-in-decades-old-sexual-abuse-case/
A retired Kanawha County teacher admitted his sexual abuse of three former students was a “sick, sick, sick mentally destructive idea” was sentenced to spend two to 10 years in prison…(His) crimes date back to 1981. He admitted he performed sexual intercourse as well as oral sex and masturbation, on three students…(He) had a history of sexual assault allegations within the Kanawha County school system dating back before the crimes that took place in the 80s. A complaint was filed against him by a parent of a young man at Woodrow Wilson Junior High in 1967. According to (his) personnel file, no action was taken against the teacher other than transferring Watt to a different campus. Karl’s comment: He shold have called it “sin, sin, sin”. He is part of a “sick, sick, sick” system.

Wyoming County High School teacher arrested after bar fight 3-30-14
http://www.wvnstv.com/story/25112456/wyoming-county-high-school-teacher-arrested-after-bar-fight
A Wyoming County teacher is arrested early Sunday morning after police respond to a bar fight involving about 8 people…(The teacher) of Mullens was charged with obstructing and battery on an officer. (He) is currently a teacher at Wyoming East High School. Karl’s comment: the behavior speaks for itself.

Dental work performed on wrong pupil at Boone County school 3-29-14
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201403290067
A mobile dental program that travels to schools to provide services for low-income students performed work on the wrong child last week, sending a Boone County 8-year-old home with a filling in his mouth he was not authorized to receive…"You send them to school thinking they're in custody of teachers and the principal, and then find out that someone just comes to the school and sends them out in a van, with no school personnel, to be worked on," (the child’s mother) said. "We're not sure who did the procedure or how clean the place was. It's not a dentist we know and trust. They didn't even know my child's medical history -- what he's allergic to." (The mother) said she had signed a form sent home earlier by the school that signified she would not allow her son to receive this treatment…  "They had no authorization to even touch my child. It just blows my mind that, nowadays, this can happen. It's beyond my comprehension that something like this can happen." (The mother) was unsure if the filling Daniel received was even necessary or if the work was based off the other student's records… Problems with mobile dental units that often serve the state's rural, low-income schools are nothing new, said Richard Stevens, executive director of the West Virginia Dental Association. Karl’s comment: Parents send them there where they get more dangerous things in their heads than a filling.

W.Va. woman accused of selling marijuana to student in high school bathroom 3-28-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201403281502_27f4350.shtml
State Police say a woman has been arrested after she allegedly went into a Mercer County high school bathroom and sold marijuana to a 15-year-old student. Karl’s comment: The schools are infested with drugs. Just search theses news pages.

WESTEST Scores In Wayne County School Called Into Question, Prompting Investigation 3-27-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140327_24271.shtml
The WESTEST scores for an entire grade at an elementary school in Wayne County were investigated after a large number of answers were changed….The board said the findings will have no effect on the students educational records, however, Crum Elementary's "Success School" status will likely be lowered. Karl’s comment: Why not cheat when the Ten Commandments are banned? This makes one wonder about other so-called “Success Schools.”

Parkersburg, Vienna Police Train For School Shooting Scenario 3-26-14
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/Parkersburg-Vienna-Police-Train-For-School-Shooting-Scenario-252498151.html
In teams of four the men train in several situations inside Parkersburg High School…Also the pro officers in the schools are training, including the new officers that will be put into the middle schools as well. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

New Program Hopes To Improve Reading Skills 3-26-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyeoneducation/eoe140326_15.shtml
Wednesday, the governor and education leaders from across the state gathered to announce the new program called "Leaders in Literacy". Despite a lot of past efforts, West Virginia third graders still lag behind many students across the country when it comes to their reading ability.   Karl’s comment: Same song 30 th verse. Come back in a couple of years and see the next waste of money con job.

Lewis County High School student arrested for bringing gun to school 3-21-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/25037476/lewis-county-high-school-student-arrested-for-bringing-gun-to-school
After investigating the claim, a 16-year-old student was arrested, according to a release on the Sheriff's office Facebook . Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

About 1 in 4 black students in WVa was suspended in 2011-12, report shows 3-21-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201403212154_3db3a3a.shtml
A new federal report shows that nearly one-fourth of West Virginia's black male students were suspended at least once. The report Friday by the Education Department's civil rights arm shows that nationwide, black students were more likely to be suspended from U.S. public schools…For black female students, the number in West Virginia was also higher than the national average, but just barely: 12 percent nationally, vs. 14 percent in West Virginia. Karl’s comment: Liberals will make a disaster of this. The evidence should be followed as to the cause. It could be due to lack lf stable black families with a father figure.

Buffalo police chief faces lawsuit 3-21-14
http://www.sundaygazettemail.com/News/Putnam/201403210046
Buffalo's police chief and a Putnam County sheriff's deputy, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly pursuing an affair with a married woman while on duty and abusing his position to threaten the husband when he asked (the cop) to stop. "You don't know who you are [expletive] with," (the cop) said to (the)plantiff..."I may take this uniform off every day, but I still have my gun."… The suit states (theplantiff) hired a private detective, who found (theplantiff’s) wife would meet (the cop) while he was on duty as a school officer. Karl’s comment: The school system did not respond to my query, but I found someone with the defendant’s name listed by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department Roster as a “School Resource” (i.e. School Cop)) officer. ( http://www.usacops.com/wv/s25213/roster.html)

Students Missing Class Time To Cheer On Their Teams 3-20-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140320_24107.shtml
George Washington High School students packed the stands at the Charleston Civic Center, cheering on their Patriots in the Boys State High School Basketball Tournament.   Even though they've already missed nearly a month of school this year, thanks to the water crisis and a brutal winter, they said this out-of-class time was worth it…"It's really important because being able to come out here and support our team," Matt Schwartz, G.W. sophomore, said. "It helps them be able to get wins and stuff."…"We feel this is an experience that the kids can have, not only on the court but in the stands as well," Gary Ray, executive director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, said. "I'm a firm believer, you've gotta learn the social skills as well when it comes to dealing with life in general. Karl’s comment: What a crock! Did you notice the articulate student?

Parkersburg South teacher suspended over Facebook post regarding gay-straight student club 3-19-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201403191411_d570447.shtml
A Parkersburg South High School teacher has been suspended following a Facebook post he made regarding the school's Gay-Straight Alliance student club. Wood County Schools Superintendent Pat Law tells the Parkersburg News and Sentinel that (the teacher) was suspended on Tuesday for four days. Law says the Wood County school board will decide whether the suspension is paid or unpaid, or whether to make any changes. The newspaper says Foggin posted an image on Facebook of a poster advertising the club's meetings, along with a comment stating, "We are also considering a drunks-t totaller club, drugged/sober club, smokeless tobacco vs smokes club, street racing, and deer poaching clubs." A previous article reported that the post has another teacher coming forward, and some students upset…(That teacher) says his goal as the group's leader is giving the students a safe-environment to voice their beliefs and be themselves. "I'm encouraging students to stand-up for what they feel. If I didn't do something or didn't say something and make the community aware of what they stand for then there could be a misrepresentation of what they are," he said … He says his group is designed to create a safe place for LGBT students, and straight students, to gather and develop ways to address local social problems. Karl’s comment: So much for tolerance. Homosexuals will not stop until they control society. The only hope is to gain enough informed citizens with convictions to counter the corruption. That requires Christians to remove their children from the anti-Bible institutions called “public” schools.

Uncooked chicken served at Princeton Middle School has parents concerned 3-11-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/24944519/uncooked-chicken-served-at-princeton-middle-school-has-parents-concerned
Parents of students at Princeton Middle School are upset after a picture which showed uncooked chicken was served to students was posted on Facebook. Princeton Middle School Principal Danny Buckner admitted that some students were served undercooked chicken on Monday, March 10.  He said that when they noticed what had happened, the meat was disposed of and children were offered and alternate meal. Karl’s comment: If only parent were concerned about what goes into their children’s souls.

Cabell County Schools investigates first grade teacher for putting girl's shirt on male student 3-5-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/24899445/cabell-county-schools-investigates-first-grade-teacher-for-putting-girls-shirt-on-male-student-teacher-tough-love-huntington-wv
A first grade teacher at Central City Elementary on Huntington's west side put a pink, flowery, girl's tank-top on a male student to get him to straighten up and stop chewing on his clothes, according to school officials. Karl’s comment: I could make a point about the LGBT movement in the schools, but I won’t.

Tucker High principal proposes program to mentor students 3-5-14
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/568689/Tucker-High-principal-proposes-program-to-mentor-students.html?nav=5014
Tucker County High School Principal Jay Hamric explained a proposed program for at risk students he hopes to get started at the school in the next couple of weeks. Hamric said the Spark Program, an adult mentor plan, would strive to provide opportunities for students to build resiliency, coping skills and self-efficacy by focusing on what the youth are doing right. It also emphasizes strengths, abilities and potentials. "This initiative is coming out of our safe schools grant," Hamric said. "There is a need to help these at risk students."… "We are in contact with some community members who want to volunteer their time and their expertise to develop a mentorship with these students," Hamric said…He said the sessions will include relationship building, self awareness, brain development, emotional self regulation, goal setting and self efficacy, social skills and role play, mindfulness, community and civic development and a celebratory-experiential activity . (emphasis added) Karl’s comment: This is a slick way of brain-washing the kids with New Age religion. See “Becoming Mindful of Mindfulness”.

Teacher charged after classroom incident 2-28-14
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/605208/Teacher-charged-after-classroom-incident.html
A Jefferson High School special education teacher accused of choking and pushing a special needs student during an alleged incident at the school last month has been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of misdemeanor unlawful restraint. Karl’s comment: There are many such incidents that go un-reported.

Ritchie County Teacher Faces Sexual Assault, Sexual Abuse Charges 2-26-14
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/Ritchie-County-Teacher-Faces-Sexual-Assault-Charge-247339791.html
According to West Virginia State Police, Corporal Brewer received the complaint from the student, saying 43-year-old teacher...performed oral sex on the victim in a closet at the school. The victim said on another date (the male teacher) fondled him in an unoccupied room at the school. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Friends say Boone County, WV student committed suicide because of bullying 2-26-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/24833699/friends-say-suicide-victim-bullied-at-school
Now among these three young boys there's a sense of crushing grief and despair. And they say just like them, Chris was a victim of bullying. "To see my child come home and cry and so many children in this area come home and cry, it's frustrating," said Michelle Hapney, Billy's mother. "I was bullied from third grade until now," said (the student)…"Just because we're not up in your rankings and social status doesn't mean you have any right to pick on us or ridicule us in any way," said (another boy). Parents in the community told 13 News bullying has been a problem at the school for a long time. "This non-bullying, no tolerance policy, it's not working. You have to find a different way. This isn't going to work anymore," said (a mother) . Karl’s comment: Bullying has been and always be an issue. It is the nature of humans that Bible believing Christians understand and liberals do not accept. Homosexuals have caused this issue to assert their agenda. In my 34+ years, I observed the kids who were picked on were the poor, fat, or Pentecostal. This story is sad, but what adds to the sadness is the knowledge by parents that their children are victimized and they still left them in the situation.

Common Core Changing Classrooms 2-26-14
http://theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/596374/Common-Core-Changing-Classrooms.html
The way classes are taught in public schools is changing as local school districts work to implement the national Common Core Standards into the curriculum. Education throughout the nation finds itself on a new road, as Common Core is meant to standardize what all students are learning - and when they should learn it. Karl’s comment: Common Core is a deceptive way to put the Federal Government in charge of education. Common core is devious and detrimental despite the articles con job of telling tax-payers there will be higher academic standards.

Capital High School student arrested after confrontation with police 2-25-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/24820209/capital-high-school-student-arrested-after-confrontation-with-police
A 17-year-old student at Capital High School was arrested yesterday after a confrontation with police. The student was acting unruly on school property and was offered a ride to leave, according to the Charleston Police Dept.  The student refused and "chest bumped" a police officer, according to CPD. The officer then pepper sprayed the student and subdued him.  The student was arrested and charged with battery on an officer. After being arrested, police learned the student had an active warrant. Karl’s comment: I encourage parents and the public to ask to view the discipline logs of their schools.

Mingo County, WV elementary school teacher arrested on drug charges 2-16-14
http://www.wowktv.com/story/24739926/mingo-county-wv-teacher-behind-bars-on-drug-charges
A  Mingo County, WV elementary teacher has been arrested on drug charges. (The man), a teacher at Gilbert Elementary School in Mingo County, WV, was arrested Saturday, Feb. 16 by the Summers County Sheriff's Office after a routine traffic stop revealed he had drugs in his vehicle.  Deputies say they found an ounce of marijuana and they also found a firearm in (his) car after he was stopped. Huffman was charged with felony possession of marijuana. Karl’s comment: Another reason why teacher unions oppose drug testing. Search these news gages for items on >drugs< and, instead of high, you will be low.

Teachers concerned by students’ lack of science skills 2-14-14
http://www.theet.com/news/local/teachers-concerned-by-students-lack-of-science-skills/article_7a3e4199-cdfd-572c-9933-288df93ded89.html
Harrison County science educators are concerned about a national report that details students at every level of public schools are showing a lack of proficiency in the subject. The report is based on the results of the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress or NAEP testing. The assessment randomly selects and test students in fourth, eighth, and 12th grade throughout the country on the core subjects of science, math, reading and language arts…And according to the results, only 21 percent of the nation’s 12th-grade students scored at or above proficiency in science, compared to 38 percent in reading and 26 percent in math, records show. At the fourth-grade level, only about one third of the students scored at or above proficiency levels, while 30 percent of eighth grade students met that standard, records show…“There’s a lot of teachers teaching that are not certified,” said Patti Haught, a fourth-grade science teacher at Lumberport Elementary. “It’s a challenge.” Karl’s comment: Although they are performing pathetically at grade four the students are woefully worse by grade 12. Part of the problem is the teaching of the nonsense non-science of evolutionism. They would benefit from a real science lesson.

Cut the bureaucracy and save the schools 2-11-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/Opinion/Editorials/201402100101
West Virginia taxpayers, who rank No. 49 in personal income, rank No. 17 in spending per student. Karl’s comment: The article is about too much bureaucracy, but the rankings are IMPORTANT!

Exam passing rate in W.Va. ranks low 2-11-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/201402110192
West Virginia is 48th among states and Washington, D.C. for the number of high school students passing the Advanced Placement exam, according to a report released Tuesday. The College Board's 10th Advanced Placement Report found that just 9.4 percent of the state's high school seniors who took the test received a passing grade. The national average was 20.1 percent…These five scores can also be viewed as A through F letter grades. (A=5, F=1) There were 9,719 AP exams taken in West Virginia in 2013, with 6.9 percent of students scoring a 5, 12.6 scoring a 4, 22.2 percent scoring a 3, 29.7 scoring a 2 and 28.6 scoring a 1. Karl’s comment: The article claims “progress” since only 5.5% passed in 2003. Think, scoring (on a 100% basis) a 10 instead of a 5. Wow! Would you be proud of your child’s “progress”?

Putnam schools to get 'tactical first aid kits' 2-3-14
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/Education/201402030185
Every classroom, gymnasium and school cafeteria in Putnam County will soon have what officials call a "tactical first aid kit." The kits contain more than just the usual bandages and ointments. They're designed with disasters and catastrophes in mind -- including active shooter situations. "It's far too often that we're reminded of the need for that plan as we see tragic events happening in our school systems throughout the nation," CAMC Teays Valley Hospital President Randy Hodges told school board members at a regular meeting Monday night. Karl’s comment: The fact they know it is quite possible is alarming, but no amount of bandages can stop the spiritual bleeding that is on-going.

West Virginia Gets "F" On National Education Report Card 1-29-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyeoneducation/eoe140129_3.shtml
A new report says West Virginia is failing its students and teachers. Our state is one of seven in the country getting an "F" on this year's report card from policy group Students First. This new "report card" grades every state in three main areas, connecting state policy with student performance in reading and math … "Just because that report said that, doesn't mean our overall educational system's bad in West Virginia," said Dr. Ron Duerring, Kanawha Co. superintendent. Karl’s comment: I call the superintendent’s statement the “Duerring Duck”. When I first heard it I let out a BWAH HAH HAH HAAAA and BLEEAAAARGHGHGH! If a child got an “F” with an overall GPA of 0.50 ranking 48th in his class of 50, a responsible parent would not be making comments like that! For an easy to read graph of how West Virginia students test on a national proficiency exam see http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/state/West_Virginia. Also, Duerring is a supporter of blasphemy of the Lord Jesus Christ in local government schools.

Fayette teacher charged in teen’s disappearance 1-21-14
http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x1724064840/Fayette-teacher-charged-in-teen-s-disappearance
West Virginia State Police troopers on Monday arrested 30-year-old teacher…on a felony kidnapping charge in connection with the disappearance of a 13-year-old Oak Hill girl… The child was returned home Sunday afternoon after going missing for nearly 22 hours. Troopers stated that she went missing just after 6 p.m. Saturday after (he) allegedly met the youth behind her home and then drove the child off of the property in his vehicle… Many details are still unknown at this time, but Mollohan said the girl was uninjured and had not been sexually assaulted. The extent of (his) relationship with the child is still being determined. Mollohan confirmed that (he) was employed as the gym teacher at Collins Middle School at the time of the incident and had been teaching there for two years. Karl’s comment: No one can make up this stuff!!! See the comments after the 1-17 headline and let’s RESCUE THE CHILDREN!!!!!

Christian school dream of Pastor Everett Palmer 1-20-14
http://www.timeswv.com/local/x1724064344/Christian-school-dream-of-Pastor-Everett-Palmer
“The Lord had laid it upon my heart that we needed a school here,”… So he went to the members of his church, a congregation of around 30. “They were scared, but we went for it,”… And last year, the Worthington Christian School was founded. They operate out of the basement of the church. The first year, they had nine students. This year, the school has grown to 16 students. The Palmers’ three children are among the students there. Only two of the students are members of the congregation…“We’re all volunteers here. This is not a business,” Palmer said. “The little tuition we charge, we try to keep the lights on.”… At its current location in the church basement, the teachers and students have to pack up the school and move all of the desks twice a week to make room for church activities. Karl’s comment: Pastor Palmer got ‘er done. Oh, if only there were more preachers like him!!!

Student Is Found With Gun at Weir High School 1-18-14
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/594723/Student-Is-Found-With-Gun-at-Weir-High-School.html?nav=510
A 15-year-old female student carried a hand gun to Weir High School on Wednesday, according to Hancock County School District officials. The gun was not loaded, according to Superintendent Suzan Smith… "The situation was that she didn't realize at the time she left home that she had it with her." Smith said. "She did not intend to bring it to school." Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick…

Former Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sexual Assaults That Occurred More Than 30 Years Ago 1-17-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140117_22516.shtml
An elderly man had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three students while he was a teacher at MicKinley Junior High more than 30 years ago. Kanawha County prosecutors said (he), 74, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree sexual assault and one count of crimes against nature. (He) admitted to sexually assaulting three male students when he was a teacher at McKinnley Junior High in St. Albans in the 1970s and 1980s. The former students came forward almost two years ago. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline! This particular incident occurred shortly after the Textbook War.

Water Crisis Dominates Discussion At Kanawha Health Board Meeting 1-17-14
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140117_22496.shtml?wap=0
The ( Kanawha-Charleston Health ) department discussed the challenges the school system is facing. The health department said they are keeping schools in Kanawha County closed just as a precaution, and because at any given time, there's about 100 pregnant students in school, and pregnant women are being advised not to drink the water. Karl’s comment: The Courageous Corps of 74 sounded the warning that the school system was under attack by evil forces. The teen pregnancies situation is a sad indication that society should have listened. The crisis is much more than bad drinking water!

Board votes to extend teacher suspension 1-15-14
http://newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/582245/Board-votes-to-extend-teacher-suspension.html
The Wood County Board of Education has extended the suspension of a Williamstown High School teacher who was accused of filing a false police report… The police charges and suspension stemmed from an incident Oct. 22 when Connelly allegedly contacted Williamstown High's prevention resource officer, saying a 17-year-old male student had made threats of bringing a gun to school and shooting others. Karl’s comment: When the Ten Commandments are banned (that includes #9), why shouldn’t she lie?

Police Respond To Incident At Grafton High School 1-15-14
http://www.wboy.com/story/24462782/update-grafton-police-respond-to-incident-at-high-school
Police determined there was no gun on school property, but one was found in a nearby location. During the investigation, a small knife was found on another student. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick…

States With the Best (and Worst) Schools 1-14-14
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/01/14/states-with-the-best-and-worst-schools-2/
There is a surprising lack of correlation between the state’s K-12 achievement and the presence of policies Education Week identified as important. Five of the 10 states with the best achievement scores are among the worst in the country for setting standards and using assessment techniques that are most likely to be effective, according to Education Week. Meanwhile, Louisiana and West Virginia are the second- and third-best states for standards, but they are both among the five worst states in student achievement. Karl’s comment: They pass the school tests and get the grades, but it is a sham.

Parents in Kanawha County, WV concerned about cold classrooms 1-8-14 http://www.wowktv.com/story/24396334/parents-in-kanawha-county-wv-concerned-about-cold-classrooms
…Parents of students attending some Kanawha County Schools were upset Wednesday when their children started complaining about unusually cold conditions inside the school buildings. Karl’s comment: The area did have record low temperatures (Algore Heating made a bundle of money), but the saddest part of the situation is the millions of dollars to be doled out to poor performing teachers. See the next three headlines.

Tomblin budget austere, but includes teachers’ raise 1-8-14
http://wvmetronews.com/2014/01/08/tomblin-delivers-state-of-the-state/
…“This is a year of tough financial choices for our state,” Tomblin said. “Our budget is strained.” But the governor, claiming that raising teacher salaries is a priority, included in his budget a modest 2-percent raise for school teachers and service workers…It’s the first across-the-board raise for teachers in three years, although they receive small annual increases based on their years of service. “We must invest in our future—sow the seeds for tomorrow—and invest in our children and those called to public service,” Tomblin told a joint session of the House of Delegates and the Senate…Tomblin carried a gardening theme throughout his speech…He called on the state Board of Education to implement an A-through-F grading system for schools. “This rating system will provide a better indicator of school wide achievement,” Tomblin said. Karl’s comment: See (#) in the next headline.

Teacher groups respond to pay raise proposal 1-8-14
http://wvmetronews.com/2014/01/08/teacher-groups-respond-to-pay-raise-proposal/
(1) …West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee doesn’t want the discussion to stop at 2 percent. “We have to come up with a long-term solution,” said Lee, who contends the state can attract qualified teachers with a multi-year pay raise proposal. “That will ensure that teachers want to come into the profession in West Virginia and stay in West Virginia, and it all revolves around the salaries.” West Virginia American Federation of Teachers President Christine Campbell said it was good to hear the governor recognize the need. Education officials like pay raises, wary of other proposals 1-8-14 ( http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401080257) …Teachers union and education officials in West Virginia are pleased that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, is pushing for teacher pay raises -- but they say a one-time raise is insufficient, and they're wary of other proposals Tomblin made in Wednesday's State of the State address…In a speech ripe with gardening metaphors, Tomblin called the state's teachers "the backbone of everything that makes our gardens grow, more than any ray of sun or drop of rain."…Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said that this year's pay raise should be "a stepping stone to look at a multi-year program to make salaries competitive in West Virginia. "It's just a first step," Lee said. "We can't give salary increases one year and then not give anything for the next two or three years." Average teacher salaries in West Virginia are 48th in the country, according to the WVEA…"I hope that people understand the true sense of this is to invest in our teachers and our workers with children," (State Superintendent James) Phares said.

(2) …Tomblin also emphasized the importance of science, technology, engineering and math education - also known as STEM classes…

(3) …Tomblin also proposed grading schools, not just students, on an A through F grading system, with one letter grade for each school, a system that is used in 16 other states. School officials from Florida told Tomblin and the state Board of Education about their move to an A through F model at a conference last fall. Tomblin said the system would be a better indicator of school achievement and "a rating system we all understand."…Lee said that the A-through-F model concerned him.

Karl’s comments:

(1) In 2013 the average teacher salary was $45,000 (http://www.your4state.com/story/west-virginia-teachers-campaign-for-salary-increase/d/story/QUGXaXkU0UOlBz3A4eQqJQ) so the average raise will be $900. See the 1-5 headline comments.

(2) See the comments about test scores at the top of the main page and the governor’s 2013 speech.Regarding REAL science, if educators keep wasting time with teaching the lie of evolutionism they have two strikes when they step to the plate.

(3) If they don’t cheat, which they will, the report card will be one that would ground a student. Check back here in three years and call me "Priest the Prophet".

Charleston Pastor Faces Prison Time in Sexual Abuse Case 1-6-14
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Charleston-Pastor-Faces-Prison-Time-in-Sexual-Abuse-Case-238884371.html
(He)was arrested in April of last year after confessing to abusing a young girl…(He) was the pastor of the United Methodist Gospel Church on Charleston's west side. (He) also worked in the transportation department for Kanawha County Schools. Karl’s comment: Sex crimes are rampart and traceable to the decay of society which is closely connected to humanism taking over “public” schools. Parents in Kanawha County warned of this in 1974. This is simply a reaping what is sown issue. This sin is inexcusable, but the fact is that it is rare that a pastor molests a child. That is not so with teachers. You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008 headline! Also, teachers do not get scandalized for their adultery and other sex escapades with adults.

W.Va. teachers unions push for raises to make salaries competitive with other states 1-5-14
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/wvnews/201401051831_0e53d34.shtml
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee tells media outlets that the state ranks 48th in the nation for teacher salaries… The president of the American Federation of Teachers West Virginia branch, Christine Campbell, says young teachers are leaving the state because of the lack of competitive pay . Karl’s comment: This con-job has been consistent since I began teaching in 1972. I guarantee you that West Virginia has no shortage of young teachers looking for jobs. The teacher colleges keep churning them out. As cited in the opening comments at the top of te WV News main page, test scores show that taxpayers are not getting what they pay for.

Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.  A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.
(http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes_by/patrick+henry)

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