EXODUS MANDATE-WV

2015 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 2015 State of the State address:  “Through the years, I’m proud of the great progress we have made, together. We have improved our business climate, launched meaningful reforms to our education system…God bless you, God bless your families and God bless the state we call home.” Karl’s comment: He started out with a stretch of reality (in bold) and ended up invoking a god that allows him to support baby killing. See the 1-14-15 “Tomblin proposes education initiatives” entry below for additional insights. Again, 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 chool 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.)

CHARTER SCHOOLS Karl’s comments: I grouped news items about Charter Schools at the bottom. The conservative Republicans are well intended but they are not well informed because Charter Schools are deceptive. Notice the slimy strategy of Democrats and unions and how the homosexuals are directing those enemies of education.

Big Changes Coming To West Virginia Classrooms Next School Year 12-17-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Big-Changes-Coming-To-West-Virginia-Classrooms-Next-School-Year-243221.shtml#.VnNtQY-cFgU
Thursday morning, the West Virginia State Board of Education voted to repeal Common Core standards. Karl’s comment: See the next item.

WV counted nearly 600 positions without fully certified teachers 12-17-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20151217/wv-counted-nearly-600-positions-without-fully-certified-teachers
West Virginia schools reported nearly 600 positions…Education officials have been discussing a lack of fully certified teachers since at least the beginning of the school year…According to data from state Department of Education spokeswoman Kristin Anderson, the number was only 249 five school years ago. It rose to 287.5 in 2013-14, then jumped to 425.5 last school year and jumped again this school year… Karl’s comment: Credentials are not that big of a deal. With modern technology almost any parent can homeschool all the way through advanced math. The “credentialed” teachers come with a heavy indoctrination in liberalism which will infect the students. No matter how academically qualified the teacher may be, it is not worth it for parents to sacrifice their children to them.

The report came on the same day the state school board approved changes to its Common Core-based math and English language arts standards, and questions remain about how the Legislature, whose leaders are critical of Common Core, may move ahead anyway with more modifications. (State Superintendent) Martirano has been saying the recent review of those standards was the most important education issue in the state, and said Thursday the changed standards the board adopted after that review are no longer Common Core-based. He said it was now time to move on from standards to problems like teacher vacancies. “If we don’t have quality teachers in our classroom every day, it doesn’t matter what kind of standards you have in place,” Martirano said. Karl’s comment: He is either dumb or devious. I pick the latter. See the 11-16 item below.

Raleigh County Teacher's Aide Accused Of Smacking Child In Face 12-11-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Raleigh-County-Teacher-39-s-Aide-Accused-Of-Smacking-Child-In-Face-241236.shtml#.Vmt5tTbSkv0
Raleigh County deputies said a teacher’s aide was arrested after a teacher videotaped an incident in which the aide allegedly smacked a child in the face…After an investigation, deputies found a teacher had videotaped the incident and (she)was arrested, the release said. Karl’s comment: Sad!

Capito Commends Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act 12-10-15
http://politicalnews.me/?id=36508
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) voted for a bipartisan education reform bill that overhauls the No Child Left Behind Act and ends the Common Core mandate. The Every Student Succeeds Act – a combination of the Senate-passed Every Child Achieves Act and the House-passed Student Success Act – passed the Senate on an overwhelming 85-12 vote. “Today’s passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act is a significant step forward for an education system that is outdated and out of step with the needs of our students. This legislation ends the Common Core mandate and eliminates Washington’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to education. It puts decisions about education back in the hands of those who know best: states, parents and teachers,” said Senator Capito. “Our students deserve the highest academic standards, the best available teaching and the resources needed to excel in school. The Every Student Succeeds Act will help achieve those goals.” Karl’s comment: Every president since Carter had a grand scheme that was supposed to “fix” the Public Schools. This is just another con job except now it is supported by both major political parties which are two wings of the same bird flying the wrong way.

School uses yoga balls to boost student health, engagement 12-5-15
http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/580171/Yoga-balls-used-as-seats-for-young-students.html?nav=5002
Classrooms at Madison Elementary School are using yoga balls as seating to promote focus and health among students. The project began Monday and is funded through a $1,000 Action For Healthy Kids grant…"I like it," said 8-year-old Berkeley Radabaugh, also in third-grade. "Sometimes I forget (I'm sitting on a yoga ball) when I'm working."…Porter said the purpose isn't to distract, but to give students something to think about to keep their minds and bodies active. "It is to help refocus their attention so they are less distracted by other things in the classroom," she said. "You have to actively think about how you're sitting and what you're doing."…The students were asked to fill out self-assessments concerning their classroom learning. The assessment included questions about paying attention, listening, how often they are distracted and other areas officials believe can be improved by use of the yoga balls…Porter said the school plans to do some sort of end-of-year program featuring the balls for parents to see how they have affected student learning and improved student fitness during the year. Karl’s comment: Bottom line, is this is stealth religion. See the January 10, 2013 article and search for “yoga” on this site. That said, think carefully what the 8-year-old child said and how 8-year-olds think.

State DOE data: 2014-15 high school graduation rates rise 2 percent 12-2-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/12/02/state-doe-data-2014-15-high-school-graduation-rates-rise-2-percent/
West Virginia saw a 2 percent increase from 84.5 percent in 2013-14 to 86.5 percent in 2014-15 in four-year graduation rates. Karl’s comment: A glaring example of headline hoodwinks is one from September 2003: “Schools across West Virginia deserve a hardy pat on the back! West Virginia’s overall graduation rate was the fifth highest in the nation at 84%.” (http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/664/) In 2010 the rate was 74.7 percent (http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/2794/). According to the latest information I could locate on line, 74% is a high D letter grade and 84% is a high C. No matter, the question is, “ WHAT IS THE ACADEMIC QUALITY OF THE GRADUATES ? ” Data (search these pages for “test”) indicates that is not good.

(Teacher) found guilty on five counts 11-21-15
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/591998/Johnson-found-guilty-on-five-counts.html?nav=5014
After almost four hours of deliberation, a jury returned a guilty verdict on five of 16 felony charges Friday against a former Elkins High School teacher/librarian accused of soliciting an underage EHS student. (He), or Elkins, was found guilty of two felony counts of soliciting a minor via computer, one felony count of distribution and display to a minor of obscene material, one felony count of use of obscene matter with intent to seduce a minor and one felony count of possession of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct… Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker said the case was one in which a teacher took advantage of a teenage girl. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I told you in my opening statement this was a case about obsession. I think evidence that you have heard this past week, without question, proves that beyond any reasonable doubt," Parker said. "... This is a tragic story of the defendant using his employment as a teacher at Elkins High School to take advantage of the perfect victim. A teenage girl, who by her own testimony, didn't have a lot of friends and was going through one of the lowest points of her life." Parker also read select e-mails from the more than 100 e-mails (he) had sent to psychic Jackie Tomlin, most of which referenced an individual with the same first name as the victim… "Additionally, and one of the most important key aspects of this case, (investigating officer) Cpl. (J.R.) Wince located Jackie Tomlin, the psychic that the defendant sought advice from in his relationship with (the victim). The same psychic that the defendant has previously contended was a character he had made up…," Parker said. Karl’s comment: After I finished speaking at a church near there in 2007, a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area.  Since then, there have been at least three other incidents before this one. 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 school board strengthens LGBT employment protections 11-20-15
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=151&sid=37438554&title=kanawha-school-board-strengthens-lgbt-employment-protections&s_cid=queue-17
The Kanawha County school board has approved policy changes meant to protect prospective and current lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from discrimination… The change adds a definition of sexual orientation: "actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender identity or expression of an individual, with or without regard to the individual's assigned sex at birth." Karl’s comment: This is one of a series of steps that will allow a bearded man in a dress to teach kindergarten.

Board of Education upset by missing books issue 11-20-15
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/591935/Board-of-Education-upset-by-missing-books-issue.html
Randolph County students have been in their classrooms for 70 days so far this school year - and 70 days is how long some elementary school teachers have been working without aids such as teacher's edition books, flash cards and CDs. Karl’s comment: Examples like this leave government school officials no room to criticize home and Christian schools.

13 NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Stop Bullying 11-19-15
13-year-old Jazmyne Barker said she's been consistently bullied at Duval Middle School in Lincoln County, WV this year. "You're ugly, why don't you just connect the dots? You're a poodle. I don't see how anyone could like you," said Jazymne.  Barker said those are just a few examples of the hurtful things she's been called by other students, but the last straw for her family was when she came home saying that she wanted to kill herself after a student stabbed her in the arm with a pencil.  Brown's stepdad said that the principal at the school seemed to ignore the situation… Instead of sending Jazmyne back to Duval, her parents made the call to send her to Highland Hospital where she could receive some psychiatric help… Lincoln County School officials said, because of the serious dangers posed by bullying, they've made strides in the last few years to battle bullying problems.  "We've actually put bullying boxes in every school in locations where students can anonymously put the name in there of who is bullying them and what it going on," said Asst. Superintendent Linville… Brown's family has decided to look into home schooling to keep her out of the Lincoln County School system, especially since they believe students aren't being properly protected. Karl’s comment: Take note that the girl’s situation is common. May God grant the parents the will to make homeschooling a reality and not just a thought. Fake friend of Christians Pete Thaw did not have the guts to vote against it. See the notes about Pete Thaw in "Panda " and "The Evolution Resolution".

WV's proposed new standards contain much language identical to Common Core 11-16-15
http://myinforms.com/en/a/19260660-wvs-proposed-new-standards-contain-much-language-identical-to-common-core/
West Virginia’s proposed new K-12 math and English language arts standards, which the state schools superintendent says aren’t based on Common Core, contain much of the exact same language as the controversial national standards blueprint. State Superintendent Michael Martirano told the state Board of Education and media Friday, when the board put the new standards out on 30-day public comment period, that the new educational requirements aren’t Common Core-based — unlike the current state standards that lawmakers have previously attempted to repeal… “And it’s insulting that you would insinuate that, because the bottom line is that — there again, you have to understand curriculum and instruction at the basic level,” he said… Karl’s comment: The above and the following news items confirm beyond all doubt the distain for the public held by professional educators. Also, indisputable is the FACT that what I have said for a long time is true: Common Core, at best, will only be renamed.  For the sake of discussion, if it could be removed, our children should not be in "public" schools.  I am a retired teacher and unequivocally proclaim that there is no hope for America as long as Christians and conservatives allow our children to be indoctrinated in the pagan schools.  (from 11-14 http://www.hurherald.com/cgi-bin/db_scripts/articles?Action=user_view&id=61954) The West Virginia Board of Education Friday moved forward with a repeal of the state’s current Common Core-based K-12 math and English language arts standards, in order to replace them with a version the state schools superintendent says isn’t based off the national standards blueprint. (From 11-13 http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Repeal-of-Common-Core-Based-West-Virginia-Education-Standards-Imminent-347999781.html) At Friday's West Virginia Board of Education meeting, the Department of Education recommended a repeal of the current Common-Core-Based "Next Generation" system. Education officials say they would replace it with a new curriculum called "West Virginia College and Career Readiness."

Huntington High School Evacuated Following Bomb Threat Written On Bathroom Wall 11-16-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Huntington-High-School-Evacuated-Following-Bomb-Threat-Written-On-Bathroom-Wall-232474.shtml#.VkqQoDZdFlY
Huntington High School was evacuated Monday afternoon following a bomb threat that was written on a bathroom wall. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Kanawha County School Board Member Pushes for Teach for America 11-13-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Kanawha-County-School-Board-Member-Lobbies-for-Teach-for-America-347363141.html
Governor Tomblin signed a bill earlier this year to allow alternative education programs in West Virginia…West Virginia currently has 750 vacancies for school teachers. Karl’s comment: Even the college trained “professionals” are producing pathetic results. See test results below

Student Taken into Custody after Alleged Threat Against School 11-5-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Student-Placed-in-Detention-after-Threat-Against-School-in-Mason-County-WVa-340508212.html
A student was taken into custody after an alleged threat was made at a school in Mason County. According to a press release from the Mason County Prosecutor's Office, an alleged threat was made at Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School on Wednesday. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Police Say Bluefield High Student Brought Gun To School 11-5-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Police-Say-Bluefield-High-Student-Brought-Gun-To-School-228074.shtml#.VjwgIXLlscA
State Police said a Bluefield High School student brought an unloaded handgun to the school. West Virginia State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous said school personnel found the gun on Wednesday following an altercation between the female student and another student. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Kanawha County Schools sees improvement in test scores, graduation rates 11-2-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/11/02/kanawha-county-schools-sees-improvement-in-test-scores-graduation-rates/
The Kanawha County Board of Education got an update on 2014-2015 test scores at its meeting Monday evening and received some encouraging results. In the first year of the Smarter Balanced Assessment and the second year of online testing, math proficiency was above or at the state average in every grade except for eighth. In English and language arts, grades three to five and grade 11 beat the state average, while grades six through ten were below average. Only grades four, six and ten took the science proficiency test, with only grade ten coming in above state average… The four-year graduation rates from 2014 to 2015 increased 5 percent from about 75 percent to 80 percent, which pleased the members of the school board. ACT scores among the nearly 1100 students that took the test were also the best they’ve been in years. Karl’s comment: 1. The SBA is meaningless without comparison to a national norm. 2 Being “above or at average” is nothing to brag about if “average” is lousy. 3. Improving graduation rates from lousy to a little less lousy is not success. 4. Graduates with dumb-downed degrees are no better than drop-outs in the real world. 5. See the next entry.

WV sees nation’s only increase in 8th-grade NAEP reading scores 10-28-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151028/GZ01/151029537/1300
West Virginia was the only state in the nation to see its eighth-grade average reading score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress increase significantly over 2013, but it was among 22 states to see their eighth-grade math scores significantly fall from two years ago, according to 2015 data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Education WV leads nation in 8th grade reading test scores 10-28-15
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/WV-leads-nation-in-8th-grade-reading-test-scores-338092042.html West Virginia is leading the nation when it comes to standardized tests. Wednesday our nation's report card was released and it reports, West Virginia as the only state to see significant improvements in 8th grade reading scores… "I think it's wonderful for the state of West Virginia that our students were the only ones in the entire nation in eighth grade scores that did increase in the NAEP results. I think it shows that we are offering them a rigorous curriculum and with families, students and teachers working together, we're seeing great results in that," says Christie Willis, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Wood County Schools.
Karl’s comment: (Posted 8-29. Updated 11-6.) BWAHAHA! CON JOB!!! Here is the sad truth. The score (260) was not much better than the last (2013) test (257) and “This was lower than the average score of 264 for public school students in the nation.” That is a quote from the Report Card. The same report reveals that the 2015 score was not significantly different than the 1998 score (262). Also, “The percentage of students in West Virginia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 27 percent in 2015. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2013 (25 percent) and in 1998 (28 percent).”

Fourth graders had no significant improvement from 1998 and, according to the Report Card, “In 2015, the average score of fourth-grade students in West Virginia was 216. This was lower than the average score of 221 for public school students in the nation.”

The Report Card revealed that 12th graders also are below average for their previous test: “ In 2013, the average score of twelfth-grade students in West Virginia was 280. This was lower than the average score of 287 for public school students in the nation.” Only 28 percent were “at or above" the proficient level!

How as the math performance for West Virginia “public” school students? The data deals a death blow. “In 2015, the average (math) score of fourth-grade students in West Virginia was 235. This was lower than the average score of 240 for public school students in the nation.” “In 2015, the average (math) score of eighth-grade students in West Virginia was 271. This was lower than the average score of 281 for public school students in the nation.”

Twelfth graders last were tested two years ago. “In 2013, the average (math) score of twelfth-grade students in West Virginia was 145. This was lower than the average score of 152 for public school students in the nation.”

For science we most go back to 2011 to be reminded that, despite the stress on evolutionism, “The percentage of students in West Virginia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 24 percent in 2011.” That is less than 1 out of 4 students! Going further back for 4th graders “The percentage of students in West Virginia who performed at or above the NAEP (science) Proficient level was 28 percent in 2009. This percentage was smaller than the nation (32 percent).”

For writing, the results are consistently substandard. “In 2007, the average scale score for eighth-grade students in West Virginia was 146. This was not significantly different from their average score in 2002 (144) and was not significantly different from their average score in 1998 (144). West Virginia's average score (146) in 2007 was lower than that of the nation's public schools (154).”

The main reason “public” schools can continue this con is that it is dealing with the products of its failed “education” system. Commenting on the pathetic national performance the liberal Washington Post reported that the “NAEP is often called the nation’s report card because it is the only measure of student achievement given periodically to a sampling of students around the nation... School reformers who have touted NAEP score increases in the past as evidence of their success are now trying to spin the newest results as anything but their the failure of their reforms… It is difficult to see any real growth across the board since 2011… NAEP is a truth teller. There is no NAEP test prep industry, or high-stakes consequence that promotes teaching to the test.  NAEP is what it was intended to be—a national report card by which we can gauge our national progress in educating our youth… Although NAEP and the SAT were not designed to align to the Common Core, they measure what the Common Core Standards were supposed to improve—the literacy and numeracy of our nation’s students. Considering the billions of dollars spent on these reforms, one would expect at least some payoff by now.”

I could not have said it better myself!

The bottom line: In 4th grade math only 5 states scored lower. For 8th graders, only 3 states were lower. For reading 4th it was 7 states lower and 8 states lower for 8th reading.

There is no doubt that students have learned plenty about homosexual sex, gender identity, transgenderism and other ways to tear down any remnants of Christian culture in America.

(The scores are Scale Scores based upon 0-500. Students classified as “Proficient” have “demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.” The level below is “Basic” denoting “partial mastery.” The level above is “Advanced” signifying “superior performance.”

What school resource officers are there for 10-28-15
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/What-school-resource-officers-are-there-for-338106642.html
When-and how.-should police respond to a school incident?... Because the deputy was white and the student was black, the incident triggered a federal civil rights investigation… "If a school employee say we have a student causing problems we can't handle, our resource officer, if necessary, would remove them," says Wiliamstown Police Chief Shawn Graham. "That's not our purpose to be there, but if it's necessary, he may be called upon to do that at some point." Karl’s comment: They are armed law officers!

Questions Raised On School Security In Kanawha County 10-28-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Questions-Raised-On-School-Security-In-Kanawha-County-225016.shtml#.VjFUh3LlvVI
While D’Laontie Lewis sits in jail after the ordeal at a Kanawha County school and a day care Tuesday, parents and school officials don’t want something like this to happen again. Pete Thaw, with the Kanawha County School Board, said the safety protocol was not followed at Dunbar Middle School. There are concerns about why Lewis was able to get into Dunbar Middle School. Kanawha County schools’ safety policy says all doors must be locked and visitors have to be buzzed in. A security director said he was actually buzzed into the building. Thaw said the whole situation is cause for concern. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Student Suspended After Reported Threat At Mingo Central High School 10-27-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Student-Suspended-After-Reported-Threat-At-Mingo-Central-High-School-224419.shtml#.VjAM4HLlvVI
Mingo County’s sheriff said a student has been suspended after reports surfaced that he had brought a gun to Mingo County Central High School. Sheriff James Smith said Tuesday that the school had been placed on lockdown on Tuesday morning as a precaution after the alleged threat. Deputies responded to the school, the building was searched and no weapon was found, the sheriff said. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Ravenswood Band Director Arrested on Sex Charges 10-27-15
http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Ravenswood-Band-Director-Arrested-on-Sex-Charges-337521001.html
A band director at Ravenswood High School has been arrested on sexual abuse charges. Jackson County Sheriff Tony Boggs tells WSAZ, (the man), 28, was arrested on four counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or person of trust. (He) is also charged with four counts of solicitation of a minor using an electronic device. (He) is being held in the South Central Regional Jail. No bond has been set. Karl’s comment: If only this was unbelievable, but it is not! See the next headline and comment.

Former Capital High Teacher Pleads Guilty To Contributing To Delinquency Of Minor 10-26-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Former-Capital-High-Teacher-Pleads-Guilty-To-Contributing-To-Delinquency-Of-Minor-223957.shtml#.Vi6kTnLlscA
(She) pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She originally had been charged with first-degree sexual abuse. She could receive up to a year in jail when she is sentenced in December. Charleston police said that (her) relationship with a 16-year-old male student crossed the line. The student told police that he and the teacher started hanging out together in January, going to movies and restaurants, even smoking marijuana together. The male student told police that (she) provided the marijuana. After about five months, the student told police, their relationship turned sexual. The criminal complaint said the two took trips together and rode to school together. In one instance, police said, she rented a motel room for them and (she) asked for sex and undressed the 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!!!

Two Juveniles Charged with Making Bomb Threat at Logan Co. Schools 10-22-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Two-Juveniles-Charged-with-Making-Bomb-Threat-at-Logan-Co-Schools-336048011.html
Two juveniles are facing charges after a threat was found at a school in Logan County, West Virginia Thursday. Investigators tell WSAZ the school resource officer at Logan High School found a note taped to a locker with a threat saying the school was going to be blown up. The elementary school, middle school and high school were all locked down. Karl’s comment: See the 10-5 comments below.

West Virginia school beating taped, leads to arrest 10-22-15
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/953236/West-Virginia-school-beating-taped--leads-to-arrest.html?isap=1&nav=5045
A male Martinsburg High School student's beating of a female student was videotaped and posted on social media, leading to the arrest of the student. The Journal (http://bit.ly/1PIxRYQ ) reports that the violence occurred in a classroom Monday. A 20-second video of the incident was posted Tuesday on YouTube, but since has been taken down. In the video, a male student is seen repeatedly punching a female student. Voices can be heard screaming "stop," but no one intervenes. Karl’s comment: Some penitentiaries ae safer.

Four bomb threats at schools reported on Tuesday 10-20-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151020/GZ01/151029968/1101
Four bomb threats were reported at schools in the region on Tuesday. Charleston Police responded to bomb threats at Piedmont and Ruffner elementary schools. Karl’s comment: See the 10-5 comments below.

Brooke County schools seek state BOE approval for school nurses to administer Narcan 10-19-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/10/19/brooke-county-schools-seek-state-boe-approval-for-school-nurses-to-administer-narcan/
Brooke County school nurses could be the first in the state to administer the drug naloxone to help reverse the effects of heroin and other opiod overdoses. An agreement was made this week by the Brooke County Board of Education to seek a waiver from the state Board of Education that would allow school nurses at middle and high schools to stock and provide the drug, better known for its brand name, Narcan. The proposal was requested by Carol Cipoletti, a 22-year school nurse at Brooke High School. “We’ve almost lost a couple kids over the years,” said Cipoletti, citing the high number of overdose deaths in West Virginia, specifically in the Northern Panhandle. Karl’s comment: Academics are low but students are high.

Logan County Teacher Arrested On Sex-Related Charges 10-16-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Logan-Co-Teacher-Arrested-On-Sex-Related-Charges-333403041.html
A teacher in Logan County was arrested Friday afternoon by West Virginia State Police. State Police say (he) is facing three charges, including sexual abuse by a guardian/custodian along with enticement of a minor using obscene material. 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!!!

Troopers Remove Logan County Student for "Hit List" Text Threat 10-16-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Troopers-Remove-Logan-County-Student-for-Hit-List-Text-Threat-Recent-Threats-Mount-333147341.html
… For the second time in as many weeks, law enforcement was sent to investigate a school threat in Chapmanville. This time at Chapmanville High School. West Virginia State Police say a juvenile student from Chapmanville was taken into custody. Karl’s comment: See similar incidents below.

Threat made at Man Middle School in Logan County, WV; school searched 10-14-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/30261578/threat-made-at-man-middle-school-in-logan-county-wv-school-searched
Logan County Sheriff Deputies and K9 units were called to Man Middle School on Wednesday, October 14, 2015. According to deputies, a note was found inside a student's book indicating a threat. The school was cleared and K9 units plus deputies searched the entire facility to ensure it was safe for students to reenter the building… A juvenile was arrested for making the threat, according to deputies with the Logan County Sheriff's Department. Karl’s comment: In an update the boy claimed it was to get out of class. Just another day in government school.

Parents of Threatened Children Raise Concerns about School Emergency Protocol 10-12-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Extra-Law-Enforcement-at-Chapmanville-Middle-School-after-Threat-Found-332087872.html
As various Logan County law enforcement officers sat in on the school day at a threatened school Monday, several parents visited to voice their concerns about how they were made aware of the threat last week. Chapmanville Middle School Principal Robert Dail says only half of the school's students attended class after a threat found in a schoolbook Friday included an ominous message about Monday… (A parent said,) "It is my God given right to protect her."… (Another mother said) her stepdaughter is perfectly safe at Chapmanville Middle School. "Today, I think, everything is fine with all the extra police being here.".. Chapmanville Police say they will hold an ALICE active shooter training session for Chapmanville teachers in November. Karl’s comment: The two mothers are sadly foolish.

Student Arrested for School Threat Had "Disturbing" Notebook 10-9-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Sheriff-Harts-Middle-School-Student-Arrested-for-School-Threat--331267302.html
An 8th grade student at Harts Middle School has been arrested for an alleged threat. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office says the girl is charged with making terroristic threats. Dozens of police officers rushed to Harts Pre K-8 after school officials tipped them off about a possible weapon at the school … Deputies did not find a weapon in the girl's backpack, but say there were references in a notebook about Charles Manson and Columbine, including a picture of one of the gunmen. Deputies say she also had written messages that referenced some of her classmates in the notebook. "It's very disturbing," said Chief Deputy J.J. Napier with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department. "The threat in those messages was a very, very serious threat." .. "It's very tragic that she felt like there was no other recourse that she had at this time -- that she had been bullied so long by one certain kid," said Napier. "She told me in confidence that this bully has been bullying her since the 5th grade and she felt like no one was helping her." Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Teen charged with dealing drugs in parking lot of St. Albans High School 10-8-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/30221371/teen-charged-with-dealing-drugs-in-parking-lot-of-st-albans-high-school
…According to a news release from the department, the School Resource Officers at St. Albans High School have received numerous complaints from at least ten high school students, saying Mitchell had been dealing marijuana on and around the school's parking lot east of the school.  Using the school’s video surveillance system, officers were able to watch two drug recent transactions between Mitchell and students. Karl’s comment: Drug use by government school students is common. Also, many students are drugged for so-called ADHD which I call “Absent Dad in the Home Deisorder”.

Five students charged after alleged bomb hoaxes 10-5-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151005/GZ01/151009729/1101
West Virginia State Police obtained juvenile petitions against five students after two bomb hoaxes at public schools last week, according to a news release. Students left messages at Pocahontas County High School and Tug Valley High School, saying that bombs would detonate, according to State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous. He said the students will be charged with making terroristic threats. The charge, a felony, is punishable by a fine of not less than $5,000 and up to $25,000 and confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than three years. Baylous wrote in the release that troopers would “vigorously pursue justice” in response to bomb threats, “National and international events in recent years show the necessity for taking all threats seriously,” he said. he news release also indicated that police are trying to send a message to those considering making bomb threats. “Anyone considering making a bomb threat should realize that the consequences most likely will be severe and have a lasting impact on their life,” Baylous wrote. Karl’s comment: No Textbook Protesters to blame now. Also see the 9-23 and 9-14 etries below.

Kanawha County deals with substitute teacher shortage 10-5-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/30192925/kanawha-county-deals-with-substitute-teacher-shortage
The Board of Education has taken action to deal with the sudden shortage of substitute teachers…. The board said in Monday's meeting it will be more creative in recruiting substitutes by working with programs such as Teach for America, and recruiting local college students to do their student-teaching here in Kanawha County. Karl’s comment: Parents and technology can do just as good and, often, better.

Kanawha schools push forward with iPad rollout 10-5-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151005/GZ01/151009702/1300
Matthew Cox, who teaches Advanced Placement European History and both general and honors tenth grade U.S. history at Capital High, said he realizes how much power his students — who all now have tablet computers through Kanawha County Schools’ roughly $14 million Learning 20/20 initiative — now have at their fingertips, but said what they choose to do with it makes the difference… How students and teachers actually utilize the more than 14,000 iPads that Kanawha schools technology director Leah Sparks said were distributed to every middle and high school student in the county last school year will be essential to the county avoiding expensive and high-profile mistakes seen in other school districts that have implemented one-to-one computing, where every student is given a device like a laptop or tablet computer… Education Week has reported on problems with one-to-one computing initiatives in large school systems in other states… A report released last month by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international group of 34 partner countries, also raised questions about the effectiveness of technology implementation in schools in general. “Where computers are used in the classroom, their impact on student performance is mixed at best,” states the report… Scott McLeod, a former University of Kentucky associate professor of education leadership who co-wrote the overview, said technology is just an amplifier of whatever type of teaching is occurring in schools — good or bad… If you put a computer in the hands of kids, and then you continue to give them the same boring, disengaging school work they’ve had for time immemorial,” McLeod said. “... they will use it to get away from the boring, disengaging school work.” Karl’s comment: 1. They WILL make the mentioned mistakes. 2. It wasn’t me who called the “time immemorial” boring classrooms. 3. The REAL danger is data mining of the students.

School Officials Say They Must Take All Online Threats Seriously 10-1-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Police-Investigating-After-Threat-at-Stonewall-Jackson-Middle-School-330300311.html
Parents picking their children up from Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Charleston Thursday afternoon did so under a cloud of concern. "I'm always worried when I get the call, because we've had several calls," said Jessica Townson, a mother of four. Just an hour earlier, Townson and other parents received an automated message about a threat at the school. According to county officials, a post was made on social media. "I almost just want to take my kids and do home school because it's a worry," said Townson. "It's a constant worry." It's a worry Kanawha County's Director of Security Keith Vititoe deals with daily, because he says it's becoming the norm…Stonewall Jackson will have a police presence Friday morning when kids return for school. Karl’s comment: I nearly sobbed when I read, "I almost just want to take my kids and do home school.” What will he do if his children are physically hurt? Why can’t he see that they will DEFINITELY be spiritually hurt?

Kanawha students receiving controversial new training to counter school shootings 9-27-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150927/GZ01/150929522/1300
As part of a new training program, Kanawha County schools officials are now telling students and teachers they shouldn’t automatically hunker down in classrooms if there’s someone with a gun in their school. Perhaps most controversial is the program’s guidance that students can physically confront a shooter as a last resort… If all else fails and the shooter still enters the room, teachers — along with students in middle and high schools — are being taught to “counter” the attacker through actions like yelling, moving around and throwing books and other objects at the intruder to distract him or her from shooting accurately. They are also being told they can “swarm” the attacker as a group to bring the gunman to the ground… Kanawha is increasing the number of mandatory active shooter drills this school year from one to four… (P)ast shootings have demonstrated the traditional lockdown method “doesn’t always keep you safe, so we have to do a little bit more.”.. Five out of the six middle school shooters were students at their schools. In the high schools, seven of the shooters were initially restrained by school employees, including one situation where students helped, before police captured them… Kanawha teachers are urged to keep their doors locked while classes are in session… Karl’s comment: the article points out the issues of fires and shootings originating within the classroom. The whole situation is a result of society rejecting biblical standards. Tick, tick, tick.

West Side parents aid teachers, learn skills in expanding program 9-27-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150927/GZ01/150929523/1300
An initiative that puts parents in classrooms on Charleston’s West Side to aid students and teachers is set to expand this school year… (P) parent mentors can include other relatives of students, like grandparents, or people who don’t have children but want to help them… Statewide standardized tests for the 2013-14 academic year — the last year for which Kanawha County Schools has released individual school results — show West Side schools are continuing to struggle with low reading and math proficiency rates compared to the rest of the state. Karl’s comment: Sounds like a touch of homeschooling. The “pros” just are not getting the job done.

Former Fayette County Teacher Sentenced In Child Pornography Case 9-23-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Former-Fayette-County-Teacher-Sentenced-In-Child-Pornography-Case-209248.shtml#.VgNWU3LltMs
A former Fayette County teacher was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Charleston in a child pornography case. (He) was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s Office… (He) admitted that in November 2013, he exchanged a large volume of text messages with a 12-year-old female who was a student at Collins Middle School. (He) also admitted that from about November to January 2014, he persuaded the student to take photographs of her genital area and send them to him on his cell phone.  Karl’s comment: This case goes back to 1-21-14.

Taylor County middle school student charged with making terroristic threats 9-23-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/30100294/taylor-county-middle-school-student-charged-with-making-terroristic-threats
A student has been charged with making terroristic threats following bomb threats this week at Taylor County Middle School… A second threat was made against the school Tuesday. While authorities did not release many details on that incident, Green said a message was also received and that the same student was involved.  Taylor County Schools operated on a two-hour delay Wednesday due to Monday's incident, deputies said. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Kanawha school board approves LGBT protections 9-17-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150917/GZ01/150919511/1300
The Kanawha County school board voted unanimously Thursday to add specific protections regarding sexual orientation to its cultural diversity and human relations policy. The policy change, which didn’t receive any written comments after it was placed on 30-day public comment period last month, is generally aimed at protecting school employees from harassment, but it will also block discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in hiring, firing and promotion decisions, said Jim Withrow, the board’s general counsel… Andrew Schneider, executive director of Fairness West Virginia, the statewide civil rights advocacy organization dedicated to civil rights and fair treatment of LGBT West Virginians, said in a statement that the policy change demonstrates that the Kanawha County school system is an environment where all students and employees, including those who are LGBT, will be treated with respect and dignity.” Karl’s comment: How about protection for those who are sexually attracted to close relatives or their pets? I wonder how much “respect and dignity” a student would get who proclaims the biblical message of homosexuality. A 9-15 (http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150915/GZ01/150919670/1300 ) article referred to the 2009 failure of a similar policy that “ involved arguments that it was needed to protect LGBT students from discrimination and harassment, in 2011, the West Virginia Board of Education unanimously adopted a new policy protecting students statewide from bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.” This is a gaint step toward persecution of Christian students. Fake friend of Christians Pete Thaw remained consistent. See the notes about Pete Thaw in "Pandas" and "The Evolution Resolution".

School Officials Take to Television to Explain New Safety Program 9-15-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/School-Officials-Take-to-Television-to-Explain-New-Safety-Program-327812841.html
…Kanawha County Schools Director of Safety Keith Vititoe responded to questions about the new protocol for active-shooter situations, which calls for teachers and students to have an active plan to get away. "We need to have a plan and give people options on what to do if that happens," Vititoe said. "It's called our A.L.I.C.E. program. A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate."… Police say that the public can use this strategy, as well. They suggest getting away from any dangerous situation by running when it's safe, but being ready to go on the offensive as a last resort. Kanawha County School safety officials say they plan to practice putting this plan into action more than ever. Each school will have four active-shooter training drills this year, up from one last year. Karl’s comment: There is no need for practice unless the threat is real.

Man High School Evacuated After Threat Found In School 9-14-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Man-High-School-Evacuated-After-Threat-Found-In-School-327474561.html
Man High School, in Logan County, was evacuated Monday morning after a note was found in a classroom stating that a bomb was going to go off inside the school. Karl’s comment: See the next three comments.

Lockdown lifted at Lincoln County High School; WVSP troopers still investigating 9-11-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/30009660/lockdown-lifted-at-lincoln-county-high-school-wvsp-troopers-still-investigating
The lockdown at Lincoln County High School in Hamlin, WV has been lifted as of 11:45 a.m. on Friday, September 11, 2015. Troopers with the West Virginia State Police have not found a gun on campus. However, they remain on scene and are still investigating. Karl’s comment: A follow-up article (http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Lincoln-County-High-School-on-Lockdown-as-Police-Search-for-Student-326656751.html) quoted a parent, "I definitely think they should put metal detectors in the school. The age that we live in, it's just not safe. Everyday when I send my kids to school I am scared to death, but I just have to hope for the best and I know that we have great staff so I feel like they're going to be safe.” It is asinine to send a child to such a place!

Need for special education teachers prevalent in area schools 9-8-15
http://www.theet.com/news/local/need-for-special-education-teachers-prevalent-in-area-schools/article_95e7d71c-3d9b-5453-b49d-fe7b218250c1.html
Public elementary and secondary schools throughout the region are experiencing a certified teacher shortage in all areas of special education, as well as a few other critical needs, with substitutes filling multiple positions… Karl’s comment: Just pointing out that they don’t always have those “great” teachers they tell us about.

Prevention resource officers becoming more common in area high schools 9-8-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/29983805/prevention-resource-officers-becoming-more-common-in-area-high-schools
These days it isn't unusual to see a police officer walking through the halls of area high schools. Most of the time it is not because something bad has happened. Prevention resource officers are becoming a staple in many schools but they are doing much more than providing security. Lt. Stan Miller is starting his eighth year as a prevention resource officer at South Charleston High School. He was one of the first in the area when he started. Now, several Kanawha County Schools have prevention resource officers positioned at their schools daily. But Lt. Miller said there are misconceptions his role at the school… Miller has security cameras in his office and he does monitor crime at the school. But all in all, he said building a relationship with the student body helps the community in general.  Karl’s comment: He is an armed cop—PERIOD.

Four Teens Charged in School Incident 9-3-15
http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Four-Teens-Charged-in-School-Incident-324161751.html
Four teenagers are facing charges after a classroom incident at Logan High School that caused the school to go under a lock down. Sgt. White with Logan Police Department tells WSAZ about noon Thursday the assistant principal asked the students to turn off their radio. Sgt. White says the students wouldn't comply with what the assistant principal asked them to do and also refused to comply with police when they got on scene. Karl’s comment: Another example of the socialization in government schools.

Roane County Hopes Against Copycat Threats after School Lockdown 9-2-15
…Bowen assists with the high school band and teaches at Spencer Elementary School. Both of those schools were locked down, along with the county's four others, after a teacher at Reedy Elementary School received a generic text message, threatening a shooting. For Bowen, it was a scary moment -- not just as a teacher, but as a parent of kids in school. "Of course, at the moment, I thought, 'I'd like to go upstairs and get my child and hold onto her for a second,' but I knew that she was in good hands," Bowen said. Karl’s comment: It was a lark, but the staement,"Good hands" is alarming! Tick, tick, tick.

ACT report: WV students not ready for college math, reading or science 8-27-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150827/GZ01/150829552/1300
West Virginia high school graduates this year failed to reach college readiness benchmarks in math, reading and science, a new report compiled by American College Testing has found. While the 11,289 graduates who took the ACT assessment this year posted better composite scores than past cohorts and outperformed their peers across the country in English and reading, the state, as a whole, continues to fall behind the national average. In English and reading, 69 percent and 48 percent of West Virginia graduates met the ACT benchmark, compared to the national average of 64 percent and 46 percent. In math and science, it was only 34 percent, compared to the nation’s 42 percent and 38 percent. Students who meet benchmarks are more likely to do well in a freshman-level college class of the same subject. Only 21 percent of West Virginia test takers met benchmarks in all four subjects. The national average was 28 percent. Despite those shortcomings, West Virginia improved its composite score to 20.8, eclipsing 20.6 for the first time in four years. The nation’s average composite score is 21. The test is graded on a scale of 1 to 36. Karl’s comment: Take a test yourself and search for key words such as "tests" throughout these WV School News pages. Hopefully, you will do better than the government school students.

Fayette schools officials to request $50M for new schools 8-27-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150827/GZ01/150829518/1300
Fayette County officials will ask the state for more than $50 million to build two new schools, which, if constructed, will be the start a multi-phase reconfiguration of the beleaguered school district’s failing facilities…In June, the school district attempted to pass a bond that would have generated $38.9 million for the construction of a new Collins Middle School, which was ordered closed in January due to structural issues. That money would have been supplemented by $2.5 million in local funds and up to $25.1 million from the state School Building Authority. The bond was overwhelmingly defeated…One potential concern George acknowledged at Thursday’s meeting is that consolidation could extend school bus travel time beyond an hour for some students. George said transportation officials are already reworking routes should the plan receive approval. He said 1,500 students across the state spend more than an hour on school buses each day. While not ideal, he said the length of travel is reasonable considering the circumstances. Karl’s comment: It is just not Fayette County. All government schools want more money.  That only makes nicer looking buildings and better paid staff.  It is like putting cake icing on rat poison.  Inside the schools are still academically deficient, physically dangerous, and morally depraved. Also, homeschooled children do not have to worry about long bus rides.

West Side leaders target student tardiness 8-27-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150827/GZ01/150829534/1101
Students at West Side Mary C. Snow Elementary were tardy more than 5,000 times last year, education officials said Thursday during a meeting with an advisory board tasked with helping the area’s struggling schools overcome chronic absenteeism and poor achievement. The group, made up of schools officials and black leaders, met Thursday to address growing concerns over failing test scores, truancy and disciplinary issues at Charleston’s four West Side schools… Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Ron Duerring said West Side students were tardy 5,780 times last year. At Grandview and Edgewood, students were tardy 2,312 and 2,635 times, respectively. At Stonewall Jackson, students were late 3,256 times. Karl’s comment: It is due to the breakdown of the family largely due to what is taught in the liberal led government schools.

14-year-old held students, teacher hostage at high school 8-25-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150824/DM02/150829732/1101
A 14-year-old boy with a pistol held numerous students and a teacher hostage at Philip Barbour High School Tuesday, according to police.At about 1:30 p.m., Barbour County 911 received a call about a person with a gun at the high school, according to a news release from West Virginia State Police. Multiple police and fire departments responded and the school was put on lock down.Police found the 14-year-old was holding the students and teachers hostage in a second floor classroom. After negotiations, he agreed to let the others go. After more negotiations, he put the gun down and surrendered. A follow-up story (http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150826/GZ01/150829652/1101) reported With 29 terrified students looking on, a West Virginia high school teacher managed to calm a 14-year-old student who pointed a gun at her in her classroom, giving a police chief time to arrive and convince the boy to free his peers and surrender… (Barbour County Schools Superintendent Jeffrey) Woofter said. “I just thank God everybody is safe and hopefully we’ll never have a repeat of that again.” Karl’s comment: Key words: “terrified,” “thank God,” and “hopefully we’ll never have a repeat.” See the 8-6 entry below.

Editorial: Raise focus on math in W.Va. schools 8-21-15
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinion/editorial-raise-focus-on-math-in-w-va-schools/article_fdfc3c84-7eb5-586e-b4b8-659594075d49.html
As one Cabell County school official noted Tuesday, this needs to be "the year of math." The preliminary results from West Virginia's new standardized testing show students locally and around the state are doing OK in language arts (reading and writing), but they are clearly behind the curve on math. In Cabell County, only about 18 percent of ninth-grade students, 15 percent of 10th-grade students and 20 percent of 11th-grade students showed proficiency in math on the West Virginia General Summative Assessment. The results are both disappointing and controversial, because the new test is the first aligned with the national Common Core standards … West Virginia has been struggling in this area for years - and not just on national tests. Many of the state's high school graduates have to take remedial courses to progress to college level study at the state's universities. Karl’s comment: Search for key words such as "tests" throughout these WV School News pages and see how right the writer is in saying, “West Virginia has been struggling in this area for years.”

Huntington High Student Arrested After Incident on School Bus 8-20-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Huntington-High-Student-Arrested-Incident-on-School-Bus-322449822.html
…According to a police report, the 17-year-old student was on the school bus when Huntington High Principal Gregg Webb asked him to come to the front. Police say the student then walked up to Webb and punched him in the face. An officer who works at the school grabbed the student and handcuffed him. The officer says when he got the teen to stand up, the student then kicked another school administrator between the legs. Police say the student then made multiple threats to kill Mr. Webb, the officer involved and others. The student is also accused of threatening to use several different weapons to blow up the school…The (boy’s) guardian has now filed a complaint against Mr. Webb after she says he told the boy "I have a glock, too, and I'm licensed to use it" while he was being walked away in handcuffs. The guardian also says the teenager has several bruises, scratches and burn marks on his body where she feels school officials went too far when trying to take him into custody. Karl’s comment: : I saw several violent incidents in my “nice area” middle school. I suggest asking for a school’s monthly discipline report.

Putnam expanding student leadership program 8-19-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150819/GZ01/150819418/1300
For the first seven weeks of school, which starts Thursday in Putnam County, Principal Debbie Shrewsbury said her students at Poca Middle will focus on one good habit per week. Be proactive. Begin with the end in mind. First things first. Think win-win. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Synergize. And sharpen the saw. Those are the seven central tips Stephen Covey offered in his 1989 bestseller “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” the foundation for the The Leader in Me program that Putnam is expanding again this school year. After spreading the initiative last school year to the remaining three of its 14 elementary schools — Hometown, Eastbrook and Winfield — school district leaders have decided to begin teaching the habits at Poca Middle. The Leader in Me first came to Hurricane Town Elementary several years ago. More than 2,000 schools across 35 countries have adopted the program… Putnam spent roughly $10,000 on teacher training, and about $6,000 on program materials, to implement the program at Poca Middle. Shrewsbury said that because all Putnam elementary schools already have this program, students are “very familiar with the habits” when they enter middle school. Still, she said the district has purchased a copy of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” — written by Stephen Covey’s son, Sean — for each of Poca’s 360 students to read. She said it’s also bought separate workbooks for each grade level for students to use in their advisory classes, which are groups of about 18 youths who meet once a week. The habits will also be embedded into the school’s regular classes, written in students’ planners and reiterated in morning news broadcasts… “The students greet us at the door and freely talk about how the program helps them.” Karl’s comment: This is pure religion. See #20 "Stealth Tactics" for a detailed explanation. Other reports on Coveys Coven are at December 8, 2009, March 22, 2010, and May 13, 2011.

West Virginia Teaching Vacancies Trending Upward 8-17-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/West-Virginia-Teaching-Vacancies-Trending-Upward-322098852.html
Officials from the West Virginia Department of Education and several teachers unions say they have seen a recent increase in the number of teaching vacancies statewide. West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee says the shortage of teachers has now reached "crisis" level. The union says the state is short about 200 teachers; even as school is back in session for most West Virginians… Union officials say, even with the shortage, all classrooms currently have teachers. However, they say many of those positions are held by long-term substitutes or volunteers without a teaching license. Karl’s comment: Same song, 13 th verse the same as the first. They can never say that “highly qualified” teachers are the norm in WV schools.

Department of Education requesting $5.4 million for education improvements, bus safety 8-16-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150816/GZ01/150819589/1300
The West Virginia Department of Education is requesting an additional roughly $5.4 million in state money next school year to — among other proposals — increase graduation rates, cut the cost of Advanced Placement exams, extend school bus stop arms and fund drug testing for students seeking vocational training. Department officials presented these “improvement package” requests to the state school board Wednesday alongside the department’s main, preliminary $2.4 billion budget request for the next fiscal year, which will start July 1, 2016… The largest portion of the department’s requested new improvement package spending — $2 million — would go to expanding the state’s Innovation Zones to increase graduation and attendance rates and support science, technology, engineering and math teaching. State Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano said he wants an Innovation Zone project, which can give schools extra funding and flexibility from certain state laws and policies to pilot reforms, in every county… A third request, for $800,000, would increase efforts to improve literacy specifically among children in their early years. Karl’s comment: Some “nice” stuff like “bus stop arms” is mixed with the same old failed goals of nearly 50 years (increase graduation rates). THINK! The graduates have proven to be substandard (See the 8-7 entry below). THINK! “Flexibility” from laws is like giving the wolf the key to hen house. THINK!! Getting the children in “their early years” is the goal!!! THINK! How much is “$2.4 billion”? Printing 1000 dollar signs on both sides of a page would take 1,200,000 (one million, two-hundred thousand) pages for 2.4 billion dollar signs. To turn those pages at one per second going 24 hours without sleep would take almost two weeks! That is a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$! (Here is a fun way to understand only big numbers.

Majority of W.Va. students miss mark on new Common-Core aligned test 8-12-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150812/GZ01/150819838/1300
Of West Virginia students in elementary, middle and high schools, only fifth graders tested proficient in either math or English/language arts on the state’s new Common Core-aligned standardized test last school year, according to preliminary results released Wednesday. Those students barely managed an overall proficiency rate in English/language arts, with 51 percent testing proficient. Only 30 percent of them were deemed proficient in math.About 175,000 Mountain State students took the Smarter Balanced test in the spring of the 2014-15 school year. Proficiency rates — defined as scoring a 3 or 4 on the 1-4 scale — were below 50 percent in both subjects in all other grade levels. The math results were worse than English in this state, where leaders have stressed the need for better science, technology, engineering and math education as the coal industry continues its downturn. West Virginia’s preliminary proficiency rates were also the lowest in both subjects and in every grade tested in the four other states using Smarter Balanced exams…

The Smarter Balanced test is part of what’s called the West Virginia General Summative Assessment in this state. Grades three through eight and 11 took Smarter Balanced tests on English/language arts and math. Vaughn Rhudy, executive director of the state’s Office of Assessment and Research, said Smarter Balanced didn’t create a test for ninth and 10th grades, so West Virginia modified the exam for those students. Ninth-graders had only an 18 percent proficiency rate in math, 10th-graders had a 15 percent proficiency rate, and 11th-graders — for whom state higher education agencies are moving to allow proficiency on Smarter Balanced to exempt them from remedial college courses — had only a 20 percent proficiency rate. Only about a quarter of West Virginia students in sixth, seventh and eight-grade (sic) were deemed proficient in math…

The test doesn’t count toward students’ grades. State Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano noted the state’s new standards are more difficult to meet, and called 2014-15’s results a “baseline” for future years…

Smarter Balanced is meant to measure students’ ability to meet Common Core-aligned math and English/language arts standards… A point of using Smarter Balanced, other than providing a superior year-end test, is for West Virginia to be able to compare its results not just among its 55 counties, but with other states. But state schools officials say the fact that Smarter Balanced is designed differently and based on a different set of standards than the state’s previous standardized test, Westest, renders the Smarter Balanced scores incomparable to previous years.

Westest scores also conveyed that Mountain State students aren’t learning necessary skills — the final Westest results, released in December, indicated their performance was actually worsening. The results showed only 42 percent of students in grades three through eight and 11 were proficient in math, the lowest portion since the 2009-10 school year. Only 47 percent were proficient in reading, also the lowest rate since the 2009-10 school year. The state attributed a massive drop in Westest scores starting after the 2008-09 school year to its raising of the level students must meet to be deemed proficient. School officials attributed the lower scores in the final year of Westest partly to students having to take the test online for the first time. Smarter Balanced is also a computer test.

Last school year, students in grades four, six and 10 also tested on science — following the state school board’s February vote to reduce science standardized testing from grades three through 11 to just those three grades — but the science test was meant to examine whether students were meeting the state’s current science standards, which are not Common Core-based. The Common Core national standards blueprint does not contain science standards, though the new science standards that the state plans to implement next school year do have connections to Common Core math and English/language arts requirements. Because the test is based on the same standards, the science data is comparable to past years. Only 36 percent of West Virginia fourth graders were proficient in science in 2014-15, the lowest rate since 2011-12, when 35 percent were proficient. Only 39 percent of sixth graders were proficient in the subject. Only 35 percent of 10th graders were proficient.

Karl’s comment: School officials praised the performance of third graders who have been Common Cored the longest. Officials claimed it was laudable that the little tykes scored higher than a 2013-14 field test predicted. They glossed over the “46 percent proficiency rate in English/language arts” and “44 percent proficiency rate in math” are far below having even half of the children at what they claim is proficient. Also, the students are being compared to other dumbed down students in other states. An excuse for the pathetic performance of the older students was that they took too little time on the test. I encourage parents and all tax-payers to go to each of these WV News pages and search keywords like >test< and >score<. The evidence is indisputable that government schools have failed academically. More importantly, the evidence is indisputable that government schools are immoral and dangerous places for our precious children. Also see the 8-9-15 entry below.

Arrest made in Kanawha County, WV school threat investigation 8-12-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/29774853/threat-at-capital-high-school-under-investigation
Charleston Police have arrested a juvenile in connection to a threat at Capital High School in Charleston, West Virginia… Police are still looking into the threat of violence made Wednesday from one student to another. Extra security was in place this morning when students arrived. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick…

50 teacher vacancies in Raleigh County as school year begins 8-12-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/08/12/50-teacher-vacancies-in-raleigh-county-as-school-year-begins/
Raleigh County schools will begin the school year Thursday with 50 teacher vacancies, something county school board president Rick Snuffer describes as “a crisis.”… “We’ve been saying, ‘we’re going to have a shortage of teachers,'” Snuffer said. “It’s finally happened and I think it’s even worse next year.” The shortages are across our areas from Science and Math to Phys. Ed. and elementary positions. Snuffer said Raleigh County even pays better than other counties but it can’t find the teachers…Raleigh County plans to cover the 50 vacancies with a combination of substitute teachers and permit teachers, Snuffer said. “We’ll do the best we can. We’ll have teachers in the classrooms but as far as having qualified teachers in each classroom–they are not there to be had,” he said. Neighboring Fayette County has also had a problem recruiting teachers. It had more than 40 vacancies earlier this summer. Karl’s comment: this is not new. Also, it goes on with multiple teacher absences during the year. See the entries for 4-20-15 and 8-2-14.

W.Va. to reveal new Common Core-based test scores this week 8-9-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150809/GZ01/150809502/1101
West Virginia plans to publicly reveal this week the first results on its new elementary, middle and high school standardized test, which replaced the decade-old Westest in the spring and seeks to gauge whether students are meeting Common Core-based standards…The exam--called Smarter Balanced or, in this state, the West Virginia General Summative Assessment--is meant to test whether students are learning the Common Core-based math and English/language arts standards that West Virginia implemented statewide last school year. Over 40 states have adopted Common Core standards in the hopes of establishing a set of national teaching requirements that prepare students for colleges and careers…A point of using Smarter Balanced, other than providing a superior year-end test, is for West Virginia to be able to compare its results not just among its 55 counties, but with other states. Willits said Smarter Balanced test results are comparable among states, though she did note possible limitations. Three states took “fixed” tests where all students took the same questions, while West Virginia and others have “computer-adaptive” tests that give students more or less difficult questions based on how they performed on previous questions. Willits said the consortium is a public agency – located at the University of California-Los Angeles…

In February, the state school board voted to put off until at least next school year assigning schools grades on its new A-F rating system – which will factor in growth in student scores on the new tests. Department officials have said proficiency rates on the new test won’t be directly comparable to those measured in past years by Westest, so the state needs two consecutive years of Smarter Balanced testing to accurately gauge progress and assign grades to schools on how well they’re teaching their students.

The A-F system is replacing the Accountability Index, which gave schools labels like “success” or “priority” based on students’ performance on the Westest and other factors…Students in grades 3-11 will receive math and English/language arts results, and those in grades four, six and 10 will receive results for science as well.

Despite being tested, science is not part of the Common Core standards. In April, West Virginia adopted new science standards that are planned to take effect next school year, but they’re based off the Next Generation Science Standards, which are a separate national blueprint from the Common Core…The Next Generation Science Standards do have Common Core connections embedded and were crafted with aid of the same Washington, D.C., nonprofit group, called Achieve. Perhaps confusingly, West Virginia has also redubbed its Common Core-based math and English/language arts standards as Next Generation…

The final Westest results released in December showed 58 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 and in grade 11 failed to show proficiency in math, the highest failure rate since the 2009-10 school year. The state attributed a massive drop in test scores starting after the 2008-2009 school year to its raising of the level students must meet to be deemed proficient. The number of students who failed to hit the mark in reading was 53 percent, also the highest since the 2009-10 school year. School officials attributed the lower scores partly to students having to take the test online for the first time. Smarter Balanced is also a computer test. Karl’s comment: This is just a thicker smoke screen of jargon and excuses. It has been like this for 50 years. Now, it is worse because students are recorded in a massive computer system.

Test could exempt W.Va. students from remedial college courses 8-7-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150807/GZ01/150809542/1101
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission furthered policy changes Friday that would allow high school graduates to escape remedial classes in college if they score high enough on the state’s new Common Core-aligned standardized test… (Higher Education Policy Commission Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Corley) Dennison said HEPC staff recommended adding Smarter Balanced to the list of tests that can prove students’ readiness partly because, unlike Westest, it’s aligned to “college- and career-ready standards.” Higher education institutions across the country were involved in ensuring the national Common Core standards blueprint, a set of math and English/language arts standards that over 40 states have adopted, were rigorous enough to prepare students for college. Dennison also said state Department of Education officials encouraged the move as a way to persuade more high schoolers to take Smarter Balanced — which doesn’t count toward their high school grades — seriously… The HEPC has been seeking to dissuade colleges from placing students in zero-credit remedial courses that haven’t proven effective… A report presented to a legislative interim committee in December by both the HEPC and the CTCS stated that over 65 percent of state high school graduates attending community college for the first time in 2013 took at least one developmental course because they weren’t deemed ready for college-level material. About a fourth of public four-year college attendees needed one or more of such developmental courses in 2013. (emphasis added) Karl’s comment: This is absurd! The students cannot pass a legitimate test so they change to a dumbed down test.

Student safety at the heart of sheriff’s program 8-6-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150806/GZ01/150809594
First-responder agencies, local government and county school organizations are working together to ensure Kanawha County’s children survive to see graduation… “There isn’t one simple explanation, no silver bullet to make our schools safer,” (U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin) Goodwin said… Goodwin recounted the story of a young man found in possession of a gun and hit-list in Ravenswood. He said the boy was found out after a student tipped off an officer at the school… Having an officer at a school, “...is absolutely necessary, and we would love to have a police officers in every school.”.. The safety of the children is a top priority, but keeping every single child from ever getting hurt is a daunting task. (emphasis added) Karl’s comment: WAR ZONES and PRISIONS are accurate comparisons to government schools. Tick, tick, tick…

Late Tygarts Valley AD being investigated 8-5-15
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/587890/Late-Tygarts-Valley-AD-being-investigated.html
The Randolph County Sheriff's Office is investigating alleged sexual misconduct allegations involving a teacher/athletic director at Tygarts Valley Middle/High School in Mill Creek, according to a press release from Randolph County Sheriff Mark Brady. The investigation stems from allegations against the late (the man), 55, of Valley Head, that were reported to police July 29. (He) died July 31 and "had been in his usual health and death was unexpected," according to an obituary posted July 31 on the Randolph Funeral Home website. A press release from the Randolph County Sheriff's Office states…"It's a very sad incident for the community, for the school itself and for all the kids at that school, so we are going to do everything we possibly can do to make sure that the kids get the help that they need."

8-13 update ( http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/588253/Details-emerge-of-TVHS-search.html ): New information has surfaced in the investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with underage students by the former Tygarts Valley High School athletic director… (The) TVHS principal, confirmed last week that (the man) committed suicide. (The teacher)-a lifelong educator in Randolph County - had served as a sixth-grade science teacher at the Mill Creek school. He had been the Bulldogs' athletic director for more than 10 years… The complainant…told police the phone in question was provided to the alleged victim by (the teacher). She said one of the pictures allegedly sent to the victim by Swecker "showed a picture of two males naked from the waist down, showing the (genitalia)."… (A) text message allegedly sent by (the teacher) to the alleged victim saying (the teacher) "was all horned up and wanting to meet. He further advised that he had a place picked out for the two up the trail in the woods and was waiting on him," the documents state… During the search warrant's execution, a camera that could be used in a covert capacity was found and although it did not appear to be operational when discovered, there was tape around the camera, "indicating it may have been utilized in the past," (Chief Deputy Brad) Sharp wrote, adding it is possible Swecker may have placed covert cameras in or around the school facility "that may be currently in place" or could have been "present in the past."

Karl’s comment: After I finished speaking at a church near there in 2007, a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area.  Since then, there have been at least two other incidents before this one. 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!!!

WV school officials look into sexual assault prevention 8-4-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/29710069/wv-school-officials-look-into-sexual-assault-prevention
Parents are getting ready to send their kids back to school across the tri-state area, but a number of high-profile sexual abuse and assault cases last year have many questioning school safety. "It just really scares you to death to think that it's happening in schools,” said a Kanawha County grandmother…Educators said they encourage parents to keep a more observant eye to look for unexplainable changes in behavior and keep an open dialogue. Karl’s comment: 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!!!

Parents concerned over questionable football practices at Cabell Midland 8-4-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/29710428/parents-concerned-over-questionable-football-practices-at-cabell-midland
Concerned parents in Cabell County are upset over a recent practice. They said the extreme heat and unreasonable drills left some kids needing medical attention. When asked about the parents (sic) complaints, Cabell Midland Knights head football coach Luke Salmons was evasive following morning practice. We're just training with our kids," Salmons said, before walking off. Karl’s comment: Parents should be more concerned about the spiritual attention their children will need from just bing in the classrooms.

Delegate files another lawsuit against Common Core 8-4-15 http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150804/GZ01/150809780/1101
Republican legislators are once again attempting to block the use of Common Core education standards in West Virginia, this time asking the state Supreme Court to decide if the Board of Education can legally enter the state into what they’re calling an “interstate compact.”… Beyond getting rid of standards he said has questionable education value, Lane said he and Folk hope to settle the debate over who dictates education policy in West Virginia: the Legislature or the school board.State code says the state school board shall “exercise general supervision” of the state’s public schools. It also grants rule-making authority to its members. Common Core is a series of grade-level expectations in math and English that aims to guarantee that public school students across the country get the same basic education. Karl’s comment: See the 3-9 headline below.

Former Columbine HS principal speaks to area educators 7-30-15
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150730/GZ01/150739950/1101
…Until students feel safe at school, we can’t educate them,” said Carole Crawford, principal of Bridgeport Middle School, which recently participated in active shooter training. She called it an eye-opening experience for teachers.“Although we have drills and we constantly think we’re prepared, it’s ‘It’s not if, it’s when,’” she said. Karl’s comment: Principal Crawford said it as it is.

Logan County Board of Education Hires Consultants; Teachers Against It 7-27-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Logan-County-Board-of-Education-Hires-Consultants-Teachers-Against-It--318665361.html
The Logan County Board of Education has approved the hiring of consultants, which education leaders say will help them to meet the needs of students. However, the majority of teachers who responded to a survey provided by the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) were against bringing in the consultants. Contracts have been approved for seven consultants, with the highest salary listed at $500 per day for 88 days…"Logan County has a great deal of potential for successfully educating all students. However, right now, we are not, according to test standards; we are not meeting the needs of our students," (Assistant superintendent Mary Lu) MacCorkle said. Karl’s comment: This is true for all county systems and the solution is NOT more $$$!

Epidemic? 7-13-15
http://www.register-herald.com/opinion/editorials/epidemic/article_68f72da5-310d-5c4c-9f78-c07c862945e7.html
(Guest editorial referring to 3rd Boone County School sex crime) (A)…West Virginia State Police sergeant’s comment on that record should concern all Mountain State residents. Sgt. L.D. Hensley said it would be “a big stretch” to assume Boone County has a worse problem than other areas. “It may just indicate an unseen epidemic in all schools,” explained Hensley, who works with the State Police Crimes Against Children unit… On a reasonably regular basis, educators in the Northern Panhandle and East Ohio are charged with improper behavior toward students or other sex-related offenses. To their credit, law enforcement and school system officials appear to act decisively when allegations of such crimes come to their attention. But the pressing question is how often predators in schools escape arrest because they go unreported. 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!!!

Softball coach, Kanawha school board sued for alleged sexual harassment 7-12-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150712/GZ01/150719831/1101
A former John Adams Middle School softball player and her father are suing her former coach and the Kanawha County school board, alleging the coach sexually harassed her in 2012 and then intimidated her after she complained about it… The suit, filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court in May and first reported by The West Virginia Record, alleges that in March 2012, Harper, who was then coaching the softball team, came up behind the then 14-year-old girl before a practice and rubbed his hand on her right calf.Charleston-based attorneys Mike Kelly and Paul Saluja, who filed the suit, write that the girl moved away, but Harper approached her from behind again a few minutes later and placed his hand on her “upper thigh immediately below her buttocks.” Later that month, Harper allegedly played with her ponytail and rubbed her neck. The attorneys write that when the girl’s mother called Harper to tell him to stop, he responded in a “belligerent and hostile manner.” Three days after the call, during a practice the girl didn’t attend, he told the rest of the team and some parents that the teen and her family were falsely accusing him of sexual harassment, the suit alleges. The attorneys write that a few days later, all softball parents were invited to a meeting at the middle school with “supervisory employees” of the school district present, where the teen’s parents were “subjected to a course of intimidation, reprisal and harassment for requesting that Defendant Harper not engage in inappropriate conduct toward their daughter.” The school district employees allegedly condoned and participated in the retaliation at this meeting, which, the suit says, Harper requested to intimidate and harass the girl and her parents into not pursuing further action… The girl and her father say that after complaining about Harper, students, parents and school employees intimidated and harassed her for the rest of the school year and the next school year, and she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Karl’ comment: John Adams is the “elite” middle school of the county. 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 district raises top $20K for deputy superintendent, $10K for others 7-7-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150707/GZ01/150709436
A list of raises the district provided to Gazette Tuesday shows 31 individuals who will benefit in the current school year from the pay increases…The increases come atop 2 percent raises for professional educators that the school board approved in May. Superintendent Ron Duerring — whose salary was unaffected by Monday’s raise, though the board in April gave him a $3,150 raise atop his previous $157,500 annual salary…Tom Williams, deputy superintendent, now making $121,300…Jon Duffy, director, now making $84,400…Carol Fleming, director, now making $88,900…Melissa Ruddle, assistant superintendent, now making $106,900…Lou Maynus, assistant superintendent, now making $108,900…Mark Milam, assistant superintendent, now making $112,300…Jane Roberts, assistant superintendent, now making $112,300…Lisa Wilcox, treasurer, now making $106,200…Diane Miller, executive director, now making $94,100…Katherine Porter, assistant superintendent, now making $106,900Stanley Keller, director, now making $90,000…Carol Hamric, executive director, now making $92,800…Terry Hollandsworth, executive director, now making $92,800…Leah Sparks, executive director, now making $92,800…Pam Padon, director, now making $92,800…Jerry Legg, executive director, now making $95,900…Clara Jett, director, now making $92,800…James Calhoun II, executive director, now making $99,600…Charles Wilson, executive director, now making $100,300…Elena Gayton, director, now making $90,600…Michelle Settle, coordinator, now making $69,800…Alan Cummings, director, now making $70,300…Carl Carte, coordinator, now making $68,400…Beverly Glaze, coordinator, now making $69,800…Kimberly Thompson, coordinator, now making $69,800…Richard Neal, coordinator, now making $72,100…Michael Mace, coordinator now making $65,700…Nancy Baldwin, coordinator, now making $72,500…Brette Fraley, executive director, now making $86,700…Charles Warner, executive director, now making $86,800…(T)he raises come after the school district paid about $25,000 for Itasca, Illinois-based Arthur J. Gallagher & Company to do a compensation study to determine whether the district’s pay was competitive…( The raises include) a further roughly $48,500 in benefits. Hamric and Duerring said there’s no current projection for how the cost will increase in coming years as employees get their automatic annual raises… Karl’ comment: I hesitate to be blunt, but tax-payers are getting ripped off by government schools in a multitude of ways and these salaries for paper pushing a prime example. 31 Kanawha County school employees are getting over almost 3 MILLION DOLLARS in salaries.  Test scores are pathetic and schools are dangerous.  Taxpayers are fools.  

Third Boone County educator accused of sexual abuse of students 7-6-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/29482444/third-boone-county-high-school-teacher-accused-of-sexual-abuse-in-last-3-months
A Boone County high school teacher has been arrested and faces charges of sexual abuse, the third educator to be arrested in the county in the last three months…( A) teacher at Scott High School was arrested on Thursday in Medina, OH as the result of a month long investigation. The State Police Crimes Against Children unit says they are charging (him) with solicitation and sexual abuse. They say there are multiple victims in the case. This is the third Boone County education professional charged with sex crimes against students this year. 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 WWV Newspage and the June 1, 2008 headline!!!

Fewer students, younger teachers cited for $85M drop in WV education budget 7-4-15 http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150704/GZ01/150709706/1101 The West Virginia Department of Education’s budget decreased by $85.3 million for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which started last week, because of decreased student enrollment, continued retirements of higher-paid teachers, increased property values and lower required retirement payments… The funding formula is providing $38.5 million less this fiscal year because of a number of factors, Panetta said. There were about 1,100 fewer students in public schools statewide in October 2014 than in October 2013, and next year’s funding level is based on that lower enrollment — meaning the state is funding fewer teachers. And more expensive teachers — those with more experience and advanced degrees — are retiring and being replaced with less-experienced teachers… McKown said the total amount spent on education in West Virginia surpasses $3 billion, if one factors in all the excess property tax levies, bonds and other funding sources for county districts that aren’t reflected in the state department’s budget. Karl’s comment: Less experienced and recently indoctrinated teachers is very bad. Fewer students to indoctrinate is good. If a lot of the students went to home or Christian schools, it is GREAT.

Teacher who faces gun charge allegedly bought fake marijuana 6-29-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150629/GZ01/150629132/1101
A suspended George Washington High School teacher accused of buying the gun used in a murder (see 4-13) was cited for allegedly buying synthetic marijuana earlier this month…(She) was charged with aggravated DUI and driving on a suspended license in 2013. She was ordered to pay a fine. She began teaching at John Adams Middle School in 2001 and moved to GW in 2011. Karl’s comment: George Washington is the elite school of Kanawha County and, some claim, the whole state. “Nuff” said.

NCLB waived for W.Va. schools 6-24-15
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/nclb-waived-for-w-va-schools/article_b7f14562-1a94-11e5-b54a-43e407a6b9c9.html
West Virginia schools are among those in the nation to most recently be granted No Child Left Behind waivers by federal officials…(Other states) also received multiple years of continued flexibility from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB)… The waivers were granted because education plans in the states and D.C. were designed to foster student success and demonstrated a continued commitment to college- and career-readiness for every student, officials said… West Virginia has developed a program that provides continuous support for priority schools, utilizing dedicated state-level school improvement coordinators who meet weekly with school leadership teams to determine the specific needs of each school and to provide a customized approach to school improvement. Education officials also implemented an educator evaluation system, which trains teachers through the Teacher Leadership Institute. The institute is focused on integrating student learning goals as integral components of instructional planning, delivery and assessment. Teachers also have access to customized professional development and personalized teacher support.

(Gov. Earl Ray) Tomblin said the (legislative) bill has helped student achievement by providing optional full-day, five-day preschools for 4-year-olds and by having all juniors take an assessment test to determine their career- and college-readiness. “(It) gives those students who may be falling behind and in need of remediation the opportunity to get the additional attention they need before graduating,” Tomblin said. The law also provides “fully articulated learning standards,” Tomblin said, and guarantees 180 instructional days. Principals and teachers are allowed to be involved in the hiring process of new teachers, as well, Tomblin said.

Karl’s comment: It is all hand-waving and a con job. I heard it for 3 years. Government schools CANNOT be fixed!

Absenteeism reported in parts of W.Va. where school year continues 6-18-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/06/18/absenteeism-reported-in-parts-of-w-va-where-school-year-continues/
…Paltry attendance was reportedly the norm in several counties this week, though school systems hadn’t released final figures…On Thursday’s edition of MetroNews “Talkline,” (president of the West Virginia Education Association Dale) Lee said his daughter was among the teachers affected and had three students in her class during one of the final days… Senate Majority Whip Daniel Hall...claimed attendance was 7 percent and 9 percent at two unnamed schools in his district Thursday, and another school with an enrollment exceeding 300 students had only 35 students in class Wednesday. Hall also related the tale of a bus driver running an empty route this week…The 180 days is not a magic number. It’s not something that is important,” Lee argued. Karl’s comment: Homeschoolers are MUCH more efficient and effective with quality instructional time.

Magnolia High School was broken into and vandalized overnight 6-4-15
http://www.wtov9.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wtov_all-4-suspects-custody-magnolia-hs-vandalism-9147.shtml
An investigation began and police used surveillance along with school staff to identify the four teens they believe are responsible. (The three boys) are former students of the school. The New Martinsville Police Department is handling the investigation. Chief Tim Cecil says equipment was flipped over, damage was done throughout the school, and items were stolen. Technology was a big target as computer screens and TV screens were busted in, among many other acts of vandalism. The damage still being tallied, but the police chief’s personal opinion is it is upwards of $20,000. School was cancelled Thursday and officials are deciding what to do about missed finals. Karl’s comment: Compared to these teens the Great Textbook War protesters were low level rookies at vandalism.

Boone Teacher Charged, Accused Of Inappropriate Relationship With Student 6-2-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Boone-Teacher-Arrested-Accused-Of-Inappropriate-Relationship-With-Student-143708.shtml#.VW3VaMvbJjo
Boone County deputies said a teacher faces charges after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student…Deputies said (he) is a teacher at Sherman High School and the female victim is his student. The inappropriate relationship has occurred over the last several months and ended last evening when a parent of the victim discovered some text messages sent between the two, deputies said…"The information sent to this child by a man who was tasked with providing her with an education is truly shocking and very disturbing," Sheriff Randall White said in the news release. Robinson is also one of the leaders of an after school program entitled "Youth Christians in Action," in which the victim also was participating. Deputies said they believe Robinson may have taken advantage of his position as a leader of this group to prey on the victim. Karl’s comment: If it is even possible, this incident is worse than the many others reported because this guy claims to be a Christian. 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!!!

Will just a dab do? School budget cuts lead to search for savings on soap 5-25-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150525/DM01/150529559/1300
With various reductions in school budgets expected to be approved today, one Kanawha County school official has proposed a handy money-saving technique that would limit the amount of soap students can use when they wash their hands…When the school board proposed its large, but tight $236 million budget for next year, it included about $2 million in reductions caused mostly by decreases in property tax revenue…The budget cuts have been controversial with some, especially in light of the board’s decision to give principals what member Pete Thaw calls a “raise.” Karl’s comment: As stated (below) for Putnam County, t he product is poor, the propaganda is perpetual, and the funding is not funny. No amount of soap will wash away the spiritual dirt and contamination children get in public schools. Pete Thaw is a fake friend to Christians (search his name there).

Lawsuit claims evolution is a religion 5-21-15
A parent of a Jefferson County student has filed a federal lawsuit against local, state and federal education officials claiming the teaching of evolution, which he says is a religion, violates his child’s Constitutional rights. Karl’s comment: Good luck to the parent.  The propaganda will be poured out.  He should have looked at my battles.

Putnam school board approves 2015-2016 operating budget 5-18-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150518/GZ01/150519279/1101
Putnam County Schools has budgeted $112.8 million for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. On Monday evening, the Putnam County Board of Education approved the proposed budget that will now be sent to the West Virginia Department of Education for final approval. In total, the proposed budget would set aside $94 million for general expenses, another $13 million from the excess levy approved five years ago and $5.1 million to pay for existing debt owed from the 2009 voter-approved bond. The estimated budget total is a slight decrease compared to the 2014-2015 school year. Chris Campbell, the county school treasurer, said it was a reduction of around $605,000 from the previous year. Karl’s comment: The product is poor, the propaganda is perpetual, and the funding is not funny.

W.Va. students caught screening ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ during class 5-14-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150514/DM01/150519550/1300
Portions of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a controversial movie depicting graphic acts of sexual violence, was screened in a West Virginia classroom this week. The filmography request was made by a group of Hampshire County students who asked their teacher, who was ignorant of the film’s content, if they could watch it as a reward for good work. “Fortunately, an assistant principal walked by and saw what they were doing,” said school principal Jeff Woofter. “They got there 10 minutes after it started and shut it down.” Karl’s comment: I could not make this stuff up!

Eyewitness News Investigation: Sexual Assault And Harrasment (sic) At School  5-11-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Eyewitness-News-Investigation-Sexual-Assault-And-Harrasment-At-School-129572.shtml#.VVFiR5UtFhg
Eyewitness News started investigating in early February. Freedom Of Information Act Requests were sent to Kanawha, Putnam and Cabell County Schools, along with the West Virginia Department of Education. We asked for every incident of sexual assault and sexual harassment that had been reported since 2009, along with specific dates, what school the report came from, and if it was reported to law enforcement. "Time is of the essence when these things occur, we just don't want any further harm to come to children," explained West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Martirano. Student conduct is governed by West Virginia Board of Education Policy 4373. In accordance with the policy, state education officials wrote in a letter to Eyewitness News, that "it was important to note that the specific behaviors of sexual assault and sexual harassment are not recorded as distinct behaviors, but are included in categories that when reported into the West Virginia Educational Information System (WVEIS) may or may not involve sexual assault and sexual harassment." Because of that, state education officials said it was not possible to determine the number of reports that explicitly involve sexual assault or harassment. That information would have to come from the local school districts. Cabell County was the only county that went through all it's data to determine which of the reports were, without a doubt, sexual in nature. According to their data, Huntington Middle School had the most reports of sexual harassment since 2009, with ten. Barboursville Middle had eight and Huntington High School had seven. There were four sexual assault reports. One each at Cabell Midland High School, Huntington High School, Milton Middle School, and Meadows Elementary.

"When we become worried is when we're hearing no reports. Then you start worrying that maybe your reporting systems are not working," explained Todd Alexander, Cabell County Schools Asst. Superintendent. Kanawha County Superintendent Ron Duerring agreed…. None of the reports provided to Eyewitness News said if the complaint was substantiated, merely that it was reported. "We always tell parents just because it wasn't substantiated, doesn't mean it didn't happen," said Alexander who also pointed out that sometimes there's just not enough evidence to proceed.

Kanawha County records indicate that Riverside High School has the most reports overall, 30 for sexual misconduct and 36 Race/Religious/Ethnic or Sexual Harassment cases. Again, Kanawha County did not go through to deem which were strictly sexual reports… With ten sexual misconduct reports and 37 Race/Religious/Ethnic or Sexual Harassment complaints, Hurricane Middle School's number of reports soar above any other in Putnam County …

"Very seldom have I seen children just fabricating information or people fabricating. It's usually coming from a place of truth," said Dr. Martirano…

The state's 40 year old mandatory reporting law was rewritten in the wake of the Capital High School case, closing a loophole in sexual assault and abuse reporting requirements. Neither Putnam, Kanawha, or Cabell County schools keeps a running record of cases reported to law enforcement. They are, however, able to look at specific case files and determine if it was reported to authorities.

(Red font was added.)

Karl’s comment: Astoundingly, school officials claim that they become worried when they are not hearing no reports!!! Even though the record keeping is poor and confusing, the facts of this six-year report declare overwhelmingly that government schools are DANGEROUS! Hurricane Middle School is in a “nice” area of suburban Putnam County. Charts included in the report list 11 and 10 cases of sexual misconduct at Andrew Jackson and John Adams Middle Schools respectively and they are in the “nice” areas of Kanawha County. One Kanawha County Elementary had 6 reports! Several elementary schools had sexual misconduct reports!! There likely were unreported incidents and this report does not specify if adults are involved. You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines.

Two Teachers Suspended After Parents Say They Forced Students To Clean Feces Off Walls 5-8-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Two-Teachers-Suspended-After-Parents-Say-They-Forced-Students-To-Clean-Feces-Off-Walls-128652.shtml#.VU1y_5UtHmQ
Two teachers are suspended after parents said their children were forced to wipe feces off the wall at an school in Wyoming County. According to the parents, it happened twice at Baileysville Elementary School and Middle School. Wyoming County's prosecuting attorney Michael Cochran confirmed the investigation on Thursday. He said school board officials are currently in the process of working with the state and law enforcement to determine an appropriate course of action and investigation. Karl’s comment: Long ago I quit being surprised at WV School News headlines.

Logan Co. Teacher Arrested on Sex Charges Against Students 5-7-15
http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Logan-Co-Teacher-Arrested-on-Sex-Charges-Against-Students-302967231.html
A teacher and coach in Logan County has been arrested on a dozen sex related charges involving female students. West Virginia State Police say (the man), 32, of Stollings, was arrested Thursday on 11 counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, or custodian. He is also charged with one count of abuse of obscene material to seduce a minor. (He) is a teacher at Logan High School and a boys and girls basketball coach. According to the criminal complaint, a juvenile female high school student told investigators he (sic) had "sexual intrusion" with (him) at least 10 times between October 2013 through April 2015. The victim also told investigators that (he) sent her nude photos, according to the complaint. 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!!!

West Virginia Students Being Suspended For Opting Out Of Common Core Tests 4-24-15
http://menrec.com/west-virginia-students-being-suspended-for-opting-out-of-common-core-tests/
Parents of students at Liberty High School in West Virginia are receiving phone calls from the school indicating that their child will be suspended if they opt out of Common Core testing next week. Superintendent Mark Manchin called into the Mike Queen show on WAJR and confirmed that actions would be taken against students who opt out, saying it would allow kids to opt out of other rules that the school has such as smoking in front of the school. Manchin also compared opting out to driving 80 mph down the highway.  He added, “We simply can not allow them to opt out.” “If we allow that door to open, where people can unilaterally decide what parts of public education they adhere to and which they don’t, I think we’re creating a system that will be very, very difficult to work with.” He added, “Parents don’t have the right to pick and choose the provisions of public education in which they feel they want to comply with.” Karl’s comment: Manchin makes it very plain—they CONTROL your children!!!

Ex-Monroe teacher pleads no contest to delinquency charge 4-22-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150422/ARTICLE/150429743/1276
A former James Monroe High School teacher has pleaded no contest to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. (She) was accused of buying beer for a minor in February. Karl’s comment: The crime committed by teachers never ends!

Editorial: Opt in or opt out, area students still lag behind 4-21-15
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x864386392/Editorial-Opt-in-or-opt-out-area-students-still-lag-behind
That has been a big challenge for West Virginia and our region for decades, long before the Common Core idea surfaced in 2010. Certainly some of that evidence comes from standardized testing that shows students in our area lag behind in many subjects. But there are more compelling indicators that have little to do with national tests. Students graduate from local high schools, often with good or very good grades, but they are not ready to do college work. About 25-30 percent of freshmen at the state's four-year colleges are directed into remedial courses. The numbers for community colleges is about 65 percent. Even more to the point, employers in our own region struggle to find qualified candidates for available jobs. Too many graduates lack the math and reading skills, as well as the soft skills, to land a job in today's workplace. Karl’s comment: Another secular source admits government schools are failures.

Is teacher absenteeism really a problem? 4-20-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150420/GZ01/150429932/1101
State school board member Wade Linger recently said that in some counties teachers are missing more days than their students… Thirty-nine of West Virginia’s 55 counties had more than a quarter of their students truant last school year. Twenty-four out of 55 had more than a third truant. Four counties…had more than half their students truant… In Kanawha County — where 34 percent of students were truant last school year — school officials have for years cited a teacher absenteeism problem, and the local board has worked to address it. Kanawha’s roughly 1,800 teachers averaged 6.5 unexcused absences last school year, according to Carol Hamric, the county’s human resources director. That’s almost the same as the average of 6.57 unexcused teacher absences in the 2006-07 academic year. Karl’s comment: Teaching in government schools obviously produces stress and dishonesty (in this case stealing) is no problem without an objective (biblical) basis of morality.

Richwood principal arrested on three counts of sexual abuse 4-19-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150419/GZ01/150419241/1101
State police arrested an elementary school principal last night following an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of three school employees. (He), 53, is the principal at Cherry River Elementary School in Richwood. (He) was arrested Saturday night by Corporal H.D. Stone for three counts of sexual abuse in the third degree, and is accused of inappropriately touching three of Cherry River’s employees on separate occasions. 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!!!

GW teacher suspended after federal gun indictment 4-13-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150413/GZ01/150419799/1101
A math teacher at George Washington High School faces federal gun charges. Prosecutors allege she illegally bought a gun for a felon. (She), 38, … was indicted by a federal grand jury in Charleston late last month, has been suspended from her teaching position without pay, according to Carol Hamric, director of human resources for Kanawha County Schools. According to federal prosecutors, on Oct. 29, 2011, Napier gave a false statement when she acquired a “Century Arms, Draco, 7.62x39 pistol” from the Trading Post in Marmet… In 2013, (she) was charged with aggravated DUI and driving with a suspended license. She was ordered to pay a fine in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. In a 4-15-15 update (http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150415/GZ01/150419564/1101) it was reported that “ The gun a George Washington High School math teacher is accused of purchasing for a felon was used in a murder two years ago, according to sources close to the investigation…” Karl’s comment: Teachers committing crimes is not a rarity.

Amended science standards called ‘progress’ 4-11-15 http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150411/GZ01/150419881/1101
Some groups that denounced now-rejected changes to West Virginia’s upcoming K-12 science standards regarding global warming are disappointed in new modifications but view them as less harmful than the previous version. “It still represents progress, as far as we’re concerned,” said Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit that defends the teaching of evolution and climate change in public schools. Branch said the overall standards are “certainly an improvement” over the previous version of the upcoming standards — which were altered in a way that many said cast unwarranted doubt on humans’ leading role in global warming… “Hopefully, they’re now out of the hands of politicians who want to meddle with them,” Branch said. Libby Strong – president of the West Virginia Science Teachers Association, which helped vet the standards and denounced the previous changes — said members of her organization’s board are disappointed in the new changes. She said she worries they’ll further a negative perception of West Virginia…

Wade Linger, a state school board member, proposed the now-rejected changes before the board approved them in December. Board members retracted them a month later, after receiving local and national criticism. On Thursday, Linger successfully amended two of the three standards that he previously sought to change:

| Original sixth-grade standard: “Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.”

| Version retracted in January: “Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise and fall in global temperatures over the past century.”

| Version adopted Thursday: “Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the change in global temperatures over the past century.”…

West Virginia Department of Education officials, in response to (board member Wade) Linger’s concerns, placed the prior changes into a draft of the standards before the board approved them for public comment in October… After intense backlash, the board retracted the changes at a January meeting, at which several people spoke against them, and put the unchanged version of the standards out on public comment again… Climate Parents, a national nonprofit that opposed the modifications and has fought against changes to the Next Generation Science Standards in other states, said it submitted more than 5,700 comments in support of the version of the standards that didn’t include the global warming modifications. The head of that group said it seems the new changes are less of an attempt to “distort climate science,” but it will still work to fight the changes.

Karl’s comment: Glenn Branch’s, (of the wrongly named “National Center for Science Education”) blessing is a crock! I guarantee that had the standards not met Branch’s approval he would have been howling. What folks do not know is that the NCSE is an atheist led enforcer of evolutionism propaganda. The recent Gazette article said the NCSE “defends the teaching of evolution.” Actually the NCSE censors any criticism of evolution. They cry “creationism”, but as the history of the Kanawha County Schools evolution battles and previous WV State Science Standards battle proves, the NCSE will not even allow scientific criticism of evolution. There you will find the documentation, including FOIA facts, of how deceitful evolutionists are. Without censorship evolution would not last a week.

A big BWHAHAHA goes to Branch ’s statement, “They’re now out of the hands of politicians who want to meddle with them.” The NCSE never hesitates to bring in politicians to support its dogma. Global temperatures have fluctuated for thousands of years. The fear of “Climate Change” fanatics is for students to study data that disputes the slant of the NCSE. Actually it is a tenant of their Mother Erath religion and they will use their version of the data to bring about more of their liberal nonsense that is destroying society. The Climate Parents website (http://www.climateparents.org/about/) lists the leaders and reveals they all are left-wing environmentalists.

A revealing report disclosed what happened when Mr. Linger tried to institute a balance to the standards. “Liberals and environmentalists…relentlessly attacked” him. I am sure it riled them when he said, “We’re on this global warming binge going on here… We need to look at all the theories about it rather than just the human changes in greenhouse gases.”

Unions say certification bill doesn’t answer issue of competitive pay for teachers 4-5-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150405/DM01/150409614/1300
…The purpose of the bill is to fill some of the 700 teacher vacancies in West Virginia, which has required another 300 teachers to teach out of field in subjects they aren’t trained in. Vacancies in West Virginia, especially in poor rural schools, have been a consistent problem for years, leading some to push for better pay to attract and retain quality teachers while others call for less regulation. Karl’s comment: Unqualified teachers often come from universities. Loving parents and technology make homeschooling a much better option. Same with Christian schools as a second choice.

Principal arrested on sexual abuse charge 4-3-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150403/GZ01/150409685/1101
The principal at Van High School in Boone County was arrested Friday after he allegedly had sex with two students…According to a recorded statement provided to police by the 17-year-old student, she and the other student were going to attend the Rough N’ Rowdy Brawl at the Charleston Civic Center on Jan. 9, but went to Mock’s apartment instead. 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!!!

WV Troopers looking into threat at Clay County High School 4-3-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/28713493/wv-troopers-looking-into-threat-at-clay-county-high-school
A large group of West Virginia State Troopers and Clay County Sheriff's deputies were on hand at Clay County High School this morning.  The school principal told 13 News a threat involving a gun was found en scribed (sic) on a bathroom wall Thursday… State troopers arrived well before sunrise to diminish the threat.  Senior Trooper Scott Bass told us, "We had already established last night that there was a set time that we would be on scene here and we're planning on staying throughout the day.  The plan is for a 2 hour delay. And we'll do whatever is necessary to make sure everything goes smooth today." Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Blotter: Girl reports sexual assault at Southside Elementary School in 2012 4-1-15
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x294265719/Girl-reports-sexual-assault-at-Southside-Elementary-School-in-2012
The Cabell County Sheriff's Department and Cabell County Schools are investigating the report of a rape said to have happened three years ago at Southside Elementary School. The girl who reported it was a student there at the time and told a counselor at Huntington Middle School about it on Thursday. The girl said she had left the playground to use the restroom and was approached by an unknown man. According to the report, he forced her into a corner, pulled up her dress and forced her to have intercourse with him. After, he left and she said she returned to the playground, but was afraid to tell anyone what had happened, the report says. The victim stated she did not know the man, but believed him to be a substitute teacher or a student teacher and he was not at the school for a few weeks. Karl’s comment: Tragic!

School assessments to be online, feature adaptive questions this year 3-29-15
http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/news-2015.htm
With spring comes end-of-year assessments, and this year students will take a new Common Core-aligned test education officials say is more challenging and will lead to deeper understanding. It will be the third different test West Virginia students will have taken in as many years… “The computer program adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment,” (director of instruction for Kanawha County Schools John) Duffy said… While Martirano said it’s not uncommon for there to be a short-term dip in achievement in a transitional year, he feels the state is in a good position moving forward and that the foundation is being laid for long-term improvement… “We are well prepared, and I am confident our students will work extremely hard to perform to the best of their abilities,” he said. Karl’s comment: Ordinarily I would point out this is another pie-in-the-sky boondoggle to hide failure and con parents, but Common Core testing is sinister. Not only is it Data Mining, but it is part of the One World system that is quickly approaching.

Kanawha schools superintendent gets good grade, raise may be ahead 3-23-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150323/GZ01/150329705
After meeting in closed session for more than an hour Monday, Kanawha County school board members said they had given their superintendent a positive annual evaluation – and one member said the others favor of a raise. Superintendent Ron Duerring -- who makes $157,500 per year and has been superintendent for 17 years -- said a one-year renewal of his contract, plus any possible salary changes, could be approved next month… Duerring last got a raise of $7,500 for last school year. According to data from the state Department of Education, Duerring is the fourth-highest-paid superintendent in the state. Chuck Hatfield – superintendent of neighboring Putnam County, which has roughly a third of Kanawha’s 28,000-student enrollment – makes $165,000 and is contracted to get a raise to $170,000 in the upcoming fiscal year. In Monongalia County -- which has about 11,000 students and, unlike Kanawha, is seeing that number increase -- Superintendent Frank Devono makes $172,000 and will see pay jump to $183,000 in the next two years. In the Eastern Panhandle’s Berkeley County, with 19,000 students, Superintendent Manny Arvon makes about $174,200, and will see his pay grow to $187,600 in the next three years. The median annual household income in the Mountain State is about $41,000, according to 2009-13 data from the U.S. Census, and the median annual salary for individual working residents is $30,000, according to 2011-13 data from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Thaw told the Gazette after the meeting that the board discussed Duerring’s salary during the closed session, and he senses other his fellow members will raise it. Though he said he agreed with Duerring’s positive evaluation, he doesn’t support paying him more. “I just don’t think the taxpayers of Kanawha County can take this avalanche of pay increases,” Thaw said. Karl’s comment: This report is seriously sad. That is mucho money for the poor product produced. Search these WV News pages for the keyword >test< to see the aneic academic performance of Kanawha County students. The same is true for the whole state! Worse, Dr. Duerring is guilty of allowing children to be indoctrinated with evolutionism and exposed to blasphemy. Mr. Thaw continues to con voters with his image of saving them money and Christians foolishly fall for it. Thaw, also has caused harm to the souls of children. See the notes about Pete Thaw in "Pandas".

Schools should do more to stopbullying 3-17-15
http://www.bdtonline.com/opinion/schools-should-do-more-to-stop-bullying/article_c618f6d8-cc1c-11e4-b02e-33ffccd6ebbe.html
My niece is 13 years old, and is a student at Bluefield Middle School. She deals with getting bullied every day because she is very smart. Other students call her teacher’s pet and worse. We have a bullying problem. Karl’s comment: Simple solution—rescue the child. Help homeschool her.

State school board approves make-up day waiver process 3-11-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150311/GZ01/150319762/1101
County schools districts may be allowed to make up fewer days after snow-day cancellations under a waiver process approved 6-1 by the West Virginia Board of Education Wednesday… “Are we backing down from 180 days, is that what we’re doing?” Linger asked. “Kind of feels like we’re doing that, doesn’t it?” said fellow member Lloyd Jackson, who voted in favor of the waiver. Karl’s comment: Of course they are breaking their own rule. The law means nothing to liberals and government school leaders.

Despite setback, senator happy with education reform 3-9-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150309/DM01/150309131/1276
Although she admits some degree of disappointment that a bill that would repeal the state’s Common Core standards was amended on Monday, essentially removing the repeal aspect of the legislation, Sen. Donna Boley is still celebrating. “It’s at least making the Department of Education and the state board understand that there’s people concerned about the Common Core standards and what direction we’re going,” Karl’s comment: This was a waste of time and effort. Too much money in certain hands was enough to make it a useless effort, but the fact that Common core is part of the One World push made it impossible. Common Core, at best, would have only been renamed.  For the sake of discussion, if Common Core could be removed, Christian children should not be in "public" schools.  As a retired teacher, I unequivocally proclaim that there is no hope for America as long as Christians and conservatives allow their children to be indoctrinated in the pagan schools.  See specifics at http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/index.htm.  Also see “The Common Con and Rotten (Common) Core and Partnership Poppycock”.

Harrison County B.O.E. Expands Behavior and Addiction Help to Elementary Schools 3-4-15
http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=Harrison-County-BOE-Expands-Behavior-and-Addiction-Help-to-Elementary-Schools-21595
The Harrison County Board of Education took additional steps Tuesday to address behavior and drug problems in its schools. The board, along with officials from the United Summit Center, announced an expansion of their program that helps students with behavioral or drug-related problems to the elementary level. The United Summit Center only worked with troubled youth at the middle school and high school age level in the past. Karl’s comment: Besides the obvious (drug problems throughout the school system), there is reason for concern with letting secular sources mess with the minds of children. Not to mention, the lack of time for the “4 R’s: readin’, ‘ritin’, ‘rithmetic, and righteousness.

Child Playing with Lighter Starts Small Fire at Charleston School 2-26-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Child-Playing-with-Lighter-Starts-Small-Fire-at-Charleston-School--294192571.html
A small fire was reported at Grandview Elementary School on Thursday. The fire was reported just before 8 a.m. Charleston Firefighters tell WSAZ a first grader was playing with a lighter at his desk and caught some papers on fire. Karl’s comment: Think about it!

Wayne High School Football Coach, Teacher's Aide Suspended 2-25-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Wayne-High-School-Football-Coach-Cheerleading-Coach-Suspended-90808.shtml#.VO5RyLstFhg
The Wayne High School football coach and teacher's aide have been suspended following a vote at Wayne County Board of Education. The Board of Education voted Tuesday night to suspend Tom Harmon and his wife Christi Harmon. Tom Harmon is the head football coach, teacher and athletic director at the school while Christi Harmon is an aide. Superintendent Sandra Pertee recommended the suspension following an investigation. The nature of the investigation was not disclosed during the meeting because it was a personnel matter… Tom Harmon was suspended 15 working days without pay, and his wife was suspended 10 working days without pay. The suspensions will go into effect March 2. Karl’s comment: Hmmm. If the details come out, I will post them.

Delay decision surprises many Kanawha parents 2-23-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150223/DM01/150229737/1276
Parents were shocked to hear Sunday evening that schools in Kanawha County would be on a two-hour delay on Monday despite county Board of Education officials saying they would no longer call delays. While the call confused many and angered some — something Superintendent Ron Duerring said he expected — the decision to delay school was one of safety. Karl’s comment: Two words, Keystone Kops.

Ravenswood Board Of Education Meets To Discuss Complaints From Outside Group 2-19-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Ravenswood-Board-Of-Education-Meets-To-Discuss-Complaints-From-Outside-Group-86969.shtml#.VOdt6rstHVI
… The Freedom From Religion Foundation complained about a cross and angels placed in front of Ravenswood Middle School for a former teacher who died in a car accident. They’re also upset over the nativity play that was performed at the high school during the Christmas season. At Thursday’s meeting, the board agreed the crosses would not go back up, but they will put the angels back in place… As for the nativity play, the board said they will have to do more research to see if it’s constitutional or not. Karl’s comment: Government schools have been separated from God for a long time. The SOCS group will dictate to the board what they will allow.

W.Va. teacher accused of being drunk at school 2-13-15
http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/tri_state/west_virginia/w-va-teacher-accused-of-being-drunk-at-school/article_e8dbfc90-ac0f-532a-8a51-2442f398e53e.html
A physical education teacher accused of being intoxicated Friday morning at the Berkeley County elementary school where he works now faces termination, according to county Schools Superintendent Manny Arvon. (The man), 42, of Bunker Hill, W.Va., was arraigned Friday on single misdemeanor counts of disturbance of schools and public intoxication by Berkeley County Magistrate Robert L. Lowe II, according to court records… The school principal told the deputies that she believed the defendant was intoxicated and said he was acting "off" since he had been at the school Friday morning, records said. Karl’s comment: Teachers are not regularly tested for drug use. Only god knows how many use alcohol at work. We MUST rescue our children.

Nabbed in prostitution sting, Wetzel superintendent resigns 2-13-15
http://wvmetronews.com/2015/02/13/wetzel-school-superintendent-among-those-arrested-in-prostitution-sting/
The Wetzel County Board of Education scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday night to “accept the tendered resignation” of (the) Superintendent who was arrested Thursday night in a Charleston prostitution sting… Charleston police chief of detectives Lt. Steve Cooper said (he) 57, and five other men were charged with engaging in prostitution. “These are men that come into the hotel and they make an agreement with the undercover female police officer to exchange money for sexual favors,” Cooper said. Undercover officers posed as escorts on the internet site ‘Backpage’ where the men arrested made the initial contact. Police said (he) confirmed the meeting with the undercover officer by text. Cooper said (he), 57, of New Martinsville, and the others were arrested in hotel rooms. Karl’s comment: Sad.

W.Va. soars to No. 1 spot for school breakfast 2-13-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150213/GZ01/150219647/1101
West Virginia ranks No. 1 in the country for the number of schoolchildren it serves breakfast, according to a scorecard released by the Food Research and Action Center — a marked improvement over years past, and thanks to several statewide initiatives aimed at boosting breakfast and lunch participation among the state’s neediest students, according to state officials… Approximately 60 percent of West Virginia schoolchildren meet the eligibility requirements for free and reduced lunch — 173,383 children whose family income falls near or below the federal poverty level, according to the WVBOE. Karl’s comment: Soared is not the way to look at it. It is indicative of long Democrat Party leadership in the state and the effects of the Obama environmentalist extremism. Also, it is just more government control over children.

State school board approves reducing standardized testing 2-12-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150212/GZ01/150219706/1101
The West Virginia Board of Education Thursday approved a measure eliminating statewide standardized testing in social studies and reducing examinations in science, among several major education changes. The board also delayed, for at least this school year and next, labeling schools with its new A-F grading system, which takes standardized testing into account… Board members also OK’d allowing county school districts to return to the traditional math course structure of Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II or continue with the “integrated” math courses of Math I, II and III that were originally mandated as the state moved to adopt the Common Core-based math education standards. Those standards were fully implemented this school year. The integrated courses combine algebra, geometry and other math topics in each course. But Clayton Burch, chief academic officer in the state Department of Education, said the traditional math courses, if districts choose them, will still incorporate the new Common Core-based standards, which are dubbed Next Generation in West Virginia… Lloyd Jackson noted that West Virginia doesn’t yet have its new science standards finalized — they’re still on public comment following the board’s reversal of its controversial modifications to the teaching of human-driven climate change — and the state perhaps should continue limiting science testing until those education requirements are in place… Wade Linger said fellow board members need to consider whether they are seriously dedicated to a “new direction.” “Or are we going to fall back on the same old policies that never worked in the past?” (board member Wade) Linger said… Last school year, only 36.5 percent of West Virginia students were deemed proficient in social studies, down from 38.4 percent in 2012-13, and the lowest rate since 2009-10. Only 40.6 percent made the cut in science, down from 41.1 percent in 2012-13 and the lowest rate since 2010-11. Without testing this year, much data won’t be available to compare this school year with last. Burch said the reduction in testing isn’t based on the dropping exam results. Instead, he said the major concern is over-testing… He said there’s also extra concern this year about districts having to focus on switching to the new Smarter Balanced exams in math and English/language arts — tests that are based on the Common Core standards and are replacing the Westest this spring. Karl’s comment: This is more about the mess of failed government education. Common Core is a con. Less testing means less accountability. The board member admits the system has failed. See the 1-14 entry on the science standards.

Riverside High closed after shooting threat 2-12-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150212/GZ01/150219742/1101
Riverside High School was closed Thursday as law enforcement were investigating a shooting threat at the school that occurred Wednesday evening, according to school and police officials… “We had received that there was a threat on some students that were at Riverside,” Kanawha County Superintendent Ron Duerring said Thursday. “When we received that, the principal began to check everything out, she became a little concerned so we called the police and got them involved and they were investigating all last evening.”… “There was a dispute between several students and one or more of them made threats to do violence at school,” (Cpl. Brian Humphreys, the Sheriff’s Department spokesman) said. “We don’t believe that there’s going to be any violence.” Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

W.Va. Lawmakers Focus on Lowering Truancy Rate 2-11-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/WVa-Lawmakers-Focus-on-Lowering-Truancy-Rate-291585151.html
Keeping students in the classroom has become a struggle for many schools in West Virginia, leading to one of the highest truancy rates in the country. Some lawmakers say part of the reason for that is because West Virginia's law is more aggressive than most. Therefore, they want to give parents and their children a little leniency. Statistics from the past three full school years show that more than 31 percent of students in the state are considered truant. Karl’s comment: Homeschoolers don’t have that problem.

Group Says Teacher Memorial at School Violates First Amendment 2-11-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Freedom-of-Religion-Foundation-Writes-to-Jackson-Co-WVa-Schools-Superindentent-about-Violations-291602981.html
A school in Jackson County, West Virginia, is facing religious scrutiny over a memorial honoring a teacher who passed away… The Freedom of Religion Foundation recently notified the school, saying the crosses and angels on the memorial are a violation of the separation of church and state. "The First Amendment mandates that schools cannot advance or promote religion, so that's what this display is doing," said Patrick Elliott, a staff attorney with FORF… The FORF also called into question a live nativity scene during a Christmas program at Ravenswood High School. Karl’s comment: Government schools are ran by Satan and the FORF is his arm. FORF is making sure its religion of humanism is unopposed.

West Side Town Hall Meeting Aims To Boost Student Achievement 2-10-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/West-Side-Town-Hall-Meeting-Aims-To-Boost-Student-Achievement-77005.shtml#.VNqn5rstFOw Education was the focus of a town hall meeting Monday night at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary on Charleston's West Side. Community leaders and education officials sat and brainstormed, to try to figure out how to get students motivated to succeed. Right now, too many children in that area of town are underperforming in school…"We're just going to work to continue to improve student achievement here in our West Side schools," Duerring said. "We're pretty excited about the project and the fact there's a lot more to be done and we're going to get it done." Karl’s comment: BWHAHAHA. “Git Er Done Duerring” is too busy making sure children do not get truth about science and do get to blaspheme Jesus Christ. Refer back to this article in future years and ole Git Er Done, or his successor, will be “excited about some other money wasting scheme.

Alternative teacher certification bill passes WV House, moves onto Senate 2-10-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/28076330/alternative-teacher-certification-bill-passes-wv-house-moves-onto-senate
West Virginia lawmakers are creating a new way for people with real-life experiences to be able to teach in the Mountain State. The goal is to try to fill West Virginia's 700 current teaching vacancies… Some delegates argued the bill would undermine teaching degrees, while others argued these teachers would not be prepared. “They aren't trained to the extent in pedagogy and material that would enable them to function in the classroom as a regularly trained classroom,” said Delegate Don Perdue, D- Fayette. Karl’s comment: So much for having “highly-qualified” teachers. Learned to teach by doing it. The college B.S. degree was just what the initials stand for when negatively commenting on the quality or veracity of something.

Fayetteville High School Teacher Arrested, Accused Of Buying Pills From Undercover Offficer 2-9-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Fayetteville-High-School-Teacher-Arrested-Accused-Of-Buying-Pills-From-Undercover-Offficer-76911.shtml#.VNlVIrstHmQ
West Virginia State Police said a Fayetteville High School teacher was arrested after she purchased a narcotic pain reliever from an undercover officer. (She), 40, was arrested on a possession of a controlled substance charge Monday, according to a criminal complaint filed in Fayette County Magistrate Court. The complaint said the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force had received numerous complaints over the past several months that (she) had been using Roxicodone pills. After an investigation, a deal was set up to sell (her) 10 Roxicodone prescription pills for $300. On Monday, (she) left the high school and drove to Dairy Queen in Fayetteville where she met with an officer assigned to the task force, the complaint said. Karl’s comment: This is another of many such incidents. Just search these WV News pages for <drugs>.

Marshall County Teacher Indicted on Child Porn Charge 2-4-15
http://www.wboy.com/story/28024599/marshall-county-teacher-indicted-on-child-porn-charge
A Marshall County teacher was indicted Feb. 4 by a federal grand jury for allegedly possessing child porn, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.  (The man), 33, of Moundsville is alleged to have repeatedly downloaded images of child pornography in April 2014 while employed as a teacher at John Marshall High 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!!!

School officials want to ensure students take exams 2-4-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150204/GZ01/150209599
A new statewide standardized test will replace the Westest this spring, and school officials are considering methods, including punishments, to ensure enough students take it to produce reliable data. Proposed rules for the state’s new A-F school rating system -- which is replacing the Accountability Index (see the 12-5-14 headline) that gave schools labels like “success” or “priority” -- would drop a school’s grade by one letter if between 5 and 10 percent of students miss the test. If more than 10 percent of students miss the test, the school would automatically get an F… Carla Howe, director of interim accountability and data governance, said research has shown schools sometimes purposefully don’t test traditionally low-scoring groups, like children from poor families, in order to get better scores. “I don’t know, we just happened to not test the low-performers, so we’ve earned an A!” Howe said. She said “people get really good at gaming this stuff,” and officials have to accept that and monitor for such cheating… The push for ensuring more students take the state’s new exam comes at a time when some Republicans in the newly GOP-dominated state Legislature are opposing the test and the new standards off which it’ll be based. Those standards are based on the controversial Common Core math and English/language arts national standards blueprint. Karl’s comment: The ONLY test that can be trusted (and it can be fudged if money moves) is the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP). Search <NAEP> on this site using the Search Box.

Teachers fight West Virginia charter school proposal 2-5-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/28038214/teachers-fight-west-virginia-charter-school-proposal
… Supporters say counties could tailor schools to fit their educational needs. "It's not the one-size-fits-all approach that we've tried to force public education into in West Virginia," said Delegate Amanda Pasdon, a Monongalia County Republican and bill sponsor… Teachers across the state have taken to Facebook, creating a group to a advocate against the proposal… But supporters says money follows students. "The children that would be in the public charter would be in the charter and the money would follow them whether they were in the public traditional system or in the public charter system," said Delegate Pasdon. Karl’s comment: Of course teachers are against this, but for selfish reasons. That said, charter schools are NOT the solution for Christians and conservatives.

W.Va. 10th worst in preventing bullying, study says 2-4-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150204/DM01/150209559/1276
Despite having one of the most comprehensive anti-bullying laws in the country, West Virginia ranks near the bottom in controlling bullying in public schools among the states studied in a new report released Wednesday by WalletHub. Karl’s comment: West Virginia schools are dangerous places.

Teachers and students oppose proposed social studies changes in Mason County, WV 1-29-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/27978501/teachers-and-students-oppose-proposed-social-studies-changes-in-mason-county-wv
Proposed changes to West Virginia's social studies curriculum are being met with opposition. House Bill 2107 would require teachers to focus on United States founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, for a year and a half.  Teachers can then move onto what delegates call secondary topics. Karl’s comment: The leftist leaders would not want students exposed too much (if at all) to what America was founded upon.

School Officials Respond to Hamilton Middle School Investigation 1-29-15
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/home/headlines/School-Officials-Respond-to-Hamilton-Middle-School-Investigation-290258011.html
Parkersburg Police retrieved a note on January 23, 2015 with a list of student names and a teacher's name. After investigating, officials were able to identify the author of the note, which happens to be a 6th grader at Hamilton Middle School… In a statement from Wood County Schools they say, quote, "at no time were students or staff of Hamilton Middle School exposed to any immediate danger." The school did not go into a lock down and the student is being handled by school officials. "We have an SRO officer over there, as we do the other middle schools. I'm looking at it as a good thing. If he hadn't been there, who knows how long this case would have went on without us knowing about it or us being involved may have prolonged the outcome of it," says Parkersburg Police Chief, Joe Martin… Wood county schools says they are continuing investigating with the help of law enforcement and this incident is being treated with the urgency of a threat. Parents say they were not notified of this until Thursday morning. Parkersburg police say they found the note on January 23, 2015, but Superintendent, John Flint, says the central office didn't find out about the note until January 28, 2015 around 1:43 pm. Karl’s comment: Police officers on duty in every middle school! THINK about it!!

Police investigate alleged rape at Capital High 1-27-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150127/GZ01/150129303/1101
Charleston police are investigating an alleged rape at Capital High School, authorities said Tuesday. Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for the Charleston Police Department, said detectives were working on the case Tuesday. Cooper said he was limited in the amount of information he could release because the alleged victim is a juvenile. Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Miller confirmed that the case involves more than one juvenile…In December of 2009, a 14-year-old ninth grader at Capital High School told a school counselor that on about Nov. 20, she was grabbed from behind, dragged about 40 feet and raped in the school’s south courtyard in some tall ornamental grass. Karl’s comment: I wonder how much consensual sex goes on on school property during school hours. Read on.
1-28 Updates (emphasis added)
(http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Alleged-Rape-Investigated-at-Capital-High-School-290016741.html) Kanawha County Prosecutor Chuck Miller tells WSAZ the suspect is a 17-year-old male student at Capital High School. Miller says the victim was a 15-year-old student at the school. Miller also confirms to WSAZ the incident happened inside the school Monday morning. The incident was caught on surveillance video, according to Miller…According to Miller, investigators were not notified until a day after the incident. He's unclear when the victim's parents were notified…Dr. Duerring tells WSAZ, schools are the safest place you can send children. (Karl’s comment: If that wasn’t so seriously sad, it would rate a BWAHAHAHA!) Duerring says school personnel have 48 hours to notify investigators of an incident. Capital High School Principal Clinton Giles tells WSAZ the school is safe. "Our school is safe. It's safer than easily 75 percent of other communities," Giles said. "What happened was an aberration, it's not an everyday thing."… Giles says he's not going to speculate if a crime was committed at the school… Clinton Giles, principal at Capital High School, emailed a statement to WSAZ that read: "The term 'rape' has not been used by anyone at Capital High School - to my knowledge. At this time, all I can tell you is that an investigation is being conducted by the Charleston Police Department… Prosecutor Miller tells WSAZ rape is no longer a term used in state law. Miller says sexual assault is the term now used in state code. (http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Police-Say-Arrest-Made-In-Alleged-Rape-At-Capital-High-School-71813.shtml#.VMrEm7stFhg) Some parents say they are angry they had to learn about the investigation through the news. Eyewitness News also has learned that the victim's mother did not learn about the investigation until the day after her daughter reported the alleged assault to a school counselor… Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Miller said the alleged assault happening on Monday, underneath a stairwell inside the school, during school hours… (A mother) says she is upset and angry that parents were never notified by school officials. "This is a horrible, horrible incident, and I just can't comprehend why they have not even notified us as parents of students who go there," she said. ( http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150128/GZ01/150129237/1101 ) Police weren’t notified about the incident until Tuesday, Miller said, so a forensic exam was delayed. Forensic exams, used to look for injuries and DNA evidence, should be performed as soon as possible after an assault, when health-care providers are more likely to find evidence, the prosecutor said. “The earlier that sexual assault victims are examined for evidence, the more likely it is that evidence can be gathered,” he said… The West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services states that the treatment of a victim of sexual assault should be considered a “medical emergency.” The foundation recommends a physical examination in all sexual assault cases and notes that sex crimes evidence-collection kits, also called “rape kits,” might not be useful after 96 hours. Also while at the hospital for forensic exams, victims may receive preventive treatment for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Timing is important for those treatments, as well.
2-3 Update (emphasis added)
(http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150203/GZ01/150209768/1101)
Capital High School Principal Clinton Giles has been suspended and charged with a misdemeanor for failing to report an alleged sexual assault at his school … Authorities also say that Giles was aware of a previous sexual assault allegation against the same male student on Feb. 14 of last year. Giles did report that incident to police, according to Miller, but the student was never charged. “I’ve been told the parents of the young girl involved in the incident last year did not believe it was in her interest to move forward … Giles also didn’t tell Charleston Police Department Officer Robert Brown, who serves as the school’s prevention resource officer, even though Giles and Brown had contact after Giles knew of the incident, according to the complaint.
(2-4 Update)
(http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150204/DM01/150209560/1276)
The assistant principals whom Capital High School Principal Clinton Giles instructed not to tell police about an alleged sexual assault on campus will not be charged with breaking the state’s mandatory reporting law, Kanawha Prosecutor Chuck Miller said Wednesday… When asked if the counselor who initially told Giles about the alleged assault could or should be charged as well, Miller said he didn’t think that would happen… Giles also is accused of failing to immediately report another assault involving the same male student that happened last year. He did report that incident to the school resource officer, Miller said Tuesday.
(Update 2-9) Capital High School Principal Clinton H. Giles has retired, after being charged last week with failing to immediately report an alleged sexual assault at his school…Giles was Kanawha’s highest-paid and longest-serving principal. He made about $92,600 a year until Dec. 1, when the local school board approved significant pay increases for him and all other middle school and high school principals and assistant principals.

W.Va. school gets out-of-state criticism for lesson on 1-25-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150125/GZ01/150129587/1101
A Wyoming County school received angry phone calls after photos surfaced of posters from a multicultural lesson on the Middle East and Islam, but the criticism wasn’t from parents. Westside High School Principal Robin Hall said she received several calls from people in Florida, Arizona and New York who were upset that the school was teaching about Islam and accused teachers of indoctrinating students. “We’re all very, very upset,” Hall said Wednesday. “We have a good school, great students, great faculty and a wonderful community.”… “The ones that have called me, they don’t think that the Middle East should be mentioned in the school at all unless you do the bad part about it. You know, that these people are out to kill us and all of that,” Hall said. Video stills posted on Facebook show hand-made posters outlining Islamic culture, including food and religious beliefs…One Florida woman, Dianne Lynn Savage, posted the stills …Commenters supporting Westside High School said it’s full of God-fearing Christians, holds a prayer circle every morning before school and doesn’t believe learning about other faiths is wrong…Hall said public schools in West Virginia are required to incorporate multicultural activities into their lessons. The lesson on the Middle East included teaching students about the Islamic religion and its culture, but wasn’t necessarily the only part of the region students learned about. “There’s other teachers at the same time that may have brought up Judaism. They may have talked about Israel or Christianity,” Hall said. Still, Hall said it’s the school’s job to present students with a variety of cultures and beliefs, no matter one’s opinion of whether they are good or bad. “With information, you get power,” Hall said, “and that’s what everybody should want for all kids, for them to be exposed to things so they can make their own judgments.” Karl’s comment: Students should have been asked to research the religion of the acts of murder and mayhem committed during the last ten years. Also, the bloody history of Islam should have been studied. As the principal said, "Knowledge is power." The ACLU forced removal of images of Jesus in WV. I dare Westside to do the same emphasis on the Prince of Peace. I wonder if the principal allows students “to be exposed to things so they can make their own judgments” regarding evolutionism. LOL (sarcastically) on her statement that the teachers “may have talked about Israel or Christianity.”

Boone county teen charged in school threat 1-23-15
http://www.wowktv.com/story/27926289/boone-county-teen-charged-in-school-threat
A Boone County, WV teen is facing charges after he threatened to kill several students. According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, the teen will be charged as juvenile. No weapons were found at the school or in the teen's possession. Van High School was on lockdown while police investigated the situation. Karl’s comment: Tick, tick, tick.

Ex-Elementary School Counselor Sentenced For Role In Drug Ring 1-21-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Ex-Elementary-School-Counselor-Sentenced-For-Role-In-Drug-Ring-70288.shtml#.VMGnRLstFjo
A former elementary school guidance counselor will spend 18 months in prison for participating in a prescription drug ring. (She) was among more than a dozen people indicted on charges stemming from an investigation of the ring. She pleaded guilty last September to distribution of oxycodone…At the time of her arrest, (she) was a guidance counselor at Ritchie Elementary School in Wheeling. Karl’s comment: Among these headlines you can easily follow common threads of drug abuse by educators.

Black community unites to raise student achievement 1-19-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150119/GZ01/150119195/1101
Hundreds of African-Americans gathered at First Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday to consider how to improve the persistently low achievement that has plagued black Kanawha County students, especially on the West Side of Charleston…Only one in four black students in Kanawha are proficient in reading, and only one in five are proficient in math, according to the data at the event. State standardized testing proficiency rates dropped at three West Side schools — Stonewall Jackson Middle and Grandview and Mary C. Snow West Side elementaries — from the 2012-13 school year to last school year. There is no data yet available on the last West Side school, the new Edgewood Elementary, but one of the two schools that was consolidated to create it also saw its scores drop…(Grace Bible pastor the Rev. Matthew) Watts, who said only 14 percent of black children on the West Side live in a home with their mother and father, said the concentrated, urban poverty that black students in the area face — a poverty that involves high rates of drug trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence and violence in general — is different from the rural poverty many whites face in, for instance, eastern Kanawha. Karl’s comment: Parents of black children should also see "What about Black Folks?." All “colors” of Christians should see “Children of Caesar”. Blacks are reaping what they sowed by getting in bed with liberals. Liberalism is evil.

Marion County expulsion rate down 1-18-15
http://www.timeswv.com/news/marion-county-expulsion-rate-down/article_604921ae-9ef7-11e4-9897-775e2a335f7e.html
Since the beginning of the school year, school administrators have seen one of the lowest expulsion rates in years… Price said in Marion County there have been a total of six students being expelled since the beginning of the school year in August 2014. He said out of those six students, five of them were high school students. With the six expulsions, Price said five of them were drug related. Karl’s comment: Only six—and he is bragging! Oh, the year is barely half over. I wonder how many go without even being caught.

Braxton County Band Director Charged with Failing to Report Sexual Assault ofTeen 1-16-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Braxton-County-Band-Director-Charged-with-Failing-to-Report-Sexual-Assault-of-Teen-288836621.html
The band director at Braxton County High School has been charged with failing to report a sexual assault… According to the criminal complaint, a 17-year-old girl texted Heath on December 8, saying she had been sexually assaulted. He allegedly traveled to Gassaway to pick her up, and took her back to his place in Sutton, where she stayed the night, without notifying her parents where she was or what had happened, according to the criminal complaint. Karl’s comment: Another sad story!

Calhoun schools trying to slash deficit, but employees protest 1-15-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150115/GZ01/150119470/1419
The Calhoun County school district’s deficit at the end of last fiscal year surpassed $1.8 million, exceeding one-fifth of its annual operating budget, but recent drastic efforts to reduce it have received opposition from employees…(T)he superintendent said a union representing local school service personnel, like bus drivers and secretaries, has filed a grievance against the Calhoun school board over the cuts it approved, arguing the days were reduced after the proper period in which employee contracts are set… Joe Panetta, chief operations officer for the West Virginia Department of Education, spoke to the state school board Thursday about Calhoun and the three other counties – Clay, Grant and Randolph – that had unreserved fund balance deficits at the end of the 2013-14 fiscal year… Grant’s deficit was at about $176,000 last fiscal year, up from $145,000 the year prior; Randolph’s was at $309,000, down from $998,000; and Clay’s was at $236,000, down from $1.3 million. The four deficit districts, along with others that Panetta said aren’t in the red but are quickly heading toward it, are on the department’s “watch list.” Karl’s comment: If schools were businesses they would be bankrupt.

W.Va. state school board moves back toward original climate change standards 1-14-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150114/GZ01/150119623
After widespread criticism from teachers, professors and others, the West Virginia Board of Education voted Wednesday to withdraw a set of science education standards containing controversial modifications to the teaching of climate change. The new version, which will be open for a 30-day public comment period, doesn’t contain the alterations to the three standards on climate change the board earlier approved. Karl’s comment: Liberal fanatics win again. But, that is to be expected when they rule the government schools.

GOP lawmakers says Tomblin lifting part of their agenda 1-14-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150114/GZ01/150119537/1419
…Republican House Speaker Tim Armstead said he was pleased that Tomblin, a Democrat, talked about workforce training and education reforms, such as streamlining teacher certification requirements. Many schools struggle to find teachers for high-level math and sciences courses. “We need to allow for alternative ways to fill those spots,” said Armstead, R-Kanawha. “There’s a tremendous shortage of teachers in critical areas. Karl’s comment: The Republicans emphasis the lack of qualified teachers, but Republicans are not the answer!

Tomblin proposes education initiatives 1-14-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150114/DM0104/150119556/1276
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin plans to tackle education and substance abuse issues this legislative session…Tomblin has proposed education initiatives in the past, including reforming the system in 2013. This year, he’s proposing legislation, My State, My Life, aimed at encouraging students to stay in West Virginia. “The West Virginia of today is not the same place as it was decades ago,” Tomblin said. “We are ushering in an era of change that will provide our students with opportunities for a great life here at home.” Tomblin said he’s visited schools across the state and has seen first-hand the changes school systems are making to better prepare students for the work force. My State, My Life aims to show students the opportunities they have in careers related to science, math and engineering as early as elementary and middle school. To that end, Tomblin has proposed increased funding for STEM-related education. “As we increase and improve STEM-education opportunities, there will be a need for more certified chemistry, robotics and advanced math teachers in our classrooms,” Tomblin said. “We must ensure our students are being taught by great teachers, including those who may not have a traditional education degree.” Karl’s comment: The governor hopes to bluff taxpayers with buzzwords. Of course, technology is important and the tax-payers will key in on that. But technology in the same old set up, not to mention the liberal indoctrination, will be of little value. Also, sounds like he is giving up on education majors. The teacher unions are not going to allow much wiggle room. (See the next entry)

Unions wary of Tomblin teacher certification plans 1-14-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150114/GZ01/150119550/1101
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s announcement that he will introduce legislation to expand the hiring of teachers who do not have a background in teaching has the state’s teachers unions taking a wait-and-see approach… Both leaders mentioned that teacher salaries in West Virginia lag behind other states. “It’s going to be a problem attracting teachers until we do something about the compensation,” (West Virginia president of the American Federation of Teachers Christine) Campbell said. “We’ve got to move forward with it.”Last year, in passing $1,000 pay raises for teachers, the Legislature also set a goal of getting salaries for beginning teachers to at least $43,000 by 2019, a level more than $10,000 above where it is now. (President of the West Virginia Education Association Dale) Lee said he was disappointed that Tomblin’s budget did not address that stated goal. “More and more of our classrooms are without a certified teacher and it’s hurting our kids,” Lee said, stressing the need for higher pay to attract better teachers. Karl’s comment: $$$$$Cha-ching!

Riverside students suspended for fixing grades; parents dispute allegations 1-14-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150114/GZ01/150119611/1101
A student at Riverside High School obtained access to a grading system, which allowed him to accept money for fixing the grades of his peers, according to school administrators. Eight students were either suspended from school or compelled to attend Saturday school last week, after Riverside High School Principal Valery Harper said administrators proved their grades were changed. The student who allegedly got access to the grading system was expelled, she said. “We just hope that the kids learn from it. They’re young. I would much prefer that students make mistakes at Riverside than somewhere else,” Harper said. But the parents of two students caught up in the scheme say they plan to file a legal complaint against the school. They allege that their children were coerced into giving false statements…(A parent) said she believes that (the teacher) should have been punished for allowing his password to get out. “If a 16-year-old child can get his password, I don’t know what to say,” she said. Karl’s comment: A mistake? It was theft! Hmm, that is one of the Ten Commandments that are no longer allowed in government schools.

Cabell County Schools Hires Third Resource Officer 1-14-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Cabell-County-Schools-Hires-Third-Resource-Officer-288580981.html
…Corporal Steve Vincent is reporting for duty this week. He will be working full-time with students and staff members at Huntington East Middle School, Huntington Middle School, and the Cabell County Career Technology Center. "Our school system has a long and productive history of working closely with local law enforcement to ensure student safety," says William Smith, Superintendent of Cabell County Schools. "We partner with the Huntington Police Department to staff a full-time resource officer at Huntington High School, and our existing agreement with the Cabell County Sheriff's Department has provided for a full-time resource officer at Cabell Midland High School since that building opened in 1994. Karl’s comment: “Resource Officer” is the nice way to say “armed cop.” There was an armed cop at Columbine where 21 weere wounded and 13 killed!!! Also see the 1-13-15 entry on this placebo.

WV Board Urged To Fix Safety Issues At Oak Hill School 1-14-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Safety-Issues-Close-Two-Buildings-On-Oak-Hill-School-39-s-Campus-68620.shtml#.VLcjQ7stFOw
The state Board of Education is being urged to take immediate action to fix safety problems at an Oak Hill middle school…Fayette County Republican Delegate Tom Fast reminded the school board that it took control of the county school system in 2010, so it was up to the board to act quickly. Karl’s comment: See the next entry.

Fayette school officials compare deteriorating facilities to “third world country” 1-14-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150114/DM01/150119555/1276
Fayette County school officials, parents and teachers criticized the state Board of Education Wednesday for mismanaging the county’s facilities the last five years it has been under state control. On Monday, Collins Middle, the county’s largest school, was closed after the building was deemed unsafe following a review of its deteriorating structure. While a portion of the campus will remain open and will house fifth- and sixth-graders, some 400 students have been displaced and await relocation. The closure prompted dozens of parents and school officials to attend the board’s meeting Wednesday where they pleaded with its members to fix the county’s failing school system. “We’re in a crisis,” said Fayette County teacher Jason Crouch. Leon Ivey, a member of the Fayette school board, urged board members and Superintendent Michael Martirano to visit the county’s schools to see the problems for themselves. “You were in the eastern panhandle last week,” Ivey told Martirano. “After being there, you’ll come here and think you’re in a third world country.”…While Ivey admitted the Fayette school board is to blame for many of its problems, he said the state has failed the students “by not doing anything.” “We’re letting our children down,” he said. “You’re letting them down.” Del. Tom Fast, R-Fayette, said the problems started in Fayette County but that the state assumed responsibility when it seized control in 2010. “This is happening under your watch,” he told board members. “I would really like that to sink in.”…Board President Gayle Manchin didn’t offer a solution, but said the board intended to address the issues in a “timely fashion.” The state school board took over Fayette County in 2010 for failing to resolve problems with its curriculum and facilities. The state also seized control of the school system in 2001. Karl’s comment: The county and the state admit failure. If we include the feds, government school is a failure and not just in extreme physical cases. Even in shiny new buildings America is “letting the children down.”

Resource Officers Being Hired for all Boone County High Schools 1-13-15
http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Resource-Officers-Being-Hired-for-all-Boone-County-High-Schools-288467531.html
…The faculty at Van High School says that making sure your children are safe in school is money well spent…. You'd be surprised by the information we get from students as they develop relationships with police officers," (Boone County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Chad) Barker said. The hope is that students will trust officers enough to give them information about possible threats. That would then allow your children and their teachers to concentrate on an education, and leave safety concerns to those with a badge. Karl’s comment: Do you see a problem with that? Our school discipline can no longer be handled by educators.

Tablets Being Rolled Out To Kanawha Co. Students 1-13-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Tablets-Being-Rolled-Out-To-Kanawha-Co-Students-68750.shtml#.VLW7qLstHmQ
… The district's been working to train teachers on the devices for months, and by the end of this week, 2,000 students will have tablets.  Over the next several weeks, that will grow to include 14,000 students…"I think classroom instruction, classroom learning is really going to change.  It's really going to make a big difference in what our kids know," (Valery Harper, Riverside principal) said…Students and staff say these iPads are a huge step in making sure every student has the same ability to be college and career ready… "What we expect to see is that they're engaged in learning, that teachers and students are both engaged; they're engaged in problem solving.  They're creative.  They're collaborative.  They're critical thinkers," (Leah Sparks, Kanawha County Schools technology director) said. Karl’s comment: Beware of government gifts. Buzzwords terms such as “collaborative” and “critical thinkers" have been tossed about since the days I was a teacher. I wonder if the students will get to visit this website for real critical thinking about evolutionism.

Study Says Bullying Most Prevalent In WV Middle Schools 1-12-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Study-Says-Bullying-Most-Prevalent-In-WV-Middle-Schools-68334.shtml#.VLRMgbstHmI
…The state study said 47 percent of school discipline referrals for bullying, harassment or intimidation in the current academic year have occurred in middle schools. According to the study, 29 percent of such incidents occurred in high schools and 24 percent occurred in elementary schools…Whisman told the committee that 2,957 students were referred for disciplinary action for bullying or harassment behaviors. Seventy-five percent of these students are male. Karl’s comment: THINK! Almost three THOUSAND discipline referrals JUST for this serious issue! I encourage tax-payers to ask for discipline records from each school. We MUST rescue our children!!

W.Va. Science Teachers Association criticizes global warming education changes 1-11-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150111/GZ01/150119930/1101
The West Virginia Science Teachers Association is criticizing the state Board of Education’s controversial changes to K-12 education standards on climate change, saying the changes compromise and misrepresent the science…“The science was compromised by these modifications to the standards, specifically by casting doubt on the credibility of the evidence-based climate models and misrepresentation of trends in science when analyzing graphs dealing with temperature changes over time.”…At the request of school board member Wade Linger, who said he doesn’t believe human-influenced climate change is a “foregone conclusion,” the teaching requirements concerning climate change were altered before the board placed them on a 30-day public comment period in October and voted to adopt them last month. The standards will take effect in the 2016-17 school year. The teaching requirements are part of new standards based on the national Next Generation Science Standards blueprint. The changes, for example, added “and fall” after “rise” to a proposed standard requiring that sixth-graders “ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.”…Late last month, before the Gazette-Mail first reported the story, (WVSTA President Libby) Strong said she didn’t think the changed standards would hamper teachers. She, like state Department of Education officials, said the changes would encourage students to think critically about the topic. On Saturday, Strong said she was “in the dark” when she previously spoke with the Gazette-Mail and “didn’t realize the back story.”…In addition to the sixth-grade standard, the changes were: | Original ninth-grade science requirement: “Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.”| Adopted version: “Analyze geoscience data and the predictions made by computer climate models to assess their creditability [sic] for predicting future impacts on the Earth System.”| Original high school elective Environmental Science requirement: “Debate climate changes as it [sic] relates to greenhouse gases, human changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, and relevant laws and treaties.”| Adopted version: “Debate climate changes as it relates to natural forces such as Milankovitch cycles, greenhouse gases, human changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, and relevant laws and treaties.”Milankovitch cycles are long-term changes in Earth’s orbit around the sun, and some who do not believe in man-made global warming use that theory as the basis of their assertion that the Earth is simply in a natural warming period…At a time when West Virginia’s separate but connected Common Core-based English/language arts and math standards are facing Republican opposition, Department of Education officials repeatedly have downplayed their control over curriculum in classrooms. Strong said students are tested on standards, standards help guide which textbooks are selected and principals often require teachers’ lesson plans to show which standards they’re going over. “So yes, there’s a direct correlation between what’s in those standards and what’s taught in the classroom,” she said. “And, generally, if it’s not in the state standards, it doesn’t get addressed.” Karl’s comment: Strong got weak when liberal power brokers made her see the light. The WVSTA are true believers in evolutionism, so no one should trust their judgment on Global Warming. The warming data is not the issue--the right to consider it without the fanatical liberal agenda indoctrination is and the WVSTA does not want to let students see any controversy. That is the way the West Virginia government indoctrination centers play. See the 12-28-14 WV News headline. Evolution is more impossible than the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Headless Horseman. See http:// www.lifescienceprize.org/ for a list of bluffing evolutionists.

Also see the 1-14 and 1-11 entries below.

State schools earn ‘C’ from education newspaper 1-8-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150108/DM01/150109364/1276
A national report grading the performance of state school systems found that West Virginia falls behind in student achievement despite being the country’s second highest spender on education. While West Virginia came up short in several categories, like preschool enrollment and factors determining a student’s chance for success, the state’s overall grade of C places it 27th in the nation. The country as a whole also received a C. In 2013, the report ranked West Virginia ninth in the nation with an overall score of B-minus despite receiving an F in student achievement. The state’s ranking has varied over time though due to the report’s shifting focus each year. That B-minus dropped to C-minus last year when West Virginia’s ranking plummeted to 46th. However, researchers said past reports are not directly comparable to the one issued this year. Despite the lukewarm results of the report, which was released Thursday by Education Week, school officials said they were encouraged…West Virginia’s preschool program is nationally recognized — most notably for a state law that required universal care to be offered to every 4-year-old…West Virginia was 47th in achievement and is ranked in the bottom 10 for fourth and eighth grade reading and math proficiency. The state also was 47th in the chance for success index, which measures the role of education in a student’s life, from childhood to adulthood. West Virginia’s highest marks came in education spending. While the state’s education spending was second highest in the nation, the management of the Department of Education’s $2.5 billion budget has been the source of much criticism over the years and one of the factors highlighted in an efficiency audit that found the state wasted millions. Karl’s comment: Same song, same verse—more money and getting worse.

Some Heating Issues Reported At Area Schools As Cold Grips Region 1-8-15
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/Some-Heating-Issues-Reported-At-Area-Schools-As-Cold-Grips-Region-67727.shtml#.VK_43LstFlY
On the coldest day of the year, many heating systems in West Virginia schools were strained. Many parents across the region are angry over recurring problems at Cedar Grove Community School. There were signs the heat was on at Cedar Grove, but some parents have not cooled down after the school stayed open with temperatures, parents said, as low as 45 degrees inside. The heating system for the school of about 500 kids has been experiencing problems for about three days. Karl’s comment: You really need to see the video with this one. Especially where the superintendent says many kids rely on the schools for meals. Think: “Socialism”. Also see the 1-6 entry below.

Collins Middle gym deemed unsuitable for occupation 1-6-15
http://www.register-herald.com/news/collins-middle-gym-deemed-unsuitable-for-occupation/article_b2c7b40e-6727-5963-b285-9339a8403521.html
Collins Middle School’s gymnasium, including its school-based health clinic, has been condemned, confirmed Fayette County Superintendent Dr. Serena Starcher. On Dec. 19, architectural contractors with ZMM Inc. inspected the structure and reported it had “deteriorated to a point that the building is not suitable for occupancy in its current condition.”…Starcher said maintenance staff brought concerns about the facility forward, and with 800 students, Collins is the largest school in the county. The campus is housed across several structures. On 1-13: About 400 seventh and eighth graders were told not to come to class Tuesday or Wednesday after a structural report released Monday found major problems at a building of one of Fayette County’s largest schools. Superintendent Serena Starcher said she hopes to get the students – roughly half of the enrollment at Collins Middle School in Oak Hill – back in classes by Thursday, with seventh graders being sent to Fayetteville High School and eight graders going to Oak Hill High School. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150113/GZ01/150119733/1419 Karl’s comment: How long did this situation exist before it was noticed? They have no room to criticize Christian schools that are not megabuck facilities.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Task force to study charter schools 3-15-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150315/DM0104/150319433/1276
A resolution Democrats say was “prepared rather hastily” will create a task force to study the implementation of charter schools

Legislators sink attempt to return LGBT protections to charter schools bill 3-10-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150310/GZ01/150319958/1101
Union leaders, teachers and others joined gay rights advocates in opposition Tuesday morning to the current version of a bill to allow charter schools in West Virginia. More than half of the 25 speakers who participated in the public hearing on Senate Bill 14 were against the current form of the legislation — either opposing charters in general or denouncing the House Education Committee’s amendment last week that stripped specific protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender charter students and employees… The West Side already has a relatively new pilot program allowing schools extra flexibility, but (Pastor Matthew) Watts, who didn’t mention the LGBT issue, said he supports the charter bill. Many charters have been established specifically to serve disadvantaged students. “With all of our work, we still have some of the lowest-performing students in the entire state,” Watts said. “So I just believe that it’s time to give charter schools a chance... we need it on the menu.” (emphasis added)

House committee removes LGBT protections from charter schools bill 3-6-15
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150306/GZ01/150309331
The House Education Committee has removed language that included specific protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and employees from a bill to allow charter schools in West Virginia — a move that has LGBT rights supporters concerned.

Bill to allow charter schools passes Senate 3-2-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150302/DM01/150309801/1300
By Joel Ebert, Capitol Bureau After several days (sic) worth of delays, the state Senate has passed legislation that would permit the formation of a charter schools system in West Virginia on Monday. Following more than an hour and half worth of discussion, the measure passed with an 18-16 vote, which once again fell along party lines. As several Democrats attempted to poke holes in the legislation, which has gone through significant discussion and alteration since the bill was initially introduced on the first day of the session, Republicans argued for its necessity.

GOP resurrects charter school bill killed by Dems 2-24-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150224/DM01/150229652/1276
A new battle erupted in the West Virginia state Senate on Tuesday over one of the least controversial practices of the Legislature: parliamentary procedure. The upper chamber had its most contentious floor session this year after a rarely used parliamentary move resulted in Republicans reviving the charter schools bill, despite significant outcry from Democrats… Kessler also attacked the merits of the charter schools bill, which he said doesn’t serve the citizens of the state. He called the bill “an agenda item run by the radical right to try to force something down our throat that the people of this state don’t want.”

Democrats nix charter schools bill in surprise WV Senate vote 2-23-15
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150223/DM01/150229709/1276
Democrats exploited the absence of three Republican senators on Monday by voting down a bill that would have authorized county school boards to form charter schools in West Virginia. Seeing that Democrats had a majority during Monday’s Senate Finance Committee meeting, Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, motioned that the bill be postponed indefinitely, a move that all but prevents the piece of legislation from moving forward in the session’s remaining 19 days. “I had a chance to kill it and I did,” Kessler said.

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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