EXODUS MANDATE-WV

2009 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.

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!!

Governor Joe Manchin III, during his 2009"State of the State" address, made it very clear that West Virginia Public Schools are not a good place for children.

In his own words:

"We must do a better job of educating our children, starting from the ground up. From pre-school through college, we've got to change."
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/politics/200902110794

Karl’s comment: The governor did not claim that the dangerous situations he deplored in 2007 and 2008 have been eliminated. He just wants to pour more money into the same “solutions” with new names. As Yogi Berri noted, “This is “déjà vu all over again”. The Governor also said, “ We can no longer allow children who do not have the critical skill sets they require to advance to the next level.” That’s called “social promotion” and it has been debated for the entire time (over 35 years) I have been involved with government schools.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Too many students lack basics (December 26, 2009)
http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/OpEdCommentaries/200912250256
From the article: “I teach two classes that must be taken by students who wish to be high school social studies teachers… I ask students, as extra credit and with advance notice and preparation, to name important people in our federal government (such as the House and Senate majority and minority leaders) and to calculate their property tax. This year's problem required students to multiply without calculators, $150,000 by 0.6 by 0.21). While I have an international student who could name all of those people, who could do the elementary arithmetic, and who could earn an A on a basic multiple-choice exam about American government, none of our future teachers could name those people or earn an A. Most could not calculate the taxes… It is a regrettable fact that many of our students are admitted to our university with standardized-test scores that require them to take developmental courses in math and English. From experience, I see no reason to believe that the results would be different if we also gave admission tests in social studies, science or foreign language." Karl’s comment: The article was written by a professor at Concord University that believes the public schools can be fixed.

Former GW vice principal blasts Duerring in lawsuit (December 30, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200912300441
From the article: “A former Kanawha County assistant principal alleges in a lawsuit that Kanawha School Superintendent Ron Duerring told him 10 years ago to "make deals" with children of influential people so that Duerring would not have to hear their complaints…When Corbett told Duerring he would not make deals or give special treatment to any students based on the influence of their parents, Duerring said Corbett's failure to make deals would hurt his chance for future promotions, according to the lawsuit… Corbett was involved in two highly publicized student issues dating back to 1999, which included the suspension of former Kanawha County prosecutor Bill Forbes' son that year. In 2001, Corbett suspended former state Sen. John Mitchell's daughter." Karl’s comment: The jury will judge this particular case, but do you really think public schools are without corruption?

Harrison grand jury to hear cases in January (December 29, 2009)
http://www.cpubco.com/articles/2009/12/29/news/02.txt
From the article: “(He) was a fine arts teacher at Lincoln High School, was charged previously in magistrate court with two counts of display and distribution of obscene matter to a minor. State Police Senior Trooper B.W. Claypool wrote in the magistrate court complaint that the alleged victim, a juvenile, has ‘advised the defendant sent numerous text messages to him which contained obscene matter describing sex acts he wished to engage in with the victim. The victim further advised the defendant sent to him links to pornographic (Web) sites.’” Karl’s comment: You can easily follow common threads of public school sex problems (including teachers with students and promotion of sexual perversion) in these West Virginia News headlines. It goes all the way back to 1975 (the year after the Textbook Controversy). See The Wayback Machine.

Board considers appeal of cook's reinstatement (December 18, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200912170800
From the article: "The Kanawha County school board may soon vote to appeal a West Virginia Education and Public Employee Grievance Board decision that allowed a former cheerleading coach to keep her job as a school cook after she was accused of behaving immorally at a party with members of her cheerleading squad…(the) head cook at Mary Ingles Elementary School and head cheerleading coach at Riverside High, accompanied students to an unauthorized Christmas party near Summersville where the girls were photographed scantily clothed or topless. Kimble later was accused of using a derogatory term to describe the students in a posting on the Internet…Photographs were taken of the girls, including some in which they appeared topless in a hot tub with Kimble, who was fully clothed…(she) then posted some photographs from the party - only those in which the girls are fully clothed - on her MySpace.com profile along with a caption calling the cheerleaders ‘hoes’…(she) said the trip ‘was not a school function but instead a Christmas party organized by a cheerleader mother…The state grievance board agreed, saying that although it was ‘highly inappropriate,’ Kimble's use of the word did not rise to the level of sexual harassment and all the cheerleaders involved testified it did not offend them…the grievance board said while ‘it is disconcerting that a parent and a cheerleading coach would condone young ladies getting in the hot tub topless...there was no sexual component to the toplessness’…The board determined (her) actions, therefore, did not constitute immorality…(and) ruled to uphold Kimble's termination as cheerleading coach, finding that she had been insubordinate in that job by failing to get approval for the out-of-county holiday party…The grievance board, however, determined she should be reinstated as head cook at Mary Ingles, saying that cooks don't generally supervise students." Karl’s comment: I couldn’t make these things up if I tried!

8 expelled for threats that closed W.Va. school (December 17, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200912170281
From the article: "Eight students implicated in bomb threats that disrupted classes at a Keyser school for four days have been expelled…Superintendent Skip Hackworth says two other students remain under investigation…Those expelled were a sixth-grade boy, two eighth-grade boys, three seventh-grade boys and two seventh-grade girls…Backpacks were banned at both schools because of the threats." Karl’s comment: They blamed the 1974 protesters for doing what kids were actually doing.

W.Va. pre-K programs to offer meals in 2010 (December 11, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200912110201
From the article: “Pre-kindergarten programs in West Virginia will be required to offer children one daily meal beginning in the fall of 2010. The state Board of Education approved the requirement Thursday. It applies to both school-based programs and programs operated by churches and day care centers.” Karl’s comment: At first this looks like a nice thing to do. Deeper thought reveals that it is another way to get parents to turn over their children to government schools for indotrination. Also, it is an intrusion upon church programs with more state control.

Teacher arrested for making daughter clean up vomit with hands (December 9, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200912090578
From the article: “A Putnam County kindergarten teacher has been arrested after allegedly hitting her daughter with a belt and making her dispose of her own vomit with her hands because the girl made a B in school." Karl’s comment: Very sad, but the woman could have went off on one of her students.

Capital High investigates a possible sexual assault (December 8, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200912070840
From the article: “He said the student, whom he did not identify, said she was walking across the south courtyard on her way from lunch to her sixth-period class when she was grabbed from behind. A cloth, which she believes to have been a hoodie, was put over her head. Giles said the student said she then was pulled 30 to 50 feet to a clump of tall grass where the alleged assault occurred.  Giles said he remembered Friday, Nov. 20, as a "bright, sunshiny day" because he spent some time in the north courtyard outside the school handling a disruption…Although the school is equipped with surveillance cameras, there are none in that area because it is such an open space, he said. When the cameras were being installed, they weren't considered necessary in the open courtyards…The student and a parent met with Giles and other school officials, including the school's prevention resource officer, Cpl. Kevin Smailes of the Charleston Police Department, on Friday afternoon." Karl’s comment: “Safe Schools”?!

Kanawha schools pitch ideas to become 'innovation zones (December 8, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200912070798
From the article: “As part of their bids to become one of the state's new education "innovation zones," some Kanawha County schools are proposing several unorthodox teaching methods, from doing away with letter grades to lengthening the school day…Schools can receive $5,000 to $50,000 in planning money from the state Board of Education if their innovation zone applications are accepted.” Karl’s comment: From the article: “Board member Bill Raglin expressed concern about the plan, however. He said numerous educators have proposed innovative programs during his tenure on the board. "Down the road it just sort of seems to fade away." Amen! Then Raglin wisely questioned one principal who wants to do away with grades with “individualized learning plans for students, increased assessment of student progress, increased use of technology, hands-on project-based learning, and "relevant learning." Raglin said. "It's frightening to me beyond belief." Preach it! I saw similar (and some of the same such as “no grades”) come and go in my career. This new education buzzword is simply another taxpayer boondoggle that will fool gullible parents for a couple of years and then some other utopian scheme will be promulgated on the public. Another note of concern is that one program put forth is the use of devout Mormon “Stephen R. Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" in the schools' curriculum”. Habit 7, the one that undergirds the first six, is “the process of learning, evolving and building on the habits that we've mastered; It's self-improvement and self growth in all areas of our lives. This habit sees us applying learning and growth over 4 main areas: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual which is “value clarification and commitment, study, and meditation). Bold is mine. Sounds like more of the New Age religion that has engulfed government schools. (Added 12-24-13:  See my comments under #20 "Stealth Tactics".) 

Kanawha Teacher Fired After Child Porn Found on His Computer (December 7, 2006)
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=17173&catid=83
From the article: “A former fifth grade teacher at Pinch Elementary school has been fired…Federal investigators said they discovered pornographic images of children on two of (his) computers." Karl’s comment: You can easily follow common threads of public school sex problems (including teachers with students and promotion of sexual perversion) in these West Virginia News headlines. It goes all the way back to 1975 (the year after the Textbook Controversy). See The Wayback Machine.

Security the biggest change in schools over the years, say local longtime educators (November 30, 2009)
http://www.cpubco.com/articles/2009/11/30/news/03.txt
From the article: “There was a time when parents could bake cupcakes and cookies for their child’s school parties. There was a time when parents could just walk into a school without having to be buzzed in and asked for identification…Many schools also have security cameras, as well." Karl’s comment: This is Clarksburg and the surrounding rural area—not Charleston aor Huntington inner-cities!

Mentzer case continued until March 2010 (Nov.30, 2009)
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/531626.html?nav=5006From the article: “(He was), arrested in September after being accused of plotting to bomb Weir High School, attended a preliminary hearing concerning felony charges in Hancock County…” Karl’s comment: Whew!

Girl knocked out in fight at middle school (November 24, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/200911230765
From the article: "Authorities say a dispute between two girls at a Kanawha County (Elkview) middle school ended with one of them being taken to the hospital." Karl’s comment: Parents in this reasonably rural area probably still say, “But my school is safe.”

West Virginia must embrace 21st-century education reform November 21, 2009
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x2013265954/West-Virginia-must-embrace-21st-century-education-reform
From the article:  I recently was invited to attend a presentation in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of its 2009 education "Leaders and Laggards" report to the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  This report was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Chamber, the Center for American Progress and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. The report is a state-by-state "report card" on education innovation… No state received an overall grade higher than a C+, and although West Virginia was ranked in the bottom quarter of states, there were 11 states ranked below us. Karl's comment:  The author was the president and chief executive office of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce.  I found this item in 2013.  I wonder what he thinks today.

Sissonville parents clash with school board over plans after Bonham (November 17, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911171151
From the article: “The two-hour meeting at Sissonville Middle School brought several parents who are worried about cramped conditions at Flinn Elementary and mixing fifth-graders with eighth-graders at Sissonville Middle…At one point, Eddy was displeased that some in the audience had labeled some students as ‘bad’ on Tuesday and also in a previous meeting…’All of our kids are good,’ (middle school principal) Eddy said. "Do some of them have different guidance at home? Yes, they do’… Over the course of the meeting, school board president Becky Jordon butted heads with upset parents and residents over the length of the meeting, how long they could speak and people taking more than one turn to speak." Karl’s comment: As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s déjà vu all over again. Can the kids spell ‘CON’?”

Upshur leads region in school lockdowns (November 16, 2009)
http://exponent-telegram.com/articles/2009/11/16/news/03.txt
From the article: “Six counties were contacted for this report: Harrison, Upshur, Lewis, Taylor, Barbour and Doddridge. Only officials from Barbour and Doddridge failed to respond… Drug searches are referred to as shelters-in-place and do not count as lockdowns…Nearly all high schools in the region now have a Prevention Resource Officer in the high schools. This has proven to be a deterrent to various issues, authorities say." Karl’s comment: Except for an “ upset student broke a glass trophy case and made threats to staff members” the other specifics were “minor” such as the discovery of some ammo. The drug searches and armed cops in the building should be of concern to parents.

Police officer resigns after ouster from school (November 16, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911160790
From the article: “A Charleston police officer said she was forced out as the prevention resource officer at Stonewall Jackson Middle School after an incident where a student is alleged to have taken pictures of another boy while he used a school restroom.” Karl’s comment: This is just a hint of things that go on that the public does not ever hear about. Just ask your local school for their discipline log.

(TEACHER) BUSTED FOR DUI ON I-64 (November 13, 2009)
http://www.putnamlive.com/ClendeninBustedForDUIJailRecordsState.html
From the article: “(The teacher) was pulled over for driving 83 miles per hour in a 70 miles per hour zone.. The accused slurred his speech while talking. Inside the suspect vehicle, two (2) twelve (12) ounce Bud Light bottles and two (2) twelve ounce Miller Light bottles were located. The accused stated he had consumed alcohol and a shot of liquor prior to the traffic stop. (He) was given three field sobriety tests which he failed, according to Bennett's report…the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the accused to be .133," Bennett reports. The legal threshold for drunk driving in West Virginia is .08 BAC. Next stop for (the teacher) was the Western Regional Jail…(he) teaches health and physical education at Buffalo High School.” Karl’s comment: I pity the teacher, but mourn the students.

State takes over Grant County schools (November 9, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911090611
From the article: “Kenna Seal, director of the state Office of Education Performance Audits, revealed in a 129-page report that Grant County school officials are not following state code or policy, serious deficiencies exist at the schools and at the central office and that student performance has declined as a result.” Karl’s comment: So much for local control.

Two teacher organizations, state agency ask to be included in Putnam lawsuit (November 8, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911080305
From the article: “Paul Sutherland, former coach of the Winfield High School girl's basketball team, filed the suit in Putnam Circuit Court against the county Board of Education in June. Sutherland lost his job because of a state law that directs a county board of education to hire certified teachers for coaching positions over individuals without a certificate… Last month, the West Virginia Education Association, the state American Federation of Teachers and the state Board of Education filed motions to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of the Putnam County Board of Education…‘The position taken by [Sutherland] ... seeks to strip teachers of well-established employment rights to the detriment of many of its members…'" Karl’s comment: The coach has had outstanding success for eight years including two state championships. Teacher unions want to protect “certified” teachers, no matter how unqualified.

Wyoming County school worker convicted of sex abuse (November 6, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911060304
From the article: “A former Wyoming County school bus driver has been convicted of sexually abusing a 16-year-old female student.” Karl’s comment: You can easily follow common threads of public school sex problems (including teachers with students and promotion of sexual perversion) in these West Virginia News headlines. It goes all the way back to 1975 (the year after the Textbook Controversy). See The Wayback Machine.

DROP OUT (November 5, 2009)
http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/shows/7thr.shtml#28
From the article: “More than a million kids will drop out of American high schools this year. Many will come from the mountain state and most from Kanawha County… Last school year 555 kids in Kanawha County dropped out of high school. No other county in the state had more…(A) counselor and a former teacher (says about a student with poor written composition skills) ‘How did this kid get to 11th grade and can't write a sentence. That should not happen.’ It does happen...and school leaders know it.” Karl’s comment: I have placed a 2008 headline here inorder for the reader to see what is going on—IN THEIR OWN WORDS. West Virginia's dropout rate: 3% -- or nearly 20%? (April 12, 2008 http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200804110706) From the article: “West Virginia's calculated rate of high school dropouts varies widely. It all depends on whom you ask. Officials with the state Department of Education reported a 2.7 percent dropout rate in 2005-06. Those at the West Virginia Kids Count Fund figured a 17.1 percent rate that year…On April 2, Kanawha County school board members heard about the county's rising number of dropouts…Margie Hale, director of the Kids Count Fund, said state and federal data ‘underreports what's really happening.’…She figures West Virginia's annual dropout rate is closer to 20 percent.” 

Karl continues to comment: Now, look at a 1989 report. West Virginia reduces dropouts by denying them driver's license (May 21, 1989) From the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/21/us/west-virginia-reduces-dropouts-by-denying-them-driver-s-license.html
From the article: “The dropout rate in West Virginia high schools has been reduced almost a third by a new attendance law that lifts the driver's licenses of students who choose dropping out over education. The law, enacted last year, is an effort to solve what has been one of the most intractable problems of American education: the failure of one of every four high school students to make it to graduation. For the past decade or so, about 5,000 students each year have dropped out of West Virginia high schools, thereby lessening their chances for lives of prosperity and challenge… West Virginia school officials boast that their law is the toughest and most successful school attendance statute in the country. They say they have received inquiries about it from state school officials across the country voicing frustration that aggressive truancy officers, intense counseling and special classes have failed to lower dropout rates significantly. ''Nobody else has achieved what we have achieved and it's all because of this law,'' said Therese M. Wilson, the state school official who oversees the enforcement. ''It's working like nothing else we've ever tried, and we expect our graduation rate to climb steadily from here on out. (Karl notes: In the Fall of 2009 West Virginia school systems began to enforce a new amendment to the late that was based upon grades. http://www.dailymail.com/News/200910130848)

Karl’s closing comment: THERE IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM and school officials are only going to vainly throw tax money and produce propaganda in an attempt to prop up a dead system of education. A former governor of West Virginia (Bob Wise) is president of the Alliance for Excellent Education whose website banner says, ‘There’s a crisis in America’s schools ’ ( http://www.all4ed.org/ ). This website has a report for all states and reveals that ‘ More than 6,900 students did not graduate from West Virginia’s high schools in 2009’. The report also shows how officials can play around with statistics. The most current figures for West Virginia high school graduation rates are for the class of 2006 . Look at how far apart the percentages are between state sources and that of a source whose only interest in reporting accurate facts.
State Reported 85%
U.S. Department of Education Reported 77%
Independently Reported 72%
( http://www.all4ed.org/files/WestVirginia.pdf )
See the March 26, 2008 article “A money-proof problem: Future depends on education, not public schools” and the July 4, 2008 article “U.S. public education is a burning barn” HERE.

Recordings that got teacher suspended set bad precedent, official says (November 5, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/PutnamCounty/200911050874
From the article: “West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said a Putnam County parent who sent a recorder to school with her son, a kindergarten student, should have gone ‘through the proper channels…Definitely, hiding a tape recorder in a backpack is not the proper channel to go through… the situation sets a dangerous precedent’." Karl’s comment: If more hidden recordings were made of what goes on in “public” schools the public would be appalled. The teacher union spokesman was correct that it would set a dangerous precedent because the union doesn't want parents to know what goes on. For example is this Florida classroom video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU64sPM3RGs. The parent said that “school officials left her with no other choice”. Let’s see if that is accurate. See the November 4 article.

Taped teachers: Putnam parents pleased with suspensions (November 4, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/Putnam/200911041235
From the article: “The Tuesday suspension of a Putnam County kindergarten teacher and an aide in connection with secret recordings where they are allegedly heard yelling at students, is a step in the right direction, but months late, the mother of one of the students said…’It was downright verbal abuse, harassment and intimidation,’ (the parent ) said Wednesday. ‘If a parent had been caught, their kids would have been taken away. Why they continued to work [in the county's school system] for another month just blows my mind.’…(One thing on tape was) ‘'What did you go home and tell your mommy and daddy?...At one point in the tape, (a parent) said one of the women talks about hitting a student on the back, and the other tells her not to worry about. about hitting a student on the back, and the other tells her not to worry about . .. The elementary school's administration did not properly address concerns that were originally brought (the parent) said she approached Buffalo Elementary School's principal, Mike Mullins, several times with concerns about conduct in the classroom…(The parent) asked the principal to move her son to another classroom, but her request was denied. She then asked that she be allowed to observe the classroom. ‘The principal refused, and the next week we started taping.’ (The parent) made copies of the tape and gave it to parents of students in the classroom, and together they set up a time to meet with the county school board in September.” Karl’s comment: It is obvious that school officials did not act quickly to protect children. BUT, the parent said that her son “began coming home in tears”. The choice she made to keep her child in that situation is beyond my comprehension. The only innocent ones in this story are the children who ALL need to be rescued! (Original article is October 7.)

Schools say plans in place to improve test scores (November 3, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200911020946
From the article: “Officials from two schools that were recently targeted to improve their WESTEST scores told Kanawha County school board members that some plans already are in place to help students do better." Karl’s comment: Neither school is inner city.

School board endorses table games at W.Va. track (October 29, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200910290521
From the article: “Charles Town Races & Slots has two new endorsements in its campaign to put table games in the Eastern Panhandle casino. A Web site run by Penn National Gaming Inc., the Pennsylvania-based parent company, says both the Jefferson County school board and the Jefferson County Schools Education Foundation are on board." Karl’s comment: Government schools always want more money. They don’t care where it comes from. On October 31 an article about West Virginia reported “ The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia has logged calls from more than 8,000 people to its 800-GAMBLER hotline since 2000…More than half the callers reported spending all their income on gambling.”

Big changes in K-12 education needed, speakers at UC say (October 29, 2009)
http://wvgazette.com/News/200910290942
From the article: “(At a) daylong summit on global competitiveness…Bill Brock, a former U.S. senator and the co-chairman of Tough Choices or Tough Times, an initiative that grew out of a book by the same name, said the nation's education system might need changed,,,(and)…(a) “think-tank” (representative ) “the 19th-century agrarian system on which schools still operate is outdated…Nobody in the room Thursday had the ‘Rosetta Stone’ to solve all the problems in education, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, but she added that, given the trust, tools and time to make things better, they will.” Karl’s comment: Yes, it is in great need of change and no—trust, tools (i.e. money), and time will not help. Government schools are beyond help.

Educators work to get school into 'innovation zone' (October 29, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200910281134
From the article: "‘Innovation zones’ are a new state initiative to allow schools and groups of schools to request exemptions from state and county policies, giving teachers and administrators more freedom to run their schools as they see fit…The state Department of Education has set aside $500,000 for those grants…For example, if Andrew Jackson decides to add more time to the school year, teachers' pay would have to increase. With students going to school more days than usual, utility and transportation costs also would rise.” Karl’s comments: They say that outside grants would provide the money. In reality, they will bilk tax-payers out of more money to pay for this fad. Business and private sources would be far better off helping home and Christian school students.

Charter school debate heats up (October 29, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200910281133
From the article: “Education reformers are intensifying their push to bring charter schools to West Virginia as parents, teachers and lawmakers ready themselves for another round of legislative battles aimed at improving the state's school system…The state's powerful teachers unions helped kill a charter school proposal earlier this year…Supporters say such schools are more nimble and create a sort of open market for education by giving individuals or groups the ability to start their own public schools using taxpayer dollars…Critics, including the state's teachers unions, are wary that charter schools will take resources away from traditional public education…The little-known cabinet caused a big stir this year when the governor used some of its recommendations to propose legislation that would have changed the way teachers are hired in West Virginia … That bill would have given local school boards and principals gre ater leeway in hiring teachers... Teachers unions vowed a "war" over the changes, which were eventually scrapped." Karl’s comment: Government schools would not survive in a free market system. Teacher unions know that. (Wow, if the 1974 textbook protesters had used the term “war” the unionized teachers would have had a tizzy!) Charter Schools are only government schools with a longer leash. “ A dog on a long leash is still a dog on a leash. ” Marshall Fritz, Founder of the Alliance for the Separation of School & State. Instead of government control via this form of welfare, we need private vouchers or scholarship programs by churches, foundations, corporations or businesses.

Lincoln County school has students from 4 to 14 (October 28, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200910270877
From the article: “Lincoln County Schools turned Duval High into Duval Elementary-Middle School - where 4-year-olds would go to school with 14-year-olds.” Karl’s comments: Government school officials would howl had this been about Christian schools.

Educators offer their wish lists (October 16, 200)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200910151030
From the article: “‘If you just had one more year left in education, what would you want to do for your students?”’ Karl’s comment: This is just another educationese buzz-word. This time it is “Innovation zones” which will just be more money for the same results.

Police Chief Wants Change (October 15, 2009)
http://theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/529688.html
From the article: “Stenger criticized Superintendent Fred Renzella's decision not to call Marshall County 911 during Sept. 28 bomb threats at John Marshall High School and Sherrard Middle School. ‘I think it was deplorable’… Noting that 20 minutes elapsed after a threatening note was found by a John Marshall student before Glen Dale police were called, Stenger said 911 should have been dialed first… The threatening note was found in a John Marshall High School bathroom, targeting that school in Glen Dale and Sherrard Middle School in Sherrard… John Marshall students left the school on buses parked on the school grounds, in their own cars or by walking because it was already close to dismissal time when the note was found. Since then, the fact that there is no concrete evacuation plan at John Marshall has prompted emergency officials to suggest definite emergency and evacuation plans for the safety of the students.” Karl’s comment: Thankfully, no one was hurt—this time.

W.Va. students' math scores below U.S. average (October 14, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200910140620
From the article: “West Virginia's fourth- and eighth-graders perform more poorly in mathematics than their peers nationwide, and less than a third of students tested have a solid grasp of the subject. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 19 percent of public school eighth-graders achieved "proficient'' scores in 2009, which was unchanged from 2007. Twenty-eight percent of fourth-graders achieved proficient scores, down from 33 percent in 2007. The tests, also known as 'the nation's report card,'' are considered the best gauge of public schools' student performance in core subjects. Nationally, 33 percent of eighth-graders demonstrated math proficiency, up from 31 percent in 2007. Among fourth-graders, 38 percent were proficient, down slightly from 39 percent." Karl’s comment: The public does not get what it pays for.

Hurt teacher… (October 13, 2009)
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/529287.html
From the article: “(A) teacher at the middle school, said a fellow teacher at the school was injured while attempting to break up a fight between two female students there on Oct. 5 and hasn't returned to work. (She) said a male student was struck while also attempting to break up the fight. She asked if the teacher will have to use her sick leave and what teachers are legally required to do when fights occur at schools. Superintendent Mary K. DeGarmo said the teacher was transported to a local hospital following the incident…Board member Brian Ferguson suggested the school could use a full-time prevention and resource officer. Brooke County sheriff's deputies serve in that capacity at Brooke High School and Follansbee Middle School, but DeGarmo said the school board has been unable to secure a grant for the position at Wellsburg Middle from the same state program that funds those officers.” Karl’s comment: these were girls. Sounds more like a prison cell block than a middle school.

Morgantown teacher on leave after dancing in classroom (October 9, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200910090532
From the article: “A Morgantown High School teacher is on administrative leave after a MySpace video showed her dancing and behaving strangely in a classroom. Karl’s comment: I couldn’t make these things up!

County school bus driver among Pagans (October 8, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200910070933?page=2&build=cache
From the article: “A Kanawha County school bus driver is among several dozen members of a motorcycle gang named this week in a multi-part federal indictment… In 2004, (a man by the same name) was charged with wanton endangerment after a shootout at a motorcycle clubhouse in Boone County…" Karl’s comment: Children in public schools are not easy riders.

Worried mom secretly records son's classroom (October 7, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/PutnamCounty/200910060826
From the article: "Wondering why her 5-year-old son, Chase, was acting strangely at home, Buffalo resident Kathie Crouse decided to send him to school with a recording device. Crouse recorded the goings-on of her son's kindergarten classroom at Buffalo Elementary School for a total of seven days over a span of about three weeks… After listening to the first day's recording, she was appalled. But she thought maybe it was just a bad day. She decided to record another day. After a few days' worth, she kept recording … 'A lot of them had noticed their behavior had gotten terrible,' she said. 'Some of the kids had been peeing and pooping in their pants because they weren't allowed to go to the bathroom. I had some parents tell me their kids would be staying in the bathroom all evening long. A lot of them were taking them to the doctor, trying to figure out what was going on.'" Karl’s comment: Why would mothers subject their precious children to that?

School janitor accused of smoking pot with students (October 2, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/200910010195
From the article: “A Sissonville High School janitor was arrested after admitting to smoking marijuana with two of the school's students, according to a criminal complaint.” Karl’s comment: The guy claimed the students brought the drugs to his house. He probably is telling the truth.

Teens in Weir High School plot set to face judge (October 1, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200910010042
From the article: “Two students accused in a plot to bomb Weir High School will soon face a judge.” Karl’s comment: Government schools have many “ticking time bombs.”

Ex-coach found at motel with student to appear in court (September 23, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200909230396
From the article: “The former volleyball coach at Poca High School has been summoned to appear in Nitro Municipal Court for allegedly contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after he was discovered in a motel room with a female student.” Karl’s comment: See June 26, 2009.

Schools report no fuss over Obama's speech (Sept. 7, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200909060204
From the article: "Several principals were contacted. One said, 'his school hasn't ‘received a phone call one way or another.’ That was echoed by a second principal. Another said, he wouldn't be ‘too greatly concerned or pay a great deal of attention’ if they did.' A teacher said that Obama has ‘very, very high marks’ with students.'” Karl’s comments: These comments are indicative of the woeful comprehension of parents and their government schooled children. It follows that they do not mind indoctrination into evolutionism, so they are unconcerned with socialist propaganda. No matter what is in the text of the speech, it is a tiny step toward gaining more control of the minds of children. Brainwashing (also known as thought reform or re-education) is a general term describing any effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and beliefs in a person — beliefs sometimes unwelcome or in conflict with the person's prior beliefs and knowledge. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing) I am not referring to the communist methods as much as the cultist methods. Also see what constitutes propaganda at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda. A related article is “Training Kids to Be Obama's Servants”.

Maybe we need even more tests (September 5, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/NanyaFriend/200909040482
From the article: “Scores from the latest round of standardized testing are in, and Kanawha County school officials are not happy. County averages are down in several grades and among various groups of students.” Karl’s comment: The editorialist explains it is due to a previous test that was too easy and now the new one is “supposedly” more difficult. The writer probably made a down payment of West Virginia beach front property being sold by the State Department of Education.

Test results show room for improvement (September 2, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200909010937
From the article: “Kanawha County Schools' WESTEST results are in and they're not what many schools were hoping for. 'We've got our work cut out for us,' Superintendent Ron Duerring said." Karl’s comment: The results show that the longer children are in government schools, the dumber they get.

TEXTBOOK PROTESTERS PRAISE PUBLIC SCHOOLS (August 23, 2009)
www.shameonyou.compromise
From the article: “At the 35th reunion of the Kanawha County (WV) Textbook War a lady proudly proclaimed that her grandson was the valedictorian of his high school and had to have his speech approved to make sure he did not mention anything religious. He got around the censorship by saying “Godspeed” at the conclusion. Another former protester, now a substitute teacher, said she still has hope for the public schools and fondly reminisced about how her teachers were so good to her when she was a child and teachers still bake cookies for their students." Karl’s comment: The article is true, but exists only in this post (note the url) and is a good example of the major obstacles faced by those of us who work to rescue children. It is pathetic that the boy had to sneak in wimpy reference to Almighty God. The ex-teacher (an intelligent God-loving lady), if not in dire financial stariats (even that reason is debatable) should only be inside a government school if she is actively sharing Jesus with students. If she did, she wouldn’t last long. If that teacher wants to impact children, there are plenty of opportunities in Christian or home schools.

Kanawha schools first to try graduation coaches (August 19, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200908180718
From the article: “To help students graduate and give a hand to school counselors, the Kanawha County school system is spending at least a half million dollars over the next two years to put graduation coaches in each of the county's eight high schools…But Kackie Eller, a veteran school counselor at George Washington High School, said…‘I do wish that we could use the money for real needs’…Money for the coaching positions comes from a two-year spending boost provided by the federal stimulus package. Of the $8 million in stimulus money Kanawha County expects to receive for special education, it plans to spend $3.3 million on personnel…” Karl’s comment: Can you say BOONDOGGLE?

W.Va. students hold their own on ACT (August 19, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200908180995
From the article: “College-bound students in West Virginia held steady on the ACT, but their composite scores still fell below the national average, according to a report released Wednesday. West Virginia students earned an average score of 20.7, the same as the previous year's class. The national average for 2008 and 2009 also remained constant at 21.1…State Schools Superintendent Steve Payne said he was encouraged by the results…Payne said he expects further strides since the state restructured its educational system…” Karl’s comment: Dr. Payne is happy because the poor scores are not as poor as before. The restructured system is just more propaganda to placate the public. Here is a more objective headline regarding national ACT scores: ACT Scores Show Most Students Aren’t Ready for College “ Fewer than one quarter of last school year’s graduating high school seniors who took the ACT scored at the “college-ready” level in all four subject areas, a finding that prompted the nation’s highest education official to renew his demand that schools do a far better job preparing students for college.” (August 19, 2009) http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/08/19/01act.h29.html?tkn=[SSF0GLXeLjYUNykhONYZ5AEUogcCQs9%2Bv9a)

W.Va. may get education funds despite lack of charter schools (August 18, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200908180975
From the article: “State education leaders say West Virginia's lack of charter schools shouldn't hurt the state's application for a piece of $4.35 billion in federal education money, because the state has alternatives that might be better than charter schools…West Virginia is one of 11 states without charter schools." Karl’s comment: West Virginia is rated low for freedom of education and ranks low academically. West Virginia has constantly tried pie-in-the-sky innovations.

Swine flu reaches Kanawha County schools (August 6, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200908060810
From the article: “Kanawha County education leaders do not have an official plan for what they will do if a massive outbreak of the flu were to hit the county's schools…‘It's only a matter of time before we see a large number of students coming down sick with the virus’…” Karl’s comment: This is a serious situation, but the moral and spiritual flu has been raging for years and it is almost always fatal.

More W. Va. Teachers plan to retire (August 6, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200908050748
From the article: “In the next five years, roughly 5,000 of the state's 24,000 educators will become eligible for retirement, according to projections from the state Department of Education.” Karl’s comment: New hires will be fully brain-washed by the liberal teacher colleges.

Former Kanawha County Teacher Pleads to Meth Charges (August 4, 2009)
http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=64082&catid=83
From the article: “A former Capital High School teacher pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related charges…(She) is accused of letting two people make meth in her Elkview area home. (She) was a special education teacher at Capital." Karl’s comment: You can easily follow common threads of school personnel illegal drug activities

School board to review fight over drug tests (July 31, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200907300986
From the article: “The Kanawha County school board is set to reconsider whether to end its fight to randomly drug test teachers. The teacher testing program was approved by the board in a 4-1 vote last fall but has been on hold since a judge ruled in December that the random drugs tests were unconstitutional searches. School board members vowed to continue fighting for the program, despite warnings from teachers unions that they were in for a long and costly legal battle. But at an upcoming meeting, board members may decide that continuing is not worth it…The circuit court, once considered among the most conservative in the country, now has openings that will likely be filled with judges nominated by President Barack Obama. Those judges could be less likely to side with the school board…It's not uncommon for governments to try to remove themselves from lawsuits to save money, said Adam Wolf, an attorney from the national office of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is fighting against the school board's drug testing policy. ‘Quite frequently governmental entities will decide that the expense of litigation either cannot be afforded or is not worth it,’ Wolf said.” Karl’s comment: (1) There is a drug problem with teachers. News headlines prove it. (2) As I have said for years, the government schools are controlled by the teacher unions and the ACLU and other left-wing zealots.

Youth minister in WVa accused of soliciting minor (July 31, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/200907310247
From the article: “A Mingo County man who says he is school bus driver and youth minister is facing a charge of soliciting a minor via computer.” Karl’s comment: We fundamentalists call it “crime” and “sin”. The goverment schools call it “mistakes”. Look through the West Virginia headlines, or use Google for the nation, and you will see public school officials do this evil activity overwhelmingly more than those who profess to be Christians.

RLBMS officials want to give steel toes the boot (July 30, 2009)
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/520692.html
From the article:  "Robert L. Bland Middle School administrators are looking to give steel-toed shoes the boot because of some incidents in which they were used inappropriately. Principal Grace Tallhammer said students at the Lewis County school are using the shoes to damage bathroom stalls and to kick other students… County supervisor Jane Parmer said the school board and officials should be focusing on the education of the student instead of playing ‘fashion police.’" Karl’s comment: Christian and home schools do not have this problem.

W.Va. principal fired for jumping on student pile (July 22, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200907220045
From the article: “A high school principal who admitted jumping atop a pile of students during a cafeteria food fight has been fired. The Upshur County Board of Education voted Tuesday to oust (her) from Buckhannon-Upshur High School." Karl’s contact: Another highly trained professional.

Kanawha owed $1.8 million for school meals (July 21, 2009) http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200907200569
From the article: “Over the past two years, nearly 12,000 students and just over 700 employees have racked up $1,823,909 in unpaid school meal bills, according to school system records.” Karl’s comment: Sounds something like stealing to me.

School board declines to add sexual orientation to policy (July 17, 2009) http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200907160995
From the article: “The Kanawha County school board approved an amended cultural diversity policy that includes no mention of sexual orientation. .. The existing anti-discrimination policy already had aimed to prevent 'racial, sexual, religious/ethnic harassment or violence' in schools and in the workplace…The amended policy approved at Thursday's meeting instead says the school system will additionally prohibit discrimination based on ‘any other status protected by federal, state, or local law’… Members of the board said the public largely misunderstood the purpose of the policy. They said it was meant to prevent discrimination against any child or employee, not to condone any moral or political positions.” Karl’s comment: Read the above carefully and think about the lack of logic as well as the hint that THIS WILL RETURN. (See July 5 below.)

Ex-teacher convicted in '70s case (July 14, 2009)
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1227380682/Ex-teacher-convicted-in-70s-case
From the article: “A former teacher has been convicted of rape and sodomy in Fayette County…(he was found) guilty of four counts of third-degree sodomy and one count of third-degree rape involving two students at Beaumont Junior High School in the 1970s…One of the students filed a lawsuit against the Fayette County School Board, claiming the board ignored a pattern of sexual abuse by school employees. The student won a $3.9 million verdict..” Karl’s comment: Anyone following the thread of “sex” in these headlines and and not alarmed is are out of touch with reality.

Student use of cell phones hotly debated (July 9, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200907080850
From the article: “Educators say classes are disrupted, teachers ignored and fights started by students and their inseparable cell phones. Officials at Frankfort, a rural school of just over 500 students, have caught students using phones to send each other answers and to take unauthorized pictures of one another, said Jeanne Clites, a fifth-grade teacher at the school and chair of its Local School Improvement Council…The West Virginia Department of Education doesn't keep track of cell phone-related infractions. But Wood County, which has two of the state's largest high schools, has seen hundreds of them…Both Parkersburg High School and Parkersburg South High School each had more than 1,000 cell-phone-related offenses during the last school year, said Rick Olcott, the president of the Wood County school board.” Karl’s comment: There is LOTS more discipline problems besides those connected to cell phones.

Debate erupts over Kanawha schools diversity policy (July 5, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200907050239
From the article: "‘It's a policy that we're trying to put in for fair treatment of everybody and to stop the bullying. It's not about homosexuality,’ Thaw said. ‘It's about equal treatment of all students in the schools.’ In April, Clayton Stover, a 12th-grader at St. Albans High School, asked school board members to consider sexual orientation as part of the diversity policy. Stover wanted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students to be free of verbal and physical harassment in school. About four months before Stover spoke, a cadre of teachers and school employees had suggested that sexual orientation become part of the diversity policy, according to (Board attorney) Withrow. ‘Clayton Stover's comments to the board may have accelerated our plans ... but I was already drafting changes,’ Withrow said…Dys (Jeremiah Dys, president of the Family Policy Council of West Virginia) expects the policy will lead classroom teachers to teach issues contrary to the beliefs of most parents and families in Kanawha County.” Karl’s comment: Thaw is terribly confused. (He has been confused before. See the “note” at http://www.insectman.us/testimony/resolution.htm.) Thaw is a fake friend of Bible believing Christians. Mr. Dys, whom I very much respect, is wasting time and money fighting this unless his group is urging parents to rescue their children—NOW! In 2007 I wrote “The homosexual agenda rages all over the country and will soon engulf Government Schools” (http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/must-get-children-out.htm). When I was a teacher in Kanawha County I observed first hand how groups were using stealth tactics to promote homosexuality. The West Virginia Attorney General’s office endorsed an anti-bullying curriculum. Our atheist building principal convinced the two Christian sponsors of our middle school FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) to lead the program. When the staff was exposed to a pro-homosexual video at an in-service meeting I was able to expose the duplicity of the program. That was nearly ten years ago, now the pro-homosexual radicals are no longer sneaky because they know the public schools belong to them. Homosexuals have an aggressive agenda to reach the hearts and minds of public school children. As I wrote in March 2009: I guarantee you that they (homosexual and abortionist activists) have not let up and there is no hope whatsoever for moral citizens to stop their agenda from sweeping through West Virginia schools (http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/they-roar.htm). See April 16 for the original item in this thread. For more about homosexuality is “Gay is Sad”.

W.Va. teacher accused of soliciting teen (June 26, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200906260316
From the article: “A criminal complaint shows a Roane County teacher has been charged with soliciting a 13-year-old girl through text messages.” Karl’s comment: See my comment for June 5, 2009.

Drug incidents down, threats up in Cabell County schools (June 21, 2009)
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/life/schools/x1517850753/No-Headline
From the article: “While the numbers of drug-related expulsions have been inconsistent over the past three years, Cabell County Schools officials say expulsions due to threats made against employees has risen. The number of threats of violence toward school employees has more than doubled in the past three years, according to school officials…Todd Alexander, the administrative assistant over secondary schools, said there isn't necessarily more threats this year than in the past. It's just that teachers and principals are taking them more seriously…Alexander said the students charged with gang activity were not expelled because of that. It was the threat of injury coupled with gang activity that enabled the school's administration to recommend expulsion. But the fact that gang activity has been identified is noteworthy enough. 'I can't even recall using (the gang activity) code until this year,' he said…The other number that has risen steadily during the three-year period is students in possession of weapons." Karl's comment: Just look at the headlines in West Virginia school news for the past several years and you will see why a rewording of Genesis 6:11 is appropriate: The public schools also were corrupt before God, and the public schools also were filled with violence.

W.Va. 10th-graders show slight decline in reading (June 16, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200906160666
From the article: “Tenth-graders in West Virginia and other states haven't improved their reading test scores much in the past five years, according to researchers with a Washington, D.C.-based education group…‘ What you're seeing in West Virginia is indication of a national problem,’ said Jack Jennings, executive director of the Center on Education Policy…In math, 10th-graders improved their overall proficiency on the original WESTEST from 2004 to 2008. However, the researchers said West Virginia has not bettered its number of 10th-grade students who are not even partially skilled in mathematics. One in 10 West Virginia students in the 10th grade are not considered as having a basic understanding of math, according to the report." Karl’s comment: There are some indications of improvement in other grades and excuses for the 10 th graders’ performance. The real key (as the article unintentionally indicated) will be how West Virginia students compare to students world-wide.

Kanawha school board president wants drug-dog searches of students (June 14, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200906140341
From the article:  "Jordon, the school board president, is willing to allow drug dogs into county schools to sniff out students for prescription pills. 'We want the drugs out of the school,'…Students have grown wise to the tactics of teachers and principals, and hide prescription drugs in their pants, underpants and shoes, Jordon said…"We have principals screaming about the problem (prescription drugs)," Jordon said…Earlier this spring, George Washington High School Principal Melissa Ruddle said students have been caught with Xanax and drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, used to treat attention deficit disorder…(Pete) Thaw agrees with Jordon, and is even interested to see how much it might cost the school board to buy its own dog…"The medicine cabinet is becoming the biggest drug problem we have," Thaw said. "I hope we can get the dogs that can smell prescription drugs."  Karl's comment:  Mr. Thaw was worried about spending a few hundred dollars to buy truthful and factual supplementary science books for teachers.  Oh well, that's another story. As far as public school drug problems-just scan through the news headlines for each year and see how bad it has been and for how long!

Point Pleasant teacher accused of abusing 2 girls (June 5, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200906050187
From the article: "A Mason County schoolteacher faces charges of sexually abusing two girls in the 1980s…He is charged with 31 counts of first-degree sexual abuse…(he) , 57, is a teacher at both Hannan High School and Ashton Elementary School." Karl’s comment: See my comment for May 21, 2009.

Getting good teachers key to quality education (June 04, 2009)
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x374947953/Getting-good-teachers-key-to-quality-education
From the article: “Already we are facing teacher shortages in critical subject areas. Teachers certified in physics, chemistry, special education, math and the foreign languages are already on the endangered list. A study by the State Superintendent of Schools reported that 56 percent of all chemistry positions were unfilled during the 2006-07 school term. Similarly, 15 percent of math positions were vacant. Add to this the looming population of retirees and one sees that we are reaching the tipping point.” Karl’s comment: The author is the state American Federation of Teachers president and she is crying for more money. The point about the lack of qualified teachers is serious.

Webster teacher charged with possession after drug sweep (May 30, 2009)
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/519118.html
From the article: “A Webster County High School teacher is charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana after a drug sweep of the school on May 22…West Virginia State Police searched the car and found approximately 14 grams of marijuana, various prescription medications, a loaded .22 caliber pistol and several knives…Also during the drug sweep, police found approximately 7 grams of marijuana in a bag belonging to a 17-year-old student at the school." Karl’s comment: Like teacher—like student.

Ex-WV teacher sentenced to 5 years on pot charge (May 27, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/200905270213
From the article: “A former Mason County school teacher convicted of growing marijuana will spend five years in a federal prison. (She) was a teacher at New Haven Elementary School when she was arrested by State Police troopers in July 2005. The State Police says troopers found more than 200 marijuana plants on (her) farm during an annual eradication sweep." Karl’s comment: Another great example for the children.

About a third of grads need developmental classes (May 25, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200905250206
From the article: "As college freshmen fill out their class schedules this summer, about a third will have to sign up for a remedial class. Data from the state Higher Education Policy Commission shows that last fall 5,700 state high school graduates were enrolled in developmental classes at West Virginia colleges. Those courses are offered to students who are considered unprepared for normal college subjects like English and math." Karl’s comment: What you pay for is not what you get. See my April 23, 2007 article “The Public School System is Broken”.

W.Va. teacher fired over accusations (May 21, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/200905210518
From the article: “Berkeley County Schools says it's fired a middle school teacher accused of sexually abusing one of her students. Superintendent Manny Arvon says evidence presented at a recent hearing convinced the school board to fire 27-year-old Musselman Middle School teacher… (She) allegedly sent text messages to a male student and is accused of kissing him in a janitor's closet." Karl’s comment: It just keeps happening! (Search “sex” on my WV News pages.)

Chesapeake parent says student sent to cluttered timeout room (May 20, 2009)
http://wvgazette.com/News/200905200822
From the article: “The mother of a Chesapeake Elementary School fifth-grader is upset that her son had been put in timeout for several hours in a room with heavy ladders, computer monitors, carts, cleaning equipment and other stored items. Christy Clark said her son has mood disorders and struggles to fit in socially, but he should not have been so isolated from other students or kept in timeout for hours on end…He has been sent to timeout on more than one occasion, and once he was sent to eat lunch by himself in the gymnasium's storage locker, where balls and other gym equipment are kept, Clark said.  'And they wonder why he's not able to socialize,'...Clark was told it was because her son had not completed his schoolwork… Clark said her son suffers from…Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with Asperger's have difficulty with social interactions. 'He has difficulty making friends and is easily bored', she said. 'They want to isolate him and get him away from everybody,' Clark said… Clark said this week she has since taken her son out of the school."  Karl’s comment: The principal claimed the room was safe and blamed the boy and his mother.  From personal experience, I don’t think educators are fully aware of Asperger’s Syndrome. The mother did the right think by rescuing her child from that school. I hope she will keep him out of the public schools.

Mason Co. principal resigns amid sex abuse charges (May 20, 2009)
http://wvgazette.com/News/200905200310POINT
From the article: “A Mason County high school administrator resigned this week after being charged with sexually abusing a child...charged with first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sexual assault, sexual assault by a parent or guardian and incest in the alleged abuse of a 9-year-old boy in June 1986…allegedly abused his wife's son...” Karl’s comment: None

School Bullying (May 13, 2009)
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/showscripts/11wed.shtml
From the article: “Name calling, taunting, and even physical abuse—that’s what a group of teenage girls says is happening to them every day at Elkview Middle School…these teenage girls paint a dark and disturbing picture of their life in middle school…as parents, both moms say they are afraid for their daughters’ lives…the parents say they have spoken with him (the principal) on numerous occasions." Karl’s comment: Just scan “Bully” in this and previous years of WV NEWS. The public schools are dark and disturbing spiritually which is more harmful to the much more important eternal lives of children than physical and verbal bullying! Also, this is a prime example of the message I have proclaimed for the last three years. The fat or poor or timid or “holiness” kids are the ones who are harassed, not the ones who claim to be homosexual.

Lower student test scores expected (May 13, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905120698
From the article: “State education officials are braced for lower scores as students across the state start filling in the bubbles on a more challenging standardized test next week.  The number of students earning 'at or above mastery' scores on the state's year-end standardized test could decline by nearly 40 percent in some subjects, according to West Virginia Department of Education projections of student performance on this year's WESTEST… The changes will affect thousands of students in grades 3-11… State schools Superintendent Steve Paine said the test results will give teachers, parents and students a better idea of how state students stack up to their peers around the world… One national study showed West Virginia with low student achievement on a national test called the NAEP when compared to other states. Yet the state was reporting many students with high scores on its own WESTEST." Karl’s comment: I have written on this subject in articles such as “The public school system is broken” (April 23, 2007 article ).

W.Va. lightens grip on Lincoln County schools (May 13, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200905130674
From the article: “The state board seized Lincoln County schools in 2000 for shoddy buildings, illegal hiring practices and low student test scores… Lincoln County's school system has been under state control longer than any county system that has been taken over. Systems in McDowell, Mingo and Preston counties are currently under state control. A state report that prompted the takeover decision said Lincoln County school buildings lacked adequate laboratories, storage, fresh air and sufficient classroom size and didn't provide a climate conducive to learning…’ 'We have been in Lincoln County for nine years…’” From a Gazette article the same day: (http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200905130764) “Smith (Carol Smith, president of the Lincoln County school board) said. ‘As far as I'm concerned it's been a failed state takeover’… ( Lincoln board member Thomas) Ramey is worried that the number of students who take remedial courses and dropout rates have not improved…” Karl’s comment: It would be difficult for a home or Christian school to be as bad as this public school. No matter what the state hype, I think Ms. Smith is right.

Teacher compensation claims include student violence (May 6, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905050842
From the article: “Student violence accounted for seven of the 43 worker's compensation claims filed by Kanawha County school employees in January through March, according to school system records… The figures represent the first time Kanawha County has kept a tally of student-caused employee injuries, so it's difficult to tell how typical the results are. Jarrett said the injuries came as teachers tried to break up fights or when students pulled teachers down or tripped them….One recent incident at Capital High School displays the kind of trouble that can arise in classrooms, though it is not among those counted in Jarrett's records. According to a complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court, 19-year-old Simone Simms swung a chair and struck a female teacher on the chest on April 27…(Capital principal Clinton) Giles said schools are saddled with a lot of non-academic responsibility. He said sometimes people ask, 'Why can't Johnny read?'…‘Because we had to spend half of the time teaching Johnny how to act, behave - and that works to the detriment of not only Johnny, but everyone else in Johnny's classroom. Because when that teacher is engaged with Johnny and his disruptive conduct, teaching and learning come to a grinding halt.’…Judy Hale, the president of the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said teachers always say discipline is their No. 1 issue. She said state teachers reported in one survey that they spend an average of 20 percent of their time on discipline issues. Hale said state and national surveys show a majority of disciplinary problems happen in middle schools." Karl’s comment: Where do I start? First, welcome to WEC-PS (World Extreme Cagefighting-Public Schools). The article claimed (without support) that most of the issues are due to special needs students. My observation is the real students with special needs due to learning ability are peaceful. The public schools will try to include the thugs (labeled “behavior disordered”) as special needs students. Mr. Giles (I hope he’s right. See news items for 2-9, 2-2, 3-24, 3-2, 4-19, -2009 and 3-27, 5-3, 5-6, 9-17, 10-27, 12-5, 12-18-2008) says there is no longer any need to fear a Columbine incident, but makes it clear that the public schools are filled with disruptions due to discipline issues. I almost gagged when I read about the union official wanting more parental involvement. That’s the last thing the union wants (See the Textbook War). True to form, the union leader concludes with a plea for MORE MONEY. Folks, that money comes from tax-payers who support aa system that would be bankrupt if it were a business (See my articles). Talk about a bail out!

Grievence Hearing Tuesday for Lincoln County Teacher (May 5, 2009)
http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=58261&catid=45
From the article: "A second grievance hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Lincoln County for a high school coach and teacher accused of an inappropriate relationship with a female student." Karl’s comment: Search these WV News pages for all years and you can easily follow a thread of sexual molestation of students by government school officials.

Mandatory drug testing on table for Putnam students (May 5, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200905050845
From the article: “(Board member Debbie) said, ‘We just know we have issues popping up in the school system…It's a national problem, not just Putnam and not just a West Virginia problem.’ ‘[Drug use] is a bigger issue than parents realize,' Whitney said. 'It's out there and the kids need to be aware of it.’" Karl’s comment: Sara Whitney is a member of the Putnam County Drug Endangered Children Task Force. I say the kids are aware of it, but parents want to ignore it so they can continue to feed at the public school trough at the sake of their children. Just scan my news items for this and previous years if you doubt the danger.

GW, other schools see prescription drug problems (April 28, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200904280839
From the article: “George Washington High School Principal Melissa Ruddle said several students have been caught with or selling prescription drugs on campus this year, although she would not discuss any specifics about recent cases, the students involved or their ages. ‘ Off and on all year it's been an issue,’ Ruddle said. ‘Personally I think it's an issue in every high school.…When we catch kids, we don't usually catch one, we catch a group," Ruddle said. "Honestly, any we've caught this year pretty much spans all groups.’… Charleston police and drug dogs visited GW at least twice this year and found nothing, Ruddle said. ‘But [the dogs] don't hit on prescription drugs,’ she said. Students might also carry drugs on their person, and the dogs are not allowed to check students, she said…‘It worries me. It really does,’ she said…Ruddle, who was principal at McKinley Middle School last year, said prescription drug abuse had become a growing problem there as well…In 2005, two St. Albans High School students died within a week of each other after one ingested Fentanyl and the other morphine, both opiate-based prescription painkillers. At the time, other West Virginia schools saw a boost in prescription drug abuse…South Charleston Principal Mike Arbogast said in years past, students have been in trouble for alcohol and marijuana use on and off campus, but not for prescription drugs…‘I know it could change in a heartbeat," Arbogast said. ‘It could be a problem at any time, anywhere.’…During the 2007-2008 school year, there were 372 ‘level four’ violations in Kanawha County schools, most of which were related to drug and weapon involvement (emphasis added)." Karl’s comment: I have warned parents about sending their children into these dangerous drug dens. Just look at the previous news items. I have to say again, WHAT COMES OUT IN THE NEWS MEDIA IS NOT NEARLY ALL OF WHAT GOES ON!!!

Kanawha summit seeks solutions to dropout crisis (April 27, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200904270688
From the article: “The idea Monday at the Charleston Civic Center was to find some common ground -- and workable solutions -- to the high school dropout crisis in West Virginia.” Karl’s comment: Government schools never fail to fail.

Teacher who brought nunchucks to school arrested (April 26, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/200904260353
From the article: “A Williamstown High School teacher who took nunchucks to her classroom has been charged with having a deadly weapon on school grounds." Karl’s comment: This is another example of the judgment of the mature leaders of government school students.

‘Sexting’ drawing attention locally (April 23, 2009)
http://www.register-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_113211723.html
From the article: “NCHS ( Nicholas Co.) teacher Joe Dooley says he’s concerned about his students engaging in sexting…Dooley says his school has already had ‘a couple of incidents’…" Karl’s comment: See March 14 below.

Kids to Celebrate Earth Day at Charleston's Coonskin Park (April 22, 2009) http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=57313&catid=45
From the article: "More than 1,000 West Virginia kids are expected to help celebrate Earth Day at Coonskin Park on Wednesday. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will have a number of displays set up to teach kids easy ways to be more envionmentally friendly. Students from eight counties will be participating, and Governor Manchin will be stopping by to speak to the kids as well." Karl’s comment: Earth Day is connected to New Age religion. See The Common Thread.

Marshall County school officials may stop penalizing students who don't complete homework (April 20, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200904190330
From the article: "School system officials have been meeting with some principals and teachers and going over research that shows homework has become too much of a burden for many students." Karl's comments: Will learning the multiplication tables get too burdensome soon?

10 years after Columbine, are state, local schools safer? (April 19, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200904190318
From the article: “Still, some local educators believe that the culture of schools has changed over 10 years and they do their best to prevent violence… Riverside is one of many Kanawha County schools with a prevention resource officer, a uniformed sheriff's deputy meant to help deter violence and bad behavior.” Karl’s comment: Guards in prisons and guards in schools. Notice?

School threat (April 19, 2009)
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/showscripts/11mon.shtml#2
From the article: “Rumors of a possible threat against Hurricane High School spiral out of control prompting law enforcement and school officials to come together to ensure the safety of your children…(A parent said) ‘It’s disconcerting to parents because no one wants to think of a violent act happening in school…(The principal said) Its unfortunate that you have to go through these things at school but times have changed.” Karl’s comment: “No one wants to think…! That is why I keep crying out, we must rescue our children!!

Kanawha school board poised to expand harassment policy to include homosexual, transgender students (April 16, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200904161097
From the article: “Kanawha County school board members say they're likely to approve a policy that explicitly bans harassment on the basis of sexual orientation…lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students…are not currently protected from being bullied, mocked and harassed when they attend school…’homophobia’… (student) Stover, 18, said…Kanawha County delegate and House Judiciary Committee chairwoman Carrie Webster circulated a letter to media supporting Stover and pushing to include ‘sexual orientation’ in the school system's anti-discrimination and anti-bullying policies…‘As an elected official in Charleston and Kanawha County, I am convinced that a large majority of our constituents strongly support this equitable proposal, which is needed…’ Jim Withrow, the school system attorney, said county officials have been considering such changes for several months and the board could vote on them as early as next month….Polled after the meeting, all five board members said they would support a policy that bans harassment based on sexual orientation.” Also, from another article: ( http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200904161083) “ School board general counsel Jim Withrow said the school system is already revamping its diversity policy. About four months ago, a group of teachers suggested the school board include sexual orientation in the policy, he said.” Karl’s comment: Stover lied. Webster told a bigger lie. (Current policy protects all students.) The BOE are fools. This is pure unadulterated evil. Anyone who thinks it would be safe for their child to recite Romans 1:26-28 in a Kanawha County government school (soon to sweep through all WV schools) is terribly wrong. Please see my article “They Roar, We Ignore.”

State expects huge teacher shortage (April 12, 2009)
http://www.timeswv.com/archivesearch/local_story_102015323.html
From the article: “…‘now, more than 50 percent of our teachers are eligible to retire. ... If more than half leave in the next five years, we’ll have a crisis situation.’” Karl’s comment: This means that there will be more and more freshly brain-washed (by liberal colleges of education) teachers to effect our children.

Kanawha school district officials settle court dispute (April 09, 2004)
http://ourchildrenleftbehind.yuku.com/topic/1554/t/Kanawha-County-Schools-Settlement.html
From the article: “The Kanawha County Board of Education has made a court-ordered payment of $460,000 to settle a dispute with the parent of an autistic child… Superintendent Ron Duerring said…‘We get into litigation like this all the time. When you deal with kids and parents, these kinds of things happen’…But at least four school board members were caught off guard Thursday when they heard about the settlement and the amount from reporters. School board president Jim Raglin and board members Jim Crawford, John Luoni and Pete Thaw said the administration had not kept them in the loop about the dispute’ s resolution… “ I think it’ s a riot. Apparently, we have settled some lawsuit for $400,000, Thaw said. All these high-paid executives are on spring break.” Karl’s comment: Your highly qualified public school officials at work with your money.

Upshur school employee files lawsuit against coworker, BOE (April 6, 2009)
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/517356.html
From the article: “The suit…claims that on March 5...a technology integration specialist and coach at B-UHS, confronted Gillespie in an angry manner, cursing at him with closed fists and then drew one fist back as if to hit Gillespie…the board should have known of Wells' erratic, aggressive behavior and breached its duty with the Gillespies by failing to take steps to protect them from intimidation, harassment, emotional distress or assault…” Karl’s comment: You can be sure other students saw the alleged incident.

Democrat lays into teachers' unions (March 26, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903260821
From the article: ‘‘I've gotten tired, in three years here, of nobody from the WVEA or the AFT sitting down in my office and saying, What about the kids? It's always about teacher salaries,’ Democrat Sen. Erik Wells said… ‘The time has come for charter schools,’ he said. ‘Competition with public schools is not something to be afraid of’… Wells said it is clear that many state schoolchildren are not receiving quality educations…‘We have businesses that have difficulty finding employees who can pass a ninth-grade math test'". Karl’s comment: Amen! Except that Charter Schools are just a tiny step toward education freedom, this Democrat has got it right!

Elkview Middle parent upset teacher gave fish oil pills to kids (March 26, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903260829
From the article: “The upset father of an Elkview Middle School student said an art teacher gave his son and other students fish oil pills dipped in hot sauce…The hot sauce was similar to Tabasco sauce, and many students ran to the water fountain for relief after they swallowed the pills, Thompson said… Thompson is upset that he reported the incident in January and is not aware of any outcome." Karl’s comment: There is something fishy about government schools and it is the “odor” of what they teach.

W.Va. teacher charged with sex assault of teen (March 26, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/200903260359
From the article: “A Randolph County seventh-grade teacher accused of having sex with a 15-year-old former student is behind bars on $50,000 bond. (She) was arraigned on a sexual assault charge Thursday. The 26-year-old teacher is being held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail. State Police Sgt. G.L. Stalnaker says the boy's parents apparently did not know about the relationship, which had been going on since at least last year. (She) teaches at Elkins Middle School.” Karl’s comment: This is in an area where I spoke (We Must Get Our Children Out!) at a church in 2007. After I finished, a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area. See 2007 News for July 30 and February 18 below.

Teachers Union Request Audit of State School Systems (March 25, 2009)
http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=55239
From the article: "The West Virginia American Federation of Teachers has asked Governor Joe Manchin to audit the state's education system… The union singled out Monongalia County, using it as an example of what it calls a "disturbing trend" of redirecting funding, marked for classroom instruction, to create additional administrative positions. ..Union representatives say that's an alarming development affecting children's education." Karl’s comment: Teacher unions use terms “disturbing” and “alarming” when they want more money, but never when it comes to things that are truly disturbing and alarming like what I posts on these NEWS pages and I probably miss 90% of it.

Teacher Injured While Trying to Break Up Fight (March 24, 2009)
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/41767927.html
From the article: “A teacher breaking up a fight between girls at Ripley High School found herself in need of medical attention on Monday…Deputies say charges are likely to be filed against the juvenile who kicked the teacher, but the incident is still under investigation.” Karl’s comment: Just another day at the job for government school teachers. I broke up many fights.

Teachers union calls for efficiency (March 24, 2009)
http://www.timeswv.com/archivesearch/local_story_083103031.html
From the article: “The state has too many county school boards and should consider merging some of the smaller ones, said Judy Hale, president of the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.” Karl’s comment: This would mean more government and teacher union control over the misnamed “public” schools.

Freedom of religion in schools is goal of bill (March 17, 2009)
http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_076205343.html
From the article: “(State senator Donna) Boley said she is aware some students have been given “a hard time” by school authorities when attempting to express a religious viewpoint during commencement.” Karl’s comment: This is another reason why we must get Christian children out of government schools.

Police check phones for ‘sexting’ (March 14, 2009)
http://www.loganbanner.com/pages/full_story?article-Policecheckphones
From the article: “‘Sexting’ has become a problem in Logan County Schools, according to a West Virginia State Police Trooper. Sexting, according to Logan County Schools Superintendent Wilma Zigmond, is the new term for sexually explicit images being sent via text messages on cell phones…’It is a problem,” Hensley said. “This is the second time I’ve had to look into this particular problem in this county. But, it’s kids from not only this county, but also kids from Boone, Mingo and other places I can’t even identify… ‘We received a complaint through the Logan County Board of Education office that they had found a file on one of these school computers that contained some pictures that were sexually explicit of some of the students at that school and (from) other schools,’… He said police have reason to believe they were put onto the computer by a student, but “it’s hard to believe a teacher didn’t know this was going on.’” Karl’s comment: When I arrived at Andrew Jackson Middle School in 1999 the 7 th grade daughter of two attorneys send nude pictures of herself to a boy via a computer. this common occurrence now will likely get worse as government schools move deeper into the results of abandoning any semblance of biblical morality.

W.Va. education goals align with Obama's, superintendent says (March 12, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903110832
From the article: “U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is calling for school leaders across America to abandon watered-down curriculums and offer students more challenging work in the classroom. ‘As a country, we've been losing ground educationally,’ Duncan…Obama and Duncan's direction for education align with the goals West Virginia schools have undertaken in recent years, state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine said Wednesday.” Karl’s comments: The whole article is full of educationese mumbo jumbo and catchwords like “21st Century Skills”. I guarantee you that 4 years from now it will be the same song with a different tune. For more in depth information see my articles.

State school board takes over Preston County schools (March 10, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903100449
From the article: "The state Board of Education seized control of schools in Preston County on Tuesday after the state's chief auditor said the situation for students is getting worse instead of better…’.Students are being deprived of what they deserve from the educational system.’' The state has intervened in several other counties in recent years. Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said schools in Hampshire, McDowell, Mingo and Lincoln counties all remain under state control.” Karl’s comment: It’s “state control” no matter which entity is pulling the strings. Some (most?) counties are under state control because of dismal academic performance.

W.Va. schools to get $417 million from stimulus (March 6, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903050177
From the article: “Rockefeller said that new school construction is often controversial in West Virginia, as parents and families become attached to an aging community school. But the benefits of a new school outweigh the loss of an old one, he said.” Karl’s comment: Rockefeller's words are code for “It’s not really the public that decides--it’s the government.” Anyway, the money is from hard-working tax-payers and it is just lipstick on a pig.

Students left at I-79 rest stop (March 5, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200903040116
From the article: “Kanawha County school system officials are investigating complaints about a field trip in which three John Adams Middle School students were left at a rest stop on Interstate 79 in Braxton County. The bus pulled off at the Servia rest area about an hour north of Charleston. The boy and girl who were sick said they did not want to go on to Washington, officials said. The bus then pulled away, leaving the three children alone with a male attendant at the rest area. Board member Pete Thaw said "very reputable" teachers were involved in the incident. Thaw called the incident "incomprehensible." Karl’s comment: It is INCOMPREHEHENSIBLE that parents trust their children to the daily care of government schools.

Teen arrested, jailed for school disruption (March 2, 2009)
http://www.register-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_061223031.html
From the article: “Raleigh County sheriff’s deputies say an Independence High School student repeatedly disrupted school Monday to the point police were called to handle him — for the third time this school year…(Raleigh County School official Miller) Hall said incidents as severe as Monday’s are not the norm, but school officials often deal with students showing disrespect." Karl’s comment: Disrutions are common in any public school.

Teacher pleads guilty to sex enticement of minor (February 28, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200902272160
From the article: “Shepherdstown Elementary School art teacher...was arrested in December after he was caught in an Internet sex sting …(He) agreed to pay $220 for what he thought would be sex with two girls, ages 12 and 13." Karl’s comment: See 12-20-2008.

Manchin: Education needs to work harder (February 25, 2009)
http://newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/514808.html
From the article: “Gov. Joe Manchin said both students and teachers need to work harder to improve education in West Virginia…A major component of his education reform plans would be requiring third- and eighth-graders to score at mastery or above on the state accountability exam to move to the next grade." Karl’s comment: In other words, WV has been passing students who did not qualify.

The public schools are not for 'Rent' (February 23, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/Editorials/200902220227
From the article: “…(the) school superintendent in Harrison County…stopped a production of "Rent" at Bridgeport High this winter because of its adult themes. The show was finally staged at nearby Fairmont State University, with many Bridgeport students participating.” Karl’s comment: The obscene and blasphemous material that is in (and approved by) public schools should shock sensible parents.

Former teacher gets probation (February 18, 2009)
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/515743.html
From the article: “A former award-winning teacher and adviser for Elkins High School's FFA club has been sentenced to one to five years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual abuse in Pocahontas County Circuit Court.” Karl’s comment: Once your child is molested it’s too late! (See the March 26 entry above.)

State Teachers Unhappy With Plans to Extend School Year (February 16, 2009)
 http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=52292&catid=45
From the article: "Some state education leaders are expressing worries that plans to extend West Virginia's public school calendar by five days could eventually force them into a showdown with the Legislature…However, the cost to extend contracts of school personnel by five days would cost $45 million or more. And if employees were simply asked to remain on-call for those extra days without pay, the teachers' unions may fight such a plan." Karl’s comment: Teacher unions control “public” education.

180 days of school should mean 180 days (February 16, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/Editorials/200902150219
From the article: “State law has required for roughly 70 years that counties provide students with 180 days of education. Seldom is that 180-day requirement met. Last year, only four of the state's 55 counties - Boone, Lincoln, Kanawha and Putnam - provided 180 days of instruction.” Karl’s comment: This is more disclosure from the January 30, 2009 report below.

Group Wants to End Drug Abuse and Enforce Curfew (February 15, 2008) http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/0902/090215_3f8f0e2e.shtml
From the article: “Her son became addicted to prescription drugs after an accident, and that's why she teamed up with Corporal Will Jordan to find out more about how available drugs are in the school system. And Jordan says the answer is a disturbing one. Jordan says, ‘You go to a classroom and ask how many of you have seen prescription drugs here at school, nine out of ten will raise their hand and that's scary.’" Karl’s comment: It is absolutely SCARY that parents leave their precious children in drug riddled facilities.

Fayette schools get conditional accreditation (February 12, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200902120262
From the article: “An audit conducted by office in 2006 found irregularities in hiring and financial practices, low student achievement and poor leadership. The findings prompted the state board to declare a state of emergency for the school system in 2007.” Karl’s comment: This is not the first West Virginia system to have trouble like this (or worse). Most, if not all, Christian schools do an excellent job.

State of the State Today: W.Va. teacher unions want more (February 11, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200902100665
From the article: “West Virginia teachers have collectively taken home $188 million in pay raises over the last four years f Gov. Joe Manchin's administration. Now, even though the state's financial picture has darkened considerably, with massive job losses in the private sector, leaders of teachers unions say they want Manchin and lawmakers to do even more on the pay-raise front.” Karl’s comment: Teacher ability is a bell curve. Most are paid what they are worth. Some get way too much. Others are woefully underpaid. The upper end of the curve would be better off if they entered a free enterprise of education and were not hampered by government entanglement. We can help by rescuing our kids from the government system and let it collapse instead of being propped up by tax-payers who want their money spent wisely.

Girls Says She Was Attacked (February 9, 2009) http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/0902/090209_5f8e81c5.shtml
From the article: “9th grader Darcy Cochran's face looks like she's been through a battle, and according to the teenager, that's exactly what happened at school… Darcy says she was hit in the head and kicked in the stomach repeatedly at Herbert Hoover High School. Her sister also has cuts on her face… Paul Cochran, Father, ‘I saw the tape, my daughter was clearly attacked walking down the middle of the hallway.’"  Karl’s comment: These fights usually do not make headlines, but they occur frequently. In my surbanan middle school I had to use my 200 lbs. to break up hallway fights more than once.

No discretion for principals, superintendents under Safe Schools Act (February 07, 2009)
http://www.timeswv.com/archivesearch/local_story_038221451.html
From the article: “In any school, there can be discipline problems. They can be as simple as disrespect to a teacher or classmate or as complex and dangerous as possession of illegal drugs on school property.” Karl’s comment: The article says it all!

Outdated schools hurting students, Putnam superintendent says (February 3, 2009) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200902020764
From the article: “The facilities at Winfield and Poca middle schools are so outdated they have begun to hinder the education of students, Putnam County's superintendent said Monday. "They are a true detriment to the education of these kids," Chuck Hatfield said.” Karl’s comment: This is the usual propaganda to prepare the public for a bond levy. Citizens should take a look at the findings reported in Private Education is Good for the Poor , and summarized at http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/AboutUs/ArticleView.aspx?id=2380. “Third World private schools are better and less expensive.”

The kids aren't getting 180 days of school (January 30, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/HoppyKercheval/200901290592?page=2&build=cache
From the article: “You would never hear a coach say, ‘We're supposed to practice five times this week, but if we miss one r two, it's OK’ Yet that's exactly what we get from state's public school system when it comes to instructional days. State School Superintendent Steve Paine says he wants our schools to be among the best in the country, but acknowledges that's not possible with this current situation. But now we're talking about adding more money to education spending, which already takes up half of the state's budget.” Karl’s comment: More money and more days will not fix the problem.

Mother sues school board over sex case (January 27, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200901260580
From the article: “Other teachers and students harassed, intimidated and bullied the student, the suit maintains, until a school board employee contacted her mother and said she was no longer safe at Capital High School, the suit maintains.” Karl’s comment: This is a continuation of a 12-13-08 headline. I’d say it wasn’t safe for that girl (and all students) even before this sad incident.

Economy, education, health care top priorities for governor (January 16, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200901150788
From the article: "'Education has to go to the next level,’ he said. ‘I want everyone to have an open mind on how we can provide students a better education. I'm not blaming anybody, but we need to take a hard look and understand that we don't have the results we need.’" Karl’s comment: Those are the governor’s words. It is an admission of public school failure and a prelude to another wasted plan to do it right.

Substitute teacher costs increase despite incentive (January 16, 2009)
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200901150785
From the article: “Kanawha County's substitute costs are on the rise despite a two-year-old program that pays teachers more money if they don't call off sick.” Karl’s comment: I heard a prominent KCS administrator joke about taking “mental health” days. Public school teachers (for the most part) are under tremendous duress. They need to rescue themselves and set up private schools.

Putnam school board sued in 2005 bullying (January 2, 2009)
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200901010433
From the article: "Wright was taken by his parents to Putnam General Hospital, where doctors found he had a fractured jaw and permanent nerve damage and paralysis to his lower lip, the suit states. Wright withdrew from school after the altercation and graduated in 2008 as a home-schooled student." Karl’s comment: I hope other parents will rescue their child(ren) before they suffer possible physical harm and certain moral harm.

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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