EXODUS MANDATE-WV

2018 WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL NEWS

Go straight to the most recent news item

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

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

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

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

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!

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

In the governor’s own words
Karl’s comment: Governor Jim Justice’s 2018 State of the State speech was disjointed. Of course, like previous governors, he wants education to be a focus of state expenditures. Other highlights is that teachers need more pay, the feds approved a pie-in-the-sky plan, and promote training in the trades (i.e. Vocational Education). He said, “Now, if we could jump over to one of my pet peeves, and that’s education. I think it truly needs to be the centerpiece of everything we do. I’ve thought that all along. I think we need to pay our teachers more. I’ve said that in the past….(A)t 5:15 today, believe it or not, but the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, called me to tell me that our plan, West Virginia’s plan, for every student — it’s called WV’s Every Student Succeeds Plan, was passed today… If you’re a student that likes to, you know — that wants to go into the trades and have an incredible job, and you’re a student that loves the electricity or whatever it may be, in all honesty, a lot of times when you walk the halls people may –— other kids may look down on you a little bit. It’s not fair. It’s not right. Some way we have got to let those kids know that we got to have them. We got to build this workforce like we can’t imagine.” (http://www.dominionpost.com/2018-West-Virginia-State-of-the) Karl’s comment continued: Please look at these WV News pages and see the scams, the failures, and the tragedies that are the reality of government education. The so-called “Every Student Succeeds Plan” is a farce. Millions more money will be wasted. Take a look at the governor’s 2017 speech.

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!!

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

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

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

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

The sin of sexual abuse is inexcusable, but the fact is that it is rare that church personnel molests a child. That is not so with school personnel. You will be amazed at the reports of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. See the comments on this issue on the main WV News page. Also, teachers, unlike preachers, do not get scandalized for their adultery and other sex escapades with adults. See the March 26, 2009 headline “W.Va. teacher charged with sex assault of teen” for a sad, but pertinent point. (Note: Prior to 2018 I deleted names of teachers accused of sexual assaults. I changed that policy after having difficulty checking entries for duplications.)

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.)

THE TEST THAT TELLS THE TALE OF TRUTH: “The Nation’s Report Card” National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) from the National Center for Education Statistics.

“The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas.” (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/) Webster defines “proficient” as “good at doing something.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proficient)

New results will be posted when they are available.

Informative links:

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading/

Be sure to see the LATEST REPORT OF WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEST PERFORMANCE.

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

2018 WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL NEWS
Click here for news about the strike.

2018 Gazette-Mail West Virginians of the Year: Teachers and school workers 12-31-18
https://wvpress.org/wvpa-sharing/2018-gazette-mail-west-virginians-of-the-year-teachers-and-school-workers/
Early this year, West Virginia’s public school employees — despite legal threats and union leaders’ calls, later recanted, to return to work — held their first statewide strike. It was also the first such walkout to include teachers and service personnel, like bus drivers and cooks. Karl’s comment: This is not surprising from the ultra-liberal/leftist Gazette-Mail. Click here for news about the strike (the lower 2-22 entry). Be sure to see the part about the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission and the Young Democratic Socialists of America

One arrested after allegedly making threats against Lincoln County High School 12-27-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/one-arrested-after-making-threats-against-lincoln-county-high-school
Dispatch said two threats were posted on the social media site Snapchat threatening to blow up the school Jan. 3, 2019. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Roane County High School teacher suspended over allegations that date back nearly two decades 12-26-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/roane-county-high-school-teacher-suspended-over-allegations-that-date-back-nearly-two-decades/1675425736
According to a 21-page suspension order signed by Steven L. Paine, the State Superintendent of Schools, a Roane County High School science teacher has been suspended for one year. According to the order, Michael L. Burch possesses permanent professional teaching certificates in physics, chemistry, and general science. He teaches at Roane County High School.  Burch, the order states, taught at Huntington High School in the early 1990's, Winfield High School from 1994-2000, Poca High School from 2000-2003, Spencer Middle School from 2003-2004, and Gilmer High School…(T) he order, that Burch has engaged in a practice of making inappropriate comments during class time, usually of a sexual nature, and inappropriate touching of students for which, he has been suspended four times. Karl’s comment: His awful actions are not as atrocious as other activities attributed to teachers in these WV News pages.

Teachers Are Serving As First Responders To The Opioid Crisis 12-26-18
Charleston Gazette-Mail Page 1A
Middle school teacher Greg Cruey can explain the most harrowing details of his students’ lives with matter-of-fact precision. That smart sixth-grader who had her hand raised last period? She’s homeless and has, in the past, been suicidal. That middle school student who seemed on edge during class? As a young child, his parents used him to make pornography; they needed the money for their drug addictions. That sassy eighth-grader with the long hair? Her mom just got out of jail and seems to be allowing her to smoke pot in the house…(O)ver the course of Cruey’s years in the classroom, he has become used to stories of families torn apart over drugs, as parents and guardians shuffle between hospitals and jails. He cites estimates that nearly half of students live with someone other than their parents… He keeps track of which boys are dating which girls ― lamenting that he often sees kids sexually active at young ages, without an understanding of the consequences. Several years ago the school had a pregnant fifth-grader ― she ended up getting an abortion. It’s inevitable that sometimes these traumas make their way into the classroom. Karl’s comment: The situation is so sad, but it is sickening to think of the Christian children who are effected by the students in the article.

Home visiting in high school: WV county trying an intervention for toddlers onteens 12-23-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/home-visiting-in-high-school-wv-county-trying-an-intervention/article_b2884d07-db46-576a-872c-4a58cccbb680.html
These teachers are on a mission to ensure that the students coming out of McDowell County schools (one of the lowest-performing districts in one of the poorest parts of West Virginia) are ready for college — or, at the very least, a well-paying, fulfilling career…West Virginia unveiled a campaign this year for 60 percent of adults ages 25 to 64 to have earned a degree or certificate by 2030…Administrators say that McDowell is the first county in the state to deploy at every grade level a practice that has proven to give at-risk infants and toddlers a head start in life: home visiting. Only, rather than sending health care or social service providers to support parents and assess young children’s readiness for school, McDowell is sending teachers directly to kids’ homes — including high schoolers’ — to counsel, persuade and cajole them to graduate on time and plan for their future. Karl's comment: It is more of government taking control of children.

School in Boone County not permitted to host nativity scene 12-21-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Nativity-scene--503283651.html
Another Christmas-time clash played out in Boone County as a community wanting to celebrate their cherished holiday came up against separation of church and state. Parents say kids at Ramage Elementary had been preparing to perform a live nativity scene as part of the school's Christmas program Thursday. They say after a complaint was made by one parent, school officials ruled the nativity couldn't be held on school property… Thursday at noon, several parents signed their kids out of school, and the nativity scene was held just up the road. Afterward the kids were signed back in to finish out the school day, Ball said. Karl’s comment: The parents should have signed their children out of the pagan indoctrination center permanently.

Teacher faces charges following stabbing incident 12-20-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Kanahwa-County-teacher--503289311.html
A woman charged with stabbing her boyfriend in the hand is a teacher at Malden Elementary School in Kanawha County, according to a spokeswoman for Kanawha County Schools. Karl’s comment: Thankfully she lost her temper outside of school.

ACLU intervenes with transgender Liberty High student allegedly bullied by assistant principal 12-17-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/12/17/aclu-intervenes-with-transgender-liberty-high-student-allegedly-bullied-by-assistant-principal/
The American Civil Liberties of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) is taking action after a transgender student at Liberty High School say he was encountered by an assistant principal in the school’s boys bathroom and barricaded there for several minutes. Michael Critchfield, a sophomore at Liberty High School, said the incident happened during an after-school event before leaving on his way on a band trip on Nov. 27. Students were told to use the restrooms before boarding the buses to Morgantown, and Critchfield chose to use the men’s restroom, as that is the gender with which he identifies…Assistant Principal Lee Livengood entered the restroom and asked if anyone was still in the bathroom. When Critchfield responded “yes,” he said Mr. Livengood remained in the boys bathroom until he came out of the stall. “He kept asking me why I was in there. (He said) I shouldn’t be in there because I am not a guy, and I told him I am a boy, I identify with this bathroom, and it is my legal right to use this restroom,” he said.

Critchfield said Livengood continued to harass and intimidate him, ultimately challenging him to use a urinal to prove that he was a boy. “He was blocking the doorway so I couldn’t get out because if I tried to get out through the doorway he was in front of, he could’ve said that I hit him or something and got me in more trouble,” Critchfield said. “I was barricaded in the bathroom for three or four minutes, and then a band mom was coming down complaining that they could hear Mr. Livengood yelling at me in the bathroom from the cafeteria, from the hallways, and some could hear it from the band room so she came down to see what was wrong.” At the end of the exchange, Mr. Livengood said to Critchfield, “Not going to lie. You freak me out,” in front of the other students and the chaperone,” Critchfield said.

ACLU-WV Executive Director Joseph Cohen said Liberty High School would receive a letter from the ACLU, requesting a meeting, outlining concerns and suggested remedies moving forward…“West Virginia has to take LGBTQ issues seriously, and we need to implement regular, meaningful training for faculty and staff to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment,” he said.

“The incident that Michael went through shows very clearly that our schools are not doing a good job training their administrators and teachers, and they’re not doing a good job protecting their students.”… Cohen said schools have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to use the correct pronouns, to use the correct gender assignments and to use the correct names for their students…

Michael’s mom, Caroline Critchfield, had a very motherly reaction, feeling many of the same emotions as her teenage son. “I was very upset, very angry, very hurt for my son that he had to endure this situation, and I wasn’t there to protect him, to advocate for him,” she said.

Cohen said the ACLU’s involvement came after a school employee who witnessed the events of Nov. 27 suggested the Critchfields contact the organization. His hope is to not only address this incident, but also to help create a better environment for all transgendered youths in West Virginia…“I’d love to see more doors open for other trans kids and people that don’t identify as straight or cisgendered, and I’d love to see actions taken to teach teachers on how to deal with students with different gender identities and sexualities,” he said.
Karl’s comment: One word: What if a child identifies as a tree?

Extra police presence to be at Chapmanville schools after threats made on social media 12-16-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/extra-police-presence-to-be-at-chapmanville-schools-after-threats-made-on-social-media
The Chapmanville Police Department said there will be a higher police presence at schools Monday after threats were made on social media. In a post on Facebook, the Chapmanville Police Department said, "The situation is currently under investigation and there will be a higher police presence around the schools as a precaution." Karl’s comment: From a following report: According to the WVSP the alleged threat was "misconstrued" and there was no threat in the message.  Troopers say the juvenile was located and won't attend school on Monday, the school and parents are aware of the situation. The student was previously expelled before for an actual threat. (https://www.wowktv.com/news/local-news/chapmanville-police-investigating-social-media-threats/1662592732) Anyway, the children had to deal with lots of police and stress.

Kanawha County teacher arraigned on 4 felony counts  12-7-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/12/07/kanawha-county-teacher-arraigned-on-4-felony-counts/
A Kanawha County teacher, a former Miss Kentucky, was arrested Friday and charged with sending nude photos to a teenager.  Ramsey Carpenter Bearse, 28, of Charleston, a science teacher at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Cross Lanes, was charged with four counts of sending obscene material to a minor. Deputies allege she sent nude photos to a 15-year-old former AJ student. According to the criminal complaint, Bearse admitted to sending at least four photos to the boy earlier this year via Snapchat…Bearse, Ramsey Carpenter at the time, was crowned Miss Kentucky in 2014. She competed in the Miss America Pageant in 2015.   Karl’s comment:  She is an 8th grade science teacher. You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex perversions throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008.

Substitute teacher arrested on sexual abuse charge 12-3-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Substitute-teacher-arrested-on-sexual-abuse-charges-501809652.html
A substitute teacher at a school in Mason County has been arrested on sexual abuse charges. Douglas Allen Wetsch, 56, of Point Pleasant, worked at the Mason County School For Success, according to Mason County Schools Superintendent Jack Cullen … According to the criminal complaint, the alleged crime happened on Saturday, Dec. 1. Wetsch is accused of "sexually" touching a male victim in an inappropriate area while performing a sexual act on himself. Investigators say the victim was "incapacitated" from alcohol. He told officers he did not give Wetsch permission or consent to touch him in a sexual way. There was a witness, according to the criminal complaint. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex perversions throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008.

Classrooms not shying away from tough talk on politics 11-24-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/classrooms-not-shying-away-from-tough-talk-on-politics/article_77289c46-a627-51cf-986a-4d42eebe4f23.html
When the bell starts Don Scalise’s Advanced Placemtn Government class, it rings as if to spark an ideological boxing match between his 12 th grade students at Cabell Midland high School…”You have to talk about things that you know will make students feel uncomfortable,”Scalise said. Each class, students walk in to a new question written on the board, prodding at the sensitive issues of the day before the main lesson begins. Abortion, immigration, civil strife and the current administration are often topics of argument, each opening up a student’s predisposed ideologies for the contention or affirmation of their peers…It’s a similar scene for seniors at Huntington High School in Steve Freeman’s AP Government class…The issues are in front of students everywhere in the world. Avoiding it isn’t an option…” You can’t shy away from controversy.” Freeman said. Karl’s comment: Hmmm. Sounds good (even for non-AP classes), but REALIY is quite different. Will they allow students to bring pictures of pre-born babies? Knowing the shutdown of discussion about the flaws in evolutionism, it is not likely Christian viewpoints get any chance. The curriculum (all subjects) is corrupted.

State superintendent says schools struggling with student, teacher absences 11-16-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/state-superintendent-says-schools-struggling-with-student-teacher-absences
Superintendent Steven Paine delivered a presentation on the issue Thursday to the state Board of Education. He said 54,000 students missed more than 18 days of school last year, falling short of federal standards that require students to attend 90 percent of instructional days. He said attendance rates for teachers aren't much better and force schools to rely on substitute teachers. Karl’s comment: This is a perfect example of “Second verse, same as the first” new, except it could be 20 th verse (or, pick a number), same as the first.” For some good news about students not being present in the indoctrination centers, see the next entry.

WV public school enrollment drops nearly 4,900 after entry age change 11-15-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-public-school-enrollment-drops-nearly-after-entry-age-change/article_fe1a353f-794a-5b50-847d-4b69a2638ac4.html
West Virginia Schools Superintendent Steve Paine announced Thursday that prekindergarten to 12th-grade enrollment has dropped 4,858 students from last school year, including a 544-student drop in Kanawha County….The state’s establishment of its free prekindergarten program since the 2002-03 school year might limit direct comparability with the year 2000, because the move added more grade levels from which to lose students…A West Virginia Department of Education document estimated that 2,252 of the lost students were from declining birth rates. It also said 707 more students than last year withdrew from public schools to attend private schools or to be home-schooled… Regardless of whether the preschool numbers are mostly restored next year — and even if 2,000 students are excluded from the drop, it’s still larger than last school year’s 2,557-student reduction — county boards of education will have to grapple with funding cuts caused by enrollment losses…The state school aid funding formula uses enrollment numbers from one school year to determine funding levels for the next school year. Karl’s comment: Despite the misleading headline and the excuses, PRAISE THE LORD THAT 707 CHILDREN WERE RESCUED! (Another article, reported “ In the previous fiscal year, 3,170 students withdrew from public schools statewide. This fiscal year, that number is 3,877...“I certainly don’t have a problem with home-schooled students, but I do have a problem with the qualifications and the criteria that has been established for those home-schooled students,” Paine said. In most cases, he told BOE members, he believed high-quality education was being provided to those schooled at home.” The comments below the article were interesting. (http://wvmetronews.com/2018/11/15/superintendent-enrollment-down-by-more-than-4000-students-this-year-in-west-virginia-public-schools/)

Two charged in drugs, firearm case 11-9-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2018/11/two-charged-in-drugs-firearm-case/
Two area residents — one of whom is reportedly an employee of Randolph County Schools — were arrested Thursday when police allegedly found drugs and a firearm in their vehicle… Sayre and Boatwright initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and told the female driver, identified as McCauley, she was stopped for suspicion of DUI, due to low speeds and rapid acceleration and deceleration, as well as the lack of a West Virginia Inspection sticker, according to court documents. Officers asked McCauley and the passenger, identified as Lipscomb, if there was anything in the vehicle they should be made aware of and both said no. McCauley then said “I’m a nurse on the board of education …,” the criminal complaint states. McCauley opened her purse to get her drivers license and Sayre observed a small green baggy with three pills and a cut yellow straw inside the purse, police said… At that time, Sayre also found and retrieved a second baggy containing a single pill. He also recovered the firearm, a black Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber, along with scales with a crystal-like residue on them, small empty baggies, two glass pipes with a white residue, two small baggies containing a crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine, a small clear container with a crystal-like residue, and a yellow, green and red rubber container which also had a crystal-like residue inside, court documents indicate. Boatwright located multiple large baggies, a set of red scales with a crystal-like substance on them, a box of Remington .380-caliber bullets, and two silver weights, police said. In the passenger side door, officers located a pack of L&M cigarettes, which Lipscomb had previously said he smoked. Inside the cigarette package, officers found a corner bag with a blue powder inside. A search of Lipscomb revealed a glass pipe with white residue in his sock. Karl’s comment: After I finished speaking at a church near there in 2007, a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area.  WRONG! Just search these WV News pages for “Randolph” and “Elkins”.

Former Berkeley County deputy, school officer enters plea agreement in sexting case 11-6-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/11/06/former-berkeley-county-deputy-school-officer-enters-plea-agreement-in-sexting-case/
The Herald Mail reports Thomas Carroll, 44 of Martinsburg, worked at Musselman High School when allegations rose in December 2016 that he shared sexually explicit images with a teenage boy. The alleged images were sent via Grindr, a smart phone application. Carroll has admitted to using the Grindr app that night and communicating on it, but said he has never sent explicit photos to students. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex perversions throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV New page and the June 1, 2008.

Deputies: Wayne County kindergartener brings crystal meth to school; grandmother arrested 11-5-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/deputies-wayne-county-kindergartener-brings-crystal-meth-to-school-grandmother-arrested
The principal at East Lynn Elementary School on Monday contacted 911 after discovering a kindergartener had possibly brought drugs to school, the news release said. Deputies recovered a baggie containing meth. Karl’s comment: Serious, but other spiritual bad things are brought in every day by many kids.

Officers respond to middle school for threat written on bathroom wall 11-1-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Officers-respond-to-middle-school-for-threat-written-on-bathroom-wall-499309001.html
There is a police presence at Vinson Middle School Thursday due to a threat. Wayne County Schools Superintendent Todd Alexander tells WSAZ someone wrote a threat on a bathroom wall. The school district notified law enforcement. Officers are at the school investigating. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

King of Pop is King in one Putnam County classroom 10-31-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/king-of-pop-is-king-in-one-putnam-county-classroom
For years Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video has always been a big part of Halloween. Students in one Putnam County classroom are learning about "Thriller" and other songs by the King of Pop. As Kristina Painter's second grade class at West Teays Elementary sing Blame It On The Boogie, Painter is to blame for her students knowing all about Michael Jackson, and those students don't seem to mind. "It's really fun. We get to do like dances like everyday," said 2nd grader Bear Rigney. "We've done Blame It On The Boogie, Bad, Enjoy Yourself a lot of earlier Michael Jackson, Jackson 5," said Painter. Students already know the words to some of Michael Jackson's well-known songs. "This is Thriller, Thriller," sings second grader Lanie Marsh. "A,B,C as easy as 1,2,3," sings 2nd grader Abby Semder. Students also learn the dance moves of the King of Pop…Painter has incorporated the King of Pop in her teaching for the past 15 years to create a fun learning environment for students. Karl’s comment: This would be ridiculous if it wasn’t so terrible. Jackson, a drug addict and, accuced child molester had “books and photographs in his bedroom featuring young boys with little or no clothing.”

Look at the lyrics:

“BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE”

My baby's always dancin'
And it wouldn't be a bad thing
But I don't get no lovin'
And that's no lie

We spent the night in Frisco
At every kind of disco
From that night I kissed our love goodbye.
…
This magic music grooves me
That dirty rhythm moves me
The devil's gotten to me through this dance

“BAD”

Your butt is mine
Gonna tell you right
Just show your face
In broad daylight

“ENJOY YOURSELF”

You sittin' over there
Starin' into space
While people are dancin'
Dancin' all over the place
You shouldn't worry
About things that you can't control
Come on, girl
While the night is young
Why don't you let yourself
Let yourself go
Woo!
...
Pretty girl, I've been watching you
I can wipe away that frown
Ah, you and I
Can get together
We can tear the house down
We can tear the house down
We can tear the whole house down
Woo!

“THRILLER”

Theyre out to get you, theres demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial
Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together
All thru the night Ill save you from the terror on the screen,
Ill make you see.

“ABC”

Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now
Shake it, shake it, baby, oo ooh
Shake it shake it, baby, huh
123, baby, oo ooh
ABC, baby, nah nah!
Do re mi, baby, now!
That's how easy love can be

Threat made at Riverside High School 10-31-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Threat-made-at-Riverside-High-School-499181501.html
A threat was made against students at a Kanawha County high school today. Law Enforcement investigated a potential threat made against students at Riverside High School Wednesday. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Precautionary lockdown taken after ammunition found inside John Adams Middle School 10-29-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/precautionary-lockdown-taken-after-ammunition-found-inside-john-adams-middle-school
A Kanawha County school went on lockdown after a round of ammunition was found inside the school Monday. Kanawha County Schools spokeswoman Briana Warner said John Adams Middle School was under a precautionary lockdown Monday morning. Parents were notified with a robo-call. One round of ammunition was found in the boys' locker room, she said. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Putnam County Schools performance ratings released for 2017-2018 academic year 10-24-18
Putnam Review Wednesday October 24 page 4
(R)esults of West Virginia’s Balanced Scorecard, the Mountain State’s school accountability system. The Balanced Scorecard outlines performance for each public school in West Virginia for the 2017-2018 school year. The results provide parents, students, educators, and communities with information on school success and areas in need of improvement. “I am proud of the efforts of our schools to continually strive for academic excellence,” Putnam County Schools Superintendent John Hudson said…The Putnam county Board of Education is proud of the hard work being done in classrooms as teachers work to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need for successful futures. Putnam County is frequently among the very highest performing districts in West Virginia and we are pleased to report that in Putnam County Schools: 100 percent of the middle and high schools are on target for math. Karl’s comment: Let’s look at this report closely. (1) Schools striving “for academic excellence” does not mean that schools achieve academic excellence. (2) “Hard work” does not mean the work produces significant results. (3) Being “among the highest performing districts” is nothing to brag about if the other districts’ performances are lousy. See the comments in the next entry.

Paine: Plan to improve math scores to focus on algebra where a third of teachers aren’t certified 10-24-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/10/24/paine-plan-to-improve-math-scores-to-focus-on-algebra-where-a-third-of-teachers-arent-certified/
The state Department of Education has finalized a plan to address the poor scores in math and student attendance issues that showed up against on the first-ever Balanced Scorecard released earlier this school year… Mathematics performance, particularly at the middle school and high school levels, is low system wide. Only 37 percent of students tested proficient in math, 45 percent in English/Language Arts. “The math plan is done,” state School Superintendent Dr. Steve Paine said…The plan has been vetted by national experts on math student achievement, according to Paine. Its emphasis is on addressing the classrooms where algebra and geometry are taught. Paine said up to 30 percent of those algebra classrooms in West Virginia are taught by non-certified teachers… It’s all connected to the qualified teacher shortage issue in several subjects that numbers approximately 700 statewide…A second part of the plan will be to contract with what Paine called “exceptional master teachers” to teach children algebra by video stream…Justice has placed his confidence in educators and those in the system (proposing another 5 percent pay raise). Now it’s up to us to give him something back. We have to improve results,” Paine said. Karl’s comment: Public school officials and politicians are consistent. They call for more money and continue to provide poor performance. See the 10-7 and 9-17 items below.

Deputies say Putnam County Schools' employee arrested on drug charges 10-17-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/deputies-say-putnam-county-schools-employee-arrested-on-drug-charges
Virginia Priestley, 50, of Hurricane was charged with methamphetamine possession, possession of a controlled substance and obstructing an officer, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. According to a statement from Putnam County Schools, Priestley is a service personnel employee. Members of the Wayne County Sheriff Drug Enforcement Unit said they pulled over Priestley during a traffic stop Tuesday on U.S. 52 in Crum. Deputies said Priestley drove around the cross guard at a railroad crossing. Deputies said Priestley removed something from her pocket in an attempt to conceal it and refused to comply with officers. Deputies said a bag containing marijuana and a straw with white residue was found. Priestley was taken to the Western Regional Jail. Karl’s comment: Academies are low in government schools, but lots of personnel are high.

Student banned from GW High School pending threat investigation 10-17-18
https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Student-banned-from-GW-High-School-pending-threat-investigation-497816841.html
Deputies are investigating an alleged social media threat directed toward George Washington High School. Police say a student made a threat using the Snapchat app. The child is currently banned from going to school until the investigation is complete… The Kanawha County Sheriff's Department is in charge of the criminal investigation, but the CPD has a presence at the school Wednesday to ensure the safety of students and staff. The school resource officer is also on hand. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

West Virginia elementary teacher accused of hitting 5-year-old special needs student 10-11-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/west-virginia-elementary-teacher-accused-of-hitting-5-year-old-special-needs-student/1516367104
A teacher at an elementary school in Bluefield is under investigation after allegedly hitting a 5-year-old special needs student…(T)he teacher, whose name has not been released at this time, was caught on camera making physical contact with the student on Sept. 12 and Oct. 1, 2018…Sommers said this is not the first time the teacher has been in trouble with the law. He said in May 2018, West Virginia State Police received a complaint about the same teacher. She was arrested in August for a felony child abuse charge and was out on bond when the alleged incidents occurred.  Karl’s comment: It would be hard to write fiction more scary and sad than what is recorded on these WV News pages.

Wonder & Grow-Unique class lets Beverly students explore nature 10-10-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2018/10/wonder-grow/
A unique class introduced to a group of students in Randolph County has allowed them to explore nature and express their creativity in new ways. Kate Reed and Valerie Warner have led a series of lessons at Beverly Elementary School this year with hopes of giving students “a sense of wonder,” Warner said.The class, called “Wonder and Grow” is geared toward students between the ages of 5-12…”I liked when we built the fox den,” Jaden Workman said. “We used a tarp, sticks and bigger pieces of wood to pound the sticks down into the ground — we used them like hammers.”…Reed and Warner have incorporated yoga into their classes. “We learned about different kinds of yoga poses when they visited,” Jasmin Workman said, noting this was something she enjoyed. “Our goal in incorporating yoga is to show the students that anytime they feel stressed or angry, they can use these poses and take a deep breath to relax,” Warner said. “We’re trying to give them coping skills to deal with stress.”…“Each time we incorporated yoga and did a visualization in the beginning of the lesson to set our intentions for the day.”…At the close of each lesson, Reed would lead a visualization that encouraged students to use all of their senses. Karl’s comment: This program is sugar coated poison. Yoga is Religion  Also, I am certain that the course contains a healthy amount of evolutionism and Gaia worship. See the 8-31 article below.

Department of Education grant focuses on statewide issues in education 10-10-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/10/10/department-of-education-grant-focuses-on-statewide-issues-in-education/
The EdVenture Group, a Morgantown nonprofit that provides educational outreach across the region, has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will hone its focus from the classroom to the kitchen table. Lydotta Taylor, EdVenture’s CEO, said the $4.8 million offering will help establish the West Virginia Family Engagement Center. Like its name, Taylor said the center’s goal is to simply engage parents and other caregivers — so the youngsters in their households can survive and thrive in school. Karl’s comment: This is an example of the government getting more into the business of families.

Former Jefferson County teacher sentenced to prison on sex abuse, solicitation charges 10-9-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/10/09/former-jefferson-county-teacher-sentenced-to-prison-on-sex-abuse-charges/
A former Jefferson High School teacher has been sentenced in Berkeley County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust and soliciting a minor via computer. 31-year-old Joel Ziler received a 2 to 10 year sentence for both counts meaning he will serve time in prison for at least 4 to 20 years. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex perversions throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008.

Kanawha average SAT score exceeds WV average 10-7-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/kanawha-average-sat-score-exceeds-wv-average/article_9244c5e8-27ea-5578-bf4b-069c2f0b3ce3.html
Kanawha County’s public high school juniors got an average SAT score of 976, 34 points above the state average score, in April when the college entrance exam was used for the first time as West Virginia’s high school standardized test. That’s according to figures the county school system provided last week that show Kanawha’s average evidence-based reading and writing component score was 499, 17 points above the state average score for that subject, and the county’s math component score was 476, 16 points above the average state score for that subject. The top possible SAT score is 1600 — 800 points for each section…

Kanawha also provided national average scores: 995 was the average total score, 19 points above the county’s score; 502 was the evidence-based reading and writing score, three points above the county’s score; and 492 was the math score, 16 points above the county’s score. But many states don’t require juniors to take the SAT as a standardized test, so those national numbers aren’t directly comparable to the county or state figures. Sympson said College Board doesn’t compare states for that reason.

“Very strong performance by our juniors,” Jon Duffy, Kanawha’s counseling and testing director, told the county school board last week. “We were very pleased.”

Briana Warner, the Kanawha school system’s communications director, wrote…that the figures don’t include students who paid to take the test at other times. The school-day test is free, but students can pay to take the SAT multiple times and submit their best results. Some colleges, including West Virginia University, combine the highest subject scores from different test dates.

State Senior Director of Financial Aid Brian Weingart has said the minimum qualifying English SAT score to receive the state’s Promise Scholarship is 530 and the minimum qualifying for math is 520, and the minimum for both combined is 1100. That means students have to go above minimum in at least one subject to qualify. Weingart said these students still must meet other criteria, like high enough grade point averages, to fully qualify. The results Kanawha shared show the average junior in the county and state didn’t qualify for Promise.

WVU’s admission requirements for first-time, in-state freshmen mandate at least a 990 combined SAT score, 14 points above the average in Kanawha, and that doesn’t guarantee entrance to the Morgantown campus…

Students will also create “personal develop plans” in the Khan Academy online platform “to begin working on those skills,” and high schoolers will get the “SAT question of the day” sent to their tablet computers, he said.

Karl’s comment: As usual, the headline is misleading. It is like saying, "Kanawha County does not stink as bad as the rest of the state." The reader/tax payer is led to believe that the 976 total score is good because it beats the state average by 30 points. That is like bragging that your child’s grade average of a D beats your neighbor’s child’s average of a D- (And that analogy is being kind.).

It would be easy for a reader/tax payer to miss the admission that the Kanawha County reading and math section scores both were below the national averages. An accurate headline would be, “Kanawha SAT Scores are Below the National Average and State SAT Scores are Worse.”

According to the Princeton Review (https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/good-sat-scores) “A score of 1200 on the SAT is above the current national average.” So, the Kanawha score is 224 points below that arbitrary score. That is nothing to brag about!

SAT scores can be manipulated in some ways.

US News states, "It kind of depends on your background,’ says Michele Hernandez Bayliss…Admissions teams, she says, ‘factor a socioeconomic kind of calculation in their head.’ The SAT score expectations might be higher, for example, for a privileged white high schooler than a teen from inner-city Harlem.” The definition of a good score also ‘depends on where the student wants to attend’” says another expert.

Another article (https://www.thoughtco.com/are-your-sat-scores-good-enough-788673) points out that, “There are different ways to calculate what an 'average' score is for the SAT.” Therefore, the data can be confusing. The same article reveals that the Kanawha County total score (976) is far below what is needed for college admission. “In general, a combined SAT score of roughly 1400 will make you competitive at nearly any college or university in the country.”

Another variable is that “students can pay to take the SAT multiple times and submit their best results” The College Board website (https://signup.collegeboard.org/retake-the-sat/) reveals that, “63% of Students Who Retook the SAT Increased Their Score.” So, the SAT results are not as simple as government education officials want to portray.

An interesting point is that the government school system uses a common homeschool tool (Khan Academy) as a resource.

A graph (https://blog.prepscholar.com/good-sat-score-for-2018) shows that the Kanawha County total score is between average and poor. The scores are about mid-way in reading and closer to “poor” in math.

The article admits that the “average junior in the county and state didn’t qualify for Promise.” The Promise Scholarship “is a merit-based scholarship program designed to make college affordable to all qualified West Virginia students.“ (http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/students/scholarships.html)

The Kanawha County testing director’s statement that the results show a “Very strong performance” and that school officials “were very pleased” is, to be frank, stupid. It reinforces the concluding comment I made for the 9-17 “Schools begin to evaluate Balanced Scorecard Results” entry below.

West Virginia teacher's aide found high on the job 10-4-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/west-virginia-teacher-s-aide-found-high-on-the-job/1497653510
Heroin belonging to a Berkeley County teacher's aide tested positive for fentanyl and she was arrested for being high while on the job.  According to a criminal complaint, in September, 26-year-old Alexandria Tost admitted to taking heroin before going to work at Eagle School Intermediate. Sheriff's deputies were called by administration because Tost was walking around the classroom in circles and 'sayings things that didn't make sense."  Deputies report that they found a cut straw used to snort heroin and a piece of paper with heroin residue in the school and on Tost. Tost told deputies that she had suffered an injury in March and couldn't afford pain pills so she turned to heroin instead. She also admitted to smoking marijuana the night before and being addicted to Adderall and Trazadone. Karl’s comment: It is a sad situation, but highly (no pun intended) likely other staff members abuse some substance.

Former high school counselor indicted for grade inflation 9-20-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/20/former-high-school-counselor-indicted-for-grade-inflation/
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Greenbrier County high school counselor for changing her daughters’ grades in the school’s grading system, defrauding the school and several scholarship organizations…According to the federal indictment, Krystynak used her administrator access to inflate 35 of her daughters’ grades. According to U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart, one of the daughters applied for financial scholarships using fraudulent report cards and transcripts, and received $10,000 in aid. Karl’s comment: No Ten Commandments = No Morals.

Paine promises plan of action in response to ‘shocking’ school attendance numbers 9-20-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/20/paine-promises-plan-of-action-in-response-to-shocking-school-attendance-numbers/
State School Superintendent Dr. Steve Paine said he doesn’t yet know what the plan of action will be to address the absentee problem in West Virginia schools but he does know there will be a response…Paine said there’s an abundance of research that shows attendance is tied to achievement. He said that’s probably one factor in the struggles the scorecard showed in testing for math and English/Language Arts for some schools. Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA on his “plan of action.” Also, a double BWAHAHA on his excue for the pitiful academic performance of students.

Lee requests cooperation as school year begins 9-17-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/17/lee-requests-cooperation-as-school-year-begins/
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee is urging cooperation between lawmakers, educators and school staff as the academic year gets underway. Lee, speaking before the state Board of Education last week, said teachers and lawmakers have to act as one unit for the betterment of students. “When we invest in the students of West Virginia, that’s when we know we can reach huge dividends along the lines,” he said. “It all has to revolve around making sure we have the best and the brightest in our classrooms, that those positions are filled with certified educators and that we provide not only a good compensation for them, but a good compensation plan.” Lee recalled traveling around the state following the statewide teachers’ strike earlier this year, noting a newfound sense of pride in the education community. He also said if it wasn’t for the nine-day work stoppage, the state’s investment into education would not have happened. Lee added stakeholders need to cooperate during the next legislative session. Karl’s comment: “INVEST IN STUDENTS” IS A LIE. IT IS ALL ABOUT UNION POWER.

Schools begin to evaluate Balanced Scorecard Results 9-17-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/17/schools-begin-to-evaluate-balanced-scorecard-results/
With results of the West Virginia Balanced Scorecard in hand, schools throughout the Mountain State are evaluating their strengths and weaknesses to determine the best ways to educate the state’s children…‘This is the data that we need to work at. We need to come up with our improvement plans,'” said Melanie Purkey, senior administrator in the state Department of Education’s Office of Quality Assurances… Schools that aren’t meeting the standard in the examined categories, Purkey said, will receive assistance, first from their individual districts. “The Department of Education will also be working with those districts to find out ‘What are the resources that you need to put your plans in place,'” she said. “There are federal dollars that come through ESSA (the Every Student Succeeds Act) that will be targeted at those schools to be able to provide the funding they need for professional development or the funding that they need for extra resources and materials and so forth.”…According to the test results, only about 37 percent of West Virginia’s students are “proficient” in mathematics and 45 percent in English. It was no secret to the Department of Education that math performance was significantly lagging throughout the state. However, educators have been working to help students excel in those courses…“They provided teachers significant training in that area, and a large number of our schools have a check mark on their math performance indicator. That means while they may still be in that low performing category, when you give them an annual target to climb up to the improvement that we want to see, they are meeting that annual target.” In fact, Purkey said the department introduced a “Math for Life” plan “to work on improving the ability and availability of certified math teachers…Attending 90 percent of the school days of an academic year allows up to 18 absences, Purkey said. “If your student is missing more than 18 days of school, it’s very difficult to make up with the work, so then the failure begins,” she said. “You keep adding zeros into the grade book and they have not been there to cover the material, so when you take some of the assessment at the end of the year, you have not grasped the skill or knowledge to pass that part of the test.” Overall, Purkey said she’s optimistic that these figures will continue to get better as the results of future Balanced Scorecards are collected… “We expect to see those progress measures next year to show real progress, we expect to see schools with checks, and we expect to see schools improving in these areas.” Karl’s comment: The Google definition of “proficient is “ competent or skilled in doing or using something.” Compare West Virginia’s percent of students who are proficient in math (37%) and English (45%) to a test score and it should show how pitiful the performance of government education is (F). “IMPROVEMENT PLANS,” ETC., ARE ALL PART OF A CON GAME. JUST SEACH THESE WV NEWS PAGES AN YOU WILL FIND THE SAME SONG SAME VERSE SUNG THORUGHOUT THE YEARS. See the three items beginning at 9-14 below.

Nicholas County Schools React to Allegations of Abuse 9-15-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local-news/nicholas-county-schools-react-to-allegations-of-abuse/1448171719
After posts on social media alleged mistreatment of a Nicholas County student by a former school employee, the school board is responding. The board put out a statement saying in part, "The NCOBE has already taken appropriate action on that matter." The statement continues on to say, "If you believe that, when you were a student of Nicholas County Schools, you were the victim of these kinds of serious mistreatment by a person employed by the NCBOE, you are encouraged to fill out and submit the Abuse Report form found on the NCBOE website." Karl’s comment: I encourage all of the parents in that, and all county systems, to rescue their children before they are physically (possibly) or spiritually (for sure) abused!

Failing grades for many WV public schools 9-14-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/14/lousy-grades-for-wv-public-schools/
The state Department of Education has released the first report card grading every public school in West Virginia, and in many cases it is not one you would want to take home to your parents.   I’ll get to the findings in a moment, but first some background. The DoE developed the “Balanced Scorecard” to provide “a clear snapshot of school performance and growth from year to year.”   Each school is given one of four classifications—exceeds standard, meets standard, partially meets standard, does not meet standard—for academic achievement, student progress during the year, graduation rate, attendance, behavior and other areas…

The math grades stand out because they are terrible.  Eighty-eight percent of the state’s 116 high schools fall in the “does not meet standard” category.   That rating “indicates that a school’s performance on a particular indicator is substantially below the expected level set by the State Board of Education.” (The Board adopted the Balanced Scorecard system to replace the proposed A-F grading system, but if a school is “substantially below” expectations, that has to translate into a D or F.)

The scorecard shows middle and elementary schools are performing better than the high schools in math, but they still have a way to go.  Fifty-five percent of middle schools fall below standard, with 41 percent partially meeting the standard.  At the elementary level, 21 do not meet the accepted level, while 52 percent partially meet standard…

The scorecard indicates many schools have an issue with getting kids to show up, with the biggest problem in the higher grades…Now we have what appears to be an accurate baseline from which to build.  What gets measured gets done and, if the commitment is there, improved.  This scorecard shows our public schools have a lot of room for improvement.

Karl’s comment: The author of this report is arguably West Virginia’s top journalist/talk show host. His word “terrible” to describe math levels is accurate. Notice that the longer students are in government schools their scores get worse. Also, who can blame kids for not wanting to be there? Of course, the system will use shuck and jive strategies to make it appear that the professional educators are going to solve the problems. A simple search of these WV School News pages will show that is all malarkey. Read on.

Find out how your child's school is performing on West Virginia's 'Balanced Scorecard' 9-13-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Find-out-how-your-childs-school-is-performing-on-West-Virginias-Balanced-Scorecard-493192151.html

We all want what is best for our kids, including a great education. Now, you can see how your child's school performed on West Virginia's "Balanced Scorecard." The West Virginia Department of Education released a report Thursday that shows how well or poorly each school in the state is performing in certain areas.

"The West Virginia Schools Balanced Scorecard is designed to provide a clear snapshot of school performance and growth from year to year," the report stated. "Each public school in the state will receive a scorecard that gives parents, students, educators and communities clear and concise information on where their school is excelling and in what areas their school may need to improve."

Green: Exceeds Standard - indicates that a school’s performance on a particular indicator is above the expected level set by the State Board of Education.

Blue: Meets Standard - indicates that a school’s performance on a particular indicator is within the range of expected performance set by the State Board of Education.

Gold: Partially Meets Standard - indicates that a school’s performance on a particular indicator is not yet at the expected range set by the State Board of Education.

Red: Does Not Meet Standard - indicates that a school’s performance on a particular indicator is substantially below the expected level set by the State Board of Education.

Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA regarding the “designed to provide a clear snapshot of school performance and growth from year to year” part! Try making sense of the previous testing strategies described in the “Report: 37% of tested WV public schoolers proficient in math; 45% in English” entry below. Also, how would you like it is 37 or 45 percent of the food you buy was not contaminated? Read on.

Report: 37% of tested WV public schoolers proficient in math; 45% in English 9-12-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/report-of-tested-wv-public-schoolers-proficient-in-math-in/article_36ad530d-16f8-5a9b-a6fd-6f9b7df8dcc7.html
Last school year, about 37 percent of tested West Virginia public school students scored as at least "proficient" in math, per the state Department of Education, while 45 percent did so in English. On Thursday, the department released statewide standardized test scores and new “balanced scorecards,” which show the department’s scoring of schools based on those test scores and other factors, including attendance, the percentage of students without out-of-school suspensions and graduation rates.

Last school year was the state’s first use of American Institutes for Research tests as the public school standardized tests for English and math in grades three through eight and in science in grades five and eight. It was also the state’s first use of a college entrance exam, the SAT, as the statewide public high school standardized test. Education department officials said they didn’t know Thursday what percentage of high schoolers had scored high enough to earn the state’s Promise college scholarship.

The high school testing in English, math and science occurred in 11th grade last school year. Previously, science was tested in 10th grade, but the state Board of Education changed that for last school year. The board and state Legislature have changed West Virginia’s tested grade levels and subjects, and the tests used for those grade levels and subjects, several times over the past several years. Education department officials have said this past school year’s results aren’t directly comparable to past years.

In the 2014-15 school year, the board switched the English and math tests in all grades from the state’s Westest 2 to the Common Core standards-aligned Smarter Balanced tests. That same school year, it approved reducing science standardized testing from grades three through 11 to just in grades four, six and 10, and eliminated social studies standardized testing in all grades. The tested grades in science were later changed to five, eight and 11.

In 2016-17, the board eliminated English and math standardized testing in ninth and 10th grades. In the 2017 regular legislative session, lawmakers and Gov. Jim Justice banned Smarter Balanced in all grades and forced the board to pick a college entrance exam for at least high school English and math testing.

Karl’s comment: The truth is that changing from an easily understood A-F system to pretty colors does not change the pitiful performance of West Virginia government schools despite spending $11,096.75 per student (https://wveis.k12.wv.us/essa/dashboard.html) and 45.9% of the state budget (https://budget.wv.gov/reportsandcharts/appropriations/Documents/gr18app.pdf) for the scam called “public education”.

Second school threat this week in Mercer County 9-12-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/12/second-school-threat-this-week-in-mercer-county/
Authorities are on high alert this morning following the second threat in a week at a Mercer County high school… “Mercer County Schools takes all potential threats seriously. In that vein, Mercer County Schools has instituted steps to help ensure student safety. Local law enforcement have been contacted and will be present today at Bluefield High School. School will operate on a regular schedule.” Karl’s comment: See the next item.

West Virginia High School Student Arrested in Connection to Bomb Threat on 9/11 9-12-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/west-virginia-high-school-student-arrested-in-connection-to-bomb-threat-on-911/1437145106?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WOWK_13_NEWS
An 18-year-old Princeton High School student is facing charges for making a bomb threat at the school, according to police.  Princeton Police said they arrested Jasmine Nicole Keith who is charged with threatening to commit a terroristic act with or without intent to commit the act…Police said Keith wrote on a piece of notebook paper stating there is a timed bomb in the school and it was scheduled to go off around 1:00 p.m. She also allegedly wrote 9/11 at the bottom of the piece of paper.  Students at Princeton High School were briefly evacuated until officers cleared the school.  Karl’s comment: See the next item.

Teenager charged in connection with Instagram threat 9-10-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/10/teenager-charged-in-connection-with-instagram-threat/
Charges were filed against a Putnam County teenager Sunday night following an alleged threat to a Boone County school. According to state police, the threat was made on Instagram toward Madison Middle School…There was extra security at the school when students arrived Monday morning. The students were later sent home because of a sewer problem. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Prayer before game goes on despite complaints 9-8-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/08/prayer-before-game-goes-on-despite-complaints/
Despite the threat of a lawsuit, Friday night’s football game at Man High School in Logan County between Man and Westside started with a public prayer. Although, unlike previous years, this prayer originated and was led by fans of both teams in the stands. The longstanding tradition of a prayer over the public address season prior to games at the school was struck down this week when the Logan County School Board received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation…The group claimed a formal complaint had been lodged over the prayer and it violated separation of church and state. The decision didn’t sit well with a lot of longtime Man High supporters. Fans showed up in t-shirts reading, ‘Pray Hard, Play Hard.” Karl’s comment: Those “prayer warriors” will lose eventually. In the meantime they just get a good feeling on game night while their children are in the Devil’s Dens Monday through Friday.

Clarksburg students overdose on unknown substance 9-7-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/07/clarksburg-students-overdose-on-unknown-substance/
Clarksburg police responded to two schools Thursday morning following reports of two students overdosing on an unknown substance. The students are of Washington Irving Middle and North View Elementary schools and are related…The individuals were transported to the hospital. Child Protective Services were notified. Karl’s comment: Narcotic use is not uncommon in government schools.

Mingo Central assistant admits buying wedding supplies with state funds 9-6-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/06/mingo-central-assistant-admits-buying-wedding-supplies-with-state-funds/
An assistant principal in Mingo County is being fined and reprimanded by the West Virginia Ethics Commission…Marcella Charles Casto, who works at Mingo Central, admitted buying tablecloths and chair covers, bands and sash slips in early 2016 with the Mingo County Board of Education’s BB&T Purchasing Card. She used 194 of those items at her May 21, 2016, wedding in Tennessee…Charles-Casto also was ordered to undergo training on the Ethics Act as part of the settlement of the ethics complaint against her. Karl’s comment: LOL on the ethics training. Theft is clearly covered in the Ten Commandments which are banded from government schools.

Wood County school custodian arrested on child pornography charge 9-5-2018
https://wchstv.com/news/local/wood-county-school-custodian-arrested-on-child-pornography-charge
The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reported Justin Ray Hoover, 36, was arraigned Tuesday in the Wood County Magistrate Court on a charge of distributing and exhibiting material of minors in explicitly sexual conduct. According to court documents, Vienna Elementary School found more than 200 internet images of children on a computer at the school. Superintendent William Hosaflook said he and the coordinator of safety were alerted to the situation last month and told police. Karl’s comment: Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex perversions throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008.

Beverly Elementary School partners with Wonder & Grow 8-31-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/communities/2018/08/beverly-elementary-school-partners-with-wonder-grow/
This fall, Beverly Elementary fourth-grade students will have the opportunity to participate in a new nature, science and mindfulness program. Once a week beginning in September students will participate in activities that explore water, soils, wildlife and mindfulness practices in order to foster healthy lifestyles and scientific understanding. For four sessions, students will try out a pilot program called “Wonder & Grow — Mindful Nature Experience,” a curriculum aimed at bolstering science, math, and language skills through active outdoor experiences.

Karl’s comment: These people (motivated by Satan) will not quit! The God haters want the children and they make it comprehensively clear. Is futile to fight if we do not rescue our children first. They use demonic deception with innocent, even inspiring, terms like healthy lifestyles and scientific understanding. Sure, there will be some exercise and good teaching about diet and exercise, but they will present it on a platter of New Age Mother Earth Gaia worship. See #47. They will cloak that creed with terms like mindfulness. The website of the group presenting this program states that their intent is, “ Connecting the heart and spirit to the natural world through yoga and mindfulness practices.” YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ARE RELIGIOUS! See Becoming Mindful of Mindfulness and Yoga is Religion. (Ironically, the pictures of the two leaders of this program invoke stereotypical tree-hugging occult circle worshipers.)

I guarantee you the “science” will be infested with evolutionism and any teacher who tries to tell the truth will be tormented. I proved, beyond any doubt, that scientific facts that dispute Darwinism will not be tolerated in the so-called “tolerant” government schools.

The “R. Buckminster Fuller” and “James Moffett” references in A Common Thread refer to deceivers who were connected to the beginning of the Culture War. About 20 years latter my county system was defiled as I document in Religion Rules Kanawha County Schools. Any Christian/conservative who is willing to look at history must be willingly blind to think they can justify wasting God’s time and money trying to fix government schools.

WE MUST RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!

“Karl is correct.  If the parents wage a war about this today, what will it mean exactly?  There are myriads of other issues that should have been fought decades previously, and dozens more at present--not to mention what tomorrow will bring.  It is intentionally never ending to keep parents busy without putting any cogs in the education establishment's wheels.

“In the time spent fighting these issues while their children are still within the system, they could be homeschooling.  However there is a caveat emptor--homeschooling curricula has to be researched as well, or the children will end up with the same outcomes that the government schools produce.  The real battle is as to who has the authority to make decisions concerning our own children.  

Religion is allowed in government schools.  Christianity is not.”

Community in shock over Mingo County bus driver's alleged actions 8-29-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/community-in-shock-over-mingo-county-bus-drivers-actions
A Mingo County bus driver taking kids to a soccer game is accused of driving while under the influence. The Mingo Central Girl's Soccer team ended up having their game canceled. "My friend was telling me she was scared because he was going really fast, he was a danger to other drivers he was going high speeds on the main road," said Mingo Central High School Senior, Greg Epin…West Virginia State Police said bus driver David Lee Justice Jr. was spotted by several people weaving in and out of traffic on route 119. After calls to 911, he was pulled over in Boone County where troopers say he failed several field sobriety tests. Parents now left with one more thing to worry about and wonder how something like this could happen. "It makes you nervous," said mother, Amanda Robertson. Karl’s comment: Part of the report says it all: “Parents now left with one more thing to worry about.”

 Keeping students healthy while at school 8-28-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/keeping-students-healthy-while-at-school
With school back in session, parents may have another thing on their mind about what diseases or illnesses can spread in the close quarters. From lice and bed bugs to the common flu and even Hepatitis A, school workers in Kanawha County are working to protect their students and keep those things out of the classrooms…"There's always strep throat going around. There's hand-foot and mouth. These diseases are something I see in elementary at times,” said Warden. “There's [the] stomach viruses going around. These are common things that we see." Karl’s comment: How about protecting students from spiritual illness? The best way, it to remove them from a main source of that disease—the government schools.

 Kanawha teacher pleads guilty in PEIA defrauding case 8-27-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/former-kanawha-teacher-pleads-guilty-in-peia-defrauding-case
A Riverside High School teacher pleaded guilty Monday after an investigation found he tried to defraud the Public Employees Insurance Agency after keeping his ex-wife on his insurance following a divorce. Thomas L. Watkins, 60, of Mount Carbon pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a scheme to defraud the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency, according to a news release from Kanawha County Prosecutor Charles Miller. Watkins failed to tell PEIA of his divorce in 2006 and as a result, kept his ex-wife on his insurance for about 10 years, the release said. During that decade, Watkins’ ex-wife was not eligible for PEIA benefits. A second count of the felony was dismissed in return for Watkins’ guilty plea. Watkins, who is listed on the school's website as a health/gym teacher, was placed on probation for five years and will be required to pay restitution to PEIA and Kanawha County Schools estimated at $60,000. Karl’s comment: See the item for 8-1 below.

Tolsia High School principal shares medical information in assembly, under investigation 8-27-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Tolsia-High-School-principal-under-investigation-491836011.html
Students say Principal Reva Wallace called students out by name at a school assembly if they were not properly vaccinated. They say Wallace made the students walk down the bleachers and exit the school in front of everyone. Karl’s comment: He needs a dose of common sense.

Brooke County teacher charged with sexual abuse 8-24-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/brooke-county-teacher-charged-with-sexual-abuse
A West Virginia teacher has been charged after students told authorities he had inappropriate contact with another student. The Intelligencer reports 42-year-old Timothy T. Turner of New Cumberland was charged Wednesday with sexual abuse of a juvenile by a person of trust. Court documents say students told deputies that Turner had a sexual relationship with a female student while he was a teacher at Wellsburg Middle School in 2015. The accusations involve inappropriate sexual contact on two occasions, but charging documents say the incidents didn't occur on school property. The Brooke County Sheriff's Office filed the felony charges after investigating the students' allegations. Karl’s comment: You can easily follow the thread of school personnel sex with students throughout the WV School news headlines. Also see the comments on this issue on the main WV News page and the June 1, 2008.

Roane County school board passes attendance bonus policy for employees 8-24-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/roane-county-school-board-passes-attendance-bonus-policy-for-employees
Roane County Schools teachers and staff will now receive bonuses if they have good attendance… District officials said thus far 50 employees already have missed a day of work. The district has been open for two weeks for employees. In the last school year, more than one-third of the district’s employees missed 15 days of work. Karl’s comment: Call it stress or call it dishonesty, it has been a problem for dozens of years statewide.

Parents bring accusations of teacher mistreating children before Randolph County BOE 8-22-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/08/22/parents-bring-accusations-of-teacher-mistreating-children-before-randolph-county-boe
Six parents addressed the Randolph County Board of Education during its meeting Tuesday, alleging that their children were mistreated by a teacher while enrolled in the pre-kindergarten program at Beverly Elementary School. “We’ve already looked into it as a school system, and then we did the reporting requirements that we had to to DHHR and Child Protective Services,” Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Gabe Devono told WAJR-Clarksburg. “They’re looking into it, and we’ll be meeting with them off and on to find out where the progress is at this time.” Devono said this isn’t the first he’s heard these allegations, that a parent came into the school several years ago making accusations about the same Randolph County teacher. Karl’s comment: Why weren’t the children resuced?!!!!

All Cabell County middle and high schools staffed with resourceofficers 8-22-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/all-cabell-county-middle-and-high-schools-staffed-with-resource-officers
"What we're trying to do is make sure we have some added layers of security in all of our schools for our students to keep our students and staff safe," Tim Hardesty, assistant superintendent for district support and employee relations said. All middle and high schools in the county will now be equipped with their own resource officer… Everybody sees the news," (Deputy) Talbott said. "These days people don't necessarily have regard for human life, people want to come out and they hurt kids they want to come into the buildings and obviously our first priority is to keep people safe." Karl’s comment: Government schools are perfect examples of scripture: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7

Roane County Schools offering three meals a day for all students 8-22-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Roane-County-Schools-offering-three-meals-a-day-for-all-students-491493151.html
or the first year ever, all Roane County Schools now serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. This program is a partnership between the schools and the USDA, and the more kids eat, the more money the school gets back. Karl’s comment: Helping needy kids is good, but Socialism is bad. In my day, poor kids worked for our lunch.

Cabell school administrators get handheld radio to improve student safety 8-13-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/cabell-school-administrators-get-handheld-radio-to-improve-student-safety
Cabell County school administrators will have a new tool to improve communications when the school year begins next Monday. It's also expected to improve school safety…We can patch directly into 911 who will then patch into Huntington Police Department, to the Cabell County Sheriff's department. It takes a step out of it and it will reduce our response time," said Cooper. Cabell County Schools purchased 70 handheld radios at a cost of $105,000…In October officials are planning an active shooter drill at Huntington High School. During this time school administrators will be testing those new radios and testing the response time of emergency agencies in a real life scenerio. Karl’s comment: In many cases, it has been a “real death” situation.

Back to School: Keeping Students Safe in Kanawha County Schools 8-9-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local-news/back-to-school-keeping-students-safe-in-kanawha-county-schools/1356511922
Kanawha County Schools are ready for the new year with unique security assets to keep students and staff safe.  The first is Director of Security Keith Vititoe.  A 30-plus year military vet with two tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he spent more than 20 years with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department working with the bomb squad, SWAT team, fire arms instructions and then finished up as the field operations commander.  "I don’t really see that this job is that much different from what I have done in the past. It's just kind of like a carryover and you know, obviously, I have borrowed a lot from previous experience to bring to the school system," Vititoe said.  Some of those borrowed tactics include building up the confidence of the staff by practicing scenarios.  Kanawha County now does four lockdown drills a year instead of one.  They are in addition to the other 12 drills they do during school months.  Karl’s comment: If there was no need for this combat vet he would not have been hired. TICK, TICK, TICK.

Raleigh County delegate asks lawmakers to re-consider school vaccine requirement 8-7-18
http://www.wvva.com/story/38833823/2018/08/07/raleigh-county-lawmaker-asks-gov-to-re-consider-school-vaccine-requirement
A Raleigh County lawmaker is raising the alarm over the requirement that all West Virginia school children receive vaccinations…Del. Adkins, a pharmacist, also filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the federal agency asking for more information on testing and what the agency is doing to ensure children are not harmed by the injections.  "If we have a federal government admitting that they're not necessarily the watchdog to ensure complete safety, what are we doing as a state if we're mandating that every child has to be vaccinated to go to school? Forty-seven other states will allow partially vaccinated children to go to school."   Karl’s comment: Not getting into the debate of the safety of vaccinations, the issue is the State dictating to parents via the government forced “education” system.

Thomas Becomes First Female High School Football Coach in WV 8-6-18
https://www.wowktv.com/sports/high-school-sport/thomas-becomes-first-female-high-school-football-coach-in-wv/1350024531
The Hannan Wildcats aren't used to receiving attention on the gridiron but Kellie Thomas is changing that. Hannan named her head football coach in the spring, making history for the state of West Virginia. Karl’s comment: This is an example of liberalism. Just think about the obvious issues with this.

Kanawha may let school workers use computers for personal use 8-6-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/kanawha-may-let-school-workers-use-computers-for-personal-use/article_7b270985-7ec6-580b-b8c6-368735e5a35e.html
The Kanawha County school system is proposing letting workers use Kanawha computers for limited personal reasons… “However, any use of KCS electronic equipment while at school or any other location that violates policy will result in disciplinary action,” the policy would state. “These uses include but are not limited to, pornographic material, gambling, and/or anything that can be viewed or interpreted as inappropriate.” Things like personal email, gaming and researching a plane ticket would be allowed, said Leah Sparks, the school system’s technology executive director. “We want our teachers to use these devices with the students, right, to integrate,” Sparks said. “The more comfortable they become with those devices, the more likely they are to use it in the classroom.” She said the devices (Kanawha has provided teachers with MacBook laptops) would still, “first and foremost,” be used for education, and staff will be asked to limit personal use during work time. Karl’s comment: Good luck with that.

Work to remove mold at Capital High School begins 8-6-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/08/06/work-to-remove-mold-at-capital-high-school-begins/
An environmental abatement crew began work Monday morning to remove mold from at least 25 rooms at Capital High School. Most of those rooms are classrooms and many are the same ones where mold developed a year ago and caused school to be cancelled for a week. Karl’s comment: Mold can occur anywhere, but this story is a parable about the spiritual toxins that will always be in all government schools.
8-14-18: Kanawha County School officials announced in a news conference Tuesday that 11 schools in the district have reported possible issues with mold. https://wchstv.com/news/local/11-kanawha-county-schools-report-mold
8-22-18: Capital High School will remain closed for the rest of the week after the most recent samples tested positive for mold, and families of students are not happy. This is the second year in a row mold has been found in classrooms.
https://wchstv.com/news/local/families-school-officials-react-to-continued-closure-of-capital-high-school-due-to-mold

Kanawha County school buses get new safety features 8-6-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/kanawha-county-school-buses-get-new-safety-features
Fifty buses will have double Guardian Angel lights. The lights help the students see the path in front of the bus as well as help the bus drivers see students standing on the side of the road. Karl’s comment: Wow! How ironic to name the bulbs that light the path for the precious children “Guardian Angles.” If only the parents would “light” the path for their children to be rescued from government schools!

Kanawha County teacher pleads guilty to defrauding PEIA 8-1-18
https://wchstv.com/news/local/kanawha-county-teacher-pleads-guilty-to-defrauding-peia
A Kanawha County teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding the West Virginia PEIA of more than $21,000 over a time span of more than 10 years…The release said Jackson failed to inform the PEIA of her 1996 divorce from her then-husband and kept listing him as a spouse on her health insurance…The release said by keeping her ex-husband on her insurance, Jackson caused Kanawha County Schools to pay excessive employer insurance premium payments of $37,380. As part of her guilty plea, Jackson received four years’ probation and will be required to make restitution to both PEIA and Kanawha County Schools. The release said Jackson is currently employed by Kanawha County Schools but is currently suspended as a result of the indictment. Karl’s comment: Sad situation.

Officials working to make West Virginia schools safer 7-29-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Officials-working-to-make-West-Virginia-schools-safer-489459491.html
School officials in north-central West Virginia are working to make school buildings safer before classes begin this fall. Officials said the moves are meant to keep out intruders and come on the heels of school shootings around the nation. Harrison County Safety Director Ken Winkie told The Exponent-Telegram that improvements there include installing shatter-resistant glass on the first-floor windows of many buildings and upgrading security cameras. He said entrances to schools also are being converted to make them safer and crews are working on a silent alarm system for emergencies. Marion County Superintendent Gary Price said officials there invested $1 million over the summer to upgrade security cameras. Karl’s comment: Even if they could physically protect the students (and they cannot), the students will be attacked spiritual levy single day they attend government schools

WV Senate president lashes out at AFT's 'socialist agenda' 7-17-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-senate-president-lashes-out-at-aft-s-socialist-agenda/article_d77775e8-27b4-512b-8691-1c28afcbf913.html
Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson…Carmichael lashed out on his personal Twitter account, saying “In response to the AFT’s vote this past weekend to demand that all endorsed candidates support universal healthcare, free tuition, universal child-care & higher taxes to fund it all, I am challenging @wvdemocrats to reject the union’s Obama styled socialist agenda.”… Carmichael said he doesn’t believe his tweets will change the opinions of AFT/West Virginia members, adding, “The purpose of it is to say, this is where the national teachers’ groups are coming down on some of these issues... Karl’s comment: He is right.

Dr. Paine kicks off first of two workshops expected to draw in thousands of state educators 7-16-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/07/16/dr-paine-kicks-off-first-of-two-workshops-expected-to-draw-in-thousands-of-state-educators/
Dr. Steve Paine delivered opening remarks to several hundred educators Monday morning… I have a real heart to really focus in on mathematics student achievement,” Paine said. “It’s been a problem in West Virginia for the past 30 years. I fail to believe that our kids can not or will not learn mathematics as well as any other students in the rest of the country.” Just 35 percent of West Virginia fourth graders were proficient in math, remaining below the national average of 40 percent. Meanwhile, only 33 percent of eighth graders were considered proficient in the subject. Karl’s comment: As Charlie Brown said, "AAUGH!"

Fayette County Schools employee accused of stealing copper from middle school 7-13-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Fayette-County-Schools-employee-accused-of-stealing-copper-from-middle-school-488168361.html
A school employee in Fayette County faces multiple charges after investigators say he was selling copper piping stolen from Collins Middle School in Oak Hill. David C. Keffer, 45, of Oak Hill, the director of operations for the Fayette County Board of Education, is charged with three counts of entering without breaking, one count of grand larceny, and one count of destruction of property. Karl’s comment: See the previous comment.

Woman accused of embezzling from Fayette County PTO 7-13-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/PTO-president-facing-embezzlement-charges-488127171.html
A Fayette County woman has been arrested on embezzlement allegations, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Department…Deputies discovered that Jessica R. Zukowski, 33, of Mount Hope, had used PTO funds to pay toward her personal home utility bill debt. Zukowski is the president of the Mount Hope Elementary PTO. Zukowski has been charged with forgery and embezzlement. Karl’s comment: The 8th Commandment (Thou shalt not steal.) went out when government schools banned the Ten Commandments.

The West Virginia Department of Education Delivers 2018 State of Education Address 7-12-18
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/the-west-virginia-department-of-education-delivers-2018-state-of-education-address/1298810374
The 2018 State of Education address was delivered earlier today and the statistics show significant progress and activity. As of 2016, West Virginia ranks 3rd in highest national graduation rate, with an 89.4% high school graduation rate in 2017, 54.5% enrolling in post-secondary education. During the address, Department of Education State Superintendent, Dr. Steven L. Paine said, school breakfast participation is another success West Virginia schools have seen, coming in at 1st place nationally. However, while the department applauds the successes, they are also open to facing the remaining challenges that still persist, specifically mathematics student achievement. Karl’s comment: “The statistics show significant progress and activity” is a farce, read on. “Activity”? What in the world does that mean? There is activity in a trash dump. Graduation rates are meaningless. Students can be “graduated” and illiterate. I have cited statistics for years that show how poorly these “graduates” perform in college. Can anyone say “bonehead courses”? Breakfast participation is the number one category obtained by West Virginia students. ROTFL! The last sentence in the excerpt is the key and the biggest farce of the report. Here is what it should of said: “Student achievement, especially in mathematics, remains dismal.”

Jefferson BOE adopts virtual school policy 7-6-18
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2018/07/jefferson-boe-adopts-virtual-school-policy/
During the June 25 board meeting, The Jefferson County Board of Education unanimously approved the adoption of a virtual school policy where students can take classes entirely online. An official date to start the program was not decided by the board at the meeting… “My recommendation of the virtual school policy is that the virtual pilot would be for middle-school and homeschool students,” (superintendent) Gibson said… “We had this out for public comment for two weeks and received only one comment from a parent who simply said , ‘I think flexibility is a great idea’.” Karl’s comment: 1. BEWARE when the government gets into homeschooling. 2. This shows that brick and mortar schools are not needed. 3. Public apathy is par for the course.

Union leader embraces ongoing battle for teachers 7-2-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/columnists/sandy_wells/innerviews-union-leader-embraces-ongoing-battle-for-teachers/article_84a958d7-b8f9-5b10-8add-7339dad04de9.html
“In third grade, my son came home and said he wanted to be home-schooled because his friend was home-schooled. I told him, ‘You are home-schooled. School is our home. It’s where we spend all our time.’ School is home for a lot of kids, a place where they have a learning environment and where people care about what happens to them. “I think “school choice,” charter schools, vouchers, is just rhetoric for defunding public education. If people want to have a different education system with a private school, there is access to that. “That’s part of what started all this frustration, the attempt at charter schools. You have public school teachers saying, ‘Why would you want to create a different school than what we have when you aren’t taking care of the ones we are in?’ The system we have could thrive with consistency, resources and support…“It was like going from a faucet trickle to a firehose. People were enraged. It wasn’t just the pay, the health insurance. It was also a lot of the anti-public education initiatives and people said, ‘Enough is enough.’… “I always think there is more to be done, but you have to start somewhere. Considering states around us, it would take an additional $10,000 to compete. That’s nowhere near $2,000, but $2,000 is a start. I think we have a lot to do. I am definitely not finished.” Karl’s comment: It is sad that she did not rescue her own child when he asked her. “ School is home for a lot of kids ” is why it is obvious that the school indoctrinates more than the parents inculcate. The bottom line for the union is $$$$$.

Teacher union leader reacts to Janus decision 6-27-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/06/27/teacher-union-leader-reacts-to-janus-decision/
A West Virginia union leader predicts an opinion handed down Wednesday from the U.S. Supreme Court will further strengthen the labor movement in the Mountain State. West Virginia American Federation of Teachers President Christine Campbell told MetroNews that even though many see the Janus v. AFSCME as a blow to public sector unions the opposite could happen here. “We believe people will choose to join the union because they see through this attempt to stifle our collective voice,” Campbell said. The Janus ruling says when non-members of public sector unions are required to pay fair share fees their rights under the First Amendment are violated…Campbell said her union membership is growing not shrinking. She said they are stronger than ever following the nine-day education workers strike from earlier this year. She said West Virginia is a great example that when given a choice public sector workers choose unions. Karl’s comment: I who formerly was an aggressive member (picket captain during West Virginia's first teachers strike) of the NEA/AFT for over 20 years. I left the Union for my last ten, or so, years. I also strongly believe the teacher unions are contributing to the ruination of the United States of America. Details of the strike are in the lower 2-22 entry.

We Need to Talk About Public Education in W.Va. 6-10-18
http://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/local-columns/2018/06/we-need-to-talk-about-public-education-in-w-va/
To help provide some factual background and encourage a candid and open dialogue on this topic, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce developed a paper entitled “Public Education in West Virginia: An Overview of Teacher Pay and Benefits, and Student Achievement.” This paper compares West Virginia with our five border states in areas of student achievement as well as total compensation provided to public school teachers. Ensuring that our children are well qualified and prepared for the workforce of tomorrow is one of our most important responsibilities. Unfortunately, West Virginia falls short. Every two years, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) measures student performance in a variety of metrics, but the two most important indicators are math and reading scores in both the 4th and 8th grades. While there has been some improvement in NAEP scores over the past several years, only 23.9 percent of West Virginia 8th graders are considered at or above proficient in math. By contrast, the U.S. average is 34.3 percent. When it comes to reading, only 27.1 percent of West Virginia 8th graders are proficient, compared to 36.1 percent nationally. These statistics are quite surprising, considering that West Virginia is 14th in the country for spending at $14,274 per pupil — almost $3,000 more than the national average. The fact that West Virginia invests heavily in public education is to be applauded, but our results invite a robust discussion on how and where those dollars are spent…Ensuring that every child receives a world-class education should be our goal. Our children deserve no less. Brian Dayton is the communications manager of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. You can read the chamber’s report by visiting www.wvchamber.com. Karl’s comment: Same song, each verse the same as the first. WAKE UP, CITIZENS!

Parents of injured boy suing Mon BOE, former Westwood Middle teacher and principal 6-9-18
https://www.dominionpost.com/2018/06/09/parents-of-injured-boy-suing-mon-boe-former-westwood-middle-teacher-and-principal/
The parents of a student who required surgery after a game of unsupervised tackle football at Westwood Middle School are suing those they say are responsible… The suit stated $249,223.08 has been spent to date on medical expenses as a result of the incident … About 9:20 a.m. June 3, 2016, Drainer’s class went outside and students played a game of tackle football without supervision or safety equipment. Drainer permitted the game despite the risk of injury … McElyea took her son to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a right displaced femoral neck fracture. The plaintiffs were told, “this is a serious injury [with] a very significant risk of AVN (Avascular Necrosis or Osteonecrosis),” a condition the student later developed…He also required a full hip replacement at age 15. Karl’s comment: This is sad, but spiritual injuries are much worse.

Teacher facing battery charges for allegedly hitting two students 6-6-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Teacher-facing-battery-charges-for-allegedly-hitting-two-students-484701141.html
A high school teacher in Mason County, West Virginia is facing charges for allegedly hitting two students. Marsha Nagy, 60, of Rutland, is facing two counts of battery. According to the criminal complaint, Nagy is accused of hitting the students with her hand and with a ruler…According to the criminal complaint, Nagy is accused of hitting one of the students in the head with her hand while the student was entering a classroom. Nagy is also accused of hitting the other student at least one time in the head with a ruler while they were in the classroom. Karl’s comment: Not to make light of this, but the spiritual abuse/assault on government school students is much worse.

------------------------------------------

Karl’s comment: A friend sent the next three news items after seeing the 5-30 and 31 WV School News items. She said, “I am guessing there are more of these that are unreported.  It's tragic, but this is going to inevitably end up in "The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf" scenario.” She is so very right.  

Also, there are lots of incidents that occur in schools that should alarm parents.  For example, the violent fights I broke up in the so-called nice school where I ended my career.  In one, I (6'3". 205 lbs) was literally on the floor with the students.

Additionally, I spoke in an Elkins church in 2007. After I finished speaking a teacher stood up and said the things I described did not happen in their area. Search “Randolph” on these WV News pages to see how wrong he was. 

Call prompts lockdown at Elkins Middle 4-12-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2018/04/call-prompts-lockdown-at-elkins-middle/
Elkins Middle School operated on a precautionary lockdown throughout the day Wednesday. Randolph County Superintendent of Schools Gabriel “Gabe” Devono said around 9 a.m. the school called a “code yellow,” meaning the school would be on a “precautionary lockdown.” Devono added the decision to call a code yellow was made after a phone call was received by a male individual…Students remained in classrooms and lessons were held throughout the day, Devono said; however, no one was permitted to enter or exit the building during that time. The West Virginia State Police, Elkins Police Department and Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted investigations into the incident Wednesday. Students were dismissed from school at regular time but all after school programs and activities were canceled.

Schools placed on temporary lockdown 4-21-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2018/04/schools-placed-on-temporary-lockdown/
Elkins High School and the Randolph Technical Center operated on a “code yellow” for a portion of the morning Friday… “There was a code blue — which is a medical emergency — and shortly after we went into a code yellow,” Hamrick said. “We had a concern, so we went into a precautionary (lockdown). We did a precautionary sweep to make sure everyone was accounted for, and everyone is safe.”

‘Code yellow’ called at EHS, EMS 5-26-18
http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2018/05/code-yellow-called-at-ehs-ems/
Law enforcement officers were called to both Elkins High School and Elkins Middle School this week to address potential threats. Superintendent Gabe Devono said threats were written on walls at both schools, prompting schools officials to call for a “code yellow,” meaning the schools were on precautionary lockdown. Devono did not specify the nature of the threats…Responding to the incident at EHS were the West Virginia State Police, Elkins Police Department, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and United States Department of Homeland Security. Officers also responded to EMS.
------------------------------------------

Wayne High School student arrested for making alleged threats 5-31-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Wayne-High-School-student-arrested-after-making-alleged-threats-484210011.html
A Wayne High School student was arrested after allegedly making threats to “shoot up the school,” Wayne County court records show…One student said she heard Ramsey say he was going to bring an AK-47 to school and shoot her…(The student) told investigators that two students said to go kill himself, saying that he was pushed to the ground and hit with the handle of a paint roller. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

School in Mason County Dismisses due to Threat 5-30-18
http://www.wowktv.com/news/education/school-in-mason-county-dismisses-due-to-threat/1207885028
A school in Mason County, West Virginia is dismissing students this morning due to a threat on the school…The Mason City Police, West Virginia State Police, and Mason County Sheriff's Department all responded, and the school's resource officer was on duty at the school…Superintendent Cullen says any and every threat is taken very seriously. If school is back in session tomorrow, there will be extra law enforcement presence at the school. The same for the last day of school on June 11th.  There will also be extra law enforcement at Wahama's graduation this Friday evening at the school. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Logan High students speak out year after student's arrest 5-28-18 https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/cops_and_courts/logan-high-students-speak-out-year-after-student-s-arrest/article_25c74b82-1c44-5f62-9e88-0dba68e3de6d.html
A year after a black Logan High School student was taken to the floor by a city police officer and arrested after he refused to remove his hood and leave a hallway, students at the school say they’re frustrated with the lack of change they’ve seen on their campus. The day after Romeo Johnson’s arrest, his mother filed complaints against Logan Police Officer Everett Maynard, the school resource officer, and Logan High Assistant Principal Brian Atkinson, who initially approached Johnson and called Maynard. In response, Logan County Schools officials put forward a plan to address criticism against them, including the formation of a “diversity council” at Logan High. Logan Schools Superintendent Patricia Lucas said administrators met with her several times over summer to outline goals for the program, which would consist of students and be led by a teacher…Students who participated in the group, including seniors Kiana Minter and Destiney Tolliver, were happy to see the turnout — they said there were white students, black students, Asian students and Hispanic students. The group was supposed to meet throughout the school year and work on diversity initiatives on campus, but the October meeting was the first and only one, they said. Students participating were never given a reason for its end…

The school’s principal, Kelly Stanley, said she believed the council was “active” and anything suggesting the contrary was “misinformation.” She could not give any specifics on recent meetings or activities by the council. Students who were part of the council say that’s one reason they didn’t trust administrators to hear them out when race issues arise on campus — which, according to a group of black Logan High students, occurs frequently.

A 40-second video of Johnson’s arrest was posted on Facebook shortly after the incident. When the video starts, Johnson can be seen on the ground with Maynard above him. Tucked under Johnson’s chin is Maynard’s fist, and in the background, students can be heard yelling at him to stop. “A lot of kids were actually crying,” Minter said. “We were sitting where we sat every single day, and we just heard a big loud thunk. It was Romeo [Johnson] getting slammed on the ground by [Maynard]. It was really scary, because we knew him, a lot of us grew up with him. We didn’t know how to react.” Johnson was suspended from school for nine days and police charged him with obstruction.

For students at Logan High, the incident was a more extreme instance of an environment they feel permeates at the school. “It’s not every day that I notice some people stereotype me for my skin color, but when that situation happens, you just notice your skin color,” Minter said. “You’re not constantly thinking every day ‘I’m black,’ but when someone is called a [N-word] or when [Johnson] was slammed, you think, ‘I’m black, they’re black, this could happen to me, just because I’m black, so I have to be conscious about the people around me.’ ” In a group of nine black Logan High students, all said hearing white classmates say the N-word was a normal occurrence in their school’s hallways — at least once or twice every few days. Sometimes it’s directed at them, and sometimes it’s a general exclamation, they said. You hear it every other day,” Tolliver said. “It’s just normal,” Knox added…The students said they rarely, if ever, see others punished for this type of behavior, which is strictly prohibited according to Logan High Schools’ code of conduct, which is given to every student at the beginning of the year…

Stanley said she was unaware of any situations regarding hate speech or other slurs on campus directed toward black students. She said she is confident that, if there were incidents, students would be punished accordingly, on a situational basis…Stanley said there is mandatory, six-hour training at the beginning of each school year for all of faculty. They are educated on addressing inherent biases that could be held by the staff and affect the way they treat students.

Karl’s comment: 1. There likely is racism by both colors. 2. If the incident was too rough, it would have likely been done to a white student who was in defiance of authority. 3. The kids are being used by agenda driven adults. 4. The incident (removing the racial aspect) is typical of many such incidents that occur in “public” schools every day. 5. Shame on parents (of all skin hues) who leave their children in that situation.

Parent Outraged After School Gives Students Worksheet on Writing Islamic Faith Declaration 5-17-18
https://www.christianpost.com/news/parent-outraged-school-gives-students-worksheet-writing-islamic-faith-declaration-224078/
A Christian parent in West Virginia has voiced outrage after his seventh-grade daughter brought home a packet from her social studies class this week that includes a page asking students to practice writing the Islamic declaration of faith in Arabic calligraphy… While the packet went into detail about the history of Islam, the prophet Muhammad and the five pillars of the religion, Penkoski was most upset with a worksheet toward the end of the packet that instructs students to practice calligraphy by copying the Arabic form of the Shahada by hand. The Shahada, one of the pillars of Islam, is the Islamic profession of faith that declares belief in one true God and Muhammad being a messenger of God… This is not the first time that Penkoski has butted heads with the school. Last September, Penkoski complained after Brielle's homeroom class was shown a suicide prevention music video that, in one scene, shows two male high school students in bed together and a sex toy. Karl’s comment: I emailed the father (who has a special ministry) about rescuing children and received no response. Later, this news item appeared: The Thomas More Law Center announced that they will represent Richard Penkoski against Mountain Ridge Middle School.  Penkoski's daughter is a 7th grader at Mountain Ridge (Berkeley County) and was recently given an assignment where she had to learn about the Islamic Religion. Penkoski, who is an evangelist and hosts an online Christian ministry, claims that the teacher dedicated more time to Islam than any other religion. ( https://www.wowktv.com/news/education/west-virginia-father-sues-daughter-s-school-after-she-was-learning-about-islam/1251886899)

Kanawha drops required graduation credits… 5-11-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/kanawha-drops-required-graduation-credits-favors-resident-vendors-pushes-bid/article_9e6fabda-f42d-5227-8392-dc487a7437e5.html
The Kanawha County Board of Education voted 3-2 Thursday to reduce the number of credits needed to graduate high school from 24 to 22…The state school board voted in January to eliminate the previous statewide requirement for two elective courses, but the state board left it up to individual counties to decide whether they wanted to use the new freedom to eliminate that pair. Karl’s comment: Just one public example of lowering of standards. (On 5-22 the Board reversed the decision.
(http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Kanawha-County-Schools-reverses-graduation-requirement-decision-483362901.html)

WV Scholar semifinalists named 5-7-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/05/07/wv-scholar-semifinalists-named-2/
Fifteen West Virginia high school juniors have been named semifinalists in the 11th West Virginia Scholar program and remain in the running for a full scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan College. The following students were named Monday as semifinalists”
Alanna Claypool Clarksburg, WV Apostolic Christian Academy
Kameron Lucky Summersville, WV New Life Christian Academy
Karl’s comment: Two out of 15 are from Christian schools—PTL! See more GOOD NEWS.

George Washington High School Student Reported Adbucted Found Safe 5-1-18
www.wowktv.com/news/crime/charleston-police-investigating-possible-abduction-at-george-washington-high-school/1153850171
After an extremely extensive search by deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Charleston Police Department, the alleged victim has been found and is safe.  Officers with the Charleston Police Department are investigating the possible abduction of a teenage girl from George Washington High School. Karl’s comment: That school is considered the elite of the county.

Middle school student arrested for alleged threats made to school 4-30-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Middle-school-student-arrested-for-alleged-threats-made-to-school-481289101.html
A middle school student is facing criminal charges after allegedly threatening to shoot up her school. Deputies tell WSAZ a 12-year-old girl was arrested after a reported threat at Madison Middle School in Boone County…The juvenile is facing terroristic threat charges. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

West Virginia high school vice principal is facing DUI charges 4-28-18
www.wsaz.com/content/news/West-Virginia-high-school-vice-principal-is-facing-DUI-charges-481150361.html
A West Virginia high school vice principal is facing DUI charges…According to the school’s website, he currently serves as an assistant principal at Herbert Hoover High School. Charleston Police tell WSAZ they made the arrest around 3 a.m. According to the criminal complaint, Cantrell was driving the wrong way down Virginia Street East when he was pulled over. Police say he failed multiple field sobriety tests and refused a breathalyzer. Court officials tell WSAZ Cantrell is facing DUI charges and was released from jail Saturday morning after spending the night at South Central. Karl’s comment: ANOTHER sad situation.

Kanawha candidates speak on Stonewall Jackson Middle name, transgender student policy 4-25-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/election_2018/kanawha_county_2018/kanawha-candidates-speak-on-stonewall-jackson-middle-name-transgender-student/article_646fc5a4-4c2e-5764-b43b-6318e90cce02.html
Kanawha schools Superintendent Ron Duerring hasn’t said whether Kanawha transgender students are allowed to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, rather than the gender listed on their birth certificates, if those students want to do so. He’s referenced the situation being handled on a “case-by-case” basis but hasn’t provided much further detail. In 2016, board President Jim Crawford, who isn’t currently up for re-election, said the school system has never denied transgender students the access if they so desired. Karl’s comment: Putting aside the petty liberal SJ matter, there is one word for the other subject: SICK. See “As court decision looms, Kanawha permits transgender bathroom access” 10-11-16 at 2016 WV School News.

New skills replacing the main objective in school 4-22-18
https://www.dominionpost.com/2018/04/22/new-skills-replacing-the-main-objective-in-school/
It certainly is a sad state of affairs when we start training public school employees in how to triage students. A recent The Associated Press article (DP-April 10) indicated that nationally more than 125,000 teachers, counselors and administrators have been trained in reducing blood loss…This is where public education is and the slippery slope is only going to progress from here…And while trying to comprehend this development in public education let’s not forget that facilities are going to have to evolve also. Gone are the days of throwing a book bag over your shoulder and walking into school. Soon you will need to clear metal detector lines. Four-foot-high fences around playgrounds will be replaced with 6-foot and 8-foot high fences, lobbies with trophy cases will disappear altogether and buildings that are aesthetically pleasing will resemble Fort Knox. Welcome to 21st century public education? Karl’s comment: The guest editorialist is correct.

BSHS students’ walkouts spurs debate 4-21-18
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2018/04/bshs-students-walkouts-spurs-debate/
A student-led group at Berkeley Springs High School walked out of class Friday for about an hour to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting… Gun rights advocates, also made up of students, staged a counter protest at the school Friday as well. Walkout students said they are concerned with recent mass shootings in schools across the country. A press release from students said their theme was “common sense,” arguing that current gun laws are insufficient to protect students and other victims of gun violence… Didawick said a group in the school called Inspire recently had a movement to get students registered to vote, and a walkout co-organizer was Angelo Cocchiaro, president of the BSHS Young Democrats. Karl’s comment: It was good that both sides expressed themselves. Tale note that the gun-grabbing side was led by a young Demoncrat.

Shifting from educational model to a virtual crisis control one in our schools is apparent 4-12-18
https://www.dominionpost.com/2018/04/12/shifting-from-educational-model-to-a-virtual-crisis-control-one-in-our-schools-is-apparent/
Our newspaper recently published an op-ed wherein the author argued our public schools need to change models. That is, shifting from an educational model to a medical/behavioral/tactical one, as well. You could call it a sign of the times because the ills of society are increasingly being dumped onto the shoulders of our public schools…Tactical skills that are seemingly related to military objectives — securing a facility from attack — are seriously under consideration for teachers. Those skills include arming teachers and training them to use firearms in close quarters where they could face gunfire. And to think, we were once concerned with graduation and attendance rates, test scores and dress codes…Denial and ignorance of or turning a deaf ear and blind eye to the issues in our schools are no longer options. Karl’s comment: Amen to the last sentence.

State school board member questions passion for math instruction 4-11-18
wvmetronews.com/2018/04/11/state-school-board-member-questions-passion-for-math-instruction/
Members of the state Board of Education say West Virginia students need to do better in math. Board members and state School Superintendent Dr. Steve Paine got into a discussion about math achievement levels during the board’s regular monthly meeting Wednesday in Charleston. The meeting came a day after the latest release of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the nation’s education report card, which comes out every two years…Paine cautioned school board members to use the NAEP for what it is intended for not as a comparison between states. “It’s the audit of internal measures,” he said. “It’s not intended to rank. That’s a total misuse of the information.” Paine said, by the way, the state isn’t 50th in the rankings but 37th…Paine said the goal shouldn’t be to move up in the state-by-state rankings but the goal should be to improve proficiency. “If we set a goal and we want 50 percent of our kids to be proficient that would be a much, much better goal,” he said… During an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” Wednesday, Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and executive editor of Education Next, said scores nationwide are less than impressive…“We know from good research, that there is in general a pretty strong connection between how kids do on these tests, reading and math and writing, and how far they are going to be able to go in their education,” he said. Karl’s comment: See West Virginia Test Reveal System Deserves an F for facts about the academic failure in math AND reading. Dr. Paine amusingly condemns that he thinks (I think he is wrong) the NAEP report is not for comparison with other states and then he points out that, at least, West Virginia is not 50 th. Also, his goal example of 50% of students being proficient accidentally displayed his lack of hope that West Virginia students can do better than that.

Charles McElwee: Gov. Justice's public education expectations unfulfilled 4-4-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/daily_mail_opinion/commentary/charles-mcelwee-gov-justice-s-public-education-expectations-unfulfilled-daily/article_63dcf69b-3d3c-542e-bae7-a5dbe1fbeadb.html
In his first State of the State address in 2017, (Governor) Justice stated that West Virginia has “been 50th forevermore,” three times that West Virginia is “dying,” and two times that the state is “dead last” in education. In education, “we’ve got to be doing something wrong.”…In a news release later that month, the governor released “his plan to overhaul the West Virginia public education system in the form of Senate Bill 420,” which he said would “put forward bold education reforms to revive West Virginia’s schools.”…The governor boasted that SB 420 would transform our public schools into a world-class education system. The press release concluded: “We’ve proven how to be 50th; it’s time to restructure and rebuild our school system from the bottom up.”…Referring to SB 420 in the governor’s second State of the State address, in January 2018, Justice said “our changes in education,” among other factors, caused “companies on the outside world to just start to see “how truly great we really are.”…Despite the governor’s proposals and his rhetoric, the state’s executive and legislative leaders suffer from single-mindedness when it comes to public education. They seem to believe that the only learning/teaching model is the one that has existed in West Virginia for decades and that there is no other; therefore, there is no alternative to trying to make the current system better. As Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith so aptly put it: If our school strategic plans and policies revolve around how to make the current system better, we are doomed. “These reforms are like putting all our efforts into making a covered wagon go fast enough to win the Indianapolis 500.” Karl’s comment: The author’s ideas to fix the system failed to mention a free market approach. Even if the system is improved, it will still allow the pagan indoctrination of our children.

Nicholas County BOE staff undergoes active shooter training 4-2-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Nicholas-County-BOE-staff-undergoes-active-shooter-training-478557423.html
Nicholas County Board of Education posted pictures of their staff gathered at Nicholas County High School Monday. The Summersville Police Department and the Nicholas County Sheriff's Office hosted active shooter training. The training was even followed up with a live drill where staff engaged a mock shooter. They even learned about emergency treatment for gun shot wounds. Karl’s comment: This is supposed to reassure parents.

More children open to danger as secret vault apps use increase among students 4-2-18
http://wchstv.com/features/eyewitness-news-i-team-investigations/more-children-open-to-danger-as-secret-vault-apps-use-become-common-among-students
Some of the most popular smart phone apps today are ones that could put your child at risk. They are secretive apps known as photo vaults… It’s become such a part of their lives that a group of seniors at Lincoln County High School say it’s pretty common for students to have camouflage apps… When asked how widespread the use of these camouflage apps are among students, the answers were all the same. “Everyone has them,” they all chimed in. “I’ve known about it since middle school”…These photo vault apps also are known as camouflage or ghost apps because they are disguised as something else on a smart phone, sort of a secret doorway, to hide pictures and videos you don’t want just anyone to see. Mike McCormick is a technology integration specialist for Lincoln County schools. When asked what he finds on students’ phones, he said, “All kinds of different stuff. Stuff from, you know, funny memes to sexually explicit pictures in some cases. Sometimes of themselves, their girlfriends, their significant others.” Karl’s comment: You can be sure the Christian kids cannot avoid this.

Forty percent of Putnam County students in class Monday 4-2-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/forty-percent-of-putnam-county-students-in-class-monday
Monday originally was the start of spring break but was rescheduled to be instructional makeup time. District spokeswoman Micah Osborne said Putnam County had about 40 percent of its students in attendance Monday. That amount included groups participating in extracurricular school events outside of West Virginia. Students absent during this period will be issued excused absences as a result of a family activity and vacations that may have been planned, Osborne said in an email. Seventy-five percent of the district’s teachers were at work Monday. About 63 substitute teachers, each holding the proper teaching certificates, were used. The district’s original spring break became instructional time following a nine-day statewide teacher and school service personnel walkout that began late February. Karl’s comment: It is all a sham. (For more items about the strike, see the lower 2-22 entry.)

Insist on Better Schools in W.Va. 4-1
http://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/editorials/2018/03/insist-on-better-schools-in-w-va/
We have watered down the quality of public education in West Virginia more than enough during the past few years. Good for a tiny group of state senators for saying, “Enough!” Much has been said and written during recent weeks about the state’s inability to provide enough certified teachers in public schools. One widely-repeated estimate is that more than 700 vacancies exist. Karl’s comment: This newspaper editorial speaks for itself.

Point Pleasant schools put on lockdown after threat 3-29-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Schools-in-Mason-County-put-on-lockdown-after-threat--478358153.html
Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School and the Mason County Career Center were put on lockdown Thursday after a student reportedly received a threat on his cell phone…"It makes you feel like you can't get an education without worrying about your life being at risk," sophomore Zoe Pearson said…Shawn Sexton was among the parents who picked their kids up early because of the threat. "It's sad the kids have to worry about their safety while they're going to school instead of focusing on the learning," Sexton said. Karl’s comment: Too bad parents didn’t permanently take their children out of harm’s way.

Doddridge County Schools employee arrested on sexual abuse charge 3-29-18 http://www.wowktv.com/news/crime/doddridge-county-schools-employee-arrested-on-sexual-abuse-charge/1087638223
A Doddridge County Schools employee was arrested on a sexual abuse charge, according to court documents. Steven Burnside, 34, of Salem, is listed as a maintenance worker on the Doddridge County Schools' website. Burnside is accused of touching a 15-year-old girl sexually in November, according to the West Virginia State Police. Burnside is charged with third-degree sexual abuse. Karl’s comment: The report does not say where the molestation occurred, but it is nevertheless a warning to parents to rescue their children.

Weir High damage could cost up to $100,000, superintendent says 3-27-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/27/weir-high-damage-could-cost-up-to-100000-superintendent-says/
Hancock County School Superintendent Tim Woodward says damage to Weir High School after recent vandalism could cost up to $100,000. The school reopened Tuesday after being closed Monday because of the damage. It was broken into over the weekend. Two Weir High students were charged. Karl’s comment: Go to this page about the Great Textbook War and search for “vandal”.

Police Respond to Multiple Fights at Capital High School Police Respond to Multiple Fights at Capital High School 3-27-18
http://www.wowktv.com/news/education/police-respond-to-multiple-fights-at-capital-high-school/1084061407
According to Briana Warner, the Communications Director for Kanawha County Schools, the public resource officer called for extra help breaking up multiple fights at school dismissal. According to the Charleston Police Department, there were four to five different student fights. Karl’s comment: Another day in the prison yard.

Two Harrison County school threats reported, students not in danger 3-23-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/23/two-harrison-county-school-threats-reported-students-not-in-danger/
Two separate threats made via various social media sites suggested possible school shootings in Harrison County, but Director of Safety and Discipline Ken Winkie said students and staff are not in danger… Authorities are investigating the threats that referenced Robert C. Byrd High School and Salem Elementary School… “It’s concerning for every educator out there, for every administrator and for every student. It causes a disruption, and we need to all work together in the county that we’re in to work through these.” Karl’s comment: “Disruptive” is the least of their worries. Just read the WV News headlines throughout the years.

Kanawha County school guidance counselor arrested second time on drug charges 3-22-18
http://wchstv.com//news/local/kanawha-county-school-guidance-counselor-arrested-second-time-on-drug-charges
A guidance counselor at East Bank Middle School who has been on a leave of absence has been arrested again on drug charges. Matthew Anderson, 42, of South Charleston was arrested by Nitro police Thursday morning after a traffic stop. He is charged with possession with intent to deliver meth and driving under the influence of drugs, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Karl’s comment: One wonders how much students have been exposed to meth.

West Virginia High School Custodian Arrested on Child Pornography Charge 3-21-18
http://www.wowktv.com/news/crime/west-virginia-high-school-custodian-arrested-on-child-pornography-charge/1065963928
Bridgeport High School nighttime custodian was arrested for manufacturing child pornography, according to the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Paul Jones, 48, of Bridgeport, is accused of taking sexually explicit pictures of a juvenile family member, according to detectives. Karl’s comment: This happened out side of the school, but it is nevertheless a warning to parents to rescue their children.

2 5th-Graders Arrested After Marijuana & BB Gun Found at Huntington Elementary School 3-21-19
http://www.wowktv.com/news/crime/student-found-with-bb-gun-at-local-elementary/1066097235
When officers arrived at the school, they discovered that the firearm was a CO2-powered BB gun that looked similar to a revolver. The BB gun was found in a 10-year-old student’s backpack. Officers also found 1.56 grams of marijuana in an 11-year-old student’s desk. The student who was in possession of the BB gun was charged with possessing a firearm in a school facility. The other student was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Karl’s comment: If we knew all of the stuff found in West Virginia schools it would startle parents.

Security in schools: How resource officers build trust, relationships 3-20-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/resource-officers-crucial-to-protecting-local-schools
In Kanawha County, prevention resource officers are stationed in each of the eight high schools and several other schools. Karl’s comment: Due to many murders inside schools they are definitely needed, but previously they were there mainly for disciplinary reasons.

Kanawha proposes lowering graduation credits 3-16-18
Charleston Gazette-Mail Friday March 16, 2018 page 3C
The Kanawha County Board of Education revealed a proposal Thursday to reduce the number of credits needed to graduate high school from 24 to 22, following the state Board of Education’s January vote to let counties drop their minimum required number that low. Karl’s comment: They shuck and jive with their reasoning, but the truth is that it is lowering standards.

Kanawha County School's virtual classroom program starting online enrollment 3-15-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Kanawha-County-Schools-Virtual-classroom-program-starting-online-enrollment--476966353.html
Students looking to take classes online this fall can now start enrolling for the virtual program with Kanawha County Schools. On Thursday, KCS announced that enrollment is open for the Fall 2018 online program. The program is for students in grades 9-12 and will begin in the Fall for the 2018-2019 school year. This program offers students several options and flexibility when it comes to choosing their course of education. Virtual courses offer students time flexibility and program customization. Kanawha County Schools is also looking forward to beginning a program for middle school students in the next year. Home school or others students can begin registration by clicking the link to the right. Karl’s comment: I asked for the thoughts from some home and Christian school advocates (D, J, and M).

D:  I smell danger!  This is going to suck homeschoolers in, which is probably the point.  If they take 4 classes, they can participate in the extracurricular activities (sports). [See the handbook.] Which classes being offered would I trust? NONE!  These will just afford them the luxury of data mining our kids more easily, as well as not only indoctrinating them, but keeping them from real learning.

J:  Internet based classes are incredibly successful for homeschool and college classes/degrees. It was only a matter of time before the government system began to use it for indoctrination.  For homeschool and college classes it is kind of nice because we can pick and choose what classes to take. For government high school classes with required curricula – very, very scary!

M: I have general concerns without even looking into the content:

First, the virtual school template is the new normal, where everything is based around ease, flexibility, catering to the individual, in place of discipline, challenge, structure.

Second, it is designed by the county, so it must follow the govt approved curriculum.

Third, it is meant to appeal to the home school option for those who have not researched the difference between a truly independent home school course and one provided by the state/county.

Fourth, the entire education trend is so rapidly headed towards the final model we have all wished to sound an alarm on; namely the electronic collection of data used to form and structure a new society, shaping thought and behavior to a norm that is easy to manage by the state.

People will feel comfortable with flexibility, free, online, go at your pace and skill level... but these are all enticement to make the process appear to be on the person's own terms.

In truth, it makes it very easy to control outcome, behavior, and track exact progress in behavioral modification.

Sadly, with the options available, and as we know the combination of Christian parents who are simply tuned out to the issues in education and the risk Churches are unwilling to take to assist in solutions, many parents will see these free online CCSS programs as a God send, with less worry over teacher sex scandals, school shootings, drugs and hyper-sexualized education. In the end it provides a catch-all for those who think there is a safer alternative.

Kanawha County students walk out of classrooms, join national movement 3-14-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Capital-High-students-walk-out-of-classrooms-joins-national-movement--476819943.html
Several schools across Kanawha County took part Wednesday in the national school walkout. Karl’s comment: This was a statewide and national incident and is just a taste of what we will see as the liberals succeed in indoctrinating our children!

Bridgeport Student To Be Charged For School Threats 3-6-18
http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/community/2018/03/bridgeport-student-to-be-charged-for-school-threats/
Charges are expected to be filed against a student who allegedly made threats at Bridgeport High School on Feb. 23… School officials last week would not say whether the student is enrolled in the Bridgeport school, but the noted the alleged threat that involved talk about “someone shooting,” occurred at the high school between two students... School was held Monday, Feb. 26, with extra police present for parents’ and students’ peace of mind, though some parents decided to keep their children home. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Harrison County Resource Network partners with Kidding Around Yoga to offer yoga in schools 2-25-18
http://www.wboy.com/news/harrison-county-resource-network-partners-with-kidding-around-yoga-to-offer-yoga-in-schools_20180226000250/991657950
…to teach children mindfulness and the art of yoga…every class…mindfulness and meditation…we will be taking it to the elementary schools and the middle schools…The Harrison County Family Resource Network partnered with Kidding Around Yoga to teach children mindfulness and the art of yoga over the weekend.  "Basically what we're trying to teach our young people is how to have stress reduction, how to make good decisions, how to focus, and how to work through mindfulness in their everyday lives and situations," …West Virginia teachers and yoga instructors learned to share yoga with children during a two-day teacher training. The Harrison County Family Resource Network in conjunction with Kidding Around Yoga are bringing yoga to schools through grants. "Elements that we include in every class that benefits the children would be mindfulness, and meditation…"We are doing in initiative in Harrison County where we will be taking it to the elementary schools and to the middle schools, trying to incorporate this along with substance abuse prevention, and wellness and mindfulness.” Karl’s comment: They dress it with terms like “stress management”, but it is still RELIGION. See BECOMING MINDFUL OF MINDFULNESS.

Petition lays out what some see as security flaws, concerns at Riverside HS 2-24-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Petition-lays-out-what-some-see-as-security-flaws-concerns-at-Riverside-HS-475064033.html
A petition started online at Change.org is seeking support to change what some see as “multiple security concerns” at Riverside High School in Belle, West Virginia. According to the petition’s write-up, Seth Hill started it, saying these concerns “need to be rectified in order to keep us safe in our place of learning.” The petition says in light of recent events around the state and nation, things like locking the doors during the day, adding metal detectors and wands, better emergency drills, security officials staying at the school all day long, more precautions with letting people in the front entrance and more discussion is needed. Karl’s comment: Locked doors, metal detectors, armed guards… Sounds like a prison.

Former Logan County Superintendent indicted on fraud charges 2-22-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Former-Logan-County-Superintendent-indicted-on-fraud-charges-474856743.html
The former Superintendent and Curriculum Director for Logan County Public Schools faces federal charges following an indictment issued Thursday. She’s accused of stealing electronics, tens of thousands of dollars and using school money to order wedding decorations…Those charges together have a combined maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison…The indictment alleges from 2011 through December 2015, Doty defrauded Logan Schools out of more than $12,000 worth of Apple products…Furthermore, Doty is accused of using money from the Logan County Board of Education to purchase various wedding decorations for her son’s wedding in 2015…totaling $2069.90 (and) totaling $4,833. 20. Karl’s comment: This is not the first incident of stealing by school personnel. When they removed the Ten Commandments it included the 8 th Commandment.

STRIKE

West Virginia closes all public schools amid teacher strike -- even as governor signs pay bill 2-22-18 (with updates)
All public schools in West Virginia were shuttered Thursday as teachers geared up to strike for better wages and health insurance options -- even as Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill to raise teacher pay…On the eve of the impending strike, Justice, a Republican, signed a bill into law that would raise pay for teachers and state employees. The employees will receive a two percent raise in the 2018-2019 year and a one percent raise each of the next two year…The state’s attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, wrote in a statement the “impending work stoppage is unlawful”,,, According to the National Education Association, West Virginia teachers earn an average salary of $45,622… Karl’s comment: This is national news. It is all about $$$$$$.

FULL DISCLOSURE: During the 1990 strike I was a near rabid unionist and picket captain for my building. The strikers said it was for children and threatened to leave the state. THE TRUTH: It was about money and no one was going to pack up and move. It is an approximate 200 day (180 in the classroom) a year job with summers and weekends off.

2-22 Thousands of chanting teachers and service personnel poured into the state Capitol today, the first day of a statewide teachers strike.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/22/teachers-fill-capitol-during-day-1-of-statewide-walkout/

2-22 Senate President Mitch Carmichael: “I went out to meet with our friends and colleagues in the education community to see if they wanted to discuss the benefits structure, enhancements and so forth that we provided…I didn’t get a chance. They just shouted down, shouted demeaning remarks and so forth.”
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/22/carmichael-greets-the-crowd-at-the-capitol/

2-22 Even with schools closed across the state and the debate over teacher pay, benefits, and education funding ongoing, some high school sporting events will still be played.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/22/tallman-high-school-coaches-put-in-difficult-spot-by-ongoing-wvssac-events/

2-22 American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten : “You are fighting not only for yourselves, not only for your families, not only for the kids of West Virginia, not only for the teaching profession, but you are fighting for everyone who believes in the proposition that public education is foundational to this country and foundational to this future,” Weingarten said as she spoke through a megaphone.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/22/enough-is-enough-teachers-shout-on-picket-lines-across-w-va/

2-22 A Putnam County’s Rock Branch Elementary School, volunteers, and teachers made bags of food to send home to students. The school already sends a bag of food home with students on Friday’s, but when they found out about the two-day work stoppage, they got busy making more food bags.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/rock-branch-teachers-making-sure-students-have-food-during-teacher-walkout

2-23 NEA Secretary-Treasurer joins educators at West Virginia Capitol
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/NEA-Secrtary-Treasure-to-join-educators-at-West-Virginia-Capitol--474896013.html

2-23 A day after more than 5,100 people came to the state Capitol to rally for greater pay and benefits for teachers and other public employees, thousands again arrived to hold signs and chant…Friday’s crowd didn’t fill in as quickly as it did the prior day, the first of two planned walkouts. But the teachers and service employees were every bit as boisterous (Karl’s note: Video showed a couple of them dancing in front of a chanting-singing crowd)…Marcy Lilly from Raleigh County, carried a sign that said “We support our union bosses.”… Among those who gathered at the Capitol on Friday was  Princess Moss , secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association. “As educators from around the country watch this, we see that our teachers in West Virginia are fighting for student learning c onditions,” Moss said. “Student learning conditions are educator working conditions.”
wvmetronews.com/2018/02/23/thousands-of-teachers-again-surge-into-wv-capitol/

2-23 U.S.   Senator Joe Manchin, who was out among teachers at the state Capitol today, suggested a special session would be a wise move to address the concerns of teachers and service personnel.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/23/manchin-wades-into-wv-teacher-walkout/

2-24
West Virginia Superintendent Warns of Legal Action on Work Stoppage
http://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia-superintendent-warns-of-legal-action-on-work-stoppage/990384205

2-25 Delegate Mike Caputo (D-Marion) said it’s important for the teachers and school service personnel to stay disciplined in order for their message to have the most impact…Caputo, a long member of the United Mine Workers Union who has stood on many picket lines, said it’s important for the teachers and service personnel to follow a plan being laid out by their particular organizations.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/25/caputo-says-discipline-key-for-education-workers-moving-forward/

2-26 Union officials announced the teacher strike across West Virginia will continue into Tuesday.The announcement came at a large rally of educators, state employees and union officials Monday afternoon at the state Capitol building.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/union-officials-teacher-strike-to-continue-tuesday/article_cdf46ccb-a1b7-5dcd-bf24-30aea2e34468.html
Karl’s comment: The photo showed a huge UMWA tent front and center of the crowd. I wonder why liberals are OK with that yet ridiculed the UMWA for helping the 1974 Textbook Protesters.

2-27 Unlike most strikes, teachers haven't lost out on a dime by being out of the classroom. They are still getting paid and that's unlikely to change soon. It would be a budgetary nightmare for school district.
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Teachers-still-getting-paid-while-on-strike-475332053.html

2-27 The country, and the world, is watching West Virginia education workers as they continue to fight for what they want…Stories have been told from national media outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, "The Today Show" and many others.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/teacher-work-stoppage-grabs-international-attention
Karl’s comment: Of course the leftist news media is very interested.

2-27 Some West Virginia parents plan to file a class action lawsuit against the state Legislature for not upholding their constitutional duty to provide a “thorough and efficient” education to students.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/27/some-wv-parents-plan-to-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-legislature-as-teacher-strike-continues/
Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA! That suit should have been filed years ago. The performance of public schools is pathetic.

2-27 The President of the West Virginia Board of Education, Thomas W. Campbell, says the board has no plans of taking legal action against teachers. Karl’s comment: The outlaws win.
http://www.wowktv.com/news/education/wvboe-president-no-plans-to-take-legal-action/996041401

2-28 West Virginia Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steven Paine issued a statement today concerning school on March 1, 2018: “My expectation is that all public schools in West Virginia will be in session on Thursday, March 1, 2018.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/28/education-workers-madder-than-before-tense-day-at-state-capitol/

2-28 WV Gov. Justice Announces Teachers Will Go Back to Work Thursday… "I hope to goodness that the powers to be, whether it be in the Senate that were trying to do the prudent thing and the House that was trying to do the prudent thing will look and say this in an investment in West Virginia."
http://www.wowktv.com/news/education/wv-gov-justice-announces-teacher-will-go-back-to-work-thursday/996111606.
Karl’s comment: Just look at the dismal performance and it is clear that this “investment” is a BIG WASTE of money. Also, the media should publish the public records that list individual teacher salaries.

3-1 (S)chools in all of West Virginia's 55 counties were closed for the day Thursday despite calls from the governor, union leaders and the state superintendent to return to class.
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/West-Virginia-schools-deciding-whether-to-open-or-remain-closed-Thursday-475459913.html

3-1 No End in Sight for WV Teacher Strike "Whose house? Our house; whose house, our house!" shouted teachers. Angry teachers protested at the capitol again, after the Senate leaders refused to vote on a 5-percent education pay raise that was passed by the House Wednesday night.
http://www.wowktv.com/news/politics/no-end-in-sight-for-wv-teacher-strike/1001312622

3-1 All 55 counties have announced closures for school Friday…
http://wchstv.com/news/local/counties-announce-school-closures-for-friday-extending-work-stoppage
Karl’s comment: So much for the words of the Super and Gov.

3-2 On Friday afternoon, Boone County 11th grader Morgan Smith stood behind a podium in front of more than a thousand other West Virginian students and community members who were rallying to support their teachers and school employees…The rally preceded a march around the Capitol, where supporters held up their protest signs and shouted the now familiar chants that have been echoing in the Capitol's rotunda for more than a week. It was created and organized by students in Boone County through a Facebook event that quickly gained traction and reached others in all 55 counties…"As students, our teachers support us all the time. They prepare us for our future, and they teach us what we need to know to get there.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/boone-county-students-organize-rally-march-for-teachers-employees/article_e0617a96-d82a-5bfb-90c1-48d81a35d67a.html
Karl’s comment: I won’t use the term “useful idiots” to describe those poor brain-washed kids. Today’s indoctrination centers are preparing them for a future where it is OK to kill pre-born babies, believe the miracle of life was not divine, think that gender is not determined by biology, and Socialism in better than our Constitutional form of government.

3-2 Thousands on Friday afternoon packed the West Virginia Capitol grounds, including students and parents showing support for striking teachers and state service personnel. The boisterous rally came on the seventh day of the statewide teacher strike in West Virginia. Teachers and school service personnel have been chanting ‘’see you Monday’’ and ‘’we aren’t going away’’
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Thousands-pack-WVa-Capitol-grounds-for-teacher-rally-475679273.html

3-2 The governor said education is the state's top investment…
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Large-crowd-expected-at-WVa-State-Capitol-as-teachers-begin-day-7-of-strike-475646873.html
Karl’s comment: It is definitely the largest chunk of change the state spends, but it is like investing in horse drawn Amtrak trains.

3-4 All public schools in all 55 counties of West Virginia are closed for the 8th straight day.
http://www.wowktv.com/news/education/wv-schools-closing-due-to-work-stoppage/998997354

3-5 Tuesday will be the ninth consecutive week day students have been out of school due to a statewide teacher and school service personnel walkout, or work stoppage. All 55 counties have been out for each of the eight work stoppage days so far.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/counties-announce-school-closures-for-tuesday

3-5 The best girl high school basketball players in West Virginia will be battling this week for state championship bragging rights.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-girls-state-basketball-tournament-kicks-off-this-week-in-charleston
Karl’s comment: Sports trumps academics.

3-5 Senator Joe Manchin released a statement on Monday urging West Virginia Senate Republicans to end the statewide teacher strike and send teachers and students back to school.  
http://www.wowktv.com/news/politics/senator-manchin-urges-senate-republicans-to-end-statewide-teacher-strike/1010766036
Karl’s comment: It is political.

3-6 WV Studies Teacher calls work stoppage the ‘rebirth’ of labor movement
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/06/wv-studies-teacher-calls-work-stoppage-the-rebirth-of-labor-movement/
Karl’s comment: Again, it is political.

3-6 WV Studies Teacher calls work stoppage the ‘rebirth’ of labor movement
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/06/wv-studies-teacher-calls-work-stoppage-the-rebirth-of-labor-movement/
Karl’s comment: It is political.

3-6 WV Teacher Strike Ends; Pay Hikes Approved
http://www.wowktv.com/news/wv-teacher-strike-ends-pay-hikes-approved/1014223792
Karl’s comment: Now, how will it be paid for?

3-6 Gov. Jim Justice wants county school systems to be given as much flexibility as possible to make up the nine days missed during the education workers strike.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/06/justice-wants-counties-to-have-flexibility-in-making-up-missed-days/
Karl’s comment: BWAHAHA! They have no right to criticize homeschooling flexibility. The Governor and Legislature got bullied by the teacher unions and the people of West Virginia got conned! I was unable to locate any mention of the terrible student test scores and many incidents of school personnel sex crimes involving students.

4-4 Oklahoma teacher: “I was kind of shocked because it seemed to me that they weren’t asking for too much. It made me open my eyes…I just thought, ‘We need to follow their example and recognize the power that we have.’ I think that’s the real message. This education system is in our hands and West Virginia showed us that we could fight for it and win.”… WVEA union leader: “I just told them the things we did where we reached out to the community through churches to ensure the kids had hot meals and food over the weekend during the stoppage and our teachers also did some child care so I suggested that in addition to their activities. My message to them was to stay strong and to stay united and when you’re putting the kids first and kids education first…I wanted them to know that their struggle and their fight is really a national issue.” In fact, there are discussions of teachers actions in Arizona and North Carolina. In Kentucky, teachers have rallied at the state capital in Frankfort by the tens of thousands.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/2018_wv_teachers_strike/wv-teacher-strike-helped-spark-similar-movements-in-oklahoma-beyond/article_a6987acd-7cb0-568e-b137-39616ebb8a34.html
Karl’s comment: They saw no problem with the separation of church and state when it involved their socialist agenda.

4-6 The opening line of an article that gives the liberal view of education: The West Virginia teachers strike was “the strike heard ‘round the country.” (https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/the-corporate-plan-to-groom-u-s-kids-for-servitude-by-wiping-out-public-schools)

Also see the 2-16 entry below.

These snips (in blue) from a socialist pamphlet (accessed 9-9-18) prove the Socialist/Communists have infected government schools!!

A publication of the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission and the Young Democratic Socialists of America

Why Socialists Should Become Teachers

Written by DSA teachers of West Virginia

A few DSA members that were teachers in West Virginia public schools began having conversations about new austerity measures facing public employees. Our wages had been stagnant for years—unlike our healthcare costs, which were climbing. We formed a reading group, held brainstorming sessions, and quickly agreed that winning our demands would require militant action. We had no idea that we were laying the groundwork for what would culminate in a historic, successful nine-day strike that spread like wildfire to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, and beyond.
…
Many teachers and service personnel have begun to view politics through the lens of class consciousness. With socialists active in our organizing, we’ll be in a strategic position to make bold, visionary demands to take on the capitalist class.
…
This pamphlet argues that socialists should take jobs as teachers (and other school-based workers) for the political, economic, and social potential the industry holds. It begins with a political grounding of education as a strategic industry to organize.
…
Given the labor movement’s structural tendencies within a capitalist economy towards co-optation, bureaucratization, and conservatism, socialists have also long been devoted to transforming the labor movement into one that is both democratic and militant. Communist Party members in the early 1920s formed the Trade Union Education League (TUEL) to fight for racial equality, union democracy, and industrial unions rather than craft divisions. They also attempted to provide a theoretical grounding that connected the task of building the labor movement to a larger vision of socialism.
…
Every state in the nation has an affiliate of one of the two major education unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ey4yzoto_zTf5BmqUI7yAqn_53AzIMSd/view

9-16 ‘Remember in November’ now the rallying cry half a year after teacher work stoppage
Satellite rallies across the state were part of the effort to rally ahead of the Nov. 6 election day for public educators and service personnel. Heather Deluca-Nestor, President of the Monongalia County Education Association, joined her co-horts from Marion and Preston counties at a joint rally in Morgantown Sunday, announcing their intention to support candidates who specifically support public education…Satellite rallies, like the one in Morgantown, were part of a wider effort planned Sunday at the Capitol. The rally Sunday featured about 70 people, supporting the slate of Democrats running in Monongalia County for the House of Delegates, as well as neighboring county’s candidates…Nearly seven months have passed since West Virginia teachers stopped working in an effort to earn their first raise in years, but Deluca-Nestor said the 55Strong and 55United movements had remained active…Deluca-Nestor called it disingenuous for any politician to attempt to claim the movement or the results of the teacher work stoppage as their own if they didn’t support the school personnel from the beginning…Deluca-Nestor and Perry both agreed: West Virginia’s teachers want to be a priority this November and beyond.
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/16/remember-in-november-now-the-rallying-cry-half-a-year-after-teacher-work-stoppage/
Karl’s comment: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

1-27-19 Teachers making their voices heard
The Dallas Morning News https://www.pressreader.com/
Los Angeles teachers who declared a victory after a sixday strike have added momentum to a successful wave of activism by educators framing their cause as a push to improve public education, not just get pay raises. Teachers in Denver, Oakland, Virginia, Texas, Washington and Illinois are planning rallies, marches and, in some cases, strikes of their own — actions that have fed off one another since the movement began last spring in West Virginia. “Some of this action breeds more action,” said Daniel Montgomery, president of the teachers union in Illinois, where the nation’s first strike against a charter school network ended last month in Chicago. “People look around and say, ‘It is possible to do this. The teachers walked out in West Virginia, and the walls didn’t cave in.’” Karl’s comment: The unions want to control government education (i.e. indoctrination).

New security measures implemented at Winfield High School 2-21-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Winfield-High-School-on-lockdown-after-threats-474587473.html
Additional security measures have been taken at Winfield High School after threats made on Tuesday, a school spokeswoman says. It was recommended to Winfield school administrators by local authorities, ATF, FBI, DEA, and other law enforcement to, at this time, no longer permit cell phones at Winfield High School. Additionally, book bags will be left in lockers and will not be allowed to be carried from class to class. Clear book bags will be permitted. No time limit has been placed on the new restrictions, but the spokeswoman says "student safety is paramount." Karl’s comment: This is another example of why government schools are like prisons.

Juvenile charged in Nicholas County with making terroristic threats 2-21-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/juvenile-charged-in-nicholas-county-with-making-terroristic-threats
Nicholas County deputies said a juvenile has been charged with making terroristic threats on social media against public schools. The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it and other law enforcement agencies in the county are currently investigating numerous incidents of threats. Other threats have been made, are being investigated and more charges are coming, the sheriff’s office said. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Winfield High School placed on lockdown after students receive threatening message 2-20-18
http://wchstv.com/community/putnam-news/winfield-high-school-placed-on-lockdown-after-students-receive-threatening-message
Winfield High School was on lockdown Tuesday morning after some of its students received a “general school shooter threat” text message, the Putnam County’s Sheriff’s Office’s chief deputy said. Chief Deputy Eric Hayzlett said the threat didn’t identify the school. Deputies are at the school and have not identified the source of the message. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Weekend of school threats leads to criminal charges in West Virginia 2-19-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/cops_and_courts/weekend-of-school-threats-leads-to-criminal-charges-in-west/article_653ab484-d29a-5a8b-be9b-132e94f01ed0.html
Thursday's alleged threat against George Washington High School by a student was followed by more statewide threats, news releases, criminal charges against students, fears among parents and increased burdens on law enforcement. The majority of threats were unfounded, investigators said, but at least four were serious enough to warrant criminal charges or other discipline… The Berkeley Springs High School student allegedly made a threat against fellow students, according to information gathered by the FBI and the Morgan County Sheriff's Office…Woodal's arrest followed other credible threats and baseless rumors in the state, and such incidents carried through the weekend… On Friday, a juvenile used Snapchat to threaten Valley High School in Smithers, according to a news release from the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Charges were pending on Monday morning, the release said. According to the same news release, two more juveniles are facing charges after they made a separate threat against Valley High School on Sunday… Copycat" shooters are a legitimate concern, and (executive director of security for the Kanawha County school district Keith) Vititoe said parents are rightfully concerned. Karl’s comment: From a another article: “ In just four days, there have been reported school threats at five of Kanawha County Schools' eight high schools.” (http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Police-investigate-five-Kanawha-County-School-threats-in-five-days-474479653.html) There were so many stories on this date, I arbitrarily chose this one. TICK, TICK, TICK.

Individual identified after threat made towards Nitro High School 2-18-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Alleged-threat-made-towards-Nitro-High-School-474442023.html
Nitro Police is investigating an alleged threat made towards Nitro High School Sunday night. Police have identified the student who allegedly made the threat on social media. The school resource officer is handling the investigation. Karl’s comment: Nitro Police is investigating an alleged threat made towards Nitro High School Sunday night. Police have identified the student who allegedly made the threat on social media. The school resource officer is handling the investigation. Karl’s comment: After I retired I was invited to speak at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting at Nitro High. I stood in the hallway waiting for the lunch bell to ring. When the bell unleashed the students it didn’t take long for me to witness some eye-opening scenes. In a dim corner at the entrance to the auditorium a couple began to kiss passionately. Before I could see how far they would go (knowing full well that I was standing there watching) a boy came by wearing a dress. At first I thought (though it would have been a poor example of school disciplinary standards) that the guy was just a clown. Later the FCA leader told me that the boy was one of two bi-sexuals in the school that wore dresses. Thankfully, the FCA sponsor arrived and we went into the auditorium for our meeting. My emotions were mixed. I was blessed to be with that handful of Christian students. In contrast, I was saddened by looking at them and listening to the tumultuous hallway sounds. An image of the Roman Christians gathering in the catacombs came to mind. TICK, TICK, TICK.

Valley High, Elementary schools closed Monday after social media threat 2-18-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/valley-high-elementary-schools-closed-monday-after-social-media-threat
Valley High School and Valley Elementary School in Fayette County will be closed Monday were made on Snapchat. (sic) The Fayette County Sheriff's Department said it is aware of the threat and is addressing the situation. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

Potential threat to Riverside High School not credible 2-17-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Potential-threat-to-Riverside-High-School-not-credible-474388043.html
Brianna Warner with Kanawha County Schools stated an investigation was conducted and the threat was found not credible. On the side of caution, they will go ahead and take extra precautions for Monday morning including additional law enforcement coverage. Karl’s comment: More armed officers in the school.

More W.Va. school employees shut down systems with Capitol rally 2-16-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/more-w-va-school-employees-shut-down-systems-with-capitol/article_e3becc30-7532-5ed7-b197-9190de21b001.html
A second wave of public school employee work stoppages hit the state Friday, this time shutting down seven public school systems, up from three counties two weeks ago… Friday was reminiscent of the walkouts and rally on Feb. 2, when hundreds of school employees flooded the state Capitol, their song of “Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye!” audible in the House of Delegates chamber as Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, was giving a rare speech from the House floor. “We will strike! We will strike!” came chants Friday from among another crowd of hundreds of red-shirted school employees…Angry school employees yelled out Friday from the galleries they filled above the Senate chamber when senators, before 1 p.m., abruptly recessed their floor session until 6 p.m. “We’ll be back at 6!” a crowd outside the chamber chanted. Employees did return — this time with a smaller crowd that still numbered in the hundreds. They gathered outside the Senate chamber, and their cries could be heard through the wooden doors. The caption for a photo taken behind two armed officers: “Capitol police stand guard in front of House of Delegates chambers Friday as protesting teachers shout chants to the legislature.” Karl’s comment: See the 2-12 entry below.

Sissonville High School student charged after gun found in car 2-16-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/sissonville-high-school-student-in-custody-after-gun-found-in-car
Kanawha County deputies said a 17-year-old Sissonville High School student was charged Friday after a gun was inside a vehicle he drove to school…A deputy who serves as the school resource officer was alerted, and school staff searched the vehicle on the lot and located a small handgun, according to a news release from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office… No threats to use the firearm, or any evidence of intention to use the firearm was found. The gun was not displayed to anyone Friday. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

GW student arrested after making SnapChat video 2-16-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/16/gw-student-arrested-after-making-snapchat-video/
A student at George Washington High School in Charleston was arrested Friday morning after making what police describe as a threatening video and posting it on SnapChat…According to the criminal complaint, Duff is shown in the Snapchat video seated in a vehicle pointing a pistol to the screen with the caption reading “plenty for errbody.”…Assistant Prosecutor Maryclaire Akers told the judge Duff’s alleged threat has caused a mass panic with school staff, parents and students…There was an increased police presence at the school again Friday morning. Karl’s comment: See the 2-15 entry below this one.

Charleston police say no charges filed after threat at George Washington High 2-15-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/15/charleston-police-no-charges-filed-after-threat-at-george-washington-high/
There was a heavy police presence Thursday morning at George Washington High School in Charleston as police completed an investigation into a threat found on social media. This comes hours after a mass school shooting in Florida…Police received reports Thursday night that a student told another student he was going to shoot up GW on Friday. Karl’s comment: TICK, TICK, TICK.

WV House OKs lowering teacher criteria; non-fully certified teachers teach 38% 7th-11th grade math courses 2-14-18
The day after a West Virginia Department of Education presentation revealed that 38 percent of public school math courses in grades seven through 11 are taught by “non-fully certified teachers,” the House of Delegates passed 50-48 a bill that would lower requirements to become an alternatively certified teacher… he bill had already passed out of the House Education Committee, the only House committee it was sent to, before the education department officials’ Monday presentation to that committee on teacher vacancies. But concerns about West Virginia teacher vacancies were already being voiced this session amid Democrats’ push for higher teacher pay raises than what Republicans have supported and amid talk of a possible statewide teacher strike over pay, health insurance benefit cuts and other issues. Monday’s presentation to House Education focused on the often-cited over 700 “teacher vacancies” number, but what’s counted in the exact 727 figure is complex. The department itself presented lawmakers a document with a title saying the 727 represented “professional positions not filled with full-time, fully certified employees,”… Karl’s comment: There were 62 empty classrooms without a teacher. 101 of the 727 had someone who was “certified”, but not seeking a full time position. Also, there was some ambiguity about the certification of 110 retirees who were filling in. So, giving it the best possible spin, there were 516 classrooms without teachers. They finagle with the 38% math figure too, but the bottom line is there are a LOT of classes taught by uncertified teachers. BUT, the fact is 9except for perhaps some advanced math and possibly science) courses, any average intelligent person can teach. Did I hear someone say, HOMESCHOOL?

Authorities launch investigation into Putnam County, WV school employee 2-13-18
http://www.wowktv.com/news/crime/authorities-launch-investigation-into-putnam-county-wv-school-employee/972254450
Concerned family members have reached out to 13 News, alleging inappropriate messages and photos have been sent to students at Winfield High School.  The allegations are against someone who works at the school…( Winfield's Chief of Police, Eddie ) Starcher said forensic evidence in the case was collected and it was sent off to be analyzed.  Karl’s comment: See the 2-10 entry below.

School workers across W.Va. vote to authorize action 2-12-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/school-workers-across-w-va-vote-to-authorize-action/article_b2423440-3da7-5bcd-af4d-6a9cbbd84459.html
An “overwhelming” proportion of public school employees across the state have voted to authorize leaders of the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association state branches to decide on statewide action in response to concerns about pay, health insurance benefit cuts and other issues. The exact action that may be taken, however, hasn’t yet been decided, the school worker union state presidents said. Karl’s comment: If the “action” is a strike, the students will be better off. There were some one day walk-outs. A 2-14 headline read:“Parents worry about childcare plans with teacher walkouts”
(http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Three-county-teacher-work-stoppage-planned-Friday-473985273.html). From the article: “School is cancelled on Friday in Cabell, Lincoln, Mason and Wayne counties after teachers there voted Tuesday night for a work stoppage.” This would be a good time for the parents to rescue their children.

State Troopers launch investigation involving Lincoln County Schools employee 2-10-18
www.wowktv.com/news/crime/state-troopers-launch-investigation-involving-lincoln-county-schools-employee/963697891
Troopers with the Hamlin detachment of the West Virginia State Police are investigating allegations involving a Lincoln County school system employee…Linville went on to say, "We are conducting our own investigation, as a school system. We always put the safety of our children first, and wewill in this situation, also. Due to a personnel issue, we cannot make anymore (sic) comments." Karl’s comment: The headline on the video report said, “WVSP Investigate Sexual Abuse Allegations In Lincoln County School.” Search “sex” in these WV School News pages to see that this tragic headline is not rare.

Lincoln County parents upset over letter their children were forced to write 2-9-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/lincoln-county-parents-upset-over-letter-their-children-were-forced-to-write
Parents of students at West Hamlin Elementary school are furious after a handwritten letter was sent home with each student in a second-grade class. Those parents are calling for action to be taken against the teacher who allegedly forced the students to write the letters to them... "Dear parent or guardian, I have not behaved at all this whole year so far. I run my mouth all the time even though I know I shouldn't. I play all the time and don't pay attention. I am very disrespectful to my teacher and everyone else too. I wiggle around and squirm all the time instead of pay attention. I will not be still in my seat or in line. Anything my teacher gives me, I just destroy. Please sign so Miss. (Name of teacher) will know you have read it. Also if I'm supposed to take medicine please be sure to give it to me." Karl’s comment: I have seen classrooms out of control.

Harrison County teacher suspended following controversy related to graphic book 2-1-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/02/01/harrison-county-teacher-suspended-following-controversy-related-to-graphic-book/
A Lincoln High School civics teacher is suspended indefinitely pending an investigation, Harrison County Superintendent Dr. Mark Manchin confirmed Thursday. J.D. Crosby, a civics teacher at Lincoln High School, apparently published a book that included interactions with current and former students, details of students’ sex lives, and used the real names of some of the students in question. The book, which was available previously on Amazon, is no longer listed there. “From what I can gather, it was supposed to be fictional,” Manchin said. “But it ended up very specific with specific names of students, interaction with students that apparently really happened, things of that nature. Karl’s comment: How crazy can government schools get?!

Man put up hidden camera at facility that houses males with mental disabilities 1-24-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/records-man-put-up-hidden-camera-at-facility-that-houses-men-with-mental-disabilities
A classroom aide in Kanawha County who worked as the manager of a facility in Dunbar that houses males with severe mentally disabilities is accused of putting a hidden camera up in the bathroom to film another employee… In June 2017, Kanawha County deputies responded after they were contacted and spoke to the director of the facility who said a staff member had noticed strange looking devices in the bathroom. After one was examined, a lens and what appeared to be a hidden camera was found. A white smoke detector device hanging directly above the toilet in the bathroom contained a camera with a memory card. Karl’s comment: This happened outside the system, but….

Schools Discuss Sustainable Living 1-22-18
http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2018/01/schools-discuss-sustainable-living/
Representatives from the Green and Healthy Schools Academy met with teachers, principals, and Marshall County school board members at John Marshall High School, as a preliminary meeting to begin brainstorming with one another about building a culture of sustainability, not only with energy efficiency and things such as recycling, but with building that culture within their students. Jenna Cramer, representing the Green Building Alliance, and retired teacher Mark Swiger spoke to the gathered personnel to promote the central message of sustainability, which has already begun taking root in local schools. We’ve worked with West Virginia for some time,” she said, “Mark and I have partnered on formal and informal things for the past 10 years…“With sustainability, there’s talk of environmental, but there’s also a human and social justice impact,” Cramer said. “A lot of human health and wellness for students and staff, and the idea of providing engaging learning environments for students and how to get them more civically engaged.” Karl’s comment: A couple of comments on the article are perfect: “ Sustainablility is the new Marxism”. and “This is straight out of Agenda 21. It's anti-capitalism, anti-business and all about keeping people equally poor.”

Racist drawing found at Charleston high school; investigation underway 1-18-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Racist-drawing-found-at-Charleston-high-school-investigation-underway-469970863.html
Police and school system officials are investigating after a drawing was found at George Washington High School. The drawing shows a person hanging from a tree, with a rope around their neck. Next to the picture it says, "I have Black in my family tree. He's still hanging there." A student allegedly took a picture of the drawing and posted it to social media. Students brought the photo to the attention of school leaders, according to police…Charleston Police tell WSAZ their resource officer at the George Washington High School is aware of the drawing. Police say they found it under a desk in one of the school's classrooms…A spokesperson tells WSAZ the Kanawha County Schools Security Director is now aware and is in the process following up with the school. Karl’s comment: This high school is considered the best in the county and, perhaps, the state.

West Virginia school district signs off on mosque’s ‘indoctrination’ of teachers 1-18-18
https://leohohmann.com/2018/01/18/west-virginia-school-district-signs-off-on-mosques-indoctrination-of-teachers/
Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ronald Duerring gave his approval for the Islamic Association of West Virginia to place personal invitations into each teacher’s school mailbox to attend a “Get to Know Your Muslim Student Event” at the mosque on Jan. 25. “We came back from lunch [on Jan. 4] and found them in our mailboxes,” said a teacher who asked not to be identified for fear of professional repercussions…The invitation appeared in the teacher mailboxes of at least three Charleston-area schools: South Charleston High School, John Adams Middle School, Ruthlawn Elementary…Duerring, reached by phone Thursday afternoon, said he did not consider it at all controversial for schools in his district to be allowing mosque leaders access to their teachers. “That’s not a controversy for us and, no, I am not going to answer any of your questions,” Duerring said before abruptly ending the conversation… Muslim leaders with ING worked with Muslim students at George Washington High on how to deal with bullying…CAIR, ING, MSA and other Islamist organizations often approach schools under the guise of being concerned about bullying, then use that to leverage special concessions for Muslim students, such as Islamic prayer rooms, separate food arrangements, etc…Another teacher who asked not to be identified for fear of losing her job, said she was one of about 40 teachers at her school who received the invitation to the mosque. She said reactions to the invitation varied among her colleagues…She said most of the teachers are afraid to say anything about the invitations. But a few have voiced concerns that it may look bad for their careers if they don’t attend the event…If it had been a similar outreach by a Christian church, instead of a mosque, (Matthew) Staver (executive director and lead attorney with Liberty Counsel) said he feels certain the ACLU and the Freedom from Religion Foundation would be putting the school district on notice about a violation of the so-called “establishment clause” of the First Amendment. Karl’s comment: As soon as my invitation to a Bible believing church is delivered to the same mail boxes.

West Virginia Earns a C-Minus on State Report Card, Ranks 36th in Nation 1-17-18
https://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/quality-counts-2018-state-grades/highlight-reports/2018/01/17/west-virginia.html
The 22nd annual edition of  Quality Counts   continues  Education Week’s long-standing tradition of grading the states on their performance…. For the K-12 Achievement Index, it (WV) finishes 41st with a grade of D-plus… The K-12 Achievement Index examines 18 distinct achievement measures related to reading and math performance, high school graduation rates, and the results of Advanced Placement exams. Karl’s comment: Just another objective fact about West Virginia “edjukashun”.

Some parents upset that Kanawha County schools were open Tuesday 1-17-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/some-parents-upset-that-kanawha-county-schools-were-open-tuesday
(Kanawha County Superintendent Ron) Duerring said they kept schools open but dismissed early because the data had said conditions would worsen around 2 p.m. and about 2,200 students depend on the school for free or reduced-cost meals. "We are doing the best we can, we want to keep our kids in school. we want to feed them and make sure they are taken care of and in a warm situation. As I stressed earlier, 84 percent of our kids are on free lunch, so it's important we take care of,” Duerring said. Karl’s comment: The article also featured a bus accident. On another report (www.wowktv.com/news/emergencies/kanawha-co-school-board-defends-decision-to-start-on-time-despite-weather-driving-conditions/919822033) a citizen said: “'I’d rather a kid stay at home and their parents figure them out something to eat than risk their lives." Amen! How about the risk to their souls EVERY day?

West Virginia's 'exemplary' high school graduation rate recognized 1-12-18
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/West-Virginias-exemplary-high-school-graduation-rate-recognized-469024243.html
About 70 West Virginia high schools were recognized for having exemplary graduation rates of 90 percent or more during the 2016-17 school year…According to the release, West Virginia’s graduation rate is among the strongest in the country. Karl’s comment: What a crock! According to a 12-7-17 report: “About 31 percent of college-going students who graduated in the spring of 2016 had test scores low enough that required them to enroll in a remedial class when they went to college.” And that percentage had not changed since a 5-25-09 report! It has been a national problem since, at least, 2010! “Regrettably, I’ve seen salutatorians and valedictorians go to college and need remedial courses,’ said former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, who now heads the Alliance for Excellent Education, an education research and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.” (https://wowwritingworkshop.com/about-1-in-5-students-need-remedial-help-in-college/) Just think about the ones who did not enroll in college.

After I posted the previous comments another article was posted On the 13 th with this headline: “WV graduation rates don't show if students are ready for college” From the article: State officials honored 68 high schools that had at least a 90 percent graduation rate for the most recent school year. School leaders received plaques to commemorate the achievement… Despite the praise, a school’s graduation rate isn’t a sure predictor of how ready students are for college. Some of the West Virginia high schools with the best graduation rates also have a high percentage of students who aren’t prepared to take entry-level math and English classes in college, according to data from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission…For about half of the 68 schools the state honored Friday, at least a third of their college-going students weren’t ready for college-level math or English, data shows.

Education leaders say teachers need more than 1 percent pay raise proposed by governor 1-10-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/01/10/education-leaders-say-teachers-need-more-than-1-percent-pay-raise-proposed-by-governor/
West Virginia education leaders say a proposed one percent pay raise for teachers is not enough to fill the more than 700 vacancies statewide…Education officials say teachers are leaving the state because they’re not getting paid enough. Karl’s comment: This is the same song, 50 th verse same as the first.

WV school board makes changes to grade scale, cuts graduation requirements 1-11-18
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-school-board-makes-changes-to-grade-scale-cuts-graduation/article_c06a6f7a-f46a-5301-a227-e458fa03f455.html
The West Virginia Board of Education agreed Wednesday to reduce, from 24 to 22, the minimum number of credits required to graduate from high school; and to change the statewide grading scale for high schoolers… Board members refused a request from Laura Kimble, president of the Bridgeport High School Academic Boosters, to delay the vote. “Based on the unavailability of the revised policy to the true stakeholders — the parents, the students, the families, administrators and teachers of the state of West Virginia — I respectfully request that you refrain from action,” Kimble said… The existing statewide grading scale says 0-64 is an F, 65-74 is a D, 75-84 is a C, 85-92 is a B and 93-100 is an A. Effective July 1, 0-59 will be an F, 60-69 a D, 70-79 a C, 80-89 a B and 90-100 an A… That means the 1.0 through 4.0 grade-point-average scale will be affected, too. The same grade scale changes are happening to the weighted grading scale, which is supposed to give more credit for students who take harder courses, and the weighted grading scale will continue to give a 2.0 instead of a 1.0 for Ds, a 3.0 instead of a 2.0 for Cs, a 4.0 instead of a 3.0 for Bs and a 5.0 instead of a 4.0 for As… Another change approved Wednesday, and included in the November proposal, allows high-schoolers to receive physical education credit for courses like show choir and dance through “integrated physical education.” Karl’s comment: The minimum credits involved two electives, but it is still a lowering of standards. The grade scale is obviously a dumbing down of performance. The physical education options is also a reduction in expectations.

WVU football player cited for having gun at high school basketball game 1-7-18
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/01/07/wvu-football-player-cited-for-having-gun-at-high-school-basketball-game/
A West Virginia University football player has been cited for having a gun with him at a high school sporting event in Charleston, according to police…Pitts was attending the George Washington versus South Charleston basketball game. Police apparently smelled marijuana from Pitts’ vehicle where he was in the driver’s seat. No drugs were found. Karl’s comment: Does anyone really doubt that there is a lot of this going on undetected at these events?

School system on why they're not closed for day: Nearly 4,000 kids rely on us for food 1-5-18
http://wchstv.com/news/local/school-system-on-why-theyre-not-closed-for-day-nearly-4000-kids-rely-on-us-for-food
Jefferson County School Public Schools in West Virginia opened on a two-hour delay Friday as the area endured sub-zero wind chills. The bitter temperatures prompted some questions of why the school system wasn't closed for the day and with that in mind, the system issued a statement on why it was vital for them to open up. "But, why a 2-Hour Delay?" The school posted on their website. "Why not close schools for a day by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate? Good questions, and here is the answer: The reality of modern education is that today and every day we are a primary source of food for the 3,394 students who receive free breakfast and lunch. On Fridays, in particular, we send many of these same students home with backpacks of food for their families for the weekend. For another 1,316 students who qualify as homeless, we are a source of warmth and consistency." Karl’s comment: It could be to keep the required days in session up. It could be that the system wants to push a socialistic/welfare agenda. Commenters pointed out the danger of the children waiting on the bus.

Yoga teacher gives kids ‘tools to be brave’ 1-2-18
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2018/01/yoga-teacher-gives-kids-tools-to-be-brave/
“I just knew I always wanted to be a teacher in the public school system,” Lewin said, mentioning that she started one of the first afterschool yoga clubs in Berkeley County at Rosemont Elementary. Her long-term dream is to teach yoga throughout Berkeley County’s public school system, teaching yoga to teachers and students. “I love yoga, and I love teaching it. It’s a way for me to teach kids how to have self-control, how to be OK with how they are and not feel pressured to be like somebody else,” Lewin said. “Today, with technology, they have to constantly be doing things, but with yoga, they have to learn to be still. Karl’s comment: Yoga is religion. Also see the January 10, 2013 article and follow the yoga thread from there.

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