DISMAL SCHOOL SCORES    Since the beginning of The Communicator, we have dug deep and ferreted out what the Pentagon has covered over or hid way out in the tall grass. For 2019, they're at it again. For instance.
   During the second School Board meeting of Sept., Bd Prez Dave Mullions proudly proclaimed, we have a great school system, the greatest thing since canned soup.
  Reminding us of the Orange Headed guy in DC, Mullins continues to do his office and the entire county an injustice. His words are a cover up for a disgusting continuance of pee poor performance from the top down.
  We're talking about recently released standardized test scores for  Clayberry students in the public school system.
  First some background. West Virginia test results leave the place at the very bottom, below about 99% of all the other states. So pathetic are the efforts of the educational systems thru out the state, efforts have been made to cover up the results. This year is no different.
  Instead of releasing the test scores for each grade level of each school, we now have a varnished over average score not by grade level but by school. The notion is, if the scores are homogenized among a larger grouping, things will look better.. we call that a cover up.
  In other years, counties have refused to even release the assessment. Still at other times, county systems waited months before making the findings public.
  That's some of the background. Now for the 2019 watered down test results. In a nutshell, not one school comes close to even marginal performance. In the much needed math category, the entire county, every school, is a total failure.
  If you think your child is getting a quality edumacation that Dave Mullins is touting, you are being duped.
  The test scores are now found under a newest yet, name change called the W Va Scorecard. From those public files as well as the just released Kids Count findings, the following:
  There are 9033 living in County Clay of which there are 6974 folks above the age of 18. In the school system there are only 1628 kids enrolled in the failing system this year.  $11,660 is spent on each student in the county.
  The Scorecard is divided into four color coded segments with red being the absolute worst rating and yellow comprising anything  in a wide swath of no where near satisfactory performance, proficiency, and in meeting basic grade level expectations..
 Big Otter Elementary is our newest 8+million dollar school. With all the bells and whistles in place, achieving ANY level of acceptance does not exist. Even in the category of kids showing up for school, yelp, they are deep in the red zone.  Big Otter comes nowhere close to acceptable levels in the two areas of testing, math and English. If you look at the linked charts, red in both subjects indicates a true failing of nearly every student in the school. Those massive failings comes from a school loaded with extra resource teachers, aids and other paid helpers.
  The new color coded chart has a column to show if things are turning around (trending) and improvement is at hand. From that column, it's nearly all red.
  Clay Elem use to be the county's pride and joy. Parents would transport their rug rats to that school for an improved educational experience. Take a look at those homogenized test results.  Whether your child is white, economically disadvantaged, homeless , no class, no grade level comes close to making basic grade level performance. Is the school trending toward improvement, ain't no way with red the new color for improvement. Truth is, improvement nor education happens at Clay Elem. Those parents importing kids, the parents with jobs, money, and with values for a better future, look at the chart once again, no grade level, no subject matter fulfills ANY level of acceptable performance. Again, even school attendance is unsatisfactory.
  Traditionally, H E White has maintained the lowest levels of performance in the county and state. Year after year, education does not happen at H E White. From the way back machine...
  One year when Rhonda Jelich was Principal down there, math scores came in at the best in the county. The reason for the high rating, Jelich was a math teacher by training and knew how to teach. When the scores were made public, the then Superintendent, Jerry Linky What's his name, was less than happy. Instead of accolades, Linky Poo said, we are going to investigate those results.
  There's been a change-around at H E White. Take a look at their chart. For the last five years  or so, the Pentagon has sent specialists there to beef up the education process, to turn it around. Test results remain dismal but look at the direction they are heading. See the yellow code with a check mark? That means at least 60% of the goals are now being  met. When you are at the very bottom, any improvement shows up bigger. Still, other than attendance, there appears to be improvement at H E White.
  The county's remaining grade school, Lizemores, is shot down in flames. There, if your child is poor and based on the Scorecard findings, nearly 80% of the curtain climbers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay below grade level performance in math and English. Truth is, if they ain't learning in elementary school, they don't have a chance in upper grade levels. In EVERY category of testing, the vast majority of students are well below minimum levels of satisfactory performance. Red is the new color for Lizemores Elem.
  A couple weeks back, parents from Lizemores showed up demanding the addition of a gym teacher. While the need for an art, music, and gym program is important, instead, those parents should return to the School Board demanding answers on why their kids are receiving nearly zero in the way of math and English. Pathetic comes to mind.
  You might be noticing way over on the right of each chart where we score excellent for mind numbing, walk in a straight line, toe the mark, behavior. Brainwashing seems to do great in each of our schools. Educamation, not so much.
  This county has one middle school where grades 6 thru 8 are taught. There is NO education in progress at Clay Middle. Zero, Ninguno. Not even in the field of good behavior does a satisfactory level emerge. Every area of testing. performance, nor future progress comes anywhere near acceptable. There was a time when education levels were working thru the third grade in this country. Now that ain't even happening. Heck, even in the good behavior category, if your kid is poor, or labeled in some other sub category , the leadership at Clay Middle can not handle the task at hand.
  Without a good foundation, upper level classes cannot be positive. At Clay Middle, education is not happening. A lot of that is a result of poor grade school teaching and standards. As for a chance of things looking up in the future and based on that chart, the future looks bleak... bleaker. Nothing is positive at that school house where the 395 students are being left behind.
  And finally, the culmination of 13 years (minimum) of education, Clay High School. Instead of the school colors of blue and gold, those hues should be changed to reflect the true educational picture of red and yellow. Take a look at that chart. Math and English ain't happening. In either field, there is NO satisfactory performance period. Learning at grade level does not exist.
  A big part of our bleak picture comes from hiring non teachers for teaching positions. Teaching takes a true skill, something that comes from four years of college level education at a minimum. Our back road habit of hiring sons, daughter, cousins, and such, does not translate into someone with the ability to teach.  In almost every vote to hire, there is an astoric reading, hired pending certification.
  We wish we had access to the actual levels of performance by grade level and subject. As of this date, we can't find those stats via the Scorecard web site. Even varnished over and white washed for the best looking blush, that's how bad things are in County Clay. Future generation being able to perform in this world. college, or vocational school, other than a very small handful of kids, they don't have a chance.
  $20+ million is spent annually in the Clayberry school system. Truth is, it's a complete waste of taxpayer dollars.
  When Dave Mullins and our highly paid Pentagon leadership pronounces, we have a great school system, they are full of BS.
  Can't help but to think about Mark Twain's words:  One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives.
  Sad to say and we didn't think we would ever say it but, maybe home schooling is the right choice for parents.
AW