Before we get started with the 23rd stuff, some background.
One meeting back, Kim Blake and a slew of Big Otter parents and workers came out in force seeking, a second 2nd grade classroom teacher be added to that school. At issue was overcrowding , 27 kids in the lone 2nd grade class while Clay Elem enjoys 2 teachers in that grade level with around 13 kids in each classroom.. State leadership requires no more than 25 curtain climbers per room. Standing firm, their demand was, we want a second classroom added. Back then, Superintendent Joe Paxton held em at bay with, your Principal has a new plan that will take care of the problem. Let's give Mr Bogg's plan a chance. OK? Got it? There's the background.
Here's our coverage, at a least a few nuggets, from gathering held Sept 23rd at the Pentagon.
First up from the peanut gallery was a Mom who had just moved here from Tennessee. Her message: We moved here so our kids would attend Big Otter Elem; her kids were already enrolled and attending classes there; and, Poof!! all of a sudden her three were moved to Clay Elem. She was not happy with the move for many reasons. One stood out. She lives within five minutes of Big Otter Elem and now the ankle biters have a longer commute.
Superintendent Paxton explained this transfer was unfortunate but had to be done due to the state rule of a max of 25 students in a classroom. Paxton, " I hate it... we had to do something..."
Did you know the Kim Blake delegation got their way? Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, no else knew either. Had this parent not shown up on the 23rd, the tight lipped School Board would not have made the change known to the public.
Linda Angus was next to be heard. Ms Angus is the lady sporting glasses on the right in the middle picture above. Her support team had no less than a dozen parents in attendance.
Here's the problem. Kids attending Clay and Big Otter Elementary school have a resource teacher on hand to provide art, music, Fiz Ed, enrichment. Lizemores, one of our two most rural school, does not. Angus, " Our kids are not getting the resources others get..Lizemores needs one more teacher for gym, art and music."
Someone from the delegation referenced the just finished Big Apple Fest where all grade school kids performed on the main stage. The speaker made it clear, because Clay Elem has a paid teacher for music duties, their performance on stage was far superior to the other schools.
Other issues like changes in start times, kids just sitting in the school gym and poor communication from the school's administration, all came out during the discussion.
Lizemore Principal Brittni Ramsey explained to the attendees, she's got a slam bam new plan that will take care of the problems. Hey! At least they're admitting there is a problem. That's a good start!
Joe Paxton stood firm on what resource teachers are suppose to do, stuff like, give teachers a break for their planing periods. Also, he feels, Lizemore is getting that same education found in the other grade schools.
Got a question. How many are right now thinking, Bull****.
With others in the group bringing up other problems at the school, Ms Angus kept steered the discussion back to the main point, they want one more teacher put at Lizemores.
One Mom from the back, "Our kids don't have the same opportunity!"
That part about equal education for all made it to the U S Supreme Court back in 1951. Back then Justice Marshall made it clear, black, white, yellow, red, and brown students all have a right to an equal education. That decision provided the foundation for segregating schools and brought on 10 years of pickets and protesters led by dimly lit racists. Fair and equal stands today. Now back to the meeting....
Paxton is a smooth talker. He's paid highly for such an ability. Paxton applied that trait to the dozen o so parents. He explained " our school system has a declining enrollment; there may be employee cutbacks coming in the Spring of 2020; teachers are now doing gym classes [at Lizemores]; we are currently meeting Lizemore education goals..."
Boardster Dave Pierson didn't make any friends during the meeting. At one point Pierson told the assembled to take their complaints to the Legislature. Frowny lines could be seen on the foreheads of several Moms.
As was the case two weeks back and after a full 30 minutes of discussion, Paxton and the Board were ready to skedaddle from the public setting. He asked the delegation to give the Principals slam bam new plan a chance. It was obvious, the parents weren't buying it. Ms Angus once again called for one more resource teacher be added.
All along, Board Prez Dave Mullins spoke in glowing terms of how great our school system really is. Based on the number of nods in the room, the parents seemed to believe that diatribe.
If the parents had looked at the latest standardized test results, they should have thrown something at Mullins for floating such a bogus claim.
To smooth things over, Paxton promised to keep an eye on the issue.
These weren't the usual parents. There was no potty mouth or shouting. They brought forward many issues facing their community school. Stuff the public normally doesn't hear about.
Speaking of those revealing and pesky test scores, Paxton was asked what he thinks about the now public results from Standardized Testing. Paxton: we are comparable (to other W Va schools) and "Math is a struggle".
That's it for our coverage of the public meeting
How about some comments from this online newspaper of record. Here goes...
What the parents didn't know was, there is a two tier system of edumacation in Clayberry. We have pride and joy schools at Clay and Big Otter Elem school. The second tier, Lizemores and H E White have always been treated as second class places of learning. A few years backs, Lizemore and H E White had a traveling teacher that handled the gym duties. Those days are long gone.
Over at H E White, they did get a resource teacher who handles special ed needs and gym. Lizemore has one of those as well. But, at Lizemore Elem, that teacher spends all her time handling the needs of 2 or 3 special ed kids and none on the gym duties.
It's true, we have declining enrollment and tight $$$ restraints BUT, equal edumacation is required by law and something possible IF and Only If, the parents continue to fight for equal education for all
Next meeting of the Clayberry Board of Ed happens Oct 14th, 6pm , at the Pentagon.
AW