Education Issues

Participation by parents in their children's education was a chief topic of discussion at Wednesday night's Community Education Forum sponsored by Hot Spot Coordinator Carolyn W. Brooks. A handful of parents were present for the first in a series of special programs to address issues in neighborhoods in the Hot Spot high-crime area. "The focus is on education tonight. It's one of the main things I heard in listening to issues and concerns from residents," Brooks told those attending the forum at the Sumans Avenue Community Building.

Over the past two decades, the relationship between the Washington County school board and the County Commissioners has been strained at best. It's due in part to the way each body works; the school board puts together a budget, but doesn't have any responsibility for funding it. The commissioners have to raise the cash, but have only limited authority to change the school budget. It's an ideal recipe for conflict. Too often over the years, school board members have presented the commissioners with a budget they knew wasn't going to be fully funded.

Several students from Hagerstown Community College spent Feb. 6 in Annapolis to participate in Student Advocacy Day, organized through the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. During their visit, students had the opportunity to meet with members of the Western Maryland delegation, including Sen. Chris Shank, Del. Andrew Serafini and Del. LeRoy Myers. “Our trip to Student Advocacy Day was quite exciting. In between our meetings with delegates concerning community college support and higher education, we were witness to numerous demonstrations regarding firearms,” said Rick Howe, vice president of HCC's Student Government Association.

laurae@herald-mail.com Earlier this year, Del. Robert A. McKee considered seeking legislation to make school uniforms mandatory in Maryland. But when he brought up the idea to local students, he got nothing but negative feedback. "I will be honest. It was unanimous," he said. Because of that opposition, McKee, R-Washington, said he won't be putting in a bill when the legislative session begins Jan. 14. While he still likes the idea of uniforms as a way to lessen peer pressure, it's an issue that should be tackled by each county school system rather than the state, he said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- State Sen. John Unger is going back to school, literally. The Berkeley County Board of Education on Monday added the three-term lawmaker to the substitute teacher list. Unger, D-Berkeley/Jefferson, said he is qualified to teach social studies and science at the high school and middle school levels. Unger, 39, said he is not interested in a full-time job, but hopes the experience will help him be a better lawmaker when addressing education issues in Charleston, W.Va.

Board delay earns teachers' ire By TARA REILLY / Staff Writer Teachers are "irritated" that the Washington County Board of Education has not responded to a long list of concerns they presented to the School Board in April, according to Sharon Chirgott, Washington County Teachers Association president. Chirgott and five other teachers voiced their feelings before the School Board Tuesday night. On April 18, teachers presented the School Board with more than 40 concerns, including alleged intimidation by superiors, teacher certification, school calendars, distance learning and a scarcity of substitutes.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer Students may be showing improvements in test scores, but the local school system continues to be criticized for the way it is preparing kids for the work force. Students coming out of school do not even follow simple tasks, such as showing up for work on time, said David McCain, a member of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce's industrial forum. "A lot of that is driven by the school system," said McCain, one of several local business leaders who participated in a discussion Friday morning about the future of schools.

Eastern Panhandle lawmakers reacted positively to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address Wednesday night, but some noted proposals on how he intended to address education reform, prison overcrowding and other issues lacked specifics. “We, of course, haven't seen the details,” said state Sen. Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, who felt Tomblin presented an aggressive agenda in remarks that were very positive. Snyder said he was left with the impression that Tomblin clearly wants to address prison overcrowding and the recidivist or reoffending rate of individuals this year.

By CLYDE FORD Staff Writer BUNKER HILL, W.Va. - When Sherry Smith's daughter entered school, she followed and joined the school's Parent-Teacher Association. Now, 25 years later, Smith is working to get other parents involved with their children's schools and form PTAs. She is the new director of the West Virginia PTA's Region VIII, covering eight counties, including Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties. Her job is to help local parents form PTAs at their schools.

Letters to the Editor 1/30 Bargaining law must be updated To the editor: Following a very short article recently announcing the Maryland State Teachers Association's (MSTA) legislative initiative to reform the collective bargaining law, the MSTA was given a "thumbs down" by the editors for its efforts. I am compelled to respond by pointing out the need for such legislative reform. Maryland's collective beginning law hasn't been updated since 1978. Everything old should not be discarded but even the Constitution has been changed a bit. When you look at how different schools are in 2001 from 1978, you can see why the Maryland law needs to be changed.

Several students from Hagerstown Community College spent Feb. 6 in Annapolis to participate in Student Advocacy Day, organized through the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. During their visit, students had the opportunity to meet with members of the Western Maryland delegation, including Sen. Chris Shank, Del. Andrew Serafini and Del. LeRoy Myers. “Our trip to Student Advocacy Day was quite exciting. In between our meetings with delegates concerning community college support and higher education, we were witness to numerous demonstrations regarding firearms,” said Rick Howe, vice president of HCC's Student Government Association.

Eastern Panhandle lawmakers reacted positively to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address Wednesday night, but some noted proposals on how he intended to address education reform, prison overcrowding and other issues lacked specifics. “We, of course, haven't seen the details,” said state Sen. Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, who felt Tomblin presented an aggressive agenda in remarks that were very positive. Snyder said he was left with the impression that Tomblin clearly wants to address prison overcrowding and the recidivist or reoffending rate of individuals this year.

More than 50 local taxpayers, teachers and education officials came out to the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday night for a showing of the 2010 documentary, “Waiting for Superman.” The 111-minute movie, written and directed by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, chronicles four families in urban and suburban areas of the United States who fear the public education system is flawed, causing them to seek out exclusive charter schools that boast higher graduation...

Less than two months since making his pitch for partial voting rights, student school board member Steven Wang was back before the board Tuesday proposing a student advisory committee for the board. Several Washington County Board of Education members praised Wang for his work and made suggestions on how he can improve his proposal. On Nov. 16, the school board voted 4-3, defeating Wang's effort to get partial voting rights for the board's student member. Wang brought up the idea of a student advisory committee at the Dec. 14 board meeting and made a formal proposal Tuesday.

The Washington County Board of Education on Tuesday issued a proclamation for Veterans Day. "We should always honor our veterans for their examples of character, service, and sacrifice," a portion of the proclamation said. The proclamation was presented by the school board to veterans from several local veterans organizations. Veterans Day is Nov. 11.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- State Sen. John Unger is going back to school, literally. The Berkeley County Board of Education on Monday added the three-term lawmaker to the substitute teacher list. Unger, D-Berkeley/Jefferson, said he is qualified to teach social studies and science at the high school and middle school levels. Unger, 39, said he is not interested in a full-time job, but hopes the experience will help him be a better lawmaker when addressing education issues in Charleston, W.Va.

Back in the early '80s, I'd occasionally attend a regularly scheduled, Saturday night party of Capitol Hill staffers who made it a sport to sit around the TV in someone's high-rise apartment building and laugh at the McLaughlin Group. It was a lot of yuks and a lot of flip comments and it was the first time I recall hearing what has become a pretty standard joke: Watching the documentation of one federal-government failure after another, someone asked, "Why do we even need a federal government at all?"

charlestown@herald-mail.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia's first lady Gayle Manchin visited a handful of public schools in Jefferson County on Monday and remarked about how teachers are doing an extraordinary job in "extremely limited conditions. " At one point during her visit, Manchin was taken on a short tour of nearby subdivisions to give her an idea of the county's growth rate. "It's really just unbelievable," Manchin said after she was shown several housing developments, including Huntfield, Norborne Glebe and Spruce Hill.

laurae@herald-mail.com Earlier this year, Del. Robert A. McKee considered seeking legislation to make school uniforms mandatory in Maryland. But when he brought up the idea to local students, he got nothing but negative feedback. "I will be honest. It was unanimous," he said. Because of that opposition, McKee, R-Washington, said he won't be putting in a bill when the legislative session begins Jan. 14. While he still likes the idea of uniforms as a way to lessen peer pressure, it's an issue that should be tackled by each county school system rather than the state, he said.

scottb@herald-mail.com Editor's Note: This is the seventh in a series of profiles of the 10 candidates seeking election to the Washington County Board of Commissioners. Tomorrow: Gregory I. Snook Doris J. Nipps 50 20236 American Way, Hagerstown Republican - Says the county's inevitable growth should be managed in a way that fits the needs of the community and the need for a strong economic base while preserving the area's agricultural heritage and quality of life.