Teachers

"Extra, Extra! Read all about it!" Newsboys used to stand on street corners and proclaim these words so passersby would know that the newspaper was ready to be purchased. The boys would hold canvas bags full of papers "hot off the press. " The newspaper contained the latest information, and people wanted access to those stories. This explanation seemed like an natural way for me to begin a recent speech I gave about my background. From as long as I can remember, I have loved stories.

The Waynesboro Area School District's teachers union and school board are making progress in contract negotiations, according to representatives for both sides. Bargaining teams for the teachers union and school board have exchanged written proposals, school board member Rita Daywalt said. “We are in agreement on a number of issues,” she said, saying salaries and benefits will be the big issues left to be decided. The union, Waynesboro Area Education Association (WAEA), represents about 275 teachers.

Don Viar, visual arts coordinator for Washington County Public Schools, believes that “The Art Educators of Washington County” exhibit is about more than just art. “It allows art teachers to show their work, which is a rarity,” he said. “It shows that they are artists, not just teachers.” The show, which opened last weekend, will host an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, at the Washington County Arts Council's new location, 34-36 S. Potomac St., downtown Hagerstown.

At least three Washington County Board of Education members expressed concern about training available for teachers, specifically with a more rigorous curriculum being implemented, new assessment tests coming, and the state pushing for improvements for gifted and talented students. That was just one of the issues discussed during a Tuesday morning work session about the superintendent's proposed $254.4 million operating budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Another issue that arose was that if enrollment growth projected for Pangborn Elementary becomes a reality, a temporary measure, such as having new kindergartners and their siblings attend another school, might have to be considered, Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said.

Berkeley County Schools for the second year in a row had the most educators achieve National Board Certification among the state's 55 county school districts, officials were told Tuesday night. Nine educators, including the county's first national board certified counselor, were recognized by the Berkeley County Board of Education. With 44 National Board Certified Teachers now on staff, Berkeley County is tied for third with Monongalia County for having the most statewide, according to school officials.

The Waynesboro Area School Board and its teachers union are continuing to try to reach agreements on teacher contract issues without attorneys present. The two sides met Tuesday for a four-hour bargaining session. Waynesboro Area School Board member Rita Daywalt called the time cordial and cooperative. “Discussions focused around a handful of issues, including salary and benefits. The majority of the discussion included clarifying both sides proposals,” Angie Cales, president of the Waynesboro Area Education Association, wrote in an email on behalf of the union.

I will be teaching a public speaking class this semester, and I'm looking forward to working with the group of students who have registered for the class. Their first assignment is an introductory speech that will allow them to get acquainted with each other, gain some experience by speaking on a familiar topic, and ease any apprehension they might feel about being "up front," before a group of their peers. This introductory speech has structure that is similar to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol.

The retirement of five school principals and two teachers who have been honored as Berkeley County's best were among several personnel actions approved Tuesday night by the Berkeley County Board of Education. The retirement of principals Linda Ghion (Bedington Elementary), Paul Tyson (Hedgesville Elementary), Stephen Crowell (Potomack Intermediate), John Spataro (Tomahawk Intermediate) and Lawrence “Larry” Hitt (Tuscarora Elementary), will be effective June 30. Past Berkeley County Teacher of Year honorees V. Colleen Miller, a fourth-grade teacher at Orchard View Intermediate School, and Terry Lamp, a social studies teacher at Martinsburg South Middle School, also are retiring as of June 30. “Normally, we average about 50 (retirements)

Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore said Wednesday that it's possible that teachers, in addition to school administrators, will soon be involved in security training for schools and that another school resource officer position might be created this year to increase security in schools. Mullendore's comments come as police and school officials have been reviewing school safety procedures recently following the Dec. 14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children, six adults and the shooter dead.

A former Berkeley County public school teacher was sentenced to five years in prison for multiple identity theft convictions involving one of her children. Rebecca Jean Ferguson, 41, also was ordered to serve 40 years of probation in lieu of a second five-year prison sentence, which was suspended, according to Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely.   Ferguson was ordered by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher C. Wilkes to pay $10,000 in “restorative” restitution to her daughter and more than $10,000 in restitution to credit-card companies, Games-Neely said.