Readers' Recent Comments

It is the job of the Principal to make sure the drinking fountains are covered, water to the sinks turned off while providing hand-sanitizer and drinking water plus make sure any water used for meals or dishes has been boiled.  Did they do it? Last time someone was too busy looking down their nose with a do what I want attitude. Last time they had no water at all.

By Reason for Concern on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'GCPSD: Boil Water Advisory for Sand Fork, Dusk Camp Area Has Been Lifted'.

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Imagine the EPA getting this ‘wrong’ ?

By lol on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'University of Delaware-Led Study: EPA Standards Overestimate Poultry Pollution'.

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Can we be certain that the children at Sand Fork are NOT drinking and washing their hands in the bad water?
By the way—-
What is the status/outcome of Superintendent Blankenship standing in defiance of the Health Department Order to close the Sand Fork School in April when there was not water, and the unsanitary conditions that resulted?
Has there been any testing of students and staff to determine if any hepatitis or other disease issues have resulted in the defiance of Health Department Order?

By GC citizen on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'GCPSD: Boil Water Advisory for Sand Fork, Dusk Camp Area Has Been Lifted'.

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Next Generation CSO Crosswalk to 21st Century CSOs.
You can find this link on the WVDE web site.
“The Crosswalks Documents were created by the work groups in English Language Arts and Mathematics who studied the Common Core State Standards and then placed these standards into the West Virginia Framework for Next Generation Standards.“

WV does not plan to comply with Common Core.That was revealed from RESA at the last Gilmer County BOE meeting. They will institute Next Generation standards. RESA now has their own consortium.  We are aware WV has joined multiple consortia that were funded by federal grant monies.

When all is said and done, the WV BOE must be the ones held accountable for passing or failing to meet national standards. Right now deferral from meeting NCLB requirements another year is pending.  Nothing shows it will ever happen.

Does any of this improve the educational future of WV children?  Westest results in Gilmer County declined during the past two years ofintervention.
 
You can spend a lifetime following the political money trail,never be bored and often upset.That can only be changed at the ballot box.  One of the most fundamentally important questions on the table right now should be, are the children getting true value for tax dollars spent on education today?

By Coalition Facilitator on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'G-Comm™: Rotten to the Common Core'.

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I thought Robert E. Carpenter was working for GSC?

By Mary Lee K on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'Gilmer and Lewis County Men Sought by WV State Police'.

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Anyone know if there is a relationship in these cases to the rise in meth usage?

By anonymous on 05.17.2013

From the entry: 'Child Abuse Cases Rising in WV after Brief Decline'.

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It appears after doing some web searches, that some states have all ready bailed out of the common core education.  Must be finding out problems?

By anonymous on 05.16.2013

From the entry: 'G-Comm™: Rotten to the Common Core'.

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For a better understanding of this thing called Common Core, go to:  stopcommoncorenow.com

By GC Resident on 05.16.2013

From the entry: 'G-Comm™: Rotten to the Common Core'.

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Norma, are Blankenship and Matterin double dipping to receive their regular State retirement benefits plus full compensation for their school system work too This is information WV taxpayers should know. Thank you.

By O. B. Rankin on 05.16.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Earl B.  So sorry to be late responding, had some down time.  Last year’s BOE financial statement showed Mr. Blankenship receiving $123,000 and a little over $4,000 in travel.  As to Mr. Mattern, I will try to find who issues his contract and if we would be provided that info or will a Freedom of Information request necessary.
I know that Gilmer County BOE did not hire W&S.  There was no bid.The state issued that contract.  It is my understanding the state has a list of “approved vendors”.  I believed those were vendors that meet state criteria such as insurance, bonding, product specs. etc. I have found no evidence that being included on that list exempts a company or an entity from the laws regarding public improvements and bidding whether education or no.

By N Hurley on 05.15.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Dear Burnt. I can’t wait until our IRS gets their hands on your med records to go with the financial records.  We will be able to have more scandal with all that good stuff.  thanks, ‘J’

By anonymous for a reason on 05.15.2013

From the entry: 'Funding from Health Reform Law to Help Uninsured West Virginians Get Affordable Health Coverage'.

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Shipley is correct. As Karen P. has pointed out on here many times, smaller is better.
Home schools do better.
Amish schools do better.
Catholic schools do better.
Voucher systems do better.
Local control and local responsibility work. Thousands of tiny systems are custom built for the students they serve. Thousands of small experiments discover what works in education, and what doesn’t. These schools can spend more time chasing excellent teachers and less time chasing grants and they don’t have layer on layer of administrators looking out for administrators.
The U.S. Dept. of Education is a failure and the State Dept of Education is not much better, but don’t worry, they will take care of themselves!

By Burnt Weiney on 05.15.2013

From the entry: 'G-Comm™: Rotten to the Common Core'.

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I would like to try and summarize this article.
I am Jay Rockefeller and I just helped spend another 2.4 million of your tax dollars on more government that you didn’t even need or want.
He neglected to mention that you will also be getting thousands of new IRS agents to enforce the law.

By Burnt Weiney on 05.15.2013

From the entry: 'Funding from Health Reform Law to Help Uninsured West Virginians Get Affordable Health Coverage'.

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Good point Earl Batson.  Remember, the ‘education budget’ portion of state expenses, is over 50% of the entire state budget.  Mark Manchin is son of A.J., former treasurer.  Remember that deal?  If our new AG ever starts investigating corruption, he will need to at least double his staff.

By Anonymous For a Reason on 05.14.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Great that the Feds FINALLY prosecuted somebody who actually violated this law. One out of HOW MANY? They don’t need new laws until the really start enforcing the ones they already have,

By Skip Beyer on 05.14.2013

From the entry: 'G-otcha™: Lewis County Resident Entered Guilty Plea to Providing a False Statement'.

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Mrs. Hurley, could the Coalition get us information for the compensation for Ron Blankenship and Ted Matterin for a GFP posting? Citizens have a right to know. This school mess raises serious questions about who profits from funds being spent and the treatment of Williamson and Shriver is one of many issues needing to be looked into. Why does the firm get what is believed to be no-bid contacts to have a monopoly on school building projects? Is any of Mark Manchin’s SBA money to W & S from federal sources to give the feds justification for investigating?

By Earl Batson on 05.14.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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This glaring example of purposely withholding information from the public extends to Mr. Ted Matterin, Mr. Charles Heinlein, Dr. Linger, Gayle Manchin, and Governor Tomblin. The problem could be resolved within days if the individuals would exhibit courage to act. An investigation needs to be done to expose how State interventions have failed, what the expenses to WV taxpayers have been, and how our public school children have suffered from the gross incompetency while the State tinkered over the years. Does anyone know if Ron Blankenship receives his 120 K salary in addition to his State retirement money, and does Ted Matterin get his consulting fees paid in addition to his regular State retirement? It is no wonder that the individuals do not want to speed up the return of our schools to County control because it is would be against their financial interests.

By J. D. Lingenfelter on 05.14.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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This is just going to prove out as superfluous, ‘put a new dress on the old problem, and no one will recognize it’ ,government styled charade.
Remember how Linger and board of education told the Governor how ‘they’ were not in agreement of the audit?

By you foot the bill on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Action Plan Comes Alive to Meet Governor's Education Challenges'.

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Buying unnecessary stuff is a habit of Blankenship. This is the way he makes his kickbacks under the table!

By think about it on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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To the Board of Ed[23] employee and the 80K unnecessary, non-working phone system.  The bus drivers say that their bus radios were working OK when Blankenship had them replaced.  Can you tell us how much that cost the taxpayer?  Do you know how much the salary was that was paid to the Troy Principal who never showed even one day for work?    And people wonder why the taxpayers are hissed off with this mafia payola system?
Superintendent Blankenship.  You are a *radio guy* ?  How about telling where all those good used radios reside today?  Tell your school board in a public meeting, so everyone knows.

By in crooked county on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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If the school board, as a balanced group of elected representatives are supposed to have control of discipline, but Blankenship jumps ahead of the Board, wouldn’t the parents and students have a solid basis for a suit against both Blankenship and the State ?  Parents, you need to speak out!
So how many times has this happened that the board and no one else is aware of?
What makes Blankenship think he has been appointed judge, jury and hangman for our Gilmer County children?

By where's the oversight on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Mr. Manchin,
  I understand your statement of over dose on drugs. But what about the people that need pain pills and you fix it till they can’t get the medicine they need. That is not the right thing to do.
  The doctors know when the patience is taking to many pain pills, and then he should stop them. But to take them away from the people that are suffering will not work. A lot of people get hooked on them, but that is because they are not trying to do what they are suppose to do with the medicine.
  You have to be responsible for yourself and the medicine you take. Take it the way it is suppose to be taken and you won’t over dose on it.
  We have a hard enough time trying to make ends meet. Do we have to suffer along with that to?
  Think about it, one day you will get older and you may have to have pain medicine to. What if the doctor looks at you and say sorry, this is what you wanted.
                    Sincerely yours,
                      Betty

By Betty on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Manchin's Message from the Hill to the Mountains: TIME FOR THE FDA TO STOP STALLING ON PAIN KILLERS'.

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Our problem is the superintendent who thinks he is knows it all. He has always does his work, if any, in secrecy. He really likes his back scratched in all of his dealing. I hope I am getting the point across. He does not want the state to communicate with people in the county. How many times the state officials have mentioned that Blankenship should have explained or been at a meeting?

By must look at the source of problem on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Wouldn’t it be great if they could actually read and do simple math by 6th grade ?

By anonymous in Crooked County on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Action Plan Comes Alive to Meet Governor's Education Challenges'.

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I attended one of the levy meetings where Superintendent Blankenship and Board President Bill Simmons was actually telling all of us how desperate this levy was for the children.  The levys funds would be used to buy books and tablets that were needed but there was not enough money in the budget to purchase.  The Superintendent and the school board appeared to be ‘selling’ the levy to those of us attending.
Are you saying that the levy funds are and will not be used as was presented to us in the public meetings?

By really? on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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There are very important legal issues that need addressed in this Gilmer School debacle.
Apparently both Superintendent Blankenship and principal Butcher have stated publicly, that there have been several students expelled from school.
Expulsions from more than one school.
The elected school board was not informed nor were they involved either.
Discipline and school trips were the only two items your school board can vote on.  These issues are under their control.
Seems Blankenship has taken it upon himself alone to be the “court of expulsion” without informing or involving the school board.
These students and their parents were denied their “day of court” with the school board being excluded.
How long must Gilmer County citizens be treated in this fashion?
Governor Tomblin and Delegate Boggs and Walker.  Please help!
Obviously there is NO oversight of Blankenship.  There is NO oversight of the State of West Virginia Board of Education.
Governor, Delegates.  You have a responsibility to resolve these issues.

By its your elected duty on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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PROJECT 24

“If you’re a school or district leader who is considering using education technology and digital learning in your schools, STOP—and go no further—until you have a comprehensive plan that addresses your district’s specific challenges and learning goals for all students,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. “Project 24 will help districts plan for the future and fully integrate digital learning into classrooms and school systems to achieve the goal of college and career readiness for all students.”
The “24” in Project 24 represents the next twenty-four months, a time during which the nation’s education landscape will change greatly as states and districts face numerous challenges, including the need to implement college- and career-ready standards for all students; utilize online assessments to gauge comprehension and learning; push for greater system and classroom innovation; deal with shrinking budgets; and contend with demands of states’ waivers from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.

By Stay Informed on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Action Plan Comes Alive to Meet Governor's Education Challenges'.

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Gilmer residents who voted for the levy should know their tax money is not used for students as indicated. Just to mention one, Blankenship illegally used the excess levy funds to replace the phone system for about $80,000.00.
There was not anything wrong with the phone system when he replaced them. But now we have a system, which does not work and does not function as promised. In Gilmer County under state control the kids and teachers are not first.

By a boe employee [23] on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Taking away local oversight caused more than one problem. The Super hired a principal for Troy who was unable to work and he was paid anyway, the Super failed to secure natural gas access for the new Linn school and that blunder will cost taxpayers unnecessary money because of higher electricity costs, and we hear that the Super plans to use excess levy money to purchase the school site along Cedar Creek. Before the election he assured us that the money was needed for basic expenses to keep the school system functioning and nothing was disclosed about its use to purchase land. We were hoodwinked big time folks. What else is there that we don’t know about because of the State’s lid on information?

By Ralph Morgan on 05.13.2013

From the entry: 'Community Concerns™: Delegates Walker and Boggs, Why Tolerate Withholding of Information ....'.

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Wouldn’t you think that Gayle Manchin would be DEMANDING our school districts, to put in place plans to meet the bus transportation-time-limits.  After all, it was Governor Manchin who signed that law.

By all show no go on 05.11.2013

From the entry: 'Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Marked a Monumental Day for McDowell County Schools'.

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Wondering if the board of education in Charleston is starting to come to the realization, that day to day operation of a county school system, is above their pay grade?  Do they understand that local boards of education were set in place to oversee and manage the schools?  That from afar, its very difficult to be effective managers?  That micro-managing causes problems and has limitations?

By will they ever learn on 05.11.2013

From the entry: 'Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Marked a Monumental Day for McDowell County Schools'.

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How many generations of WV good old boy network politicians should have been held accountable for the conditions in McDowell County schools?  But no, big coal was king and they were only coal miners kids after all.  Even after tragic floods the state didn’t run to fix McDowell and watched it fade away but they held the line for coal.
Don’t know how they could look in the eyes of those people and take over their school board.  Now G. Manchin says they found out it takes more than one group to fix the problems there and they are so proud give it back.
No kidding Gayle? After over eleven you admit what they knew all along? It takes the community, the school board, the taxpayers, the state, communities, family and business efforts pulling together?
There’s no comparison to the small problems of Gilmer County but we new that all along. You should have asked.  If it wasn’t for the community Normantown Elementary wouldn’t have covers over the walkways to protect the children from the weather. That didn’t happen because of this silly intervention but in spite of it because the community cares and your state Super doesn’t give a tinkers darn about Gilmer County children so. Our board was working on buildings until you stopped them.  Now nothing gets done from the BOE but pay another inflated salary and force our local board to keep their mouth shut if they don’t agree. I’m sure McDowell knows how that feels.

By anonymous42 on 05.10.2013

From the entry: 'Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Marked a Monumental Day for McDowell County Schools'.

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D. STEWART was the WV BJE State Superintendent in 2001.  But MARK MANCHIN was the Superintendent they sent in to run McDowell.  At the time he spewed so much public sympathy for them but gee how that changed after he got appointed the Director of the SBA. Good old boy network and ride your family coat tails is the name of that game no matter what happened in the past and they’re still in power today. Gayle still using her appointments and public offices to try and save Joe’s name but the points are dropping. Maybe people will get that some day.

By Apathy Kills on 05.10.2013

From the entry: 'Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Marked a Monumental Day for McDowell County Schools'.

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Nothing monumental about McDowell schools on May 8th.
This is nothing more than political double-speak.  Dog and pony show.  Smoke and mirrors.  Same old -hit, another day.
There is nothing monumental coming from the people who sit on that board of ed in Charleston.
If they want to do something really monumental, they should all resign.  A new group with no political baggage could be effective.
WHO was the STATE Superintendent when they were taken over?  lmao Does anyone remember?

By Hi Mark on 05.10.2013

From the entry: 'Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Marked a Monumental Day for McDowell County Schools'.

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Mr Phares.  With all due respect.  I would bet that Ms. Grimm would also say, to the effect:  ‘Without an appreciated, functioning school board, schools will be in total disarray.‘

By your intervention admirer on 05.09.2013

From the entry: 'G-Comm™: West Virginia Celebrates Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week'.

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