(Capitol Note – Graphic Illustration/MetroCreative)
CHARLESTON — A targeted visit by education regulators to Martinsburg North Middle School last month found so many problems that the West Virginia State Board of Education declared a state of emergency for the troubled school. At its monthly meeting held Wednesday in Charleston, the State Board of Education voted to declare a state of emergency for Berkeley County Schools specifically for the operation of Martinsburg North Middle School. State Superintendent Michelle Blatt filed the motion.
“The Board is advised of the following: including, but not limited to, conditions that are unhealthy or unsafe for students or employees (of Martinsburg North Secondary School) and that the school does not provide quality and equal educational opportunities to students. I would like to ask you to consider declaring a state of emergency due to the lack of instructional leadership and support for school improvement. Blatt said. A team from the state Department of Education conducted a targeted school climate assessment at Martinsburg North on April 17, according to a report presented to board members Wednesday by Jeffrey Kelly, assistant superintendent for district and school accountability. carried out. The school was identified for what the department calls Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), which includes some of the lowest-performing schools in the state. CSI schools receive long-term support from the Department. The April visit was prompted by the results of the October 2023 School Learning Environment Survey, which found 53% of students at the school said they felt safe, compared to a statewide result of 80%. The department said there have been 23 Title IX violations and 160 physical altercations since the start of this year. And based on the 2023 overall assessment, only 24.1% of the school's students were proficient in English and 5.7% were proficient in math. During a visit to the school in April, state regulators reported unfair and inconsistent discipline and students and staff felt unsafe at the school. Team members observed threatening and hostile behavior and the use of inappropriate language from students that were not addressed effectively or at all by teachers and staff. Addressing problem behavior had no effect as students ignored teachers and staff.
“Students were in the hallways all day and often refused to go to class.” Kelly said. “The team observed on several occasions that the hallways were disorganized and sometimes unmonitored when receiving teacher instructions during class transfers. When staff were present, students sometimes ignored staff instructions or Responded inappropriately. These responses were often not addressed and students were allowed to continue their inappropriate behavior. Teachers reported that there was an atmosphere of chaos at the school this year… said that there were so many fights at the school that he felt unsafe.
“At one point, one student was observed lying on the table while three other students were sitting under the table. did.” Kelly continued. “Team members observed various levels of horseplay occurring in several classrooms, some of which bordered on physical assault, without intervention or approval by the teacher. .”
Team members say the school uses multiple platforms to collect data on student behavior and interventions, creating confusion and transparency issues. These issues prevented the school from developing a school-wide action plan. The regulators described a situation they saw in the classrooms, saying that teachers were not employing effective classroom management strategies. “It's chaotic, destructive, and sometimes hostile.” They stated that they did not observe implementation of standards-based instruction and that the learning activities provided to students were below grade-level standards or not appropriate. Staff at the school have reported to regulators a lack of instructional leadership from administrators, with some teachers reporting they have never seen administrators in their classrooms this school year. did. During visits by faculty staff, it was reported that administrator presence at the school in the morning had decreased throughout the day. During interviews, the management team was unable to explain roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
“Obviously we have deficiencies, and of course we're going to make sure those deficiencies are addressed.” Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Ronald Stevens told state board members Wednesday. “This commission wants to fix it, and we’re going to fix it.”
State Board of Education Chairman Paul Hardesty laid the blame for the situation at the feet of Stevens and the Berkeley County Board of Education, who retained Martinsburg North Middle Principal Rebecca Eyler, who was placed on administrative leave last week. accused of being.
“I'm accountable to you and your board because that person has been there for 13 years and has an excellent reputation.” Hardesty said. “You are not doing your job and the board is not doing its job to hold you accountable.
“You, my friends, and your board have collectively and decisively failed both our children and our taxpayers with the actions you have allowed at Martinsburg North Middle School.” The hardness continued. “I'm not here to hit you over the head, and I'm choosing my words carefully, but this is pathetic. This shouldn't happen.”
As part of the state of emergency, the department will direct Berkeley County schools to utilize state CSI funds to hire school improvement specialists to be on-site for the remainder of the school year and into the summer. The department will also work with Berkeley County Schools to put together a detailed action plan that will be submitted to the state board in June.
“The goal is to have professional learning and planning throughout this summer so that when we start in the fall, we will be ready to start the school year and move forward.” Blatt said. “We plan to continue that support next year.”
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.
