Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
After a month of uncertainty and unwavering support from the community, students and co-workers, Pocahontas County High School math teacher Casey Griffith can breathe a sigh of relief.
At the Pocahontas County Board of Education special meeting Monday evening, Griffith asked for a public hearing to discuss the Reduction in Force – RIF – notice she received in late March.
Griffith, AFT [American Federation of Teachers] representatives Jason Rogers and Robin Cutlip, PCHS principal Joe Riley, math department head Chris Sutton and math coach Joanna Burt-Kinderman spoke on behalf of Griffth and explained why it was important for her to retain her position at PCHS.
After two-and-a-half hours of discussion, which also included information provided by superintendent Lynne Bostic and board of education attorney Jason Long, the board went into executive session to discuss the issue.
Roughly a half hour later, the board returned with a decision.
“We have decided to keep the fourth math position for next year,” board member Morgan McComb said.
The board voted unanimously to deny the RIF and keep Griffith in her position.
The decision hinged partially on the information provided by Sutton, Riley and math and computer science teachers Laurel Dilly and Jennifer Nail-Cook, who explained they are in the process of working with the West Virginia Department of Education to offer computer science as a CTE – Career and Technical Education – course and allow students to be completers.
Riley explained that the Project Lead the Way offered through the state department of education allows academic teachers to get certified to teach CTE courses. Dilley and Nail-Cook, who have been teaching computer science, robotics and engineering courses for several years now, said they have been wanting to offer this option for some time and had been met with hesitation by the state.
Now that computer science and engineering is rising in popularity, they said PCHS will be allowed to have CTE completers in computer science through Project Lead the Way. Dilley and Nail-Cook plan to attend training this summer and will be certified in time for the 2024-2025 school year.
Sutton said that if the math department lost Griffith and was down to three full time teachers, it would not be able to offer the CTE program, as well as several other required classes.
The board was intrigued by the CTE option for computer science, and McComb said he asked several years ago why they didn’t have the computer science teachers become CTE certified sooner because the state will fund CTE programs.
With that in mind and the evidence of Griffith’s success working with her students, the board made the decision to keep the math position, and Griffith.
Although there was only one hearing request, there were a total of three RIFs on the agenda for consideration. The board approved to RIF Tabby McCoy at Hillsboro Elementary School and Katie Broce at Marlinton Elementary School, who were both first grade ECCAT/ aides. ECCAT stands for Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teacher.
There was no discussion regarding the two RIFs.
In financial management, the board approved payment of vendor listing, payment of local government purchasing card, employee payroll, change order for the School Building Authority for the Marlinton Elementary School roof project, audited 2023 financial statement and grant.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved:
• Memorandum of Agreement between the Marshall University Research Corporation and Pocahontas County Schools.
In personnel management, the board approved:
• Grade level reassignment of Kristin Baer from teacher of kindergarten at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School to teacher of second grade at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
• Consent to change Shirlene Groseclose as teacher of Spanish at Pocahontas County High School to half-time Spanish teacher/half-time virtual facilitator at Pocahontas County High School, effective at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
• Consent to change Teresa Mullen as teacher of Pro-Start at Pocahontas County High School to half-time teacher of Pro-Start at Pocahontas County High School, effective at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
• Resignation of Douglas Lantz as EMT athletic trainer for the Pocahontas County football team, effective April 12.
• Employment of Brandon Hamons as head baseball coach at Pocahontas County High School for the 2023-2024 athletic season.
The next board of education meeting will be Tuesday, May 7, beginning with an LSIC meeting at Hillsboro Elementary School, at 3:30 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 4:45 p.m.
