Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
At the October 3 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, five AP teachers from Pocahontas County High School gave reports on the success of the courses they have been teaching for the past several years.
Math and computer science teacher Jennifer Nail-Cook gave a brief overview of the program, explaining how students are able to get college credit for the AP classes they take if they receive a passing score – three, four or five – on the AP test.
“The AP exam is essentially a letter grade, so you get a score from one to five and that score communicates what grade you would have gotten in the equivalent entry level college course.”
A five is equivalent to an A in the class; four, a B or A-; a three, B to C; and so on.
The credits are easily transferrable to any college in the country, Nail-Cook said, stating she has never come across a college that did not accept a passing AP score as a credit.
Along with AP courses preparing the students for college after high school, they also keep the teachers up-to-date on professional development.
“We have to go to a training every three years that’s put on by the state department and the college board,” Nail-Cook said. “We have to get re-certified every three years, so it also forces us to stay current in the material because there’s required ongoing professional development.”
Joining in the conversation were fellow AP teachers Justin Dilley, Chris Sutton, Laurel Dilley and Casey Griffith.
The board thanked the teachers for their efforts in providing AP courses and for the update on how the programs are going at PCHS.
Superintendent Lynne Bostic recognized several PCHS teachers during her report. She thanked Nail-Cook and Griffith for their efforts in helping the PCHS band students get organized and while it may be small, the band is making a huge splash thanks to them taking on the duties of sponsoring the group.
At this time, PCHS does not have a band teacher, so the students who wanted to be in band asked Nail-Cook and Griffith to be the class’s sponsors in order to keep music going at the school.
Griffith said the band students are very enthusiastic and have even opened their ranks to the community and alumni who would like to join them.
Bostic was one of those individuals and she said she hopes to dust off her flute playing skills to join in the fun.
Bostic also recognized Aaron Pugh, who has offered to help the football team with daily after school practice. She explained that there is a gap between the end of the school day and when coach Brad Carpenter arrives, so Pugh stepped forward to supervise the team during that time.
As part of her report, Bostic said nine staff members from the three elementary schools attended a two-day training for the Science of Reading program. The program focuses on the five components of reading, as well as writing, on the elementary school level.
The team of nine will train all elementary teachers and aides in the program later in the spring to be prepared to implement the program next school year.
In financial management, the board approved the following:
• Payment of vendor listing, payment of local government purchasing card, September 19 employee payroll, grant awards and faculty senate allocations.
In miscellaneous manage, the board approved the following:
• Addition of a Kasha Calendar as a fundraiser to the Green Bank Elementary-Middle School fundraiser list. Kasha is the GBEMS service dog and the calendar will feature pictures of her with the different classes each month. The funds will go toward Kasha’s care.
• Addition of a talent show as a fundraiser to the GBEMS fundraiser list.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Employment of Thomas Dennison as head boys basketball coach at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, for the 2023-2024 athletic season.
• Resignation of Sally Logan as teacher of art/CTE at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective December 22.
• Unpaid medical leave for Ira Brown as school counselor at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effec- tive October 2, or upon exhaustion of personal leave, for a period of up to 12 weeks as needed, retroactive to October 2.
• Unpaid medical leave for Julie Brown as teacher of mathematics at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective October 2, or upon exhaustion of personal leave, for a period of up to 12 weeks as needed, retroactive to October 2.
• Resignation of Jim Weber as teacher of special education (multi-categorical)/autism at Marlinton Elementary School, effective October 31.
• Request to transfer Courtney Curran as teacher of alternative education/virtual program at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum basic salary based on experience plus equity, effective October 5, for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 160 days and shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Request to transfer of William Brown as teacher of driver’s education at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum basic salary based on experienced plus equity, effective October 5, for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 160 days and shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Tim McClung as assistant girls basketball coach for Pocahontas County High School for the 2023-2024 athletic season at a supplement of $750.
• Employment of Mason Owens as mechanic for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic salary, effective October 2, for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 196 days and shall be 261 days each year thereafter.
• Creation of position part-time science instructional support coach for elementary/secondary schools for Pocahontas County Schools at $25 per hour, not to exceed $5,000 funded by Title IV. Effective for the 2023-2024 school year.
• Employment of Barbara Anderson as substitute secretary/accountant for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary retroactive to September 19, for the 2023-2024 school year, as needed.
• Employment of Brianna Morgan and Drema L. Sharp as substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic professional salary, based on degree and experience, for the 2023-2024 school year, as needed.
• Employment of Ruth Bland as mentor for Melissa Jordan, effective for the 2023-2024 school year, at $25 per hour, not to exceed 40 hours or $1,000.
• Request to be removed; Shonda Carr as head baseball coach, retroactive to September 19.
• Request to be removed; Patrician Heinneman from the substitute teaching list, retroactive to September 12.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, October 24, at 6 p.m. at the board of education conference room in Buckeye.