Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The Pocahontas County Board of Education received an update on the virtual school program and the Grow Your Own initiative at its April 25 meeting.
Director of curriculum, instruction, federal programs and elementary education Lynne Bostic and Pocahontas County High School librarian Devan Gum said there are eight students using virtual school either full-time or to take classes that are not offered in the school curriculum.
“We currently have eight students – seven full-time students and one part-time student,” Bostic said. “That part-time student – because of homeschooling laws – a homeschooler can take a course with us and participate in our sports. Out of those, we have two middle school students, one sophomore and five juniors.”
Gum explained that she has students who take a range of classes not offered at PCHS, including foreign languages, electives and courses to prepare them for a college degree.
“We call it virtual classes, but I consider them online classes,” Gum said. “We range from sign language to a foreign language to medical terminology to first aid – whatever you can wrap your mind around, the state offers it. That’s through the West Virginia Department of Education. We’ve been very fortunate to have that program and to offer that to our students at the high school.”
Bostic then spoke about the Grow Your Own initiative, a statewide program that offers classes to students who are interested in becoming teachers. Students who enroll in the program take a series of classes while in high school that go toward their college credits.
PCHS partnered with Glenville State University through the initiative and currently has three students enrolled in the program – senior Jazzlyn Teter is the first West Virginia student to be named to the West Virginia teaching apprenticeship.
“If you’ve ever met Jazzlyn, she’s just an amazing young lady, and I am so proud of her, and so honored to be able to work with her,” Bostic said. “She’s going to make a difference. I’m just really excited to be fortunate to have her in our school system.”
As an apprentice, Teter has been hired by Pocahontas County Schools and will be working with the summer school program and the school system while she is attending Glenville.
“She will be coming back and doing some after-school tutoring or intervention on her breaks,” Bostic added. “We’ll work that out with her, and she’ll be an employee of Pocahontas County Schools now until she graduates from college, and, of course, she will return and teach with us.”
Two underclassmen – Miranda Gum and Taylor Orndorff – are also enrolled in the program and are finishing their first year of classes. This year, they took introduction to education and introduction to childhood development.
“That course requires them to have fifteen of what they call ‘clinical hours,’ but also in classroom hours,” Gum explained. “We just got those set up, so Miranda and Taylor will be going to Green Bank to complete those. Taylor is interested in being an art teacher, so she’s going to work with the art teacher up there.
“[Darla] Huddle is the Pre-k teacher – Miranda wants to work with her,” Gum continued. “Jazzlyn has already set up to work with [Michelle] Murphy at Marlinton, but she also asked if she could go to [Shannon] Anderson’s kindergarten class because she’s also interested in that.”
The board thanked Bostic and Gum for the update and shared their enthusiasm for the Grow Your Own initiative.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• Retainer agreement for legal service between Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Pocahontas County Board of Education, for legal services and fees set as $3,500 per month for a total of $42,000, effective for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The 2023-2024 Pocahontas County Schools Board of Education meeting schedule.
• Superintendent’s evaluation for the 2022-2023 school year.
• Superintendent’s goals for the 2023-2024 school year.
• Creation of a county-wide dress code policy for students of Pocahontas County Schools and a county-wide dress code policy for the staff of Pocahontas County Schools.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Requested transfer of Melissa K. Jordan as principal of Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience in accordance with Pocahontas County Administrative Salary Schedule, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 240 days.
• Requested transfer of Chloe L. Schaffner as assistant principal of Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience in accordance with Pocahontas County Admini- strative Salary Schedule, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 215 days.
• Reduction in force of Amanda R. Buzzard as half-time teacher of multi-subjects at Hillsboro Elementary School, due to lack of funding, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Abolishment of position half-time teacher of multi-subjects at Hillsboro Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Creation of position teacher of multi-subjects at Hillsboro Elementary School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days.
• Employment of Charles J. Weber, Jr., as teacher of special education (multi-categorical)/autism at Marlinton Elementary School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days.
• Reduction in force of Laurel B. Dilley as half-time teacher of mathematics, at Pocahontas County High School, due to lack of funding, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Abolishment of position half-time teacher of mathematics at Pocahontas County High School, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Creation of position teacher of science, technology, engineer and mathematics (STEM) with CTE certification at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days. Successful applicant must be willing to obtain CTE certification within two years.
• Consent to change Stephanie M. Burns as teacher of English/language arts at Marlinton Elementary School and English/language arts coach for Pocahontas County Schools, to English/language arts coach for Pocahontas County Schools effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall remain at 200 days.
• Abolishment of position teacher of English/language arts at Marlinton Middle School and English/language arts coach for Pocahontas County Schools, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Consent to change Julia A. Shiflet as director of child nutrition and food service, attendance and homeless liaison to director of child nutrition and food service, attendance and homeless liaison/coordinator of technology for Pocahontas County Schools, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall remain 261 days.
• Reduction in force of Sally J. Logan as itinerant teacher of CTE/career exploration for Pocahontas County Schools, due to lack of funding, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Reduction in force of Wendy Kirk Picarella as itinerant teacher of art for Pocahontas County Schools, due to lack of funding, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Abolishment of position itinerant teacher of CTE/career exploration for Pocahontas County Schools, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Abolishment of position itinerant teacher of art for Pocahontas County Schools, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Creation of position teacher of art and CTE/career exploration at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days.
• Creation of position teacher of art and CTE/career exploration at Marlinton Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days.
• Reduction in force of Haley G. Cummins as itinerant special education aide/ classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Middle School, due to lack of funding, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Abolishment of position itinerant special education aide/classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Middle School, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• Creation of position special education classroom aide/bus aide at Pocahontas County High School, at state basic pay, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Cristina O. Young as substitute teacher for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic pay, based on degree and experience, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, as needed.
• Employment of Deborah L. Miller as substitute aide for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic pay, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, as needed.
Due to space, Employment of Probationary and Continuing Contracts will be in next week’s edition of The Pocahontas Times.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, May 16, 6 p.m., at the board of education conference room.