Why our local leaders and adults have failed our children

[cuuvapitt]

Looks like you have it ass-backwards IMO.

It never ceases to amaze me how small your base of knowledge is on pretty much any topic that you post on here.

I have nothing backwards whatsoever since what I stated I have witnessed it first hand many of the area kids have no clue how to study, etc. once they have made their way to college...there are exceptions to every rule but as a whole the students from other parts of the state are much more prepared than the ones from Wise County at the present time.

[sup-rbeast]

Sorry but the college students from Wise County as a whole have not been prepared for the work load they have face in the last five years I have seen. It really is a combination of the block scheduling which does not prepare kids for college class work loads and just the overall academics and situation locally.

New buildings or pushing all into the three large high schools will not solve everything until they get away from the type of scheduling they have now (now the discussed A-B block would be somewhat of an improvement from what they have now) and course offerings. It is pretty sad when a student cannot take a higher level math class than Algebra II at JJK for example or a true hands on chemistry class at PV for fear of overworking the wiring/circuits of the room.

Something will be done and the 'Basham Plan' may be what happens but is not an overall good alternative as it will just upset everyone and not solve any academic issues but will be good for the County finances as there is no way 6 high schools can continue with the economics like we have now.

Three high schools is the best way to go yes and the SB and BOS need to put all their collective efforts together to see what steps can be made to make it happen. Whether it be adding a .25% or .5% tax to certain things so not just the property owners pay for any small tax increase or whatever is the case...for extra funds in Pennsylvania in both ends of the state in Pitt and Philly the counties with the heart of the cities in have an extra 1% tax on things to help pay for many of the city projects.

I was speaking for myself...I know what I put into my education..and I know it's more than what most put in. And, I know I had no problems in college whatsoever. IMO, it's just another way to play the blame game. No one is responsible or at fault for anything anymore it seems. I guess when it comes to education folks blame economics, scheduling, and the building... Understand HS is and always has been HS. Way back when I was in school our workload didn't compare to a college workload either. Believe me, kids now days do alot more individual work than they used to...but if ya want a college workload in HS, you could always do dual enrollment.

[pvfan]

To a point, I agree supr-beast. You can put up enough effort, work, want to, or whatever to get by. Saying that, some of our stuff borders on a joke. We don't do research papers, read books and write a report, the grading system is easy as pie. The argument that you can take dual enrollment borders on crazy as well. MECC, and I have taken courses at MECC in no way compares to a four year university. If it did students would leave a four year school to take classes at MECC to transfer in. It's much easier and for a lack of better word the community college system is dumbed down. I had a class at MECC that I attended a grand total of 3 times, the first day, the mid-term, and the final. The course was a political science class that was taught at the exact same time as my astronomy class over the internet so I went to astronomy every day but test day. The final for me was a presentation on the pornography industry on society.........

[R13]

It never ceases to amaze me how small your base of knowledge is on pretty much any topic that you post on here.

I have nothing backwards whatsoever since what I stated I have witnessed it first hand many of the area kids have no clue how to study, etc. once they have made their way to college...there are exceptions to every rule but as a whole the students from other parts of the state are much more prepared than the ones from Wise County at the present time.

Yet you run every time I've called you out in these threads to prove me wrong.


Who doesn't know how to study? Kids know how to study from when they were in primary school and about every kid knows how to use the internet to research, they have other problems if they can't grasp simple things like reading material or using Google. I just don't see how "block scheduling" is hurting either, are you talking about the 7/8 periods like Kelly? Or 4 blocks like at Burton?

The argument that you can take dual enrollment borders on crazy as well. MECC, and I have taken courses at MECC in no way compares to a four year university. If it did students would leave a four year school to take classes at MECC to transfer in.

I don't get what you're saying here. The purpose of dual-enrollment isn't to prepare anyone for a four-year university, it's to get college credits for a degree. And a good percentage of people start out at MECC, then transfer, also leave UVAW and come to MECC. It's the same classes, easier and half the price.

[VHSLhelper]

Has anyone ever heard of a "2 in 1" before? Anywhere?

A couple of years ago, Bill Gates was behind a move to reduce school size. I e-mailed the VHSL and asked them to start talking about how they would handle it if a school like Hylton or Robinson or Great Bridge divided itself into 2 or 3 pods that might became AA "schools". Thankfully, I haven't heard of any VA schools considering that.

But what good would it do to put 2 schools side by side? I can see Loudoun Co. doing it, with their space limitations and community booms, but around here? I thought the idea was to reduce the number of schools and give kids a wider course selection. "2 at 1" doesn't really fit that mold. Of course, it will prob. keep the numbers under the AA level.

So why not 2 AA schools? Clint/Pound/Wise & Appy/PV/Coe?
Here's what I see... Closing 6 A's would push the cut-off point even higher. Grundy/Rich/Taze/Graham would all drop to A, so you'd join Ab/Mar/Carroll in a 5-team SWD. And the Blue Ridge would move into Reg. IV, which would stretch up to Alleghany. Or maybe the BRD would split, with a couple going to the Massa. and a couple to the River Ridge, which would allow the Seminole to move into Reg. IV, which would now stretch to Lynchburg.

Want 1 school? The nearest AAA, I repeat, the NEAREST would be Roanoke

So, WHATEVER you do, say NO to 2 schools or 1.
Please.
Thank you.

[simple man]

None of the old schools have proper sized classrooms to allow the teacher/student ratio needed to get the kids the number of extra classes folks seem to want. Then you have the asbestos issue with several of then, at least PV and Appy- I can remember them without any problem- the cost to remove would be more than the buildings are worth. And don't forget, the last thing Basham suggested was to buy half a mil in double wide trailers and put them on PV's parking lot to house the extra students being sent to the school- I just can't seem to equate that with "renovation." The best way to prepare kids for college is to send them for a couple of classes before they get out of high school. Yeah, some say they can't afford the transportation cost, but if you can't now ,what is going to get them to that point in another year or two? So maybe one school is the best idea, after all, this whole thing isn't about athletics, right? Putting kids in a new building isn't going to make them smarter- the ones that excel still will and the ones that just "get by" still will. And don't forget about the projected shortfall in state funds, when the fed money runs out. Wonder how much my property tax will go up? I like the idea about taxing other items, but I use those also, so I'll get to pay twice- real estate and whatever else. The power plant is a pretty good idea, but with the folks against mining....I saw a story about a WVA plant that was killed after several years of work- till tax money comes from this thing, I don't see the county being able to count on this plant.
Sorta reminds me of "Paradise by the dashboard lights" an old Meatloaf song where he says " he'll love her till the end of time" and the next verse he is praying for the end of time. We need to figure this right, we really can't afford to build once, and certainly can't affors another blunder like the "wall-less elemtary schools" were.

[pvfan]

I don't get what you're saying here. The purpose of dual-enrollment isn't to prepare anyone for a four-year university, it's to get college credits for a degree. And a good percentage of people start out at MECC, then transfer, also leave UVAW and come to MECC. It's the same classes, easier and half the price.

That is pretty much verbatim what I said. It's much easier and kids are still lost when they go to a four year school.

[sup-rbeast]

We need to figure this right, we really can't afford to build once, and certainly can't affors another blunder like the "wall-less elemtary schools" were.

Haha..yeah..another line of reasoning gone wrong...was in vogue in the 70's tho. But, it just goes to show ya that "what everyone else is doing" isn't always the right thing to do. I think PV and Appy had the asbestos removed somewhere around 1990 if I'm not mistaken tho.

[ndn_fan]

The school system undertook asbestos abatement programs in the 1980s and 90s, not asbestos eradication. That means that they removed the asbestos that was exposed and causing an immediate hazard, while leaving other asbestos that was in sealed spaces. Renovating would stir up some of the remaining asbestos-containing building materials in sealed-off spaces.

Not all asbestos in the schools is sealed off. Some rooms have floor tiles with asbestos in them.

[simple man]

The school system undertook asbestos abatement programs in the 1980s and 90s, not asbestos eradication. That means that they removed the asbestos that was exposed and causing an immediate hazard, while leaving other asbestos that was in sealed spaces. Renovating would stir up some of the remaining asbestos-containing building materials in sealed-off spaces.

Not all asbestos in the schools is sealed off. Some rooms have floor tiles with asbestos in them.

Bingo...so cutting the floor to expand a room or put anything in the floor is going to cause problems.