KINGWOOD — What is important for the future of Preston County Schools? How do you make things better for teachers?
Those were among the topics when candidates for the Preston County Board of Education (BOE) met with The Dominion Post Editorial Board on Monday April 16.
Five candidates are seeking the three board seats. The race is nonpartisan and will be decided May 8. Running are incumbents Jack Keim and Robert “Mac” McCrum, along with first-time candidates Ron Marthey, Alan Rogers and Jeff Zigray.
Rogers said he is running because people asked him to. He has children in the system and has been involved with youth projects most of his life.
Keim served 12 years on the board and is currently vice president. He is a WVSSAC basketball official, coach-ed middle school football 17 years and been the “voice of Preston County sports” on radio.
Zigray taught school and coached 35 years before retiring. He was on Kingwood Council for 20 years. He wants students to have up-to-date technology and supplies and provide funding for the arts and sports, so they are well-rounded.
McCrum worked in education as a principal and teacher for 37 years and is the third generation of his family to teach. He is committed to kids.
Marthey, a mechanical engineer who managed union tradesmen for 29 years, volunteered at summer camps for 18 years. He believes schools should push students to be bold and decisive, not passive.
State takeover
The editorial board asked how things have changed since the state took over the county system in 2009, on the heels of a negative report from the state Office of Education Performance Audits. It returned power to local officials in 2014.
Keim was board president in 2009 and said “There were many things we were lacking,” and finances were in the red. He told fellow board members then they could either argue or come together, listen to the newly appointed superintendent and follow his advice to get the system back.
“We turned ourselves around. We worked hard to know we were doing the right thing,” Keim said.
The deficit is gone, and the BOE works together to solve problems, he said. But, “experience is a great thing,” Keim said, and if he and McCrum are defeated, the most experienced person on the BOE will have served just two years.
Zigray said boards have to be fiscally responsible, just as he was on city council. “Sometimes you have to make rough decisions, that you may not get elected next time, but you have to stay within your fiscal boundaries.”
He will do that, Zigray said.
McCrum said another aspect of the state takeover was Preston’s determination not to change. The state forced change, he said. “The system is a better system because of that.”
State-appointed Superintendent Parsons got a construction bond and maintenance levy passed, McCrum said. The decision to change personnel isn’t easy, McCrum said, but sometimes it’s needed.
Marthey said you have to stay within budget, “plain and simple, and part of making leaders of kids is showing you have to make tough decisions, and there’s always going to be those things around.”
Rogers said he understood there were “some dark days,” during the takeover. The board needs to work together to benefit the children of Preston County, he said.
Grading scale
Candidates were asked their thoughts on the state board of education’s lowering the scale for an “A” from 93 to 90 and lowering the credits needed to graduate from 24 to 21.
Zigray said he doesn’t think lowering standards is the answer. But no matter the grades, teachers know which students need help and which are “A” students, he said.
McCrum said the kids in the middle of the learning curve are those who need help. He doesn’t support lowering standards, and it happens again and again. The state settles for less, he said.
Marthey wondered, “are we teaching the correct stuff?” Thirty years ago people worked at repetitive jobs. Now only about 7 percent of the workforce produces something. He wants to reward leaders and those who take the extra step.
Rogers did not support lowering standards, either. Keim said grades can be manipulated, but what matters more than grades is that students can do anything they want to do after graduation. Preston High’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) helps with that, he said.
A mixed blessing
The candidates said technology is needed in schools, but some students don’t have internet access at home, and books are still needed. Students also need to know how to do work without computers, such as math, they said.
“Telephones and calculators are the downfall of a lot of our students,” Zigray said, giving the example of a student who looked up a word on his phone when asked how to spell it.
Marthey noted that, “Phones are there, and they’re going to be there,” but students aren’t able to do math without a machine, for example.
Rogers said his 13-year-old daughter can’t use a hardcopy dictionary. “I think that’s a shame that children are not being shown how to use proper resources. Yeah, the cell phone’s great, the tablet’s great, but they need to know how to do it the old way, in case you run into a situation that you don’t have access.”
What now?
The editorial board asked what the big issues are facing Preston County Schools now.
McCrum said CTE programs need to be added, just as welding was. County commissioners are asking for firefighter and EMT classes, he said. Eighty to 90 percent of all Preston High graduates take a CTE course, he said. School makes a difference in students’ lives.
Marthey said the board needs to look at the culture of raising children and cultivating a passion for doing something. Keeping people interested in entering the workforce is important, he said.
Rogers said “hats off to the high school for their trades program.” He agreed adding firefighter and EMT classes would be good. And the levy before voters in May is needed to help students all they can.
Keim said maintaining the buildings paid for by taxpayers is important, and the levy is needed for that. The BOE also needs to work with the Preston County Economic Development Authority, for example, to educate students for careers that employers need.
“My most important thing would be to provide teachers with resources,” Zigray said. He gave the example of teachers spending their own money to buy printer ink and other supplies.
What about teachers?
The editorial board asked candidates what they would do to make teachers’ lot better?
Marthey said he’d like to allow them to be teachers, not doing multiple jobs such as handling disruptive students in class. Maybe volunteers could be found to help, he said.
“It is all about respect, and teachers deserve respect,” Marthey said, and parents need to give it, as well as students.
Rogers said his wife volunteers at West Preston and tells classroom horror stories. Perhaps having more teachers’ aides would help, he suggested. Discipline with consequences and that brings in parents may be part of the solution, he said.
“We need to let them be able to do their jobs,” he said of teachers.
Keim said the simple answer is for voters to pass the levy because it includes money for school supplies, books and other things that impact teachers. Having volunteers in the schools helps, as well, he said.
“Our teachers are so great, and we need to keep them in Preston County, and we need to do things,” like supplies, Keim said.
Zigray said when he was first elected to Kingwood City Council, a long-time employee gave him great advice: “Listen to your employees, and act on what they say.” Asking school employees what they need and trying to provide what is possible and not lying to people is important, he said.
McCrum also said, “those employees, the best thing we can do for them, is listen and after you’ve listened say … can we do this?”
