The Elephant in the Room and the CMHS Empowerment Program

As the Class of 2023 at Calhoun Middle High School exited the building last night from their final high school endeavor, the question on my mind was, “How will future graduating classes from CMHS be prepared for their career goals, higher education and life functions?” I have six grandchildren in the schools beginning their 3rd through Junior years of school. Two of which will be in the “Empowerment Program” that has brought about much debate regarding the Calhoun County Schools leadership and decision making.

At May’s Calhoun County School Board meeting several parents gave their opinion and requested the schools reconsideration of the implementing the program. The School Board (as usual) was non responsive and appeared to have already made up their minds. Who made the decision has yet to be confirmed. There was no vote made by the School Board so one is left to assume that the final decision on the Empowerment Program was left to Kelli Whytsell. There is however no evidence of that because the details of this program coming to fruition was never discussed in public.

There has been a rumor floating around Calhoun County (because that’s what parents have to rely on for information) that the School would receive $400,000 for implementing the Empowerment Program. As we near the May 25th meeting between the School System and parents, I really wanted to nail down that answer.

An email thread between Mrs. Whytsell and myself the last few days went as follows:

Email from Ridgeview to Superintendent, Kelli Whitsell

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Good Afternoon

*It’s my understanding that the implementation of the new program has begun. Is that correct? 

Question regarding the 2024 budget: Was the $379,355 listed under State Aid to Schools, was that received for the Pathways program? If not, how much has been or will be received?

I appreciate your response,

Shari Johnson, Publisher

*I corrected my grammar from the email. Sometimes I wonder who people understand me at all.

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Mrs. Whystell’s Response:

Good afternoon, 

It has been a busy day here today with getting ready for graduation. 

The students and teachers and doing a trial run of the MS Empowerment during the last two we”eks of school.   This will allow the teachers to provide parents with concrete information at the parent meeting on May 25^th.   

Calhoun County School has received the following grants. 

FY 21 $50.000 for technology

FY 23 $4,800 for professional development

The $379,355 has nothing to do with MS Empowerment it is a combination of the following.

Faculty senate funds

Teacher leader induction grant

Food service grant 

Save the Children grant 

I hope I have answered your question questions if not please let me know.

Thanks,

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Ridgeview’s reply to her response:

I do appreciate your response, it however did not answer the question about how much would the school receive if the empowerment program is instituted. Can you please answer that question? Thank you!

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Mrs. Whytsell’s final response:

We have not been awarded any money.   We will receive technical support from WVDE and SREB.  We can also submit student grants for possible funding.  

Thanks 

Kelli

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And so it was that the conversation ended without any clarification of money being received or expected in the future. What does seem to be apparent is that the program is a “done deal.” As it likely was at the May School Board meeting.

As I stated, I have six grandchildren in Calhoun County Schools. I have a vested interest in the school’s decision making. The level of arrogance and inability to community with Calhoun County Schools that has been noted by many is no doubt part of the reason school attendance continues to drop. Calhoun County Schools schools has approximately 888 students total with greater than half being economically disadvantaged. When Calhoun Middle High School was built around the year 2000 it alone housed around 1,100 students.

According to www.usnews.com, out of 97 schools in West Virginia Calhoun County ranks 92nd.

Overview of Calhoun Middle/High School

Calhoun Middle/High School is ranked 92nd within West Virginia. The total minority enrollment is 2%. Calhoun Middle/High School is the only high school in the Calhoun County Schools.

Calhoun Middle/High School 2022 Rankings

Calhoun Middle/High School is ranked #12,120 in the National Rankings. Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation and how well they prepare students for college. Read more about how we rank the Best High Schools.

All Rankings

• #12,120in National Rankings
• #92in West Virginia High Schools

Score card: 32.07

SCORECARD

• 18%Mathematics Proficiency
• 43%Reading Proficiency
• 22%Science Proficiency
• 96%Graduation Rate

Those are very scary numbers. The numbers are generally attributed to the “Covid Years,” as fault. Which not doubt is grounded in some truth, but that truth doesn’t make it any better for parents who entrust Calhoun County Schools to educate their children. The continual “back patting” that goes on at School Board meetings and the failure to address the very large elephant in the room needs to stop. If we have a “public” school system then the public should feel welcome and that is far from the case. Questions should be answered in something other than riddles. School Board meetings should be focused on school business not award ceremonies that take up an hour or longer before the meeting, tiring parents (and news reporters) out before the meeting starts. Students need to receive their awards and accolades before their peers, not the school board. Children generally care more about what their peers think than School Board members and it would serve to encourage other students to work for those awards themselves. (Of course all that is opinion).

And while I’m offering up my opinion, let me share with you what the past few weeks have entailed at Calhoun Schools. Other than GSA testing, my Middle High School grandchildren have spent the greater amount of time not being taught. They’ve shared with me their time on electronic devices, a couple of movies, a field trip, a day at the park and how the “empower project” was being shared with them and their regular studies went by the wayside. Am I upset. You betcha. How has the schools possibly met the required hours of education with these shenanigans going on. If it were only my children saying this, I’d say that there’s a possibility they weren’t telling me the full story. But I have had multiple children tell me this of no relation to me and without coercion in any form.

Parents need to attend the May 25th meeting at Calhoun Middle High School. You are not “troublemakers.” You are accountability factors for your children who deserve the very best our community can offer them.

This of course is an editorial opinion. You are entitled to yours. But at some point the truth about how well this is working for our children is going to come out. I would love to be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time I was. But what I’ve witnessed in my own family leads me to believe otherwise.