School Board Ponders Sensitive Topics as September ‘Retreat’ Approaches

Complex issues, from accreditation to teachers’ compensation, drive the Board’s latest work session.

On Wednesday, August 16, at 5:30 p.m., the Warren County School Board held a work session in the Special Services for Non-Traditional Programs building at 465 West 15th Street in Front Royal.

Their session began with a discussion of the adult meal fee as well as the installation of a bench at Skyline High School and quickly moved on to more sensitive and potentially controversial agenda items like the fair payment of teachers, which were thoroughly discussed. While the fair payment of teachers is a subject that will receive more careful attention at the board’s September retreat, several things were established: it needs to be determined whether “home-bound” teachers who pay visits to non-school locations should receive a higher salary due to additional task dynamics tied to their workload. Also, the problem of such a teacher’s no-shows must be factored into the pay he or she receives. “We’ve had transitions,” said Division Superintendent Christopher Ballenger, pointing out that change is a constant reality and requires the board and others to adjust and address problems “as they come up.”

Also thoroughly discussed was accreditation, featuring a presentation by Heather Bragg, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction with Warren County Public Schools, Denise Walton, Testing Coordinator, and Darcy Cupp, Curriculum Coordinator for Math and Science. They presented a three-level system in which “level one” indicates excellent performance, and “level three” indicates an area in which improvement is required. Science proved to be an area in which at least two Warren County schools need to improve.

The board engaged the three ladies with thoughtful questions: Are science classes hands-on? “What is going to resonate with our students is that experience,” Happy Creek District Board representative Antoinette Funk remarked about experiments being incorporated into the course work.

“Do we have plenty of visual aids?” asked Shenandoah District rep Ralph Rinaldi. Melanie Salins of the North River District raised a relevant point about homework, specifically the fact that teachers are not required to assign it. In response, Bragg highlighted the decline across the country regarding homework; it could possibly be due to the situation at home, and if homework is assigned, it needs to be meaningful, quality as opposed to quantity. “You’re not going to get through a whole textbook in the school year,” Bragg said.

During the accreditation discussion, chronic absenteeism was also addressed. In 2021 through 2022, due to COVID-19, the rules were waived, but as of 2022 through 2023, they are in effect. As teachers mark a student absent for excused or unexcused reasons, they need to be aware that in the eyes of the state, that absence may contribute to a total number that results in a withdrawal of funding.

Considering a recent allegation against a teacher for abuse, the possibility of cameras being installed in classrooms and even on the bodies of teachers drew a passionate contribution from Salins. One of her favorite books is “1984,” and she professes that she is so anti-cameras in general; however, the possibility that cameras could even protect teachers who are innocent keeps her interested in the idea. “I hope this can remain a civil conversation and not devolve into hate-filled rhetoric,” she said. She said that much of the feedback she has received from teachers in a survey has been nasty. Whether more cameras would be effective is a question for which she does not pretend to have an answer at this point. This issue will also receive further attention at the board’s September retreat.

Closing the evening’s session, Salins led an exchange about the Virginia School Board Association, which up till now, has been a conduit for legislation in Richmond regarding funds for Warren County Public Schools. According to Salins, the VSBA is dismally failing to provide the funds that Warren County schools need so desperately. While the VSBA obtains money for environmentally friendly electric buses, Warren County’s diesel buses continue to languish in need of attention. Salins doubts whether an electric bus could even make it up a mountain. “It sounds like they’re saying one size fits all,” Rinaldi remarked. Salins finished his thought: “And it doesn’t fit us!” It was unclear whether electric buses have been offered to Warren County public schools specifically. This will be another action item for September.

Click here for the full board discussion in this exclusive Royal Examiner video.