It has been suggested that because of COVID-19 upheaval, America’s students and educators should be given a break from standardized testing this year. That is precisely why the tests should be administered this year. Before you begin calling friends to join the mob demanding my head on a ...
In my last column, I talked about the fog of war when it comes to the coronavirus. That’s why more, not less, information is needed from the state on not just positive cases, but the state seems content peddling information that in some cases is two days old. The state Department of Health ...
While Congress is in session, lawmakers ought to pass one more bill related to COVID-19. It would alter the application for college student financial aid, both grants and loans. Financial aid applications from individual colleges and universities could copy the language. Question 1 would ...
What’s next with Covid 19? Plan A: Stay Well. Plan B: Self-Isolate & Self-Treat. Before my column was published last week, our son said our grandchildren should not be in our house, and we should practice social distancing from them if we see them outside. That was not easy to do with ...
A colleague recently said we need to keep moving forward even while the world is spinning backward. Her words are wise and thought-provoking for all of us in this time of fear and uncertainty. As I think about this sage advice, we need to stay focused on the mission and goals that bring ...
How long did it take modern humans to evolve from our primitive ancestors? Well, Neanderthals roamed the earth about 40,000 years ago. Let’s say it required 2,000 generations for creatures like us to evolve to what we are today. Compared to Neanderthals, we are much more capable physically ...
CHARLESTON — In this time of increased anxiety, worry and in some cases panic over the coronavirus, Gov. Jim Justice has mostly done a good job trying to encourage people to social distance from others and not panic. What he did Saturday night and last Thursday might have undone a lot of the ...
The pandemic COVID-19 has reminded the world that international cooperation is essential in health and environmental matters. Once limited mostly to the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, it was ignored by the American government until February 2020, despite the fact that ...
What a difference one week has made in our daily activities and thoughts! Last week we were planning lots of activities for children and adults at Kump Education Center; now we are putting everything on hold. Nothing that was scheduled will be held on the date we expected, and most of our ...
An early morning walk on the Davis & Elkins College campus was met with an eerie silence and sense of loneliness. In the distance I could see a member of the faculty headed to her office, and a car passed by and the occupant waved. Unlike a “normal” morning, I did not encounter a ...
Why are so many public officials rushing to close public schools and ban big gatherings? Why are some companies planning to tell employees that if they sneeze once, they’ll be sent home? And why can’t the drug companies hurry up with coronavirus tests, vaccines and drugs to treat ...
I fully expected to write something about the various statewide races, or some of the after effects of the 2020 legislative session. I didn’t expect I’d be writing about a virus pandemic. But the novel (new) coronavirus, or COVID-19 (short for Coronavirus Disease 2019) has swept the ...
“Mike, you know we don’t sleep in class,” admonished Mrs. F. “I don’t feel so good,” I told her, raising my head and looking at her. “Go home,” she replied. “Now. Go look at yourself in a mirror. Then go home.” Would a young teacher today even recognize a case of the ...
It’s 2020, and while most minds might be on the upcoming elections, there’s another way you can have your voice heard and make a difference in government: take the census. Every single West Virginian needs to take the census for two critical reasons: First, census data helps ...
Teachers and future teachers from our local tri-county region have an outstanding opportunity to learn more about current research in the teaching of mathematics. Alderson-Broadus University, Randolph County Schools, and Kump Education Center are sponsoring “Math Matters,” a day of ...
It is often said, “every vote counts.” In West Virginia, every voter counts, too. For too long, segments of voters have been disenfranchised from our democratic process through no fault of their own. Deployed armed services members often lack access to mail, printers, and scanners – ...
After Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucus, suddenly vituperative comments were made about the Vermont senator being a “Democratic Socialist.” As the description took hold, the charges went from credible to scurrilous in the speed of a text message. When Sanders made some factual statements ...
What’s scariest about Bernie Sanders is how many voters support him, not whether he’ll win the presidency. He won’t. But how close he comes will give us an idea of how far along the path to full socialism — and thus, repression of our liberties — many people are eager to go. How ...
Reporter’s Notebook: CHARLESTON— Here we are, at the end of another legislative session and looking back, I have to say it wasn’t too bad. Sure, I’ve noted various issues and dramas over the last nine weeks. As I’ve said before, when you lock in maybe 300 people (lawmakers, ...
It is a question I never believed I would have to ponder: How real a phenomenon is gender bias in politics in West Virginia’s towns and cities? As a former mayor of Beverly — and only the second female in the town’s history to serve as such — my experience suggests that it might be a ...