Trending
In the beginning God made an idiot. This was for practice. Then He made the School Board, an elected group to oversee the person hired to run schools.
Everyone has war stories; mine include long meetings featuring members whose questions revealed zero preparation. Or the meetings where employees took turns on the hot seat, some lying like rugs rather than telling a team leader that their half-baked idea would cost too much and accomplish too little. And the telling moments when it was crystal clear that the leader and the team members were not on the same page, or even holding the same book.
There was this sort of endless pot of money that anyone could access. Upshur County school board members kind of fooled themselves into thinking that spending on themselves was a socially acceptable thing to do, even though it wasn't legal.
The greatest gift in history. Millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief aid intended to combat the worst pandemic in a century and to stabilize a school system in free fall. With officials looking for ways to plunder.
Every county school system is governed by a school board. These school board members are guardians of the public trust; they put the interests of their community's youth first. Through the policies they make, school board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education.
If our votes reflect our desires, Upshur County's next school board will be a functioning body with no interest in using the superintendent for controversial issues like how to spend our money. Differing visions won't become quagmires of discontent.
Time is money will be the new mantra and whether the money is their own or taxpayers', there will be a distaste for wasting it. Or at least should be a conditional aid on reforms to promote ethics.
Those could include changing school financing laws to foster simplicity and transparency and encouraging more state level inspectors general for schools. Meanwhile, state lawmakers should create more public and private learning options for students and allow parents to vote with their feet by leaving districts beset with problems.
Education is the most priceless gift that we can give our children. It is more precious than any material gift or benefit they might receive. There is not a home, expensive automobile, or extravagant trip that could ever replace and deliver what an education can.
An education provides opportunity to achieve greatness, powe, and luxury and it gives its holder the ability to do and succeed in whatever they desire.
An unprecedented investigation is moving forward and school administrative corruption will finally be revealed. Despite what has transpired in the past, the present and future are promising. Not only will citizens of Upshur County get the opportunity to watch how an educational system can go horribly wrong, so will the whole state.
It will enable everyone to determine for themselves who the perpetrators were, what motivated them, and why they are apathetic to the ruin of their own community.
Hopefully, this investigation outcome will serve as a wake-up call for all educational institutions in West Virginia. It will demonstrate to the parents of failing students that there is hope to find the truth and influence change.
The finish line is in sight; it is now only a matter of enabling the attorneys to do what they do best, uncover the truth. Stay tuned.
Good Day!
Robert Ware
French Creek