Latest news with #AmeliaFerrellKnisely
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watching, waiting and wondering about West Virginia's teacher shortage
Gov. Patrick Morrisey held a ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 765, which establishes a Troops to Teachers program on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Hedgesville Middle School in Hedgesville, (West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey | Courtesy photo) As a former educator at the high school and college levels, my interest in public and private and collegiate avenues of acquiring knowledge through education remains steadfast, even though I no longer teach; instead, I write books and commentaries that I hope will not only resonate with my readers but make a difference (however slight) in the way they see the world around them, asking, 'What can I do? What will my contribution be to minimizing the escalating concerns that plague educational institutions and the teachers who deliver that knowledge?' And if all we do is look at the overwhelming task, we've already been defeated in answering those questions. Yes, the issues are countless and to tackle any single one of them is a monumental task. Still, we can take that thousand piece puzzle and break it down, one piece at a time or better still, put it together one piece at a time. As I read of education's global concerns, I also make certain to read of what is happening in my own backyard, from what the new administration didn't do this past legislative session for students and schools and teachers to what they did do: school vaccines, for instance. The powers that be continue to push aside the very real teacher vacancies that continue to escalate. Recently, Amelia Ferrell Knisely reported that Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a bill creating 'Troops to Teachers,' in an attempt to address West Virginia's teacher shortage, a program that aims to put veterans in the classroom. He called the program a 'common sense solution.' Let's remind ourselves that one reason for the teacher shortage in West Virginia is low teacher pay, compared to surrounding states. Until that discrepancy is remedied, the exodus of teachers in West Virginia will continue to rise. And the multi-leveled, arduous journey for these veterans to become certified teachers might reach beyond common sense. In fact, there's a bit more to it than that. George Bernard Shaw is credited with the phrase, 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.' In fact though, it was Aristotle who first said, 'Those that can, do; those that understand, teach.' There's a world of difference between the two sentiments. Shaw suggests that teachers are those who don't know or haven't learned their discipline. It's absurd, and my suggestion would be to not repeat those words to an educator. Let's be clear: teachers are highly skilled and experienced in their fields, with strong communication, interpersonal and pedagogical skills. The profession involves planning, delivering lessons and assessing student learning. It's a teacher's ability to articulate and explain complex concepts clearly, not simply perform a task, that educates and enlightens. And if we, as students, are very fortunate, it is those very teachers who choose that profession in order to share their knowledge and passion with us that catapult us to our highest heights, giving us every possible opportunity to excel and succeed. I'm often asked why, in my commentaries, do I never offer a solution to a problem. Why do I focus only on the human factor? My answer never changes. I hone in on the human factor because I'm a humanist, because if I didn't stay true to my core, then I would in fact be doing a disservice to those high school and college and graduate school professors who made certain that my liberal arts education was as well-rounded as they could impart. And until each and every one of us recognizes and prioritizes this undeniable truth, we cannot begin the journey to heal the wounds that scar each of us. Too, I will not disrespect my teachers or myself by even putting forth a viable solution to problems for which I'm not qualified. Are you following me? I know that Harvard University is under the spotlight right now, but I've always maintained that my West Virginia education could stand with pride alongside any other respected institution of higher learning. There are countless individuals (particularly those occupying offices of power) who can and must implement programs and support educators to make certain that not only I can continue to speak those words of praise but that every learned student to follow me can say them with pride as well. There's a great line from the movie 'Cold Mountain,' when an aged woman who lives isolated in the mountains kills a goat in order to help an escaped soldier heal: 'Bird flies somewhere, picks up a seed, [expels] the seed out, plant grows. Bird's got a job, [seed's] got a job. And you've got a job.' Can we please — each of us — do our job, rather than being so self-absorbed and concerned with who gets credit for what. As elementary as it may sound, let's work together. It's the only way progress moves forward. Who cares who gets credit? Shouldn't the only thing that matters be that the job got done? SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
West Virginia Watch reporter wins a Dan Rather Medal for her foster care reporting
Amelia Ferrell Knisely joined West Virginia Watch when the outlet launched in July 2023, and has been covering West Virginia's foster care system since 2019. (Amelia Ferrell Knisely | Courtesy photo) West Virginia Watch reporter Amelia Ferrell Knisely has placed second in the Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts competition. Knisely won for her reporting for West Virginia Watch, which 'fought for transparency in West Virginia's overwhelmed foster care system.' For six months, Knisely requested from the West Virginia Department of Human Services documents that show how much the state spent on housing foster children in hotels in 2023. Instead of financial documents, the department sent Knisely a mostly redacted report on children staying in hotels, motels, offices and hospitals between January and October 2023. With that report, she wrote her award-winning article, 'WV agency won't release docs showing where money was spent putting foster kids in hotels.' 'The level of neglect exposed by this reporting is reprehensible,' one of the judges wrote. 'The amount of work it took to get the information, public information, to shed light on this was incredible.' And in the email informing Knisely of her win, John Bridges, a lecturer in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, where the awards are housed, wrote: 'Indeed, your work was just the kind of dogged reporting that Dan Rather had in mind when he created these awards with the University of Texas.' Knisely original records request was denied, former Gov. Jim Justice's office did not respond to her emails and a then DoHS spokesperson denied her interview request with state child welfare leaders. 'Despite their intimidation, insults and ongoing resistance to answering my questions, I persist and have a great newsroom behind me.' Knisely told the Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts. 'I'm still covering foster care and will continue to do so. These children deserve it.' Knisely joined West Virginia Watch when the outlet launched in July 2023. She has been covering West Virginia's foster care system since 2019. Over the years, she's spoken with foster children abused in out-of-state facilities, child protective services workers who can't keep up with caseloads, biological parents who want answers and foster parents who feel lost in a complex system. She's written about state leaders' attempts — or lack thereof — to fix the problems, and spotlighted organizations helping vulnerable children. Read her foster care reporting for West Virginia Watch here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why federal courts must have a role in West Virginia's institutional reform litigation
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit meant to improve West Virginia's foster care system, saying the federal courts can't solve the problem and placing the blame with West Virginia state government. (Getty Images) What role should the courts play in reforming government institutions that violate constitutional rights? If a recent court order dismissing a class action against West Virginia's foster care system for lack of standing prevails, the answer is that courts should remain in the gallery. An article by Amelia Ferrell Knisely explains the circumstances surrounding the dismissal well. Yet what is most surprising is the line of reasoning pursued in the dismissal order, what it means for the children stuck in the state's broken foster care system, and what it might mean for the future of institutional reform litigation. Let's start with how the court's order specifically impacts children in foster care. In light of the dismissal, the court directs the plaintiffs to seek relief at the ballot box and reminds them that it's not the judiciary's duty to protect people from their political decisions. What the court does not mention is that the youngest plaintiff was 2 when the complaint was filed. It will be around a decade before he receives the right to vote. Suggesting the ballot box seems hardly practical. Why do the plaintiffs lack standing? The order rightly reasons that standing requires a redressable injury, an injury that a court can correct. The court notes that it cannot administer state institutions, hire state employees or write state budgets. It hastens to add that it cannot redistribute state resources. The court sees these examples as interventions that would violate the separation of powers. In the court's mind, these are ways a court cannot provide redress. These are fair concerns. It is certainly within the public interest to guard the separation of powers, a bedrock principle of the Constitution. But the court determines its role is even more limited. Routinely, institutional reform litigation involves setting standards. For instance, it's difficult to picture how a court could go about addressing prison overcrowding problems without standard setting. In the dismissed class action, the plaintiffs ask the court to mandate West Virginia's Department of Human Services to make certain that children in the system are adequately monitored and that caseworkers are appropriately trained. Although these requests seem reasonable enough, the court remarkably concludes that these requests are ungrantable because requiring caseworkers to be appropriately trained, for example, would require the court to define 'appropriate' for the institution, and that would involve the court in administration. With this same reasoning, the court rules out most of the relief sought. This reasoning, furthermore, seems to imply that all standard-setting institutional reform litigation is unconstitutional. The court wrongly presumes that definitions are equally strict. A court could surely define 'appropriate' in a broad manner, to not encroach upon institutional administration. Suppose a court decided to order DoHS to adequately train caseworkers and defined 'adequate' as 'to a level that decreases the frequency of constitutional rights violations.' Presumably, this definition would not curtail DoHS's policy-making autonomy. An order with this definition rules out only two actions. It precludes DoHS from maintaining the current training regime and it prevents DoHS from designing a regime that would escalate the frequency of rights violations. It leaves policy writing to the institution. The court would then reassess DoHS at a later date. There's a great difference between requiring adequate training and writing the training manual. Even if we grant that a court defining terms like 'adequate' and 'appropriate' slightly impacts the autonomy of institutions, concluding that courts cannot intervene seems imprudent. Such a conclusion creates an entire class of constitutional rights violations that are only redressable with majority support. Imagine a state institution that regularly violates the constitutional rights of religious minorities. The violations are concrete and traceable to the institution. However, because the violations are not traceable to a discrete source, the court reasons that redress is beyond its power. This leaves the ballot box, which is no recourse for a group in the minority. Undoubtedly, the separation of powers is a principle to defend, but I worry this dismissal goes too far. Although institutional reform litigation might demand precision and seem quixotic at times, there is certainly a role for the judiciary to play in protecting the constitutional rights of the most vulnerable. The courts must make their entrances and exits on the stage rather than remaining in the gallery. Providing redress while upholding the separation of powers might prove an arduous task. When the courts struggle, I urge them to continue. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
