The State of Education in WV

My grandmother taught in Berkeley County, West Virginia for over 40 years - starting in a one room school. My mother taught in Berkeley County for 33 years. The state of the education system in Berkeley County is quickly crumbling. South Middle Schoool, where my mother taught for 33 years, currently has nine vacancies for teachers. The high school that I attended currently has no foreign language teachers. Where have all the teachers gone? They have gone to Loudon County, Virginia to teach. In Loudon County, they are being paid twice as much. When is WV going to wake up and realize that their treatment of public educators is the pits? The victims of these policies are our children. How can children learn in an environment laced with substitute teachers? Children require a sense of normalcy and familiar faces. I remember when I was in elementary school the worst days were those when a substitute was teaching instead of my regular teacher. How can an high school operate without a foreign language department??? Foreign language credits are required not only for high school graduation, but also for college entrance! Several of the educators in Berkeley County have reached retirement age. With poor pay, lack of Board of Education support, and the inability to control the students, once retirement age is reached, these teachers are running from the public education system. They are being replaced by inexperienced, fresh out of college teachers. As with any profession, book smarts are only a piece of the puzzle with education. Experience teaches you how to handle problem children and how to address students in general. I am worried about the quality of education being provided to my nieces and nephews. Our children really are our future. If we're not educating them, where will they be in 15 years?