Berkeley County Schools working to implement improvement plan for Martinsburg North Middle School
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (DC News Now) — The West Virginia Board of Education has placed a “state of emergency” on the Martinsburg North Middle School because of, what the board says, is a “chaotic and occasionally hostile environment” there.
The board says the school violated Title IX and there were 160 physical fights this school year. The school’s environment “is not conducive to learning.”
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A recent forum at Shepherd University’s Stubblefield Institute explored trends in disobedient students and bullying behavior at schools across the country. Ashley Horst with the Institute said the stage was set during the pandemic.
“I think a lot of it really goes back to the pandemic,” Horst said. “We spent too much time being isolated.”
She said the isolation led to more screen time which meant becoming obsessed with social media, creating what she calls “keyboard warriors.”
Those consumed by this social media interaction are supported by a community in saying hurtful things and so it emboldens us when we go out into our person-to-person interactions, according to Horst.
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Berkeley County Schools says it is developing “an action plan” to correct any violations. The school system has named Holly Kleppner to oversee administration of Martinsburg North.
Berkeley County School Superintendent, Ronald E. Stephens, IV, said he “is committed to the improvement process.” He said the plan will be to address the “deficiencies identified” by the state.
“Once the plan has been approved at the [state board’s] June meeting,” Karla Troppman with Berkeley County Schools, said. “[The county system] will be required to implement the action plan and to correct any violations.”
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Troppman said the State Superintendent of Schools has also directed Berkeley County Schools to hire a “state-approved” improvement specialist for Martinsburg North Middle School.
“If adequate progress in correcting these circumstances is not made, as determined by the state, within six months from the time the action plan is implemented, the state may intervene in the operation of the school system,” Troppman said.
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