West Virginia Board of Education declares state of emergency at Martinsburg North Middle

“I would like to ask that the board consider declaring a state of emergency … including but not limited to the unhealthy or unsafe conditions for students or employees (at Martinsburg North Middle), the school’s failure to provide high quality and equal educational opportunities for students, deficiencies in instructional leadership and support for school improvement,” Blatt said.

According to a report presented to board members Wednesday by Jeffrey Kelley, assistant superintendent of district and school accountability, a team from the state Department of Education conducted a targeted school environment assessment at Martinsburg North on April 17.

The school is one of 21 schools that was identified for what the department calls Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), which includes some of the lowest-performing schools in the state. CSI schools receive long-term assistance from the department.

The April visit was spurred by the results of an October 2023 School Learning Environment Survey that found that 53% of students at the school reported feeling safe versus the statewide result of 80%. According to the department, there have been 23 violations of Title IX and 160 physical fights since the start of the current school year. And only 24.1% of students at the school were proficient in English Language Arts and 5.7% were proficient in math based on the 2023 General Summative Assessment.

During their April visit to the school, state regulators reported that students and staff felt unsafe at the school, with unfair and inconsistent discipline. Team members observed threatening and hostile behavior from students along with the use of inappropriate language, with behaviors either not being effectively addressed by teachers and staff or not addressed at all. When behaviors were addressed, students ignored teachers/staff with no consequences.

“Students were observed in hallways at all times of the day, often refusing to go to class,” Kelley said. “When directed by teachers during class transitions, the team observed hallways that were disorderly and sometimes unsupervised on several occasions. When staff were present, students ignored and or responded inappropriately to staff directives. These responses were often unaddressed, and students were allowed to continue their inappropriate behavior. Teachers reported that there was an air of chaos in this school this year … A student was quoted as saying there were so many fights at this school and that they feel unsafe.

“At one point, a student was observed lying on top of a table while three other students were sitting under the table. Total disengagement with no redirection from the teacher,” Kelley continued. “Team members observed some classrooms with varying levels of horseplay, with some bordering on physical aggression with no intervention or acknowledgment by the teachers.”

Team members said the school uses multiple platforms to collect data on student behavior and interventions, creating confusion and transparency issues. These issues have prevented the school from developing a schoolwide behavior plan.

In the classroom, regulators said teachers did not use effective classroom management strategies, describing what they saw as “chaotic, destructive, and occasionally hostile.” They did not observe the use of standards-based instruction, and said learning activities provided to students were below grade-level standards or not relevant.

Staff members at the school reported to regulators that there was a lack of instructional leadership by administration officials, with some teachers reporting never having seen an administration official in their classrooms this school year. During the visit by department staff, they reported an administration presence at the school in the morning that decreased throughout the day. During interviews, the administrative team was unable to explain roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

“Evidently we have a flaw, and of course, we’re going to make sure that flaw gets taken care of,” said Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Ronald Stephens to state board members Wednesday. “This board wants it fixed, and we’re going to fix it.”

State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty laid the blame for the situation at the feet of Stephens and the Berkeley County Board of Education for keeping Martinsburg North Middle Principal Rebekah Eyler, who was put on administrative leave last week.

“Where I’m placing the blame is on you and your board because the person’s been there 13 years and got stellar evaluations,” Hardesty said. “Y’all have not done your job and your board has not done their job to hold you accountable.

“You, my friend, and your board have collectively and categorically failed both the children and the taxpayer by what you all have allowed to go on at Martinsburg North Middle School,” Hardesty continued. “I’m not here to beat you over the head, but this is — I’m trying to choose my words carefully — this is pathetic. This should not happen.”

As part of the state of emergency, the department will direct Berkeley County Schools to use their state CSI funds to hire a school improvement specialist to be onsite the remainder of the school year and through the summer. The department also will work with Berkeley County Schools to put together a detailed action plan to be presented to the state board in June.

“The goal would be that we would work through this summer to put professional learning and plans in place so that when we start in the fall, we’re ready to start the school year and move forward,” Blatt said. “That support would continue throughout the next school year.”