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Principal Asks Board to Keep Teacher

By Staff | Feb 24, 2016

At the Feb. 15 meeting of the Wetzel County Board of Education, New Martinsville School’s assistant principal, Shawn Coen, expressed her concerns about a teacher’s upcoming departure.

Coen said she had sent an e-mail to the board members earlier that day; however, she wanted to “make sure that it was received and that the issue will be looked at.”

Coen said John Armstrong, sixth grade reading and math teacher at NMS, successfully interviewed for a teaching position in Pleasants County.

“My understanding is he will be released on Feb. 29 at the next board meeting. I have a real concern. Mr. Armstrong is an excellent teacher, has done fantastic things with our kids, and built rapport,” Coen said.

She added, “He’s worked to be able to do all the things we were told that we need to do to raise these test scores. All year, that is what we’ve heard… test scores, test scores, and test scores. Now we are going to remove a teacher who teaches math and reading, and that is going to be detrimental to those students.”

Coen said she truly believed that no matter what substitute is put into the classroom, “you’ve still disrupted that classroom.”

Coen requested that the board consider her concerns at its next board meeting on Feb. 29.

“Make the right decision that we keep that sixth grade teacher at New Martinsville School until the end of the year,” she said.