tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042085502395570932.post4250892637836310132..comments2008-08-10T17:44:55.588-04:00Comments on AHE Network Support: AHEN DIRECTORS'/LEADERS' REFLECTIONSUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042085502395570932.post-85646473703300342892008-06-02T00:09:00.000-04:002008-06-02T00:09:00.000-04:00Hi, EddieGood to hear from you. We, too, have a m...Hi, Eddie<BR/>Good to hear from you. We, too, have a major drug problem in the area and many want to leave. Tell me what do others find and say when they leave the area as the drug problem in the U.S. knows no boundaries? <BR/><BR/>I like your acronym for HOPE...and I am sure you are aware Virginia just lost Pocahontas High School even though their community fought hard to keep it open. <BR/><BR/>If others are having difficulty posting you may need to reset your Internet Options and override the "Accept Cookies" setting. I have had problems posting until now. <BR/><BR/>Look forward to seeing everyone in July. <BR/><BR/>SaritaSarita A. Rhonemushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08194550338475255287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042085502395570932.post-17486170458939580262008-05-30T14:25:00.000-04:002008-05-30T14:25:00.000-04:00You are young enough to remember the coal boom of ...You are young enough to remember the coal boom of the 70’s during the oil embargo and the brief national recession that followed. Much of Appalachian Virginia weathered this very well and came face to face with the real challenge of keeping our young people in high school long enough to graduate. <BR/><BR/>The demand for workers and the appeal of making good money was too much temptation for many who opted to drop out of school early for employment. I fear we may experience this dilemma once again in the coal field and coal bed methane gas regions of Appalachia. The one factor helping, oddly(and sadly)enough, keep our young people in school at the moment is their potential inability to pass a drug screening for employment. This one factor is a cause of great concern for the employability of much of the current workforce in southwest Virginia. <BR/><BR/>Clearly our drug problem is multi-generational and the challenge for recruitment by the current mining industry is not an easy fix nor can we solve this issue through AHEN efforts alone. However I see our greatest message or battle cry for the AHEN effort(s) as HOPE, Helping Our People with Education. Helping the youth of Appalachia achieve the education necessary to ensure their success and ability to find sustainable employment is a purpose many have championed. To achieve this is the on-going commission to all of us in education in Appalachia. <BR/><BR/>I started this soap box speech in response to the challenge/question about addressing the need to include awareness of our heritage and the importance of rural schools. <BR/><BR/>Locally [in VA] there have been many successful attempts at local heritage education inclusion using a broad variety of venues. Equally there are the frustrations from dealing with the “hillbilly” stereotype. The two values mentioned, close to home and family, are some of the values being challenged by today’s Appalachian youth as they become educated. Again, this is not new because this has been the fear that when our youth gain more education they leave for better jobs. <BR/><BR/>The discussion I hear from this generation of young people obtaining their education is “I am leaving to get away from the drug problem”. They fear they and their children will not be able to resist or overcome the problems they have known all to well. Even if their child is able to stay clean they fear the person their child may associate with will not. <BR/><BR/>Running away will not solve the problem completely, but I have been amazed at the number of youth, mine included, who have left the area not wanting to return because of the drug problem among their friends and others who stayed. When they come home for a visit and spend some time with their friends they gain more affirmation they made the right decision. <BR/><BR/>Now these mobile young people are staying within Appalachia for the most part. However, I have noticed a trend lately of many moving to places like Montana because the pace of life is even slower than here. The appeal of much of rural Appalachia is the slower pace in comparison to the rest of the south and the country. As we build more four-lane highways and provide greater access to the world by way of satellite television and broadband internet access even the slow pace life of rural Appalachia is threatened.<BR/><BR/>The love of family and place is still embedded in modern day Appalachians, but also embedded is the need and will to survive. It is this survival spirit of Appalachians that inspires me! Some will leave and take with them these values of place and family and those who choose to stay put will deal with the problems at hand. <BR/><BR/>I look at our people who choose to leave as “Ambassadors” of our region, taking their values and knowledge to share with others.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if we who call ourselves educators ever learn any of the lessons of our experiences. Just this week a local school system announced they may have to delay opening two new schools this fall because of budget short falls due to increased energy cost for buildings and transportation. As we close smaller rural schools in favor of bigger consolidated schools we continue to spend more money per child while losing so much. . . <BR/><BR/>Even though VA may not be on top of its game at the moment with AHEN efforts, we are looking and waiting for the opportunity.<BR/><BR/>See you in July!e-Leadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09981100738316767573noreply@blogger.com