Apr 02 Watch 4:47 Teacher protests are spreading around the nation. Here's what's fueling the movement By PBS News Hour Thousands of teachers protested Monday in Oklahoma and Kentucky, demanding higher wages and more resources for students. So far this year, teachers in four states - each with a Republican governor and legislature -- have walked out of classrooms to… Continue watching
Mar 07 5 important stories that have nothing to do with the White House By Michael Rios, Erica R. Hendry, Joshua Barajas These days, it’s hard to stop news from Washington, D.C., from flooding your news feed. We take a moment every week to bring you important stories beyond the White House and the Capitol. Here’s what we’re reading now… Continue reading
Mar 07 West Virginia teachers return to the classroom after historic strike By John Raby, Associated Press Schools across West Virginia reopened Wednesday as families got back into their daily routines following a nine-day teacher strike. Continue reading
Mar 06 West Virginia leaders reach deal to end 9-day teachers strike By John Raby, Associated Press Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia's Republican leaders tentatively agreed Tuesday to end the state's nine-day teachers' walkout by giving 5 percent raises to not just teachers, but all state workers. Continue reading
Mar 05 Watch 4:25 What West Virginia teachers are fighting for By PBS News Hour Public school teachers in West Virginia -- among the lowest-paid in the country -- went on strike for an eighth consecutive day on Monday, and schools in all of the state's 55 counties remain closed to more than a quarter… Continue watching
Mar 04 West Virginia teachers: No raise, no school; strike goes on By Michael Virtanen, Associated Press Unions representing West Virginia teachers and service personnel say they will stay out on strike after the state Senate voted to cut the 5 percent pay raise they had negotiated with the governor. Continue reading
Mar 02 Opinion: I am a coal miner's daughter and a West Virginia teacher. Here's why I'm on strike. By Brandy Bochna Tuck Hundreds of teachers stand outside the House doors, chanting continuously for hours. I find it to be one of the most compelling moments of my life. Continue reading
Feb 23 All of West Virginia's teachers are on strike. Here's why By Ryan Connelly Holmes Teachers across the state said they planned to strike again Monday. They argue a recent pay increase did not do enough to offset rising health care premiums, and that the state was also slashing their benefits. Continue reading
Oct 23 Watch 5:11 Why this poet couldn't avoid writing about the opioid crisis By PBS News Hour The opioid crisis has plagued poet William Brewer’s hometown in West Virginia. His vivid poems tell the story of the opioid epidemic from different voices and depict the sense of bewilderment people find themselves in as addiction creeps into their… Continue watching
Oct 23 'Oh, they're on the pills. We don't really see them anymore.' By Mary Jo Brooks Author William Brewer didn’t want to write a book about the drug crisis decimating his state, but it was a topic he couldn’t avoid. Watching the people around him succumb to addiction, he set out to capture the crisis in… Continue reading