Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
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The start of a new school year can be a stressful time, but it’s also a season of transition, and of new beginnings. In this episode of Inside Appalachia, we hear the conclusion to Crystal Snyder’s Struggle to Stay story, as she juggles school, work and family responsibilities. And we travel to McDowell County, where people are exploring new ways to deal with a chronic teacher shortage.
Us & Them: Hillers Versus Creekers
Remember the cliques that divided up kids at your high school?
You probably remember the people who bullied you throughout school. It may not have been violent or excessive, but mostly everyone has had unkind words or names slung their way. On this episode, we listen to the Us and Them podcast, as host Trey Kay revisits classmates from his high school to re-explore an ongoing divide between two groups, the hillers, and the creekers.
Watch a live performance of the “Hillers & Creekers” episode as part of the PRX Catapult Podcast Showcase.
Appalachian Communities Struggle with Teacher Shortages
And in McDowell County, schools can’t find enough teachers. And the problem is getting worse, as the economy continues to decline in the coalfields. We hear part of a recent documentary called “Keeping Teachers”, from the Educate Podcast, by APM reports.
"We are putting many teachers in our classrooms that are quality people, but they're not certified in that particular content area. We're not doing our students justice when we don't have qualified teachers."-Nelson Spencer, superintendent of McDowell County Schools.
The Struggle to Stay
We check back in with a woman who you might recognize. Her name is Crystal Snyder, and her story is part of our ongoing series The Struggle to Stay.
During the past few weeks, we’ve heard about the struggle Crystal has faced as she juggles school, work and parenting. On this week’s episode, we’ll hear the conclusion to her Struggle to Stay story.
Watch a short video about Crystal Snyder
Personal Message From Inside Appalachia Host Jessica Lilly:
My mother insisted that her kids wore nice, name brand clothing. I never worried about someone making fun of my clothes because she worked at a department store and would frequently come home with the latest styles. She always watched the sales closely.
Don’t get me wrong, middle school classmates found other ways to exclude me, but clothing was never one of them. No, we weren’t rich, but I kind of dressed like I was. It made me feel confident and worthy of pursuing my dreams.
My mom drove two hours both ways almost every day to work – yea so she could make a little money. But perhaps more than that, it was a way to protect us from the perception of being poor, and being ridiculed for it, like she was. I never, ever felt poor. We lived in a home built at the turn of the century with holes in the floor and walls with limited heat. But I never felt poor. And for those who didn’t visit my house, they never knew any different. And eventually, she even found a way to move us into a brand new home, but maybe that story is for another show.
Kids are mean, but so are adults. I’ve grown comfortable in finding good deals on nice clothes. But finding value in these items might make me seem shallow, or materialistic, but the way others pass judgment on me, I’m learning, is not my problem.
We had help producing Inside Appalachia this week from the Us and Them Podcast, also from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and APM Reports.
Inside Appalachia is produced by Jessica Lilly and Roxy Todd. Our executive producer is Jesse Wright. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Claire Hemme helped with our digital correspondence. You can find us online on Twitter @InAppalachia.
Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
Stock car racing’s roots run deep in Appalachia. Our twisty roads and dark hollers were home to moonshiners — and moonshine runners, who became known for their driving skills. And they became some of NASCAR’s first stars when it formed in 1948. But NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team had nothing to do with moonshine.
On this West Virginia Morning, domestic violence prevention advocates lined the State Capitol rotunda in February, seeking a budget increase. They said lawmakers were receptive to the idea. But no increase was passed before this year’s regular legislative session ended. Jack Walker checked in with domestic violence prevention advocates on funding needs as a potential special session approaches.
For Sue and Stan Jennings, woodworking isn’t just a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. What started out as a passion for the craft was born out of necessity. Over the last 30 years, the Jennings have developed a thriving business making wood objects called treenware — small wooden kitchen utensils.