It’s about individual attention and student success, and that’s why most local residents have heard how Dr. Jeffrey Crook refers to the school he leads in Brooke County.
Crook, who’s now close to completing his sixth year as the superintendent of Brooke County Schools, launched “The Place to Be” awareness campaign more than a year ago, and he’s utilized TV, radio, digital media, and social media to reach as many of the region’s residents as possible. Now that West Virginia has open enrollment for public schools, Crook is hoping to increase the district’s student population.
“That slogan is all about telling our story about where we’ve been and where we’re going, and it’s all a process,” Crook explained. “There are people who get on social media and they blast things out there all of the time, but they do that stuff without know all of the information. They don’t sit where I sit, and they don’t sit where our teachers sit, so we decided we were going to tell everyone about what we really do here.
“It’s our story, so we decided we were going to tell it,” the superintendent said. “Our graduates are everywhere, and they are doing very well in life. You can go on vacation, or on a long weekend, and you’ll likely see someone proudly wearing their Brooke High sweatshirt. That’s because we give our students their best chance to be successful while there here in school, and after.”
A number of new programs and initiatives have been added during Crook’s tenure, and he’s also done his best to change the mindset amongst employees.
“Our students work as a team pretty often because that’s the approach we take in the professional world,” Crook said. “That’s one of the reasons why we have built a terrific team here in Brooke County. We feel we have the best teachers, the best staff, and the best support staff. Our bus drivers, custodians, cooks, aides, and maintenance folks are phenomenal, and so are the counselors, our nurses, and the SROs, and we’ve all made a point of being particular because everyone we have has an impact on our kids.
“Our state champion cheerleaders are a prime example of what’s been taking place at Brooke High School,” he explained. “Those ladies and their coach worked hard for a lot of years, and that all paid off because they brought home the title despite the injuries several of them had to work through. They had one goal, and they battled all of the adversity to get there, and so we are all so very proud of them.”
One on One
It begins with an evaluation and an individual education plan.
For every student in every school.
“Once our educators start working with a child, they identify where they are with their education and they go from there,” Crook said. “If there’s some catching up to do, then that’s where it all begins, and if their education is where it needs to be, then our teachers establish their individual path based on their strengths and their weaknesses.
“The most important lesson we have learned in education is that every child learns at their own pace,” he explained. “That’s always been the case, but it’s not always how it’s been approached.”
One of Crook’s primary goals for the 2024-25 school year was to improve state testing scores from the previous year.
“Everyone’s hard work is really beginning to show, and I believe we’ll see some big improvements in our scores,” he said. “We want our kids to do their best, and we’re all about accountability, but we also understand that not every kid is a ‘test taker.’
“Not only do students learn at their own pace, but they test differently, too,” he said. “But everyone has been working to get the kids ready for the experience so they can be as positive as they can be going in.”
The superintendent has made several radio appearances on River Talk 100.1/100.9 FM, and each time he’s taken with him department heads, state champion cheerleaders, Bruins new head football coach Frank Sisinni, and award-winning students. Crook also has offered details on the improvements to the district’s athletic facilities, and he’s explained the high school’s enhanced career technical programs.
“It all comes together for our kids, and that’s why they are so resilient because that’s a big part of what we’re teaching them in Brooke County Schools,” he said. “They know they have to keep working hard to attain their goals no matter what they may be. They have goals in the classroom, of course, but also with athletics or whatever the extracurricular activity might be. Working hard is what makes you successful.
“Our educators and staff members get to know what makes our kids tick so they can have those healthy relationships when it comes time to give that extra effort because they’re so close to accomplishing something important to them,” Dr. Crook added. “I enjoy visiting our classrooms, and I encourage our principals to do the same because we’re all on the same team here in Brooke County.”
