<![CDATA[WVEA - News]]> 762118d6-f53e-4d6b-ac17-f85d986d8ebf <![CDATA[State Board Approves Advanced Academy]]> State Board Approves Advanced Academy
By SARAH HARMON Staff Writer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
 
TRIADELPHIA - West Liberty University officials announced Monday the West Virginia Board of Education has granted a waiver permitting WLU to establish the Advanced Academy of West Virginia, an accelerated learning program for high school juniors and seniors.
 
The Advanced Academy is a program for high-achieving Marshall and Ohio County high school students interested in early entrance to college courses. The academic offerings will simultaneously fulfill West Liberty University's general studies courses while meeting high school graduation requirements.
 
"Anytime we can come together in public education to develop a great opportunity to address the need of kids who need enrichment and additional acceleration, that's a great thing to do," Marshall County Superintendent Fred Renzella said. "This is a huge benefit - the fact that we're opening the university to high school students."
 
According to Renzella, this will be the first educational program in West Virginia to build a relationship between a four-year university and a high school. Through the Advance Academy, students can potentially graduate high school with not only a diploma, but also with two years of college credit under their belts. This means that students would only have to complete two years of study at a four-year university. It can all be accomplished locally as well, which means huge savings for families.
 
"I can foresee in the future where you're going to have your high schools and colleges connected. You're probably going to have a six-year degree instead of a four-year high school diploma," Renzella said. "You can see this cascade of development - the fact that education is non-stop. We're preparing kids to be life-long learners."
The program was developed in cooperation with school district in Marshall and Ohio counties with assistance from the Regional Education Service Agency 6.
 
"We are very very pleased to be a partner in this program with West Liberty and Marshall County Schools and RESA-6 to provide this option for high-achieving students at Wheeling Park" High School, said Ohio County Schools Superintendent George Krelis. "This is a very exciting program to be able to offer to our community."
 
High school students will be enrolled in West Liberty University's Honors College, an academic community that provides leadership, scholarship and service for advanced students along with the existing Honors College students. They will all participate in a week-long orientation before the beginning of classes in the fall. They will participate in various team-building activities, study a specific academic theme and explore different models of leadership.
]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 07:24:49 GMT a41f1b77-cb1c-4dde-b9cd-6ccd7d002efa <![CDATA[Gilmer County High School Team Qualifies to Compete in National Rocket Challenge]]> Gilmer County High School Team Qualifies to Compete in National Rocket Challenge
Four Gilmer County High School students will travel to Washington, D.C. on May 12 to compete in the Team American Rocektry Challenge (TARC) contest for $60,000 in prizes and scholarships, according to a news release from the West Virginia Department of Education.
The team that consists of Ashley Bush, Larisa Gordon, Lindsey Gregory and Mitchell Hickan, beat out 678 other student teams across the country to qualify as one of the top 100 teams for the final fly-off, officials said.
The national competition challenges middle and high school students nationwide to design and build a rocket that will climb to 800 feet and stay airborne between 43 and 47 seconds using a parachute for a recovery device, according to the news release.
The cut off score to qualify this year was a record setting low at 13.2 and the GCHS team qualified with a 6.07.
"TARC has been great for my students," said Adam Osborne, chemistry and physics teacher at GCHS. "This type of project based learning along with its direct application to industry has increased student performance and interest in the sciences. It's great to see their hard work and effort rewarded by qualifying for Nationals."
About 6,000 students from across the country took part in the contest.
]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 09:05:56 GMT 44b3d05a-594f-4427-808d-d5876ca8838f <![CDATA[1982 Recht decision: State still rumbles from aftershocks of reform ruling]]> 1982 Recht decision:
 State still rumbles from aftershocks of reform ruling
By Amy Julia Harris, Sunday Gazette-Mail, (5/13/12)

A landmark 1982 court ruling by Ohio County Circuit Judge Arthur Recht found that West Virginia's public schools failed to meet a "thorough and efficient" standard demanded by the state Constitution. He ordered an overhaul of school financing with the idea that children from high and low property-value counties should receive the same education

HAMLIN, W.Va. -- Thirty years after a major education case sent shockwaves through West Virginia, the state is still trying to understand the aftermath.
Today, West Virginia has big education problems. The state ranks on the bottom of a host of national education-quality indicators -- low student test scores, weak teacher-quality laws and minimal education reforms. These problems exist three decades after a landmark 1982 court case aimed to restructure West Virginia education and wipe out disparities between the state's richest and poorest areas.
The case, Pauley v. Bailey -- known more commonly as "the Recht decision," after the judge who made it -- was released 30 years ago Monday.
In his ruling, Ohio County Circuit Judge Arthur Recht found that the state's public schools failed to meet a "thorough and efficient" standard demanded by the state constitution. The judge ordered an overhaul of school financing with the idea that children from high and low property-value counties should receive the same education.
"The Recht decision was historic," said U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who was governor at the time. "That case showed the real effect policy had on students and helped us all understand the importance of education equality in West Virginia. There's no question that rural students should have the same opportunity as those in more urban communities."
Yet, 30 years after Recht handed down the 244-page decision, West Virginians are still debating the case's impact. Did it make waves in education or just create minor ripples?
Kenna Seal, longtime head of the state Office of Education Performance Audits -- which was created by the Recht decision -- is among those who say it revolutionized education in West Virginia by demanding school accountability.
"Recht ushered down an era of accountability that is second to none in the United States," Seal said. "It made student performance a paramount goal. We created a system that is no longer all about inputs, but about how schools respond to high quality standards and how to provide those services and programs that students need."
Others say the case's reach was minimal. They argue that, while it aimed to tackle major funding disparities, it actually did little to change the way schools receive money. Instead, they say, it spurred state officials to close down and consolidate schools in the name of creating better facilities and educational opportunities.
The case
Dan Hedges is a veteran Charleston attorney whose name has become synonymous with the Pauley v. Bailey case. Hedges, a silver-haired man whose Quarrier Street law office is adorned with whitewater rafting photos, said the strategy of the case was simple: change the school financing picture.
"Janet Pauley and I planned to challenge the way the overall system was set up," said Hedges. "It was about adequately funding education statewide."
Pauley, the mother of five children in Lincoln County schools, came to Hedges with the idea of suing the Lincoln County school system for the deplorable conditions she witnessed at her children's school.
Pauley found broken chairs and an open sewer running across the playground at McCorkle Elementary, a four-room rural school in Lincoln County, when she visited for a PTA meeting.
She was outraged. No one would stand for this in a richer county, she said.
Hedges jumped to action. He had a passion for creating an equitable education system, witnessing education disparities firsthand in the Roane County school where his grandfather was a schoolteacher.
He found an 1872 provision in West Virginia law that said the Legislature must provide a "thorough and efficient" system of public education to all the state's children. That phrase became the cornerstone of the Pauley case.
In 1975, Hedges filed a class-action lawsuit against the Lincoln County school system, arguing that Pauley's children and other poor students were being deprived of a high-quality education.
The case languished in court for years, but the West Virginia Supreme Court eventually sided with Pauley and said education is a fundamental constitutional right. It was then remanded to Kanawha Circuit Court, where it went before Judge Arthur Recht in 1981.
Recht's job was to decide whether West Virginia's Legislature had set up a system to provide a "high-quality education system" to students in all 55 counties.
He said the answer was a resounding no.
Recht ordered the Legislature to "completely reconstruct the entire system of education in West Virginia," calling the disparities between counties "outrageous."
"The state has a duty to eliminate the effects of unequal costs among counties of providing educational services due to factors such as county isolation, sparsity, terrain and road contentions," Recht wrote, pointing to major iniquities in the state's tax system.
In the sweeping opinion, Recht compared the vast differences between the facilities and course offerings in relatively poor Lincoln County to counties like Ohio that had a solid tax base.
"I found there definitely is a correlation between funding and the quality of the educational system," Recht said in a 1998 interview. "You know, it wasn't very difficult to know that there shouldn't be raw sewage going through the playground in one of the schools in Lincoln County. I mean, it didn't take a genius to figure that one out."
Recht ruled that to get to a "thorough and efficient" education system, the state needed to create centralized quality standards and dramatically change the state's tax structure and way of assessing property values. That prospect outraged some West Virginia legislators, who said the tax change would bankrupt the state.
Op-eds in 1982 screamed that Recht's decision could send residential property taxes up as much as 500 percent and cripple taxpayers.
Then-Gov. Rockefeller called a special session of the Legislature in July 1982 in response to the Recht decision. At that meeting, legislators approved placing a measure on the upcoming ballot that asked voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would limit property taxes.
Everyone agreed that West Virginia's education system needed to change dramatically, but no one wanted to pay for it.

Impact
Education financing was the crux of the Recht decision, but the case didn't have the far-reaching financial impact that either legislators or Recht envisioned. West Virginia didn't adopt a statewide excess levy that Recht had recommended. The state school aid funding formula was tweaked, but did not change dramatically. Teacher salaries became more equalized across counties, but not perfectly on par.
What the case did do was usher in systemic changes that didn't come with as hefty a price tag.
Dwight Dials, superintendent of Fayette County schools, said the Recht case created a playbook for educational improvement. It dictated a slew of new mandates, from teacher-to-student ratios to how much school building space should be utilized to standards for foreign language.
The one thing that was missing was the money to fully fund it.
"We ended up with a blueprint for education that might have been considered unrealistic by some because it wasn't affordable and doable," Dials said. "Without a huge amount of funding, there was just no way to truly implement it. It's great to say that every school should have two counselors, an art teacher and great technology -- but who is going to pay for that?"
All told, only about 60 percent of the education plans in the Recht decision have been implemented, Hedges said.
The Recht decision's biggest discernible impacts, educators and state officials say, was to restructure how West Virginia finances school construction and change how the state monitors the performance of schools.
Those changes spurred an era of school consolidations and state interventions in county school systems.

SBA, consolidation, legacy
Linda Martin, a Lincoln County mother active in the school PTA, remembers the day the Recht decision came down.
"I thought the decision was outstanding," Martin said. She had spent time researching inequalities among school systems and thought the remedy lay in revamping the state's unequal tax structure.
But that's not what happened.
"In implementing the decision, the state missed the opportunity to move the school system into the 21st century," Martin said. "Rather than create a quality education system, the state just spent billions of dollars on large school buildings, closed down community schools and put kids on long bus rides that burned up fossil fuels. They did nothing to really address education disparities, they just consolidated schools."
The terrible state of the physical school facilities in Lincoln County took center stage in the court proceedings, and state lawmakers took note in the 1980s.
The Legislature created the state School Building Authority in 1989, with the purpose of equitably distributing a centralized pool of taxpayer funds to build and repair schools.
However, the SBA also was expressly created to shut down schools, said Mark Manchin, the agency's executive director.
"The SBA was created to consolidate buildings," Manchin said. "There were so many schools with incredible inefficiencies within communities that were unwilling to close them. The Authority was created to encourage counties to get state funds to close old buildings and consolidate schools into state-of-the-art facilities so you don't have major disparities between the have and have-not counties."
That interpretation of the Recht decision converted Martin from a big Recht advocate to one of its staunchest opponents. In response, she founded Challenge West Virginia, an anti-consolidation advocacy organization pressing for small community schools.
She said school consolidation co-opted the Recht decision and became the state's go-to plan to deal with education problems. Rather than try to fix schools, she said, the philosophy became to close them.
"We still have low test scores today, high dropout rates and teacher shortages," Martin said. "Much of it has to do with decisions that were made to move forward with that decision in the way the state did. I was very unhappy with the results of the Recht decision because they could have been wonderful for students."
However, Seal, the first director of the Office of Education Performance Audits, said the Recht decision undoubtedly improved schools -- in facilities as well as in performance. Seal's office was created to monitor all 55 county school systems and see if they were creating the best possible system of education with existing resources.
"Instead of looking at what went into the system, it turned into what came out at the other end," Seal said. "For the first time, we were measuring quality standards to see whether we were providing a thorough and efficient system of schools in the state, rather than just looking at how much money we poured into schools."
Lincoln County, the epicenter of the Recht decision, is still evaluating the impact the decision had on its school system. The county faces some of the same problems highlighted in the 1982 decision, although to a lesser degree. Things are markedly better than when open sewers cut across elementary school playgrounds, school officials said, but there still are the problems of teacher shortages, run-down facilities and a lack of extracurricular and program offerings.
And all of it boils down to money, they said.
"We're never going to have absolute equality," said Jeff Midkiff, assistant superintendent of schools of Lincoln County. "There's always going to be those who are going to have the ability, for whatever reason, to be able to provide more in terms of what they can do for children and their education. I just don't think you can ever get rid of that."
 
]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 08:46:18 GMT fbd42163-bad0-47fe-b9d5-03db64ec7ce2 <![CDATA[Students charged with taping under teacher's dress]]> Students charged with taping under teacher's dress
WCHS-TV

LOUISVILLE, Ky.
Louisville police have charged two high school students with video voyeurism after they say one of them held a cellphone under a teacher's dress, made a video and posted it on YouTube.
An arrest warrant obtained by WLKY-TV says the two-18-year-old students attended Louisville's Doss High School, where the alleged incident took place Wednesday.

Police have charged Eugene Cain and Devon Ewing. Police say Ewing asked the teacher for assistance and when she bent over, Cain held Ewing's cellphone under her dress and recorded a video.

Police say the two later posted the video on YouTube and spread the word about where it could be found.

The students were arrested by a deputy sheriff who works as a school resource officer.

Video voyeurism is a Class D felony, punishable by a one- to five-year sentence.
]]> Fri, 11 May 2012 07:34:22 GMT 5375abca-1c11-4be5-8096-391864595b4e <![CDATA[25 pct of W.Va. 8th-graders proficient in science]]> 25 pct of W.Va. 8th-graders proficient in science
Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's eighth-graders perform worse in science than their peers nationwide, with only 25 percent with a solid grasp of the subject.
According to National Assessment of Educational Progress results released Thursday, 24 percent of public school eighth-graders achieved "proficient" science scores in 2011, compared to 21 percent in 2009. One percent scored at the "advanced" level, unchanged from 2009.
Nationally, 29 percent scored at the proficient level and 2 percent at the advanced level.
Proficiency is defined as solid academic performance at grade level, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.
The report also found that 39 percent of students scored at the "basic" level, compared with 36 percent in 2009. And 37 percent performed at the "below basic" level in 2011, compared with 42 percent two years earlier.
The percentage of students who performed at or above the basic level was 63 percent in 2011 and 58 percent in 2009.
Average scores among eighth-grade black students in 2011 were 14 points lower than their white counterparts. That performance gap was 20 points in 2009. Scores among boys were 8 points higher on average than those of girls in 2011.
Among students eligible for the federal free and reduced school lunch program — an indicator of low family income — their average scores were 14 points lower than students not eligible for the program, compared with 18 points in 2009.
While West Virginia's average score was lower than those in 29 other states, it was one of 16 states whose scores improved from 2009.
"These latest science results are encouraging," said state schools Superintendent Jorea Marple. "We need to inspire children to take a greater interest in science, technology, engineering and math. In addition, we need to encourage young people to become science and math teachers to inspire the young scientists of tomorrow. I hope these results are a sign of a resurgence of interest in science."
Also known as the Nation's Report Card, NAEP is the only nationally representative measure of what U.S. students know and can do in various subject areas. The exam measured content knowledge in physical science, life science, and earth and space sciences.
In 2010, the state Board of Education raised the minimum scores that students must achieve for mastering proficiency on the state's standardized achievement test for math, science and other core subjects. Those changes put the state's test in line with the NAEP standards.
Separate from the NAEP, Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said West Virginia is a partner in a national project called the Next Generation Science Standards, which are rich in content and practice and arranged from kindergarten through 12th grade. It's expected to be completed later this year and eventually introduced to school teaching.
Cordeiro stressed that aside from test scores, state education leaders place a high priority on personalized learning and overall student growth from the beginning of the school year to the end.
"The overall move in all of our curriculum hopefully has had an impact, not only in science, but as we see growth in reading, as we see growth in math," she said. "We're really focused on ... having the student being the leader of their own learning."
 
]]> Fri, 11 May 2012 07:31:35 GMT 30b243de-52f9-4f5f-b893-35fc517d32a0 <![CDATA[U.S. News ranking tabs GW as best high school in state]]> U.S. News ranking tabs GW as best high school in state
by Dave Boucher
Daily Mail Staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Thanks to high scores on state standardized tests and similar success with Advanced Placement courses, George Washington High School is considered by a national organization as the best public high school in West Virginia.
In the 2012 national high school rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News and World Reports, GW was one of eight schools in West Virginia to meet all of the criteria for a national ranking. The report includes information from almost 22,000 schools nationwide and looks at data from the 2009-10 school year.
While its proficiency in math and reading - as determined by Westest scores - was comparable to the other high schools with national rankings, and its student-to-teacher ratio was the largest of the eight schools, GW's "college readiness" score was head and shoulders above other schools.
The college readiness score is based on the number of senior students who took AP or International Baccalaureate tests compared to the total number of seniors. How well participating students fared on the test is also factored into the score, according to the methodology report accompanying the release of the rankings.
According to the data, 50 percent of GW seniors took at least one AP test during their time in high school. Of those, 33 percent passed - earned a 3, 4 or 5 - at least one AP exam. Both figures were highest among the eight nationally ranked West Virginia high schools.
The Kanawha County Board of Education determined GW would be the AP magnet school roughly 10 years ago. Recently, Superintendent Ron Duerring banned further transfers to the school because he said the large number of students from outside GW's attendance area who want to attend are leading to a lack of space.
The overall rankings were created using a three-step process, according to the methodology report. First, a school's students had to perform above the state average on state assessment tests - the Westest for West Virginia students - in both reading and math. The percentage of "economically disadvantaged" students at a school also was considered because these students "tend to score lower" on such tests, the methodology report states.
Next, the Westest scores for just the "least-advantaged students" - defined as black, Hispanic and low-income - at the high schools were compared to the state average for similar students.
To be considered for a national ranking, a school had to show scores in both of the previous categories that were better than the state average. At this point, a school's college readiness score came into play. 
 
No West Virginia high school fared well on a national level. While GW was first in the state, it was ranked 748th nationally. No other high school cracked the top 1,000 in the country.
Morgantown High School was the second-rated school in the state, with Fairmont Senior High School coming in third. Two other local schools received rankings: Hurricane High came in fourth in the state, and Nitro High was sixth.
Of the 21,776 schools considered in the report, 2,008 were awarded a gold or silver medal based on their college readiness scores and given a corresponding national ranking. Another 2,869 schools were given bronze medals for meeting the first two scoring steps but either not offering AP or IB classes or falling below the median college readiness score.
Although the report states it uses state assessment tests, college readiness and "other factors" in assigning its rankings, schools with a higher ranking have a higher college readiness score. Another AP testing factor was considered in the case of a tie, according to report methodology.
For all of the national rankings and more information about the report, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.
 
 
]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 07:19:58 GMT 1816beeb-b814-497c-8e2b-5e42cdab9aba <![CDATA[Superintendent discusses takeover]]> Superintendent discusses takeover

C.V. Moore, Register-Herald

FAYETTEVILLE — At the Fayette County Board of Education meeting Monday, Superintendent Dwight Dials remarked that the state’s takeover of the county school system will not be undone by today’s election. Only the achievement of certain performance standards will do that, he says.

“I look at all the campaign signs and get reports that if people vote for so-and-so, we’ll get back local control,” he says.

“That’s not exactly how it goes. They are not running for state board of education, and the state board did the takeover based on education and performance audits.”

Fayette’s board, which has little decision-making power due to the 2010 takeover, met with other takeover county boards in late April at a meeting of the West Virginia State School Board Association at Stonewall Jackson State Park.

“It was a good meeting to talk about what state takeover means and give us a process for what it’s going to take to get out from under state takeover,” says board member Leon Ivey.

“I catch myself sometimes wondering if we really know what (state takeover) means...At some points I feel like I’ve been inadequate in explaining the whole process,” says Dials.

“Hopefully we can have some dialogue...and decide where we’re not measuring up and get a plan to get there.”

Look for more specifics on Fayette County’s current status as a takeover county in future editions of The Register-Herald.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board recognized a number of student winners of fairs, bowls, and competitions, including five newly knighted Golden Horseshoe winners. Three came from the Nuttall Middle School history classroom of Deanna Gill.

Jill O’Dell, the enrichment teacher at Ansted Elementary’s 21st Century After School Program, reported to the board on a number of service projects her students have contributed to recently.

The students collected 200 pounds of soda pop can tabs to raise $8,000 for the Ronald McDonald House charity. They also created decorations for a nursing home planted flowers in the community organized a canned food drive and made teddy bears for the Ronald McDonald House

 

]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 08:08:22 GMT 5d3ba65f-19ef-4003-8ac7-3495c43ebaee <![CDATA[Tickets given for passing school buses ]]> Tickets given for passing school buses
By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter
The West Virginia Department of Education reported that 26 percent of bus routes targeted by a week-long effort to stop motorists who pass school buses illegally ended up with multiple violators receiving tickets.

Throughout last week, troopers either boarded or followed buses on 23 routes in 12 counties across the state: Berkeley, Cabell, Grant, Jefferson, Harrison, Kanawha, Mercer, Monongalia, Ohio, Raleigh, Randolph and Wood.

Six of the routes reported incidents of motorists ignoring flashing red lights and the extended stop arm, according to data collected by the West Virginia Department of Education.

The state department said 37 violations were reported in Kanawha County, 34 in Cabell and 27 in Berkeley.

Jerry Redden, Raleigh County Schools transportation director, said that although no violations were brought to his attention on bus routes watched by the State Police, he understood that several times cars inched forward and stopped, he felt, when they noticed the troopers.

Violations of this nature, however, do happen daily in the county, he said.

“I do feel like we had some success. Having the troopers visible got parents at the bus stops, students and motorists to think about safety more,” he said.

“The main thing is that the Stop Arm Law is real and the police are taking more and more interest in those who violate it,” Redden explained. “We are talking about someone’s life, not a fender bender. We have 124 buses out on every single busy road in Raleigh County. Keeping children safe has to be a shared responsibility between parents, students, bus drivers, law enforcement and motorists. It is not worth hurting someone. Just pay attention and stop.”

Last week’s safety sweep was prompted by a 2011 National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation survey of county transportation directors. The survey showed that about 600 motorists illegally pass stopped school buses every school day in West Virginia, putting the lives of schoolchildren at risk of injury or death about 120,000 times each year.

“We are appreciative of our partnership with the State Police and other organizations to keep our children safe,” said state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple. “We cannot allow motorists to continue to put the lives of our children at risk of injury or death. When motorists fail to obey the law, they endanger the lives of our children, our drivers and themselves.

“I ask all motorists when they see flashing red lights, be smart, be patient and stop,” added Marple.

State law allows for drivers who fail to stop when a school bus stops and flashes its warning lights to be charged with a felony if their actions result in injury or death. A driver who causes an injury faces up to three years in prison and a $2,000 fine. A driver who kills someone could be put in prison for up to 10 years and fined $3,000. Drivers who simply fail to stop can be fined $500, charged with a misdemeanor and jailed up to six months
 
]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 08:07:08 GMT 2dac7f5f-74e9-488b-89d5-56d1b2a97b0e <![CDATA[Mon BOE Budget Includes $1K Pay Raises]]>
Mon BOE Budget Includes $1K Pay Raises
WVMetroNews
Monongalia County Board of Education members unanimously forwarded a $102 million budget Monday that includes $1,000 pay raises for all employees in the school system.
The budget represents a more than 7 percent increase over last year's $95 million budget.  That spike is accounted for through an increased tax base and a jump in state funding, School Board Treasurer Terry Hawkins said during a presentation Monday.
Employees received a $600 last year and were scheduled to receive another $600 this year, but school officials said they had enough money to provide a $1,000 boost.
About 80 percent of the $102,060,500 budget goes toward salaries and benefits for employees.  That's down from near 85 percent several years ago, Hawkins said. 
About 13 percent, or $12.8 million, of the budget will go toward operation and maintenance of facilities, which includes utility costs.  A significant portion of that money will go toward improvements at athletic fields and the new Eastwood Elementary being constructed at the corner of W.Va. 705 and Mileground Road.
Student transportation accounts for about $8 million, or 7.86 percent, of the budget.
Hawkins projected that about $49 million of the $102 million budget would come from taxes.  Of that amount, $25 million would come from the regular levy, and $23 million from the excess levy he said.  That's a $4.4 million, or 10 percent, increase over last year's budget.
Board member Nancy Walker expressed some concern about revenue projections.  Because of problems with reassessments in Monongalia County, Walker wondered whether the School Board could accurately project its revenue stream. 
County commissioners plan to finalize all assessments by October.  If revenues are far below what was expected, board members will have to make cuts, Hawkins said.
Superintendent Frank Devono said he's worried about possible federal cuts to education.  At this point, it's unclear whether Congress will slash funding, but it's possible education will be on the chopping block.
"Federal funding is going to shrink," Board President Barbara Parson said.
Federal dollars account for only about $750,000 of the general expense fund, but mke up nearly $10 million of a special revenue fund that pays for programs like child food program.  Federal cuts could also hurt state and local funding, Devono said.
Any federal cuts will occur in the fall, well after the BOE has approved its budget.  That means board members have to guess whether federal funding will be in place for certain positions and programs, Devono said.  Once the board approves a budget and commits to having an employee or program for the fiscal year, members cannot rescind that decision, he said.
The state is providing nearly $50 million for the general fund budget, including $37 million from the state aid formula, $8 million for a PEIA allocation and $4.6 million for retirement allocation. 
About $2.4 million will go toward paying for other post-employment benefits, or promised health benefits for future retirees.  The school board is on a pay-as-you-go system.
The special revenue fund, which is separate from the general revenue fund, comprises money that is legally restricted to specified expenditures.  Much of the $18 million in that fund comes from grants.
Now that board members have forwarded the budget, the BOE will have to publish the budget online and in the newspaper for 10 days.  At that point, the BOE will hold a public hearing and officially approve the budget.   The state Tax Department will have to approve the budget by May 22.
Hawkins said he doesn't expect any major problems in getting the budget finalized later this month.
"It's a pretty nice increase, but it's not huge," Hawkins said.
 
]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 07:47:53 GMT 23783184-0eff-4e8b-8cf6-2699ac4a63da <![CDATA[Sara Blevins: Time for talk over student dropout problem]]> Sara Blevins: Time for talk over student dropout problem
The Herald-Dispatch
 
People are talking about education in our community. They are talking with teachers and administrators and they are talking among themselves.
 
People are concerned about education, and they are concerned with good reason. In 2009, the Education Research Center posited that 38 students per school day were dropping out in West Virginia. On paper, that number might seem hard to visualize or even small comparatively, but every number is a student who deserves the absolute best chance. Averting the fallout from this dropout epidemic is part of giving them that chance.
 
That starts with talking to our students and talking with each other. So often, I've heard students say to me that their best course of action is to leave school because they need to work now. Their concerns are valid, but as a community we must acknowledge that we live in a changed world and as time passes there is less and less available to the high school dropout.
 
Shifting the focus from the now and moving toward the challenges and promises of the future is the crux of preventative work. It isn't just about preventing failure; it's about possibility.
 
Last year, I asked a group of literature students what they were interested in pursuing after high school. I was amazed by the range of possibility that just a small section of Cabell County students told me. One student wanted to be a doctor because she had watched a loved one go through a severe illness. Another had been dancing since she was very small. One of my students designed video games for fun, another set his poetry to music. All of those things existing side by side in the minds of our students. What a range of possibility!
 
I love it when students tell me the things they want to say, to invent and to create someday. These things matter. Education matters. At the heart of our adult-oriented world, students must be the focus.
 
But do not assume that dropout prevention is an issue solely for schools, principals, and teachers. It is also an issue for parents, for business owners and for faith communities. Education raises strong, critically thinking adults. It helps ensure that inquisitive students become driven adults who contribute to their community and help it to thrive. If you are concerned about crime in your neighborhood, substance abuse in Huntington, or the economy, then you are concerned about dropout prevention.
 
So often my students say to me that "no one cares." Unfortunately, far too often "no one cares" becomes "I don't care." And it is simply not true. People do care. I believe that our community cares about our children and their future. I know they do because I know that people are talking about education. They want to open up a dialogue with each other about the problems student's face, the policies that hold them back, the ways that they can contribute to making a tangible change.
 
People are coming together to talk about education: Education Matters is listening.
 
Sara Blevins is the recently appointed Education Matters coordinator. Her mission is to raise awareness about the dropout problem in Cabell County as well as assist a community coalition in developing and executing a strategic plan for dropout prevention. She can be contacted at 304-523-8929 Ext. 4 or at sara.blevins@unitedwayrivercities.org
]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 07:55:30 GMT 43bd8385-0670-45ff-ba5b-8e29eee86dc9 <![CDATA[Increase in salary discussed at retreat]]> Increase in salary discussed at retreat
BILL ROSENBERGER
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- Pay increases and additions to employee dental and vision benefits were chief among financial discussions Friday morning during a Cabell County Board of Education retreat.
Treasurer Jody Lucas presented pay increase proposals for both professional and service employees that could come in the way of across-the-board raises or implemented through a percentage increase.
Depending of which option board members select, if any, the cost to the county would be an additional $863,000 to $1.03 million to the base budget.
The raises, Lucas said, would be paid for with savings from the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB), which the state is taking off of the financial books of school boards -- excluding federal employees or those hired with excess levy revenue. He also said that property values in the county have seen an overall increase, which will net the school system an additional $700,000 this year and an estimated $600,000 next year.
Superintendent William Smith said there have been some recent requests for raises and he said he felt it was worth looking at because of the OPEB liability savings.
The first option would be a $500 across-the-board raise for all employees, increasing the average professional salary by 1.05 percent and the service salary by 1.8 percent. The average professional salary would go up to $47,957, while the average service personnel's salary would increase to $28,371.
Option two would add 1.05 percent to the current Cabell County salary table, resulting in a range of dollar increases depending on a person's years of service. The increase for a teacher would range from $349 to $642. The range would be $205 to $382 for service employees.
The third option would be a 16 percent increase over the current county supplement. That would see teachers getting a salary increase of $448 to $586, while service personnel would get raises of $344 to $584.
The cheapest option for the county would be the second with $863,547 added to the base budget. The third option would cost about $1.008 million, while the first option is the most expensive at $1.031 million.
School employees received a raise last year courtesy of the West Virginia Legislature and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, equating to more than $1,400 for teachers and a minimum of $500 for service personnel. In 2009, the Cabell County Board of Education gave its employees a $500 pay raise to compliment a $300 raise given the year before.
And, school employees also get a 1.5 percent pay raise each year for their years of service, up to 35 years. That is built into the state's base budget.
Lucas also proposed increasing the dental and optical benefits for employees, adding $123,000 to the school board's budget.
The proposal would increase coverage of orthodontic services from $1,000 per year to $1,750 per year for each dependent 19 years old or under. It also would increase type II benefits to 90 percent and type III benefits to 60 percent. There also would be an increase of $500 per year to the maximum combined limit for type I through III benefits.
Both proposals will be part of budget hearings scheduled in May
 
]]> Tue, 01 May 2012 08:04:52 GMT b53c5c75-8c79-4161-abca-89c36866cde8 <![CDATA[State officials cracking down on motorist illegally passing stopped school buses]]> State officials cracking down on motorist illegally passing stopped school buses

It is estimated that 600 motorists illegally pass a stopped school bus every day in West Virginia 
    
Charleston, WV – About 600 motorists illegally pass stopped school buses every school day in West Virginia, putting the lives of schoolchildren at risk of injury or death about 120,000 times each year.
    
The startling statistics prompted the West Virginia Department of Education to reach out to other state agencies, law enforcement, businesses and media to address the problem. The West Virginia State Police, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute, West Virginia Media, the West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association and others have joined the West Virginia Department of Education in increasing awareness and the dangers. 
   
“School bus transportation is the safest way to get children to school each day,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple. “Yet, when motorists fail to obey the law, they endanger the lives of our children, our drivers and themselves. We must do everything we can to make sure our children are safe.”
    
From April 30 to May 4, State Police troopers plan to board buses on various routes statewide in an effort to catch law breakers and raise public awareness. 
    
"The West Virginia State Police is pleased to be working with the Department of Education in an attempt to identify motorists who are displaying a willful disregard for the safety of our children,” said State Police Colonel C. R. "Jay" Smithers. “I am urging motorists to be aware of their surroundings and always use common sense behind the steering wheel of a vehicle.  Don’t allow inattentiveness or recklessness to be the reason that a law enforcement officer has to inform parents that their child has received either severe or fatal injuries."
    
West Virginia school buses travel more than 41 million miles each year, transporting about 230,000 students each day to school safely and reliably. Across the country, school buses provide more than 10 billion passenger trips each year. 
    
The West Virginia Legislature has strengthened state law with legislation dubbed “Haven’s Law,” named for 6-year-old Haven McCarthy, who was killed in 2007 after getting off the school bus in Lincoln County. Now, drivers who don’t stop for a stopped school bus can be charged with a felony. A driver who causes an injury faces up to three years in prison; a driver who kills someone can be sentenced to 10 years in prison. The law also increased fines for drivers who violate the school bus safety laws and introduced the potential for drivers to lose their license. Drivers who simply fail to stop can receive a misdemeanor and be jailed for up to six months.

 

]]> Tue, 01 May 2012 07:59:50 GMT b41dddda-a0cb-4de2-b809-dcea33e1cc4e <![CDATA[Lewis-Gilmer elementary school gets lion's share of funding]]> Lewis-Gilmer elementary school gets lion's share of funding
by Dave Boucher
Daily Mail Staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Despite the heated discussion that fueled a nearly four-hour meeting of the state School Building Authority Monday, one decision was clear from the start: the authority wants to create the state's first inter-county elementary school.  
A project that will combine elementary schools in Lewis and Gilmer counties received $9.68 million, the largest chunk from the authority's $38 million pie.
Of the 23 projects proposed, it was unanimously approved during both the first and second round of debates and was the first to be confirmed for funding.
"We're extremely excited," said Ron Blankenship, Gilmer County superintendent. "It's just going to be a win-win for both of our counties."
Troy Elementary in Gilmer County and Alum Bridge Elementary in Lewis County will consolidate at the new school, which will be located in the border community of Linn.
The authority reported that both schools are in poor condition and that the consolidation will help the counties save or avoid roughly $1 million annually.
Mark Manchin, executive director of the authority, said this is the first project of its kind to be funded since the authority was created in 1989.
Kurt Dettinger, designee chair for Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, was one of several board members who said the Legislature is pushing for schools of this nature. He said he hoped the project would lead to similar endeavors in the near future.
The project is still in the planning phase, said Ted Schriver, lead architect. There is no design yet for the building, but Shriver said a concept was provided to both counties.
Officials from both counties will take part in designing and planning the school, Shriver said, and that could take several months.
Although there's an outside chance construction could start this fall, Shriver thought it was more likely site work would begin in the spring of 2013. He expects students to be attending classes there by the fall of 2014.
The new school will hold about 240 students from kindergarten to sixth grade.
While the authority is tasked with divvying up construction funds each year, Manchin said the amount it had to work with was less than usual. Considering the total cost of the requested projects was $170 million, he said the authority needed to leave some important projects on the table.
Of the projects that did not receive funding, he thought those submitted from Fayette and McDowell counties were most notable.
Although the $12.8 million project to consolidate several elementary schools in McDowell County at one new school was rejected, Manchin said the authority is working with the county to pursue private funding for the much-needed project. The $14 million requested by Fayette County for a new high school was too much for the authority to provide this year, he said.
Kanawha County had requested almost $2 million for renovation of Andrew Heights Elementary School in St. Albans, but Superintendent Ron Duerring said he wasn't surprised the project didn't receive funding.
"Ours was a small project compared to some of those that they funded," Duerring said after the meeting.
He said Kanawha has been "fortunate" with authority funding in recent years. He cited the millions that have gone for two elementary schools on Charleston's West Side.
This was the second time the Andrew Heights project had been presented to the authority, and Duerring said it would be up to the school board whether to pursue funding in the future.
Logan County was awarded the second largest amount of money - about $9 million for a new elementary school. Wyoming County received $6.4 million to address flooding issues for its consolidated elementary and middle school. Preston County received $4 million of the $8 million it requested for a new middle school.
The authority awarded almost $8 million more for projects in Barbour, Morgan, Wirt, Pocahontas and Clay counties. Additionally, grants of $250,000 were given to Marshall and Hardy counties as a sign that the authority is pleased with their proposals, Manchin said.
Those counties can now seek local funds by asking their voters to approve borrowing via bond sales, with the debt to be repaid through higher property taxes. The counties will stand a better chance at receiving authority funds next year if the bond issues are successful, he said.
The authority has roughly $578,000 that it did not award. It can decide what to do with that money, and about $2 million in emergency funds, at its June meeting, Manchin said.
 
]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:23:41 GMT c820c332-6344-4ceb-b703-0987d36fd734 <![CDATA[Two WV Schools Get Green Ribbons ]]>
Two WV Schools Get Green Ribbons
WV MetroNews
Two West Virginia schools have made the list of Green Ribbon Schools in the United States.
Hilltop Elementary in Marshall County and the Wyoming County Career & Technical Center are two of just 78 schools in 29 states recognized for their comprehensive approach for creating "green" environments.
Teachers Susan Kirchner and Peggy Niebergall at Hilltop Elementary were thrilled when they got the news from the federal EPA and federal Dept. of Education Monday.
"It's nice to be recognized," Niebergall said. "All of the students' work, all of the parents' work is finally recognized far beyond the Marshall County level. We are recognized by the state and nationally so that's quite an accomplishment."
The school serves as a community recycling center where as much as 4,000 pounds of paper is taken to a recycling center in Ohio. The program depends heavily on the school's PTO. The money gained from the recycling is put back into the school to further train the students on the importance "green" efforts.
Hilltop Elementary is also one of the top 50 schools in the nation when it comes to recycling plastic water bottles.
Kirchner says the lessons the students learn at school are carried back to their homes.
"I see parents dropping off newspapers, bottles, cardboard. There's probably at least eight to 10 cars a day dropping things off outside. And they do bring things inside too," the first grade teacher said.
Niebergall, a second grade teacher, says Hilltop is fortunate to be the state's first-ever "green" school. It was constructed three years ago and has windows that block out harmful UV rays and lights that automatically turn-off in a classroom when no one is there.
She says that's provided a good place to start with other "green" efforts.
"We have students involved collecting the recycling every day from the classrooms. It's amazing how much paper was being thrown away," she said.
In announcing the Green Ribbon awards Monday, the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley said.  
"Schools that take a green approach cut costs on their utility bills, foster healthy and productive classrooms, and prepare students to thrive in the 21st century economy. These Green Ribbon School award winners are taking outstanding steps to educate tomorrow's environmental leaders, and demonstrating how sustainability and environmental awareness make sense for the health of our students and our country."
Kirchner and Niebergall say the lessons they are teaching their young students now about sustainability and a healthy environment are things that will stick with them the rest of their lives.
"Absolutely," the teacher said in unison.
"Even our four-year-olds are learning this too," Kirchner added.
"Then they take it home with them and they reinforce it at home. So it's constant learning," Niebergall said.
The schools will pick up their awards June 3-4 in Washington, D.C.
 
]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:13:38 GMT 53a64b43-5f55-4916-8142-3a1a2fae09b9 <![CDATA[Logan A Winner In SBA Decisions]]>
Logan A Winner In SBA Decisions
WV MetroNews
Funding for two new elementary schools make up the bulk of money handed out Monday by the state School Building Authority.
The SBA had approximately $38 million to allocate but requests totaled $170 million.
The authority did decide to fund $11 million for a new inter-county elementary school to serve Gilmer and Lewis counties. Another decision will send $9 million to Logan County for a new Logan Elementary School.
Logan County School Superintendent Wilma Zigmond said she was thrilled with the decision. She says they will be able to move the school from Middleburg Island where Logan Middle and Logan High schools are also located.
"It's a security issue," she said. "On any given day there's approximately a third of our student body on that island and that can create quite a dangerous situation. So we really wanted to get the elementary school off the island."
Superintendent Zigmond says they've asked the SBA for funding before but didn't have a site chosen. She says now they do. A hillside near the Logan shopping plaza will be flattened to make room.
"They're talking about taking the top off that hill to give us eight acres there," she said.
Logan County already has about $8 million of local funds to go with the $9 million from the SBA.
Other counties to receive funding Monday included Clay, Wirt, Preston, Wyoming, Hardy, Marshall, Barbour, Morgan and Pocahontas
]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:11:41 GMT e95c78ff-98cf-4e8f-a82f-9cd3f424057d <![CDATA[Kindergartner handcuffed, taken to police station after allegedly throwing tantrum -- and furniture]]> Kindergartner handcuffed, taken to police station after allegedly throwing tantrum -- and furniture
By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com
The family of a 6-year-old Georgia girl is upset at police and school officials after the girl was handcuffed and taken to a police station for allegedly throwing furniture, tearing items off the walls and knocking over a shelf, which injured the principal.
"A 6-year-old in kindergarten?" Earnest Johnson, the father of Salecia Johson, asked with disbelief. "They have no business calling the police and handcuffing my child," he told WMAZ-TV.
Police defended their actions during the incident which occurred last Friday at Creekside Elementary School in Milledgeville, Ga.
Our policy states that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back. There is no age discrimination on that rule," Milledgeville Police Chief Dray Swicord told WMAZ-TV.
The family on Tuesday demanded that the city change its policy, the Associated Press reported, and claimed the girl was shaken up by being put in a holding cell.
The police officer called to the scene later wrote that he "noticed damage to school property and possible assault of other students and staff. I made six attempts to contact her mother via telephone."
"I attempted to calm Johnson down," he wrote in his incident report. "Johnson then pulled away and began actively resisting and fighting with me."
The principal, Dianne Popp, said "a small shelf struck her in the leg while Johnson was throwing items at her," according to the police report, and that the girl "tried several times to get out of the office. Johnson was observed biting the door knob of the office and jumping on the paper shredder and attempted to break a glass frame above the shredder."
Johnson was charged with assault and damage to property, WMAZ-TV reported, but she will not have to go to court because of her age.
Johnson's mother, Constance Ruff, says her daughter was suspended until the start of the next school year.  
"She has mood swings some days, which all of us have mood swings some days," she told WMAZ-TV. "I guess that was just one of her bad days."
Asked by msnbc.com if the suspension means the girl will be held back a year, a school official had "no comment" and said the principal would have to respond to that but was not immediately available due to school testing.
Johnson's aunt, Candace Ruff, said the girl "might have misbehaved, but I don't think she actually misbehaved to the point that she should have been handcuffed and taken downtown to the police department."
"Call the police? Is that the first step? Or is there any other kind of intervention that can be taken to help that child," she asked.
Ruff added that the girl was by herself in a holding cell and complained about the handcuffs when she and her sister went to get her.
She said they were really tight. She said they really hurt her wrists," Ruff told the Associated Press. "She was so shaken up when we went there to pick her up."
This isn't the first time we've seen schoolchildren handcuffed by police. In Colorado last month, a 6th grader was handcuffed and taken to a juvenile holding facility for disobeying an assistant principal and being "argumentative and extremely rude," according to the police report
 
]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:01:48 GMT 268dda46-59ed-4b16-bfd0-e4133676d29d <![CDATA[Kanawha Judge Sends Parent To Jail]]>
Kanawha Judge Sends Parent To Jail
MetroNews Talkline
A Kanawha County Circuit Judge says a jail sentence for the mother of a middle school student who has missed more than 47 days of school this year sends a message.
"You need to show the parents that the courts and the school systems and our society in general believe that an education is important," Circuit Judge Duke Bloom said.
Earlier this week, Judge Bloom sentenced Rhonda Smith, the parent of a chronically absent student at Elkview Middle School, to five days in the South Central Regional Jail.
It's the first such sentence in Kanawha County for a truancy charge, part of an increased focus on the issue..
Judge Bloom says missed school can lead to larger problems later.
"If you look at the folks that are in West Virginia penitentiaries today, you're going to find out that a substantial number of them don't have high school degrees and had truancy problems when they were in school."  He says no education also means few job prospects.
His focus is on younger students, those in elementary school and middle school.
"The thought is, if we can get the kids conditioned and prepared to go and be dependable in going to school when they're in elementary school, and the parents have sole control of that, we can establish that pattern for them that they'll continue to show that responsibility once they get to middle and high school," Judge Bloom said on Tuesday's MetroNews Talkline.
He says future truancy jail sentences are possible.
Smith, the mother sentenced this week, is scheduled to report to the South Central Regional Jail on Friday afternoon and will serve her time over two weekends.  She had previously been sentenced to community service but did not complete that.
Truancy is the focus of several other court programs throughout West Virginia.
 
 
]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:56:02 GMT ea065430-be41-4215-af4d-f4a04ea34088 <![CDATA[Jorea Marple: Come see why arts education matters]]> Jorea Marple: Come see why arts education matters
W.Va. students stage Arts Alive on Friday, April 20
 
Jennifer Garner's extraordinary talent earned her one of the nation's most prestigious arts awards, the Golden Globe.
The same can be said for multiple award-winning musician Brad Paisley.
Yet both of these million-dollar megastars had a little help nurturing that talent — exposure to the arts at a young age while growing up in West Virginia.
Years of research show that an education that includes the arts is closely linked to almost everything that we as a state and nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools — academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement and equitable opportunity.
That's why events like the West Virginia Department of Education's Arts Alive, an annual showcase of talented student dancers, actors, musicians and artists, are so vital for our state.
Arts learning can improve motivation, concentration, confidence and teamwork.
A report by the Rand Corp. about the visual arts argues that the intrinsic pleasures and stimulation of the art experience do more than sweeten an individual's life; they connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing.
Now more than ever, the complexities of our global economy demand that learners of all ages be well-educated, well-rounded, creative problem-solvers.
Well-taught arts courses are where those skills are acquired  and refined, whether children yearn to become an actress like Jennifer Garner or a musician like Brad Paisley.
Every child, regardless of economic status, deserves the opportunities to develop those skills as part of a broad curriculum that includes the arts instead of a limited basic curriculum that fails to nurture the whole child.
We want our children to want to come to school to discover what they are good at, not be discouraged because the limited curriculum only tells them what they can't do well.
There is a reason Finland has only a 2 percent high school dropout rate.
Finland has created a school system that values a wide curriculum and a system that makes schools places where students want to be — places where the arts are a part of each student's day and at each programmatic level.
It's not just our children who benefit from the arts; our communities do, too.
Some economists estimate the creative sector accounts for nearly half of all wage and salary income in the United States, $1.7 trillion, as much as the manufacturing and service sectors combined.
As we work together in this complex world to develop good kids who do great work, we must make sure the arts are valued and supported.
You can express your support on April 20 by attending the Sixth Annual Arts Alive celebration at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston.
Our schools are full of talented students who will showcase the benefits of their arts education.
The lobby showcase begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the main stage performance at 7 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available from the Clay Center at (304) 561-3500.
The signature event will feature performances and the visual arts as well as theater, dance, instrumental and vocal music performed by public school students from across West Virginia.
This year we challenged students in new ways through the Science in the Arts program, which asked students to consider, research and present information about relationships between two seemingly different subjects.
Entries included artwork created with science as well as video presentations.
We also for the first time asked students of dance, theater and music to submit original scripts, choreography, compositions and improvisations.
I am proud to say West Virginia students have exceeded our expectations.
In signing the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson said:
"Art is a nation's most precious heritage, for it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish."
I hope you will share in the vision the arts provide by joining me and others in support of West Virginia's student artists and attend Arts Alive on April 20.
Marple is state superintendent of schools, overseeing West Virginia's public schools.
 
 
]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:15:05 GMT 98cce4a7-897f-4b60-9de7-1723be55c3ee <![CDATA[WV Ed Dept policy forbids abstinece-only sex education]]> WV Ed Dept policy forbids abstinece-only sex education
By Whitney Burdette
 
The West Virginia Department of Education's policies requiring comprehensive, medically accurate sex education means teachers across the state cannot teach an abstinence-only curriculum.

Mary Weikle, coordinator with the Office of Health Schools, said teachers can choose an abstinence-based model, however.
 
"The content standards say it can be abstinence-based," she said. "If that is a focus in the community, you can do abstinence-based, but you cannot do abstinence-only. If they are, they are not following policy."
 
Abstinence-only sex education programs came under fire in a report issued in March by Auburn University. In that report, demographers from the university's Center for Demographic Research claimed that abstinence-only education doesn't work. However, Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life of America, the nation's largest youth-based pro-life organization, said the rate of sexually transmitted diseases among teens is the same no matter the type of sex education those teens are learning.
 
"1 in 4 teens today has an STD. That's shocking to me," Hawkins said. "We live in a country where condoms are readily available. Everyone is receiving sex education in the public high schools, but the STD rate remains the same" among teens who learn abstinence-only or contraception-based education.
 
Hawkins pointed out that studies on sex education tend to be biased to one side or another, but the abstinence-only curriculum she has seen is "very good."
 
The national teen pregnancy rate has dropped, thanks in part to less sex and more contraception, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. But West Virginia is still dealing with a higher-than-average teen pregnancy rate, according to past reports.
 
The Mountain State was one of 10 southern states identified in the Auburn report, which explored the correlations between poverty and a high teen birth rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Virginia was the only state to see an increase in its teen pregnancy rate among 15-17 year olds between 2007 and 2009.
 
Funding for sex education in West Virginia's schools varies. Although schools largely teach comprehensive sex education courses, the state received more than $300,000 in Title V State Abstinence Education Program funds in 2010, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.
 
Despite the money West Virginia and other states spent on abstinence education, the Auburn report claims that that curriculum usually contains false information — a claimWanda Franz disagrees with.
 
"We do take a strong position on the material and the info that is given out in sex education programs," said Franz, a researcher and president of West Virginians for Life. "One of the things we take issue with is the claims that you often hear from people talking about comprehensive sex education as opposed to abstinence-only sex education, which I think is a misnomer. They have a tendency to complain about the kind of information that is given out and to claim that there's unsubstantiated false info given out in these programs. This is just balderdash."
 
Franz said her organization focuses primarily on abortion, infanticide and euthanasia and did not take a position on any of the report's claims or the quality of sex education West Virginia children receive. She did say, however, that presenting all the facts is key to helping a child make healthy decisions.
 
"We feel it is important for children to get factual info about the dangers of abortion," Franz said. "For these groups to claim that incorrect or unscientific or whatever the term, it's simply a lie. They must know there are studies out there, many studies that demonstrate these problems."
 
Weikle pointed out that the basis of West Virginia's health education content standards and objectives is to teach students how to make decisions when presented with the opportunity to engage in risky behaviors, such as tobacco, alcohol or sex.
 
"The main objective that we work on, and is a standard in its own, is we have to make sure students are making good decisions," she said. "That decision-making process is what's really focused on. You take that decision-making process and make wise choices about tobacco, alcohol and other risky behaviors. We take sex education and put it in that respect."
 
The Auburn report claimed that some abstinence-only education curricula are "ineffective, inaccurate and may even cause harm." However, not giving teens, especially girls, all the information they need to make healthy decisions regarding sex is a slippery slope, Franz said. Those risky behaviors often have consequences.
 
"There are numerous studies out there that show encouraging young people to have sex, which leads to pregnancy, which leads to recommendations for abortions, is a poor health care strategy for teens," Franz said.
 
West Virginians for Life is a big supporter of legislation requiring parental consent before abortions can be performed on minors. Franz said that getting parents involved usually means teens are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex.
 
"When you have laws in place that involve parents with their teen daughters, you have a situation where not only do these girls have fewer abortions, but they tend to be less likely to get pregnant," she said. "Our concern here is with parental notification about abortion.
 
"If girls can get secret abortions, they're more likely to engage in risky behaviors."
 
A parental notification law was passed in the West Virginia Legislature about 15 years ago, Franz said, but it's not without loopholes. Doctors can sign off on abortions without parental consent if the doctor deems the teen mature enough to make that decision for herself. Teens can also call abortion providers and get them to sign off on an abortion without consent, Franz said. She called the law "non-functional" and said states that have enacted tight parental consent laws have seen a decrease in the teen pregnancy rate.
 
"Every state that has initiated those kids of laws has seen a reduction in teen pregnancy rate," she said. "We think we'd see a reduction in the number of pregnancies."
 
Hawkins said that although her organization doesn't take a stance on sex education, she personally believes that contraception-based education does not solve all problems.
 
"Everyone aggress that abstinence is the only way to remain STD free, the only way to reduce out of wedlock births, but no one wants to talk about it or give it a try," she said.
]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:56:54 GMT 5b9db6a0-361a-469c-9b9f-b77045220419 <![CDATA[Michigan teacher says she was fired for supporting student fundraiser for Trayvon Martin]]> Michigan teacher says she was fired for supporting student fundraiser for Trayvon Martin
By Jay Scott Smith
Brooke Harris, 26, was in her third year teaching seventh and eighth graders at the Pontiac Academy for Excellence, which is located 30 minutes north of Detroit. Pontiac Academy is a charter school -- whose teachers are non-union and can be fired at will -- and is the only high-performing school in the struggling district.
"One of the main things that I don't want to get lost is that I still think it is a great school," Harris said in an exclusive interview with TheGrio. "I still want my job back. It's got a great administration based on ability and it has a great staff that's really dedicated to the kids."
"The kids clearly are amazing. They are very bright and very intelligent and very aware of the things that actually matter outside of their textbooks."
The school's population mirrors that of Pontiac: largely black and Latino. Pontiac is one of the poorest cities in Michigan and suffers from the same issues of crime and violence as nearby Detroit and Flint. The students receive free lunches through the federal government free lunch program.
Harris, who was twice named the school's "Teacher of the Year" and had no previous infractions at the school, overheard two of her students talking about Trayvon Martin and helped them come up with an idea to do something to help.
"It was the students' idea," said Harris, who holds a degree in English from the University of Michigan. "It was my first hour class, which is Yearbook, and they were working on sections about basketball and English class when in passing a couple of the boys were talking about Trayvon Martin, or as they put it, 'the boy who was shot over some Skittles' and they were going back and forth having a really good conversation.
"Since it was a Journalism class, I thought they should write an editorial about it. I gave them basic facts and played the 911 tapes. They watched videos about that. I didn't tell them my opinion, they simply wrote editorials about their opinion."
Harris said that most of the students were very affected by Trayvon's death, with some even crying about it after hearing the 911 tapes, and some wrote of their fears about the shooting, including walking to the corner store. After reading their editorials and having conversations with the students about their feelings, they decided to do something more.
"We're a uniformed school," Harris said, "Once a month we have 'dress-down' days where kids pay $1 and get to wear their jeans and sneakers and whatever they want. Usually, that money goes toward the school, either toward athletics or something like that, but instead of the money going toward the school, they wanted to donate it to the family. So the kids could 'dress down' and wear a hoodie on the last day before Spring Break."
This was not meant as a form of protest. The students were not going to wear the hoods over their heads, walk out of class, or cause a disruption. Harris ran the idea past a co-worker and filled out the requisite paperwork for the fundraiser; it was cleared by the schools principal to take place on March 28.
However, the superintendent, Jacqueline Cassell, disapproved of the idea and called Harris into her office on March 26, two days before the fundraiser. According to Harris, Cassell told her that she had concerns about the children's safety. Harris countered that the children often wore hoodies on "dress down" days and that the building is very cold, especially this time of year.
"They wear hoodies all the time," Harris said, "The building is very cold. A lot of them wear hoodies over their uniforms for warmth, and nearly all of them wear them instead of coats this time of year when they walk to school."
Harris says that she was "berated" by Cassell during their meeting. She was also told that she was "a teacher and not an activist." When she attempted to defend herself and her students, she was given a two-day suspension for insubordination.
"The reason I was upset by this was because she seemed to think that (the fundraiser) wasn't the kids' idea," Harris said, "She thought that they just wanted to wear hoodies and were exploiting [the Trayvon Martin case] for that purpose."
"She even came to my class during the days that I was suspended to talk to my eighth graders and basically told them that they only need to fundraise for the school, you don't need to be wearing hoodies, and you're only trying to wear hoodies and get away with it. I was upset that she was pretty much taking them for granted."
Cassell has kept largely quiet about the matter, and was unable to be reached for comment by theGrio. She did tell the Detroit Free Press on Monday that no one has been fired for something such as this before.
"I am a child of the '60s," Cassell said to the Free Press. "I lived the civil rights movement. If anybody has a reason to want to be sympathetic, empathetic, the whole nine yards, it would be me. I certainly would not use this issue as a reason to terminate anybody."
Cassell, who is black, claimed that the fundraiser was inappropriate because the students planned to wear the hoods over their heads -- a point that Harris disputes. Cassell reiterated her claim that she was concerned for the students' safety because they could become targets of law enforcement or gangs.
Harris came back after her two-day suspension for a follow-up meeting on March 29. Her suspension was then extended another two weeks without pay. Before Harris could ask why the suspension was extended, she was fired and she insists that she has yet to be formally given a reason for her termination.
"I was over the hoodie idea," Harris said, "(The kids) wanted to sell Skittles, they wanted to do a YouTube video, they had a ton of ideas. That's why I'm confused right now. We had moved on, and she was the one who called me into her office to berate me about how I was a bad teacher."
Harris' firing coincidentally came the same day that a group of seniors at Frederick Douglass Academy in Detroit walked out in an organized protest against the lack of education that they were receiving. Those students were subsequently suspended.
Harris, whose contract provides little in the way of due process, is not looking to file any legal action at this time. She is only lobbying for her reinstatement. She has gotten some help from an outside source as The Southern Poverty Law Center started a petition to get Harris reinstated on Monday.
She has also maintained contact with her students and gotten support from them as well as some of her former co-workers. She has also encountered some angry backlash.
"My co-workers have been secretly supportive of me," Harris said, "Of course no one wants to say anything out loud because they don't want to be in the unemployment line next. From other educators, I feel like I'm getting a lot of positive support.
"From the other side, from those who are not involved in education, I'm getting a lot of negative backlash. People were saying that I was indoctrinating them with my beliefs, and that I should've looked at both sides of the case. Basically, telling me what I should've done, but you weren't in my classroom to see it."
Harris also referenced the racist comments made about her after she appeared on NBC affiliate WDIV and acknowledged that it has hurt her personally. Still, despite the animosity, she only wants to get her job back and go back to teaching her class.
Cassell is set to retire at the end of the school year, and Harris said she would be willing to put any ill will aside for the final weeks of the year if she were brought back. She just wants to teach her kids.
"We shouldn't be silencing our youth," Harris said, "If you would allow the kids an opportunity to have their own voice, their own opinion, and the ability to stand up for what they think is right, then they should do it. Whether it's in your classroom, whether it's an entire school, or whatever it is, our children deserve to be heard."
]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:39:24 GMT 7acf3990-cce3-45ae-863d-a44c356091cc <![CDATA[Charles McElwee: W.Va. could learn from Finland's education system]]> Charles McElwee: W.Va. could learn from Finland's education system
CHARLESTON , W.Va. -- In the book "Finnish Lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?" by Pasi Sahlberg, there is a chapter called "The Finnish Advantage: The Teachers."
The world-wide interest in Finland's education system is caused, in large part, by the achievement of its secondary-school graduating class of 2011 on PISA tests, known as the world's report card, when compared with other nations, states and municipalities.
Finland ranked behind Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea with 56 percent of its students at the proficient level in math, and ranked ninth behind Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Switzerland, Japan and Belgium with about 16 percent of its students at the advanced level in math, which compares, respectively, to 18.5 percent and 2.2 percent in West Virginia.
According to Sahlberg, Director General of Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the one factor that trumps all others for Finland's current educational fame is the daily contribution of excellent teachers.
Finnish culture esteems teaching as a noble, autonomous, prestigious profession, comparable to working as a medical doctor, lawyer, or architect.
Why is the professionalism of teaching in Finland so appealing to aspirants and practitioners? There are multiple contributing factors, all largely absent in West Virginia's public school system.
The first appears to be independence, freedom from the influence, guidance or control of others in the practice of the profession of teaching, as is largely the practice of medicine, law, or accountancy.
There is no regular standardized testing, school inspection, teacher evaluation, or ranking of schools in Finland. The most able and talented young people are attracted to teaching because it represents an independent and respected profession within which they may fulfill their aspirations, rather than constituting a technical implementation of externally mandated standards, endless tests and administrative burdens.
Finnish teachers are particularly skeptical of using frequent standardized tests to determine students' progress in school. In fact, many teachers reported that if they encountered similar external pressure regarding standardized testing and high-stakes accountability as do their peers in England or the United States, they would seek other jobs.
Finnish teachers may be better qualified to seek and obtain other jobs than their American counterparts. Subject teachers, as they are called in grades 7 through upper-secondary school, must hold a demanding, research-based, thesis-required master's degree, a two-year program beyond a three-year bachelor's degree, in a particular subject, which includes pedagogical content knowledge, and not in education. There is no alternative way, such as Teach for America. The subject matter master's degree ensures teachers are qualified to work in government and local administration, teach in the university, or compete with other master's degree holders in private sector employment.
A third factor is that access to Finnish teacher education is highly competitive, which is not only a result of, but also contributes to its prestige. In 2010, 6,600 applicants, generally drawn from the top 20 percent of high school graduates, competed for 660 available primary school student teacher positions in Finland's eight research universities.
Starting late last century, Finland set in motion a sweeping set of reforms that significantly raised the bar for aspiring teachers. One of the reforms was to move teacher education from three-year normal schools into eight universities and to require all teachers to acquire a five-year master's degree.
The admission process to these universities for prospective teachers involves a rigorous three-step process: an initial paper screen, a written examination, and an interview to assess, among other things, the strength of their motivation to teach.
In contrast, West Virginia, with a population of 1.85 million, has 20 colleges and universities that offer teaching degrees, while Finland, with a population of 5.4 million, has only eight.
The salary level is not the main motive to become a teacher in Finland. Teachers earn slightly more than the national average salary. The annual statutory teacher's salary in the upper grades after 15 years' experience is comparable to the annual salary in the United States.
A salary gap exists between average salaries in lower-secondary schools and upper-secondary schools and between primary and lower-secondary schools. In the United States, teacher salaries are roughly the same at all levels of schooling. The starting salaries of Finnish teachers increase by approximately one-third by the time they reach mid-career, which is somewhat more than for American teachers.
There is no merit-based pay in Finland. The question of teacher effectiveness or consequences of being an ineffective teacher is not a serious topic of discussion in Finland.
McElwee is a Charleston lawyer with the firm Robinson & McElwee.  
 
 
]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:21:34 GMT dbf2b95d-d662-47ee-9f77-94b73d001d4f <![CDATA[Editorial: Inter-county school project could open doors to more change]]> Editorial: Inter-county school project could open doors to more change
Tom Miller, The Herald-Dispatch

A high school English teacher years ago warned me to be careful when using the word "unique" to describe an event or even an idea. And my most memorable example of extremely poor usage of this word was a newspaper colleague years ago who described something as "very unique and quite different."
But Executive Director Mark Manchin of the state School Building Authority was justified in his usage of the word "unique" to describe a proposed inter-county elementary school planned by the school boards of Lewis and Gilmer counties. At last week's SBA meeting, Lewis County School Superintendent Joe Mace and Gilmer County School Superintendent Ron Blankenship presented a plan to merge two elementary schools they described as "decrepit" into a new consolidated inter-county school that would straddle the border between the two central West Virginia counties.
There are seven potential sites for the school intended to replace Troy Elementary School in Gilmer County and Alum Bridge Elementary School in Lewis County. The initial cost estimate for the new inter-county school is $11.1 million.
It is one of 23 proposed construction projects submitted to SBA for the next bond issue for new school construction that would require a total expenditure of about $170 million if all 23 were to be authorized. However, the proposed bond sale in May will only provide about $40 million for this latest round of statewide public school construction.
Lewis County's population is more than twice that of Gilmer County and since most of the 20-acre site that is the preferred location for the new school would be in Lewis County, that county would be the financial agent for the project. But the two counties would split the cost of purchasing the property for the new school.
According to a staff member of the state Board of Education this is the only inter-county plan currently under consideration. There was one similar agreement previously between Logan and Lincoln counties.
The economics of this idea are compelling. The two counties estimate this proposal would result in an annual savings of more than $500,000 and another $500,000 in current expenses that could be avoided. That's probably why Manchin said last week that he "fully anticipates" the SBA will award some of the $40 million bond sale planned for May to this inter-county project.
The SBA will make final decisions on which of the many deserving school construction projects will be funded at an April 23 meeting. One of the other projects is a $14 million proposal for a different elementary school to be constructed in Gilmer County.
Some people hope this is the first step toward "regional school management" and elimination of the 55 separate county boards of education, replacing them with so-called "regional school management areas." It's unlikely this single inter-county elementary school project can do that. But the opportunity to be more user-friendly to youngsters and their parents along the border of these two counties is a worthwhile move.
 
]]> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:42:33 GMT b9a3017a-060d-420f-bb71-f52604a7bd08 <![CDATA[The Finnish advantage: the teachers]]> The Finnish advantage: the teachers
The headline is the title of a chapter in "Finnish Lessons, What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?" by Pasi Sahlberg, director general of Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, published by Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2011.
The world-wide interest in Finland's education system is caused, in large part, by the achievement of its secondary school graduating class of 2011 on PISA tests, known as the world's report card, when compared with other nations, states and municipalities.
Finland ranked fourth behind Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea with 56 percent of its students at the proficient level in math, and ranked ninth behind Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Switzerland, Japan and Belgium with about 16 percent of its students at the advanced level in math, which compares, respectively, to 18.5 percent and 2.2 percent in West Virginia.
This article will distill, without judgment, the crucial points of Sahlberg's chapter that focuses on the central role that Finnish teachers and teacher education play in making Finland's education system into a global focus of interest and object of study.
According to Sahlberg, the one factor that trumps all others for Finland's current educational system's fame is the daily contribution of excellent teachers.
Why are they excellent? The best single-sentence answer: Because Finnish culture esteems teaching as a noble, autonomous, prestigious profession, comparable to working as a medical doctor, lawyer or architect. 
Why is the professionalism of teaching in Finland so appealing to aspirants and practitioners? There are multiple contributing factors, all largely absent in West Virginia's public school system.
The first appears to be independence, freedom from the influence, guidance or control of others in the practice of the profession of teaching, as is largely the practice of medicine, law or accountancy.
There is no regular standardized testing, school inspection, teacher evaluation or ranking of schools in Finland. The most able and talented young people are attracted to teaching because it represents an independent and respectful profession within which they may fulfill their aspirations, rather than constituting a technical implementation of externally mandated standards, endless tests and administrative burdens.
Finnish teachers are particularly skeptical of using frequent standardized tests to determine students' progress in school. In fact, many teachers reported that if they encountered similar external pressure regarding standardized testing and high-stakes accountability as do their peers in England or the United States, they would seek other jobs.
Finnish teachers may be better qualified to seek and obtain other jobs than their American counterparts. That is so because of another factor that appeals to able and talented young persons for entering the teaching position.
Subject teachers, as they are called in grades 7 through upper-secondary school, must hold a demanding, research-based, thesis-required master's degree, a two-year program beyond a three-year bachelor's degree, in a particular subject, which includes pedagogical content knowledge and not in education in order to obtain a license to teach. There is no alternative way such as Teach for America. The subject matter master's degree ensures teachers that they are qualified to work in government and local administration, teach in the university or compete with other master's degree holders in private sector employment.
A third factor is that access to Finnish teacher education is highly competitive, which is not only a result of, but contributes to, its prestige. In 2010, 6,600 applicants, generally drawn from the top 20 percent of high school graduates, competed for 660 available primary school student teacher positions in Finland's eight research universities. 
Starting late last century, Finland set in motion a sweeping set of reforms that significantly raised the bar for aspiring teachers. One of the reforms was to move teacher education from three-year normal schools into eight universities and to require all teachers to acquire a five-year master's degree. 
The admission process to these universities for prospective teachers involves a rigorous three-step process: an initial paper screen, a written examination and an interview to assess, among other things, the strength of their motivation to teach.
In contrast, West Virginia, with a population of approximately 1.85 million, has colleges and universities that offer teaching degrees, while Finland, with a population of 5.4 million, has only eight such universities, a ratio of 2.5 teacher colleges in West Virginia to 1 in Finland, even though West Virginia's population is slightly more than one-third that of Finland. 
While Finland generally draws teacher applicants from the top 20 percent of high school graduates and puts teacher candidates through a rigorous multi-step pre-selection process, the West Virginia Board of Education does not establish a minimum GPA, ACT or SAT score to enter a school of education for a four-year bachelor's degree, nor does it require a pre-selection interview. 
Some concluding observations: The salary level is not the main motive to become a teacher in Finland. Teachers earn slightly more than the national average salary. The annual statutory teacher's salary in the upper grades after 15 years of experience is comparable to the annual salary in the U.S. 
A salary gap exists between average salaries in lower-secondary schools and upper-secondary schools and between primary and lower-secondary schools. In the U.S., teacher salaries are roughly the same at all levels of schooling. The starting salaries of Finnish teachers increase by approximately one-third by the time they reach mid-career, which is somewhat more than for American teachers.
There is no merit-based pay in Finland. The question of teacher effectiveness or consequences of being an ineffective teacher is not a serious topic of discussion in Finland.
 
Charles McElwee is a Charleston lawyer with the firm Robinson & McElwee PLLC. The views expressed are his own
 
]]> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:41:45 GMT 28029d25-6fcb-434e-804f-c12ab83a9af1 <![CDATA[State judges continue crackdown on truancy]]> State judges continue crackdown on truancy
By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Judges in Cabell and Kanawha counties are holding parents of chronically truant students responsible for their children's absences.
Media outlets report that Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Duke Bloom and Cabell County Paul Farrell held hearings Wednesday for several parents.
Bloom fined one parent $50 and ordered her to perform community service. He scheduled a jury trial for another parent and told a third parent to get the proper forms for absences.
Farrell fined three parents $50. The fines will be waived if their children don't miss any school in the next 60 days.
Both judges warned the parents that a second offense could land them in jail. The state also could take their children if the truancies continue.
]]> Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:53:34 GMT c93fb478-3498-453f-bf27-b20390332f5f <![CDATA[On The School Calendar]]>
On The School Calendar
MetroNews Talkline
Statewide
The President of the West Virginia Education Association says the extra days built into the school calendar in some West Virginia counties would have been needed, if the winter had been harsher.
"These calendars were approved last year and so, if you had a crystal ball to know when you're going to have a mild winter, when you're going to have a bad winter, you could adjust," Dale Lee said.
Because of unused days banked in anticipation of snow that really never came, students in some parts of the state will be out of a school for several additional days in April.
For example, in Marion County, eight of the weeks left in the 2011-2012 school year will be shorter than five days because of the saved days that have not been used for weather.
Taking into account Spring Break and other out of classroom days, there will 12 actual instruction days in Marion County's schools next month.
The instructional days are about the same in Monongalia County as well.
Lee talked about the issue on Tuesday's MetroNews Talkline.
By law, students are required to have 180 days of instruction and, Lee says, the year could have easily gone much differently.
"Had Easter come early this year, had we had the Spring Break in March like many times we do, had we had the snow days and made them up and you would have gone to school in April, we wouldn't be having this discussion," he said in response to questions about the extra days in the calendar.
Because of the low number of snow days this year, he says State Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple has given county school officials the authority to move some extra days to the end of the year
 
]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:52:48 GMT 18e11b8f-19d0-4f87-b755-a5dcdc5f4524 <![CDATA[Report: US makes modest gains in graduation rate]]> Report: US makes modest gains in graduation rate
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
AP Education Writer
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - The last straw for 17-year-old Alton Burke was a note left on his door. The high school dropout picked up the phone and re-enrolled at South Hagerstown High.
Burke missed roughly 200 days of class, but Heather Dixon, the student intervention specialist who left the note, never gave up on him.
Aggressive efforts to prevent students such as Burke from dropping out contributed to a modest 3.5 percentage point increase nationally in the high school graduation rate from 2001 to 2009, according to research to be presented Monday at the Grad Nation summit in Washington. The event was organized by the children's advocacy group America's Promise Alliance founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The graduation rate was 75 percent in 2009, meaning 1 in 4 students fails to get a diploma in four years, researchers found. That's well below the organization's goal of 90 percent by 2020.
Researchers found that the number of "dropout factories," schools that fail to graduate more than 60 percent of students on time, had dropped by more than 450 between 2002 and 2010, but that 1,550 remain.
"Big gains are possible if you work hard at it, and if you don't focus on it, you're going to go backward," said Robert Balfanz, a report author and director of the Everyone Graduates Center at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University.
The increase in graduation rates was primarily because of growth in 12 states, with New York and Tennessee showing double digit gains since 2002, according to the research. At the other end, 10 states had declines: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Rhode Island and Utah.
So far, only Wisconsin has met the 90 percent benchmark, although Vermont is close.
"This year's report proves struggling schools are not destined to fail," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "The reality is that even one dropout factory is too many."
The authors said there are proven strategies to tackle the problem, such as getting all students to read at grade level, raising the compulsory school attendance age to 18 and developing "early warning" systems to help identify students that might be at risk of later dropping out.
In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama encouraged states to pass laws to require students to stay in school until they graduate or they turn 18.
It's estimated that high school graduates will earn $130,000 more over their lifetimes than dropouts, and that high school graduates will generate more than $200,000 in higher tax revenues and savings in government expenditures over their lifetime, the report said.
How to track high school graduation rates has been a contentious issue for years, with states using different methods to come up with a number. Balfanz cited this as a reason why the report does not include the names of the dropout factories. He said they will be included in a future report once all states are consistently reporting data.
States are now required to use the same method to compute graduation rates based on a Bush administration rule issued in 2008.
Nevada stood out for its low graduation rate of 56 percent, a decline of more than 15 percentage points from 2002 to 2009, the largest of any state, the report said. During Nevada's boom years, students dropped out to earn hefty paychecks parking cars, pouring concrete or serving drinks along the Las Vegas Strip.
"Today, many of Las Vegas' dropouts are out of work and unable to jumpstart the economy because they lack the required credentials," the report said.
But Balfanz said there are some signs that the state is "organizing itself against its big challenge."
The Clark County School District of Las Vegas, for example, has developed a partnership with Vegas PBS for an online program designed to help students earn missing credits needed to graduate. It also started the "Reclaim Your Future" program, which sent school employees and community volunteers door to door to persuade dropouts to return to school.
State education officials in New Mexico and Arizona point to their own graduation statistics, which show rates increasing gradually for three consecutive years.
"When we talk about the economy, there's a three-prong stool - what are your taxes like, are you business friendly and the third piece is whether you have an education system that is creating a workforce prepared and ready," New Mexico's Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said. "And the answer for New Mexico has been 'No,' but it's an absolute commitment of ours to make that answer 'Yes.' We're on our way."
Many of the strategies encouraged by the authors have been adopted in Washington County, Md. The district has a 92 percent graduation rate, up 15 percentage points from 2000. It's made progress in recent years even as the county's unemployment rate lingered above the national average and more students needed homelessness services.
The district offers e-learning classes for credit recovery, evening classes, and a family center where pregnant teens and student parents can attend class. Student attendance and performance data are carefully tracked to identify early any students at risk. Intervention specialists develop relationships with these students, doing everything from visiting their homes to helping them connect with community mental health services.
Clayton Wilcox, the district superintendent, said that even as they work to keep students, those who drop out are warmly welcomed back.
"It's not easy to drop out. We're going to hound you. Classroom teachers are going to talk to you. Principals are going to talk to you. The guidance counselor is going to talk to you. We don't make it easy." Wilcox said.
Dixon, the intervention specialist who works with Burke, and Amy Warrenfeltz, another intervention specialist at South Hagerstown High, said some of the kids they deal with have mental health issues or drug and alcohol problems. Others struggle because they switched schools because of financial issues in their family or had a bad experience in school with a teacher or peer, they said.
Burke said it was hard to get motivated to attend class once he "got into the routine of not getting up and it became a habit."
"I was nervous coming back because of what people would say or how people would look at me," Burke said. "It's awkward when you haven't been to school in a couple weeks or whatever and then you come back."
He had met with Dixon multiple times at his house and at school, and after he dropped out, he said he was sure she would return to his home. He said he was happy when she left the note because he wanted an excuse to return to school. He now goes to school full time and takes evening classes four nights a week. He anticipates graduating this spring and wants to attend technical school in heating, ventilation and cooling.
"Before that, I wanted to come back, but I just didn't know how to come about it," Burke said
 
]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:51:48 GMT 6b4066df-1b96-4e76-9821-8895738b3318 <![CDATA[W.Va. school supers seek $170 million for building projects]]> W.Va. school supers seek $170 million for building projects
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- School superintendents throughout West Virginia asked the state School Building Authority for more than $170 million on Monday to build new classrooms and renovate crumbling public schools.
The SBA considered building proposals from 23 counties jockeying for a portion of the $40 million the SBA will award in a meeting next month.
Frank Blackwell, superintendent of Wyoming County schools, was among the dozens of superintendents who approached the SBA on Monday.
He asked for about $7.6 million in state funds to build a new school to replace flood-prone Huff Consolidated Elementary School in the state's southern coalfields.
Blackwell said Huff Elementary, squarely in Wyoming County's flood plain, has been flooded twice in the last three years.
"The question is not if the school will be flooded again, but when," said Blackwell.
He said the elementary school was stripped and remodeled after being flooded in 2009 and 2010, but the water seriously damaged the foundation on the southwest side of the school and has deteriorated the masonry walls.
Authority President Mark Manchin said deciding which schools to fund is always an issue, particularly during this and next year's funding cycle, which he called "extremely lean."
"There's nearly $2 billion worth of needs in West Virginia schools' 10-year plans for facilities alone," said Manchin. "The SBA can only identify about $800 million of that. Needless to say, there are certainly not enough funds to address all the needs out there. But we'll do our best to give money to the schools that need it and look at alternative funding plans."
Kanawha County school officials will present their request on Tuesday for more than $2 million in state funds to add six classrooms and renovate the food service area at Andrews Heights Elementary School. The SBA denied Kanawha County's request for $1 million in December to build four classrooms at John Adams Middle School.
Putnam County did not ask for any money for grants during this funding cycle after being awarded $1 million in funds and receiving a $1.5 million bond in December to build seven new classrooms, restrooms and a sprinkler system at Conner Street Elementary School.
On Monday, the SBA approved a bond sale of $57 million over the next two years to help finance school construction projects. The SBA will award about $40 million at their April 23 meeting and $40 million in 2013.
 
]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:50:39 GMT 646ad620-50af-4339-a6b4-385e6385cd44 <![CDATA[Mike Stuart: W.Va. education fails while Democrats, teacher unions do nothing]]> Mike Stuart: W.Va. education fails while Democrats, teacher unions do nothing
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It is time to get serious about reforming a failing education system in West Virginia. Despite the clear record and year after year of big talk, where is the accountability for improving the education system?
We have to begin the process of thinking outside the box and putting action to words to rebuild and reform a West Virginia education system that is failing the people of West Virginia and, most important, our children. Republicans offer reform. Democrat politicians offer the status quo.
Despite perpetual national rankings, reports, and studies that clearly illustrate the failing plight of West Virginia public schools, little has been done by Gov. Tomblin, Department of Education administrators or by leaders of our teachers' unions to begin a serious conversation with the people of West Virginia about this critical, nagging problem.
The West Virginia education system has become an unmanageable, unaccountable, and uncontrollable behemoth. West Virginia spends a fortune on public education each and every year. Although many would have you think otherwise, money is not the solution to fixing our education system. Throwing more money at big problems often only creates bigger problems.
West Virginia spent $3.5 billion on education during the 2010 budget year and our state ranks 8th in education spending relative to income. But West Virginia students rank below the national average in 21 of 24 categories measured by the National Assessment of Education Progress. More money. Failing schools.
According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, our state ranks 41st in the nation in teacher quality. In delivering its ranking to West Virginia, the NCTQ suggested relatively easy improvements for improving the quality of teaching in the Mountain State.
Earlier this year, Gov. Tomblin released a comprehensive audit of West Virginia K-12 schools that revealed lagging student performance despite high spending and an overregulated, bureaucratic system with limited voter accountability. The 143-page, five-part, $750,000 audit offered more than 50 findings and recommendations for improving education. The report offers, "We have encountered no other state that insulates its education system so much from gubernatorial or voter control."
The recommendations range from a voluntary merit pay system for teachers, re-organizing the state Department of Education, new investments in distance-learning technology, and penalizing counties for failing to provide at least 180 days of instruction annually.
In addition to the recommendations above, it is time we begin a discussion of big changes and big fixes like a year-round school calendar, charter schools, merit pay, competency-testing and more stringent certification of teachers and administrators, regional compensation to account for market conditions, modernizing vocational education, creating an adjunct teacher corps of accomplished community professionals, building local community-based schools, grouping students by ability rather than age, removing bad teachers from the classroom and more.
Sadly, despite reports, rankings, and personal knowledge, virtually nothing is being done to begin the discussion with West Virginians, parents, and children to fundamentally build a better quality of education right here in the Mountain State. The Democrat-controlled Legislature and the governor have failed to put forth a serious-minded comprehensive reform proposal while "business as usual" and the "status quo" rule the day. We are past the point of tweaks. We need wholesale changes.
For the most part, we have some remarkable teachers and school administrators in West Virginia. Unfortunately, they are hamstrung by union leaders, ridiculous rules and politicians that have misplaced priorities. The politicians curry favor with the unions so that they may win re-election. And union leaders seemingly have a singular purpose and goal of higher salaries with each and every legislative session.
If the politicians will not make the "quality" of education a priority and union leaders will not concede that salaries are not the "be all and end all" of improving education, how can we ever truly begin the process of building a nationally-renown education system in West Virginia?
Parents do not need editorials or studies or rankings to know that big changes are needed in education. Parents know that something is truly wrong with education in West Virginia. They see it every day. They know it first hand.
The good teachers need us all to fight for them. They want reform. They want help in the classroom to build a better product -- that is the education of our kids.
 Politicians talk about improving education. Union leaders talk about the need for more money and higher salaries. Legislative sessions come and go but nothing except tweaks on the edges is done to fix the fundamental problems of education in West Virginia.
Stuart is chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party.  
 
 
 
]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:32:45 GMT 307336ea-22e3-4223-a1d1-9ab1a511b672 <![CDATA[Teachers to weigh in on year-round school]]> March 15, 2012
Teachers to weigh in on year-round school
By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter
Raleigh County teachers will be asked to weigh in on a year-round school calendar.

Board member Cynthia Jafary, who is also a member of the Raleigh County School Calendar Committee, said county teachers are being given the chance to vote on the school calendar they would like to adopt.

Although the your-round, or balanced calendar, will not be an option for the 2012-13 school year, it may be in the future and teachers will be provided a sample copy of the calendar and asked for their feedback, she said.

The balanced calendar has nine weeks of school followed by three weeks off all year round, in addition to regular holidays off, she said.

“I have heard positive comments from teachers in Raleigh County that really like the idea of a balanced calendar,” Jafary said.

Board member Larry Ford pointed out that a school near Charleston is on the balanced calendar and would be upset if they no longer had that option.

Jafary noted that at some point specific schools or attendance areas may want to move to the year-round schedule if the county as a whole doesn’t.

Board member Richard Jarrell said that with the year-round calendar, teachers would not lose instructional time reviewing old curriculum at the beginning of the school year.

The calendar offers academic, retention and tutoring advantages for students, added Jafary.

This balanced calendar has been discussed on the state level, said the board, and the sample calendar distributed to teachers came from the state.

“It would be a major change and it is something that would need to have support from the school, staff and community,” Jafary said.

The Calendar Committee hopes to see teachers weigh in on this future option.

For 2012-13, teachers will be choosing between two traditional calendars, one that begins in late August and one early start calendar.
 
]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:31:25 GMT ac059022-a27a-4f79-8ae5-dbe88b596804 <![CDATA[Final Legislative Update - March,14, 2012]]>
Final Legislative Update (#9) - March 14, 2012

HB 4236 – Annual Evaluations for Teachers and Administrators
Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the legislation requires full statewide implementation of an annual evaluation program. The bill follows guidelines established by a WVDE taskforce on evaluations that began meeting about 18 months ago.
 
WVEA president Dale Lee and other WVEA members served on this taskforce. The taskforce developed the pilot project that was implemented in 25 schools this year. The legislation creates basic guidelines for implementation, but leaves most of the details regarding the tools used for the procedures and policies to the taskforce. Under the WVDE’s current plan, during the 2012-2013 school year two schools in each county will pilot the project.
 
The legislation follows the WVDE’s pilot project to establish the evaluation standards. 80% of the evaluation is based upon the educator’s ability to perform the critical standard elements of the professional teaching standards.
 
The other 20% is based upon student growth. 15 of the 20 percent will be based upon evidence determined by the teacher that measures growth over two periods of time. The remaining 5% is based on the school wide summative assessment as an evaluative measure of all educators employed in the school. This is a total score of the entire school.
 
The WVDE taskforce was originally established to develop a policy of annual evaluations that includes a student growth component. Such an evaluation procedure became necessary because the federal government made annual evaluations and a student growth component a requirement for the continuation of certain federal funds.
 
In addition, the WVDE intends to apply for an NCLB Flexibility Waiver in September and an annual evaluation with a student growth component is a requirement of the waiver provisions.
 
“I understand many people will question the student growth component in the evaluation bill,” states WVEA President Dale Lee. “I am not crazy about it either, but it is a requirement if we are to get a waiver of NCLB and continue to receive some of our federal funds. It is something every state is going to and some states are including student growth components of as much as 50%.”
 
“The teacher members on the committee and I worked very hard to come up with an evaluation system that included a student growth component and was fair to teachers,” stated Lee. “The plan currently being piloted is as good as we could get and still meet the federal mandates. Under the current format, teachers select what to use to demonstrate the required 15% of student growth and only 5% is based on the WESTEST. The WESTEST portion cannot be the determining factor in someone receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation.”
 
“The Evaluation Taskforce continues to meet and make changes in the policy based upon feedback from teachers and administrators where it is being piloted. Next year when the pilot spreads into additional schools, the project will continue to be honed and improved. The taskforce continues plans to work diligently with the goal of creating the best evaluation process possible. The objective is a beneficial process that does not excessively saddle teachers with paperwork or observations, but improves professional practices,” concluded Lee.
 
WVEA has additional information on the Evaluation Pilot Project online.


Tax Giveaway Bills Were Plentiful During Session
This session saw a plethora of bills introduced to reduce business taxes claiming lower business taxes create economic growth and jobs. WV Center on Budget and Policy analyst, Sean O’Leary found, “No obvious connection between business taxes or business tax climate on the one hand, and economic growth on the other.”
 
As a matter of fact, over the past several years the state budget has lost over $400 million as a result of cuts made to the business franchise and corporate net income tax cuts; yet, we have seen no evidence in economic growth or job creation. Over the past few years we have seen a shift away from business taxes to personal income and other taxes paid by citizens.
 
The governor’s budget projections look dismal in the next few years mostly due to Medicaid funding. Now is not the time to cut more from the state budget if we are going to improve education salaries to a competitive level. WVEA strongly opposed any tax cuts or constitutional amendments that would reduce funding this session. Funding is paramount to county budgets and school funding. Tax dollars are precious and must be protected.
 
Fortunately, most of these tax giveaway bills hit a roadblock in the Senate Finance Committee thanks to the guidance and perseverance of Senate Finance Chair Roman Prezioso. Thank Senator Prezioso for seeing the big picture and stopping tax giveaways to corporations and protecting state revenues for the future. Tax dollars are important to counties and in turn imperative to school systems. Every dollar removed from the revenue stream is a dollar that must be replaced by the state.
 
OPEB Bill a Relief to County School Systems
One of the most important education related bills considered by the 2012 Legislature was SB 469, Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB). In West Virginia the $4 billion liability is almost exclusively the cost of providing retiree health insurance coverage for the next thirty years. The bill passed early in the session and has already been signed by the governor.
 
There are four major provisions in SB 469:
1. County boards of education are relieved of an estimated $485 million in OPEB liability. This is the liability incurred to date for employees inside the school aid formula. County boards will have to continue to list the OPEB liability for employees hired outside the school aid formula. They will not be – and have never been – required to pay this liability, just report it on their books.
 
2. Beginning in 2016, the state will annually contribute $30 million to help pay off the OPEB liability. This state commitment will continue until 2039, when the debt is estimated to be paid off, and is projected to contribute $1 billion for retiree benefits. The state contribution, however, pales in comparison to what PEIA has shifted to retirees: $5 billion.
 
3. It also places into law the decision by the PEIA Finance Board to end the retiree subsidy for employees hired after July 1, 2010. WVEA successfully fought for a new trust fund to help cover the expenses of these employees once they retire. A guaranteed $5 million a year will be placed in this fund. The accumulated amount plus investment income will help offset the loss of the retiree subsidy for these new hires upon their retirement
 
4. The new law requires the PEIA Director to vigorously work to control costs. The cost of retiree benefits has skyrocketed and is on an unsustainable course. The PEIA Finance Board capped the state’s responsibility for future retiree health care at “no more than three percent.” Any inflationary cost above this threshold will be passed directly to retirees. Reducing costs by improving the quality of care retirees receive and making sure they receive coordinated care can save retirees from being priced out of PEIA in the near future.
 
The problem with the state’s solution to the OPEB liability is not with SB 469. It is with the PEIA Finance Board. In October 2011, the PEIA Finance Board adopted an amendment from the AFT representative on the Finance Board. This amendment limited the state’s liability for future retiree health care costs to three percent. The impact of the amendment will be devastating to Medicare retirees as the chart below illustrates.
                         Current       First Year       Fourth Year       Seventh Year
                          Monthly      of the Cap       of the Cap           of the Cap
Single retiree       $55                  $80                  $153                       $280

Retiree w/spouse
over age 65         $85                 $125                 $245                       $454

Retiree w/spouse
under age 65      $288                $387                 $682                       $1,197
 
The impact on retirees under age 65 will be even more dramatic.
 
                        Current         First Year        Fourth Year     Seventh Year
                         Monthly        of the Cap        of the Cap          of the Cap
Single retiree      $235                $312                   $541                    $939

Retiree w/spouse
 over age 65       $280                $376                   $665                    $1,168

Retiree w/spouse
under age 65      $475               $628                   $1,086                  $1,883
 
It will be virtually impossible for school employees to be able to retire prior to age 65. Paying $235 a month now is difficult. Paying $939 a month for a single policy in 2020 will be prohibitively expensive. As will paying $1,883 a month in 2020 for a family plan until both you and your spouse reach age 65.
 
The charts above represent a best case scenario using the 3% cap in the Finance Board amendment. According to the motion, PEIA’s contribution can be “…no more than 3%.” This means the Finance Board might choose to contribute 2% or 1% or nothing to assist the cost of retiree health care. Those scenarios will make the charts above look good.
 
Is developing a plan to pay off the state’s last long-term debt important? Yes. But it is also important to protect the health care security of retirees and future retirees. The actions of the PEIA Finance Board achieved only one of these two important goals.
 
WVEA will continue to monitor the Finance Board and work to change the cap restrictions of the state’s contribution.
 
Resolution Studies set for Interim Committee Meetings
Legislators meet 3 days each month for interim committee meetings. WVEA monitors these interim meetings because legislation is developed from these studies for the next legislative session.
 
The Education Committees passed several resolutions this session that will drive the discussion in the interim committee meetings.
 
The studies interim committees will focus on this coming year include career and technical education readiness and funding, school health and wellness programs, the state’s cooperative purchasing program, athlete safety and adoption of safety plans for sporting events, cardiac defibrillators in all schools, school harassment laws, student truancy and a study of the WV Education Efficiency Audit to determine which recommendations presented in the study may be turned into legislation.
 
WVEA will keep you posted throughout the year of the discussions in the interim committee meetings.
 
Additional Education Related Bills Passing during the 2012 Session
HB 4072 – County Boards removes the requirement that county boards of education must meet on the first Monday of July.
 
HB 4101 – Teacher-in-Residence creates programs allowing student teachers to occupy vacant positions posted by county boards of education where no certified teachers applied. The student teacher is paid a stipend and monitored closely by a team of individuals comprised of a mentor, principal in the building, teacher in the building and college staff from the education department. To engage in the program a college must work with the state department and the county board to exercise the teacher in residence program. The teacher in residence must obtain a certificate from the state department of education before entering the classroom.
 
HB 4119 – Athletic Directors The definition provides that an athletic director is responsible for planning, management, operation and evaluation of the athletic program for the school or schools to which he or she is assigned among other optional assigned duties.
 
HB 4122 – Alternative Certification updates the code for teacher certification. Alternative certification credits will be offered in nontraditional methods and the approved education providers was expanded to include partnerships between one or more schools, school districts or regional educational service agencies who may work with higher education institutions in WV that have been approved by the state board. Programs were added for American Sign Language (ASL) and Technology Integration Specialists.
 
HB 4299 – Bus Operators allows buses to be operated by bus operators regularly employed by another county board if the operators from the county owning the bus are unavailable.
 
HB 4433 – Diplomas provides high school diplomas to veterans of World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam Conflict regardless of their school attendance before entering the war.
 
HB 4583 – Personnel Deadlines This bill moves several personnel deadlines to dates that were in the code a few years ago. It changes the notification and hearing dates for RIF, transfer and non-renewals. In addition, it changes the notification for the retirement bonus.
 
HB 4655 – School Bus Operators The bill details situations in which the state superintendent may revoke a certificate. The bill also requires the superintendent to create a review panel to conduct hearings on certificate revocations or denials and make recommendations for action by the State Superintendent. A county superintendent who knows of any acts on the part of a bus operator for which a certificate may be revoked must report the action to the State Superintendent under this legislation as well.
 
SB 161 – Child Abuse adds to the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse youth camp administrator or counselor, employee, coach or volunteer of an entity that provides organized activities for children or commercial film or photographic print processor and volunteers of a public or private institutions. Also, the bill requires anyone with knowledge of sexual abuse or sexual assault of a child to report the circumstances to law-enforcement. The crime makes it a misdemeanor for failing to report the incident and maximum fines increase from $100 to $1000 with the maximum jail sentence increasing from 10 to 30 days.
 
SB 186 – Salary Equity places dollar values into code for the equity supplement payments that are already being paid to teachers and service personnel. This legislation ensures state funding continues to be provided to counties for the purpose of funding salary equity for counties, guaranteeing funding and the amounts at which salaries are funded.
 
SB 221 – Jason Flatt Act provides for the routine education of professional educators, principals, administrators, and service personnel having direct contact with students on warning signs and the availability of resources to assist in suicide prevention.
 
SB 371 – County Innovation Zones for county school systems under long term state control. The bill requires public meetings held in the county and sets guidelines for employee voting before plan submission and approval by the state board of education. The bill permits exceptions from statutes and protects personnel code similar to that in traditional innovation zone legislation.
 
SB 436 – Collaboration between the Public Schools, Vocational Schools, Community and Technical Colleges and Higher Education promoting programs of study and encouraging a more seamless curriculum between the entities. Itestablishes the West Virginia Earn a Degree Graduate Early initiative and the Collaboration Degree Completion Programthat allows students to earn dual community/technical college and high school credit.
 
SB 646 – GED requires the state board of education study issues relating to General Educational Development (GED) tests. The study specifically calls for an investigation of the potential negative impact on West Virginians that may result from increasing test fees and transitioning from a written to an online test format.
 
The final versions of the bills are not yet available. Additionally, many of the bills have not yet been signed by the governor. We believe that short of some type of technicality in the bill, the governor is unlikely to use his veto power on these bills.
 
Education Related Bills Failing to Pass During the 2012 Session
 
SB 340 – Concussions and Head Injuries would have required information be provided to parents, coaches, school administrators and athletes on concussion and head injuries in interscholastic sports. Additionally, student athletes exhibiting signs of a concussion or head injury would have been required to cease practice or play and may not have returned to games or practice without a release from a medical professional. The bill passed both houses in different versions, thus the Senate and House assigned it to a conference committee on the final day of session. Unfortunately, the committee failed to reach a mutual agreement. Doctors and lawyers in the legislature disagreed on language for volunteer medical professionals’ levels of liability.
 
SB 404 – Barrister Certificate would have provided attorneys with a barrister’s certificate, allowing them the ability to enter classrooms on a daily basis as co-teachers of certain social studies classes as determined by the State Superintendent. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House Education Committee because of concern regarding the level of certification provided by such a certificate.
 
SB 446 – Bullying would have required an act to be severe, continuous, pervasive and intentional before it could constitute harassment, intimidation or bullying. WVEA strongly opposed this legislation and felt it would create an unreasonably high standard and potentially endanger students. The bill was removed from the Senate floor and committed to Rules where it died.
 
SB 470 – Teachers Retirement System (TRS) would have required a medical examination by a member’s treating physician before the member applies for disability benefits. This exam would occur in addition to that of a physician selected by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB). The bill died in the House Finance Committee. Currently CPRB rules include the provision; therefore the board enforces the policy. The board requested that the language be placed into the code to mirror the rule.
 
SB 522 – Shale Research, Education, Policy and Economic Development Center at WVU. The bill passed the House quickly and made it out of Senate Education to die in Senate Finance. It strangely had a fiscal note showing no cost to the state, however, WVU was said to fund the project at an estimated cost of $1 million over 4 years.

HB 4554 – Early Childhood Programs would have allowed counties to add additional students to existing programs. While current service needs are being met in some counties by Head Start, child care or private preschools, changes under this legislation could potentially increase costs to the WVDE and may decrease funding for the DHHR. The bill died in the Senate.

Final Update (PDF)
]]> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:18:36 GMT e2d53df3-8877-4289-b606-ffb456432bb3 <![CDATA[Schools' high-speed installation going slo-mo]]> Schools' high-speed installation going slo-mo
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A $126.3 million federal stimulus grant to provide high-speed Internet to hundreds of schools and other public facilities throughout West Virginia is far behind the timeline state education officials had envisioned and is hitting implementation snags, state Board of Education officials learned Wednesday.
Board members said that more than two years after West Virginia received the grant, there was still confusion about how many schools could actually connect to a high-speed Internet network. They also expressed growing frustration with the quality of service and lack of communication provided by Frontier Communications, a major contractor in the project.
"We were given a gift of $126 million, and it would be a tragedy if that money were not spent correctly," said Michael Green, state board of education member, at a meeting in Charleston on Wednesday.
Green expressed worry that "we don't have a process or the vendors in place" to provide West Virginia students with a high-speed Internet system.
As of Wednesday, 257 of the 463 schools in the state scheduled to receive broadband access through the grant had been furnished with the physical infrastructure -- fiber-optic cable and routers -- to connect to the broadband network, said John Dunlap, manager of the West Virginia Office of Technology. But he stressed that even though hundreds of those schools were labeled as "complete" under federal grant specifications, those sites could still not connect to the Internet.
"The federal grant only pays to lay down fiber and provide the routers to the different sites," said Dunlap. "It does not pay to activate service."
Internet service providers like Suddenlink and Frontier Communications have to step in and "activate" the fiber in order for students in classrooms to turn on their computers and connect to the Internet.
There's just one problem, said Dunlap. There is no streamlined system in place to tell carriers like Suddenlink or Frontier that they need to activate broadband networks at schools with ready-to-go fiber optics.
That hole in the pipeline has left state education officials in a quandary about how to explain to school principals why they still cannot connect to a broadband network even though their schools are labeled as "complete."
Green, of the state board, blamed poor management at Frontier for the communication problems and failing to provide clear information to the Department of Education about the status of the stimulus project.
"I am frankly very concerned that Frontier has the skill set and capability to do this," said Green. "If we're not looking at all parts of the puzzle, from fiber to bandwidth in the future, that's $126 million wasted. We know that there are holes in the system, but I want to know who at Frontier I can go to scream at."
No representatives from Frontier attended Wednesday's board meeting, despite invitations from board members to receive broadband updates.
West Virginia received a $126.3 million federal grant in February 2010 to lay more than 900 miles of fiber-optic cable to provide high-speed Internet to more than 1,000 schools, libraries, health-care facilities, public agencies and fire stations across the state. It was the only state in the nation to receive federal funds to create a broadband network to span the state and was planned to serve as a national model.
More than 209 miles of fiber had been built and completed at about 36 percent of the locations as of last week, said Dunlap.
The state awarded Verizon Business Services -- now operated by Frontier -- a $40 million contract to lay fiber-optic cable at all the public facilities and provide access to global networks by February 2013. Frontier purchased Verizon's landline business in West Virginia last year, and the state is continuing its contract with Verizon to pay Frontier.
This was not the first time that the Department of Education expressed concerns about the slow pace and lack of communication of the massive Internet project.
In October, state schools superintendent Jorea Marple demanded answers from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office about why more progress had not been made getting schools connected to the Internet.
"On a daily basis, education staff across West Virginia express concern about the current lack of progress and the impact it will have on West Virginia children," Marple wrote in the letter.
Marple also raised questions about how the state paid Frontier to build the fiber-optic network with federal grant funds and said the contract doesn't hold Frontier responsible for meeting any deadlines. 
 
 
]]> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:51:14 GMT ce88a31d-b17e-47ca-828d-7e9fbb96d010 <![CDATA[West Virginia is First State to Put Tax Revenue Toward Retiree Health Costs]]> West Virginia is First State to Put Tax Revenue Toward Retiree Health Costs
 
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline Staff Writer
West Virginia has become the first state to pledge tax revenue to help finance its retiree health care burden, a major development in states’ efforts to pay down their soaring health benefit liabilities.
 
In the session that ended Saturday (March 10), lawmakers approved legislation proposed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin pledging $30 million a year in personal income tax collections to help reduce the gap between what the state promised to pay its retired employees for health care and what it set aside to meet those obligations. West Virginia’s retiree health care debt, which had reached $10 billion, was one of the highest per capita burdens in the country.
 
Tomblin says the health care obligation was the last big debt confronting West Virginia, jeopardizing the strength of the state’s finances. “We’ve struggled for the last three or four years to find a solution,” he told Stateline. “Now, as far as I know, we’re the first in the country to address it.”
 
It is rare for a state to tackle its unfunded long term retiree health care problem, let alone earmark a dependable stream of tax revenue to reduce the liability. In 2009, 19 states contributed nothing to their health care benefit fund, according to a review by the Pew Center on the States, Stateline’s parent organization. The study also showed that states collectively had saved less than 5 percent of their combined retiree health liability of $638 billion. Until the legislative fix, West Virginia had funded only 11 percent of its retiree health debt.
 
“While many states struggle with similarly low funded ratios, only West Virginia has implemented a plan to bring the funded ratio of such a large accrued liability to 100 percent,” says Lisa Heller, a senior analyst at Moody’s Investor Service, echoing three public pension analysts who say they know of no other state that has dedicated tax revenue for this purpose.
 
Far more common is for states to shrink their unfunded public pension liabilities. Nearly every state has cut retirement benefits in the last three years, though none has committed a revenue stream to cover its pension payments. Unlike pensions, most states pay retiree health costs or premiums as those expenses are incurred. But as West Virginia has shown, some states are questioning the pay-as-you-go strategy as medical costs zoom along with the number of retirees.
 
Overpromising
West Virginia’s staggering retiree health funding gap had threatened to drain dollars from other pressing state services and programs, especially K-12 education. The problem stemmed from a promise the state made to its employees over the years that proved to be too expensive as health care costs rose: West Virginia would pick up the tab for 70 percent of their health care premiums when they stopped working. A retired employee not yet on Medicare who put in 25 or more years pays a monthly premium of only $264; the state covers the rest, or $791. Most of the state’s 50,000 current retirees qualify for that 70 percent subsidy.
 
Ending those subsidies was the first step towards pruning costs. The public employee insurance agency’s finance board voted three years ago to cut off funding of health care premiums for workers hired after July 1, 2010. For everyone hired before then, the finance board decided in December to cap the annual growth of the subsidy payments at 3 percent. The cap alone sliced $5 billion off the $10 billion retiree health care liability, though it does shift higher premium costs onto retirees.
 
When lawmakers returned to Charleston in January, Governor Tomblin, a Democrat, asked them to take $30 million in income tax revenue that currently goes towards paying off a shortfall in the state workers’ compensation fund and shift it toward paring down the retiree health care debt. That transfer is scheduled to occur in 2016 when the worker’s comp obligation is retired.
 
All told, the steps taken to finance retiree health care will bring the unfunded liability under $4 billion now and eliminate it altogether by 2036, says Ted Cheatham, executive director of the West Virginia public employee insurance agency. The liability would be higher but the agency board, because of the cuts, was able to raise the discount rate it assumes it will earn on its investments from about 3 percent to 6 percent
.
Help for schools
In addition to trimming the health care debt without raising taxes, the legislation also benefits the state's public schools. West Virginia’s cash-strapped school boards have contended that the state government, not the schools, should finance health care for retired educators, although the schools have been carrying the liability on their financial statements and some have even set aside money to pay their share of the cost. The legislation transfers local school retiree health care liabilities from West Virginia’s county school boards to the state. In turn, lawmakers said they would adjust the school aid formula to cut spending so that the state’s retiree health care liability will not increase.
 
Officials estimate that this will save local schools $485 million in future retiree health payments. In the meantime, school boards can take the money they have already saved and spend it on other programs instead of handing it over to the state. That pleases Morgantown High School graphic arts teacher Sam Brunett, who says schools often are short of the money they need for crucial software updates. “Part of the charge of a graphic arts teacher is to keep up with current technology,” he says. “The hope is that some of this money that has been held will find its way back to the classroom.”
 
Unlike some states that have moved to cut off retiree health benefits entirely for future hires, West Virginia sought a softer landing. On top of the $30 million that goes towards retiring the health debt, lawmakers allocated $5 million a year from the same tax source to put into a trust fund to provide a still-to-be determined level of health care benefit for future retirees. About 7,000 employees have joined the state workforce since July 1, 2010.
“I think every state has to look at their unique situation and find a compassionate way to support their retiree health care plan,” says Cheatham. “We just couldn’t continue the same level of support for new people coming into the system.”
 
Unsustainable
Going forward, it is clear West Virginia employees will have less generous benefits then they once had. Labor unions representing teachers and other workers say they reluctantly accepted the cuts because West Virginia, like most states, could not sustain its existing retirement system without drastic changes. Health care costs are rising too fast.
 
“Does it give me heartburn?” asks Josh Sword, political director of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia. “Sure. But at the end of the day, the state cannot continue to afford this level of benefit.”
 
Though West Virginia appears to have worked out its retiree health care crisis, the state historically has been a laggard nationally on financing its public pension system. The funding ratio of the state’s five defined-benefit plans was 57 percent on July 1, 2010, one of the lowest in the country according to the Pew Center on the States. Most analysts say states should aim for 80 percent. West Virginia makes its annually required pension payments and has instituted payment plans to satisfy the unfunded liabilities, Tomblin says.
 
For now at least, the state’s elected officials are celebrating the retiree health breakthrough which, along with a budget surplus, has improved West Virginia’s financial standing. “This shows that West Virginia is ahead of the curve,” says state Senate President Jeffrey Kessler, “and that we are serious about keeping our fiscal house in order.”
]]> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:36:26 GMT 42a5ff7e-ef66-464a-847f-8bfa30839f79 <![CDATA[Jason Flatt Act Now Law In West Virginia]]> Jason Flatt Act Now Law In West Virginia WAJR Radio
Morgantown

A bill designed to train teachers to look for warning signs of depression and suicide will save lives, Clark Flatt told a group of Morgantown High School students Tuesday.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed the Jason Flatt Act during a ceremony at Morgantown High School's gym in front of the student body.

West Virginia is the seventh state to enact the law that requires teachers to receive two hours of training to spot warning signs of teen suicide.

Clark Flatt, the father of Jason Flatt, spoke about his son's suicide in 1997. Ever since, Clark Flatt has pushed state Legislatures to pass laws to help thwart suicides. The bill, which requires the West Virginia Center for Professional Development to provide training resources on suicide prevention for state schools, will allow teachers to spot problems before it's too late, Flatt said.

"The teachers are just fantastic, and once you equip them with information to be able to recognize and refer, you're going to save lives," Flatt said. "It requires every educator to have two hours of youth suicide prevention and awareness training."

Jason Flatt was only 16 when his father found him dead in his eastern Tennessee home. Jason was a talented athlete and normal student, his father said. But Clark Flatt said his son may have had signs of suicidal thoughts that teachers or students could have recognized.

That's why Jason Flatt's family started the Jason Foundation, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to stopping youth suicide. Clark Flatt said the number of suicides in states with the new laws in place has dropped significantly.

"To lose a son to suicide really puts a hole in your heart," Clark Flatt said. "But to see something good come from that, something good come from a tragedy, and see West Virginia, who has worked so hard to pass this, to have it culminate today is nice, especially so close to his birthday."

Jason would have turned 31 next Tuesday.

Gov. Tomblin said 15 teens commit suicide every day. The epidemic must be addressed quickly in West Virginia, he said.

Delegate Charlene Marshall, D-Monongalia, sponsored the bill. It was first introduced to the Legislature in 2007.

 
]]> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:30:25 GMT 00af3a5f-c520-4317-8c0b-3dd183d441c0 <![CDATA[Police: Ravenswood teen planned high school hit list]]> Police: Ravenswood teen planned high school hit list
By Travis Crum
CHARLESTON, W.Va-- Police said a 14-year-old boy allegedly threatened to take a 20-gauge shotgun to Ravenswood High School to kill several students and a teacher.
The teen created a "hit list" and planned to carry it out sometime in the near future, said Jackson County Sheriff's Chief Deputy A.J. Boggs.
At least three students complained about the teen to Officer T.M. Speece, the school's resource officer, when school ended Monday.
Speece contacted the sheriff's department and deputies collected first-hand statements from the three students.
The students said they had an altercation with the teen Monday morning and the teen bragged about creating the list and how he would carry it out, Boggs said.
Jackson County Magistrate Tom Reynolds issued a warrant for police to search the teen's home Monday night, Boggs said.
Sgt. T.T. Roberts with the sheriff's department, assisted by the Ravenswood Police, allegedly found enough evidence in the teen's room to arrest him Monday, Boggs said.
Roberts could not find a physical list, but did find enough credible information to determine that a list had been made.
"There is no doubt there was one," Boggs said.
Boggs said no firearms were found in the teen's home, but he did have access to a 20-gauge shotgun at a relative's house.

Police uncovered several items of evidence from the boy's room, including a makeshift gun, Boggs said.
"He had constructed a piece of something to make it like a small handgun and then he wrapped it in black duct tape," Boggs said.
The teen, whose name is not being released, was charged with making terrorist threats, a felony, and is currently being held in Lorrie Yeager Jr. Juvenile Center in Parkersburg.
Boggs said the teen has a preliminary hearing today to answer to the charge. If convicted by a jury, he faces incarceration up to five years, a fine not exceeding $50,000, or both.
Boggs said several students missed school Tuesday after rumors of the teen's alleged plan spread on Facebook and Twitter.
He reassured students and parents the threat of violence is over.
"There is no information of any other active participants in this plan," Boggs said. "There is no continued threat whatsoever."
 
]]> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:25:09 GMT 918761dd-ccfe-4367-a286-c32cf0d5f634 <![CDATA[House passes child abuse bill]]> House passes child abuse bill
By Whitney Burdette
Members of the clergy, school teachers and health professionals are among those already required by state law to report suspected child abuse or neglect.  But in light of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University, that list will grow.
Under Senate Bill 161, camp counselors or employees, coaches or volunteers at entities that provide activities for youth or children and commercial film or photo processors who have "reasonable cause" to suspect child abuse are required to report their suspicions within 48 hours.
Delegate Meshea Poore, D-Kanawha, said supervisors must be advised of any suspected abuse or neglect.
"Under provisions of this bill, a person is required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child is first to advise supervisors of suspected abuse or neglect," she said. "That does not relieve them of their obligation to advise proper authorities."
This bill addresses possible loopholes in the system where non-professionals, such as camp counselors, may not feel legally obligated to report abuse. Such was the case at Penn State, where a graduate assistant working with youth at a football camp said he spotted abuse, reported it to then-head football coach Joe Paterno, who then did not report the suspected abuse to the police. Instead, he reported the graduate assistant's suspicious to the athletic director, but didn't follow up. The athletic director also failed to notify the police of the possible abuse.
People across the country took note of the scandal, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
"If these allegations of sexual abuse are true, then this is a horrible tragedy for those young boys," Duncan said in a Nov. 10 story in USA Today. "If it turns out that some people at the school knew of the abuse and did nothing or covered it up, that makes it even worse."
If this bill is signed into law, it would put the onus on the original reporter to notify the proper authorities of abuse. According to one provision in the bill: "Any person over the age of 18 who has actual knowledge of or observes any sexual abuse or sexual assault of a child, shall immediately, and not more than 48 hours after obtaining actual knowledge of or observing the sexual abuse or sexual assault, report the circumstances or cause a report to be made to the State Police or other law-enforcement agency having jurisdiction to investigate the report." Further, the law enforcement agency must then report allegations to the state Department of Health and Human Resources and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to investigate those allegations.
The bill also provides for additional training for people who work with children. That training will include indicators of child abuse or neglect, tactics used by sexual abusers, how and when to report suspected abuse and protective factors that prevent abuse and neglect. The bill also establishes stiffer penalties, including up to 30 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000 for those who fail to report suspected abuse.
The Senate voted unanimously Jan. 30 in support of the bill, and the House passed the bill unanimously
]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:03:43 GMT 181379de-2631-4a83-a3e8-18d92ee42ace <![CDATA[Mom's viewpoints on truancy, school change after serving sentence]]> Mom's viewpoints on truancy, school change after serving sentence
by Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - When Crystal Kaufman was called into circuit court over her son's school absences, and then sentenced to community service at a nearby elementary, she wasn't happy.
"I was irritated," she admits. "I said, 'Why did they need me?'"
Kaufman, a St. Albans mother of four, discovered after her first day of service not only that her efforts were needed and appreciated, but also that she loved being at Alban Elementary, where two of her children attend.
She put in twice the amount of time she was ordered to serve and expects to continue. She has embarked on a fundraising effort to get iPads for an entire classroom and is seeking donations for an upcoming school trip.
Meanwhile, her 16-year-old son with truancy issues is back at his own school, and his grades are improving. His 20 absences because of bullying issues are what landed her in court.
When he balked at returning to school, she didn't force him, she said. Now she insists, and he complies.
Her time at Alban Elementary has impressed on her how important school time is and how difficult the job of educators.  
"I took teachers for granted, even the principal," Kaufman said. "I understand now. Once I sat back and watched. Now I know they do things they don't have to. And they don't have time for all the things they have to do."
She is impressed about what schools are doing, and she wants to be sure her kids are there to benefit.  
"At the end of the day, they do need to be in school," Kaufman said. "Once they go so far, they are lost. It gave me an eye-opener."
She is one of 19 Kanawha parents sentenced to community service, many of them in schools.
Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom, who is handling the toughest truancy cases, is pleased at the result in some cases like Kaufman's.
"These parents have been ordered to do community service, and some of them have completed that," he said. "What we're finding is that working in the school environment, and once they get involved in that community, they want to stay in that community."
Parents with criminal records are not eligible to volunteer in the schools but do community service through the Kanawha Day Report Center.
"Some of these parents are going to come before me a second time for non-compliance," Bloom said. "And they will be going to jail."
Kanawha County Schools Attendance Director Eddie Ivey doesn't think that is too far to go to impress on families the need to send kids to class.
Ivey said, "We have wanted the court system to be directly involved in our truancy cases for many years. We want to make sure something is done once they get to that level.
"Now attention is being given to these families," he said. "And the decision may not be a favorable one for them.
"They look at it as a negative," Ivey said. "But from our point of view, we're pleased with the outcome. Once we get people to circuit court, we get people to realize that truancy is a major problem in our school system and our society.
"All of a sudden, truancy is definitely a crime no different than robbery or something like that," Ivey said. "You will be prosecuted for not sending your child to school, and if you are found guilty, you'll be sentenced to some sort of punishment.
"And that's what we want to try to teach young people along the way," he said. "If you do these things that are negative, then there are going to be some negative consequences."
But when those negative consequences turn into a positive effect, even better, said Bloom and Ivey.
"I can't solve the truancy problem by myself," Bloom said. "But if I can get them to establish good school habits at the elementary level, it can have a good effect long-term."
 
 
]]> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:04:35 GMT b8ac26ca-8a40-4ffa-aed1-4e770406e823 <![CDATA[Would alternative teacher certification help West Virginia schools, students?]]> Would alternative teacher certification help West Virginia schools, students?
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the southern coalfields of Logan County, in a blue-collar community haunted by memories of historic mining uprisings and the devastating Buffalo Creek flood, a less publicized but growing problem is racking the community: a shortage of public school teachers.
For a county that ranks near the bottom on a host of quality of life indexes -- poverty level, high school dropout rate, teenage birth rate -- a lack of teachers may not seem like the most pressing issue.
But for Logan superintendent Wilma Zigmond, who oversees the most understaffed school system in the state, the chronic shortage of teachers is emblematic of a serious larger problem besetting all of West Virginia.
"We've got shortages in science teachers, health, English, math teachers -- it's across the board," said Zigmond, whose county is short 71 full-time teachers this year. "And it's going to continue until we look at alternative forms of certification and do a better job of selling to young people that teaching is a profession. All children deserve a quality education, and to get that they need a well-trained teacher in the classroom."
About half of West Virginia's teaching force will be eligible to retire in the next decade, according to numbers from the American Federation of Teachers. That's about 10,000 teachers in the state gone in the next few years and an evaporating pool of new teachers to take their place.
A hostile environment
Despite a shortage of 690 full-time teaching positions this year, West Virginia law is unwelcoming to quick-fix solutions that could significantly expand the teaching pool, according to a number of national reports and a recent audit of the state's public school system.
"West Virginia's system for recruiting and retaining teachers is not taking advantage of any creative, innovative or nationally proven mechanisms to recruit and retain high quality teachers," said the education audit.
The National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan education advocacy group, gave the Mountain State a C- in 2011 for its policies to expand the pool of teachers, saying West Virginia law is laden with regulatory obstacles that make it difficult for would-be teachers to get alternative teaching licenses.
The state does have programs like Transition to Teaching, a federally funded alternate certification route that allows people with a bachelor's degree in a subject other than education to teach in public schools while completing online classes. Zigmond said the program worked well for the few teachers in Logan County, but funding for the program expires next year. 
Increasingly popular programs like Teach for America, an AmeriCorps-style service program that recruits college graduates to teach in some of the most downtrodden rural and urban school districts in the country for two years, have hit bureaucratic snags when they try to expand in West Virginia.
"In West Virginia, there are many stipulations and a whole lot of hurdles to get an alternative certification," said Will Nash, executive director of the Appalachia branch of Teach for America. "The current legislation makes for a difficult climate to get new teachers to the state. That's the number one limiting factor."
Kaitlin Curry, a 25-year-old from Ronceverte in Greenbrier County, is a second-year TFA recruit who teaches eighth-grade English at a charter school in Memphis. She is one of the 20 or so TFA applicants from West Virginia who must leave the state each year to teach because of West Virginia's cumbersome alternate teaching certification process.
"I felt like I needed to go into education for social justice," said Curry, an English major from Shepherd University. "I wanted to get a teaching certificate without going back to school after I got my master's, and TFA just fit. I absolutely would have loved to teach in West Virginia if that had been an option."
TFA, which recruits college grads from some of the top universities in the country and provides them with intensive fast-tracked teacher training and ongoing professional development, opened up an Appalachia branch in April. Thirty TFA members are now serving as first-year teachers in some of Eastern Kentucky's highest-need schools, and TFA plans to bring 90 teachers to understaffed schools in the area in the next three years.  
Steps in the right direction
West Virginia lawmakers are starting to wake up to the very real possibility of a crippling hole in the teacher force and are taking what many educators say are critical first steps in expanding the teaching pool. Delegate David Perry, D-Fayette, sponsored two bills this legislative session that aim to roll back some of the teaching certification regulations and allow more nontraditional teachers in the classroom.
"We've got many classrooms that don't have trained, highly certified teachers," said Perry. "West Virginia has a shortage of about 1,700 teachers this year [including teachers teaching outside their subject area and long-term substitutes]. It's a proven fact that a highly trained teacher makes all the difference with test scores and instruction." 
Both bills, which have passed the House of Delegates and are pending in the Senate, allow college graduates who majored in subjects like chemistry to skip the education degree and get on-the-job training and intensive mentoring as they work toward a teaching certificate. Public schools with staffing shortages can hire these alternative-certified teachers-in-training if no qualified, fully certified teachers apply for the job. 
Perry hopes both bills will net the state about 50 new teachers a year.
Nash, of TFA Appalachia, says Perry's bills open the doors for a Teach for America program in West Virginia, but could do more to allow would-be teachers to receive alternative certification based on their mastery of subjects like math, English and science.
But Judy Hale, president of West Virginia's arm of the American Federation of Teachers, thinks easing provisions for alternate teacher certification is just a Band-Aid on the larger education problem.
"Alternative certification is certainly not the answer to the shortages, it is a small piece of the puzzle," said Hale. "A competitive salary is the number one factor in getting qualified teachers to join the force. So while we're very hesitant about alternative certification, we also recognize the need of students to have someone in the classroom rather than five substitutes, which is what is currently happening."
A February 2010 study from Harvard University found no significant difference in student performance between teachers with alternative and regular certifications, and Zigmond says she would welcome any alternatively certified teacher to her schools.
"A lot of students nowadays go to college and don't know what they're going to do," she said. "They get out of college, and then realize that they don't actually want to be in business and decide hey, 'I could really teach math.' I don't know what makes us think that when these kids go to college they pick their career for life, and I think we need to be flexible with that."
 
]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:17:15 GMT 692a9c62-3bc8-47e9-88f7-c4d6a9123d2d <![CDATA[Charles McElwee: Education audit raises many issues]]> Charles McElwee: Education audit raises many issues
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Because West Virginia students scored poorly in national tests, Gov. Tomblin ordered a statewide audit of public schools. The audit's results were released Jan. 3. Here are some of the audit's recommendations, with my observations:
Reorganize and right-size the Department of Education.
Reorganization should be preceded by a thorough study, evaluation and possible reformation of duties presently imposed on the state Board of Education, the superintendent of schools and the Department of Education in the West Virginia Code. Much of the law is obsolete, redundant, inconsistent and of questionable value in an era when the focus is on the quality of the teacher in the classroom.
Take responsibility for professional development of teachers away from the secretary of education and arts, and vest it in the Department of Education.
West Virginia has two departments of education: one by that name and the other the Department of Education and the Arts. The audit questions why the Department of Education and the Arts was given authority only for professional development and "not everything else." The answers, according to the audit, "are historically and politically, not education and efficiency, based.")
Make the secretary of education and the arts a watchdog of the Board of Education to make sure it remains publicly accountable.
It would be an anomaly for a legislatively created agency (the Department of Education and the Arts) to be given authority to make sure that a constitutionally created agency (the Board of Education) is doing its job.
Reorganize professional development of teachers.
The audit states that educational leaders do not "know who is in charge of professional development (of teachers) in West Virginia." No wonder. According to the audit, there are numerous state, regional and county agencies involved with redundant and inconsistent authorities.)
Improve oversight and accountability of Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) to maximize resources.
The audit says there are "variances in staffing levels" in the eight RESAs ranging "from 17 staff in RESA 2 to 131 in RESA 8." The roles of the RESAs, and their siblings eight Regional Staff Development Councils, are not, in my opinion, understood by the public, and should be scrutinized.)
West Virginia needs to do more both to empower and strengthen principals, and to hold them accountable.
School principals probably more than any others in the school system are held responsible for student achievement. They should not be, because they have no authority to either employ or dismiss teachers in their schools.
Research overwhelmingly finds that the most important factor in education is teacher effectiveness.
The audit restates this view: "Having effective teachers rises to the top of every study as the most important factor in determining student success. Highly qualified, effective teachers are more important than: family income, what school a child attends, class size, type of teacher certification, or advanced degrees earned by a teacher, in predicting student achievement." Studies uphold the audit's conclusion.
The best predictor of teacher effectiveness is not certification, advanced degrees or experience level.
Advanced degrees, such as master's, do not appear to improve teacher effectiveness -- and while their effectiveness may improve in the first four or five years of experience, there isn't much evidence that teachers become more effective beyond that period. This comes from a 2004 National Council on Teacher Quality report, "Increasing the Odds. How Good Policies Can Yield Better Teachers."
Tying additional compensation to advanced degrees and teaching experience should be discouraged.
According to the audit, "research has shown unequivocally that advanced degrees do not impact teacher effectiveness." West Virginia measures teacher effectiveness in terms of certification, academic degrees, graduate hours and teaching experience. State minimum salary schedules are based on these factors.

The state's current minimum salary schedule recognizes that a teacher with 35 years of experience is more effective than a teacher with 34 years, and is thus given a higher minimum salary.
Other conclusions of the audit:
* Seniority should be eliminated as a factor in teacher hiring practices.
* Differential pay should be supported with compensation tied to teacher effectiveness.
* Make West Virginia a leader in remote technology and distance learning.
* Establish a Teach for America program to recruit teachers for hard-to-serve areas.
* Create career ladders for teachers.
* Establish a teacher evaluation system modeled after national best practices and research.
* Give principals freedom and responsibility in hiring and releasing teachers, scheduling, and to spend the school budget on the best programs and services for students.
All these recommendations are bound to be controversial in that authority to employ and dismiss teachers is now vested in county boards of education. The recommendations seek to establish accountability in the public school system, which is now much too diffused. There may be merit the audit's recommendations and they should be given serious consideration.
A large number of the audit's recommendations relate to teacher effectiveness, which more and more is being viewed as the most important consideration in student achievement.
In my opinion, Public Works LLC, performer of the Audit, has produced a good blueprint for revising the state's public school system that should be evaluated for possible implementation.
McElwee is a Charleston lawyer with the firm Robinson & McElwee PLLC.
 
]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:12:58 GMT 964dcbdf-f667-4b50-abac-0c4277919334 <![CDATA[Let’s help state students prosper by moving past ‘teaching to test’]]> Let’s help state students prosper by moving past ‘teaching to test’
Times West Virginian editorial
We all remember a special teacher who touched our lives, inspired us to reach for the stars, taught us about the world outside the pages of our textbooks.

Those teachers still exist today. They are just bound by unrealistic expectations that force them to “teach to the test” so their schools, county and state can meet standardized progress requirements. So instead of being able to take time out to focus on life’s lessons, or to teach a standard lesson in an extraordinary way, they must keep a rigorous schedule so that all material that could appear on the annual WESTEST is covered before May.

It’s what the WESTEST has done to education in West Virginia. Instead of a well-rounded education, school officials are forced to keep WESTEST in the forefronts of their minds. It’s about the score in the end.

And who can blame the teachers or the principals or the county or the state? It’s a mandate forced upon the state by the U.S. Department of Education under the No Child Left Behind legislation. Each state, and each county and school by extension, must meet Annual Yearly Progress. Failure to do so comes with consequences, from financial ones to loss of students caused by transfers.

But West Virginia is asking the federal government for a reprieve from the federal accountability standards under NCLB so the state can move away from narrow, test-focused curriculum. State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple announced earlier this week that West Virginia will apply for a flexibility waiver this year so schools can offer a well-rounded curriculum that will not focus on test scores.

She wants an accountability system that measures each student’s growth from the beginning of the school year to the end.

We agree this is the best solution.

We understand the need for standardized testing. We have to make sure a student in Logan County is getting the same opportunity for education as students in Marion, Harrison or Monongalia counties.

However, there comes a point when the test itself hampers education.

“We must work beyond the narrow criteria with No Child Left Behind that defines student and school success as we revamp our accountability system. Student academic growth will be at the center,” Marple said Monday.

If granted, as it has been for 10 other states, the change would not take affect until the 2013-14 school year. That gives time for the West Virginia Department of Education to work with teachers, principals, legislators and other stakeholders to draft a new system that will build on core curriculum and a pilot teacher evaluation program

It’s time West Virginia took this kind of step. Only 48 percent of the state’s schools met AYP last year, even though reading scores improved in 75 percent of schools over the year before and math score improved in 50 percent of schools over the same time period. So even with significant improvement, as with many schools in Marion County, it’s still all about two numbers — how students tested in reading and math on the WESTEST.

It’s not about art or music or foreign languages or civics or nutrition or physical education — the kind of educational components that create a well-rounded student. Those areas have been neglected for more than a decade under NCLB legislation. If it’s not on the test, it’s easy to set it aside to focus on what “really” counts.

“There is a direct correlation between the arts and academic success,” Marple said. “When you narrow the curriculum you actually allow students to really understand what they’re not good at doing versus giving them success in a broad curriculum that will help them when they struggle in any given area. It’s a big mind change.”

And it’s a welcome change. When WESTEST was replaced by WESTEST2, it was intended to teach children in a way so they would think outside of the box — to take fundamental concepts and be able to apply them to real-life situations to prepare students to compete in the global marketplace. All we ended up with was a different box.

Hopefully by lessening the constraints that have been choking the educational system in the state, students will not just grasp fundamental principles, but will be able to blossom in areas outside of the Three Rs, too
 
]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:36:12 GMT e66fe1b0-1714-4f1d-9448-d4b59cfb9587 <![CDATA[Julian Martin: Students should evaluate teachers]]> Julian Martin: Students should evaluate teachers
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My memories of an upside down evaluation system were stirred by reading in the Gazette of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's proposed legislation on the evaluation of teachers and principals.
In the evaluation of any product, the user says how good it is. The customer evaluates the product and decides whether to purchase another and recommend it to their friends.
Don't for a minute think I equate education with products for sale. Learning is a wonderful experience; it is not a product. Learning should not be managed like a business or in a military fashion. The idea of learner outcomes reminds me of the instructors I had in Air Force basic training. They had a list of what their students would learn and stuck with it. Nothing creative or new happened. The outcomes were pre-ordained, no discoveries expected nor wanted.
Who knows best how well a teacher is doing? Could it possibly be the users, the students? Who knows best how the principal is doing his job? Could it be the teachers who know how well they are being served?
The evaluation system in schools when I was teaching ninth through 12th grades, 1977-1998, had the principals evaluating the teachers, the teachers evaluating the students and the students were never asked.
Assuming the user knows best, students should evaluate teachers and the teachers evaluate the principal. For hiring, it should run in a similar direction. Teachers would interview candidates and hire the principal who could best serve the teachers. Because politics are so pervasive at the administrative levels in public education, I hesitate to propose that principals evaluate and hire the superintendent. Maybe teachers should do that, too.
I remember observing a class in California when the principal made an unannounced visit. The teacher in mid-sentence changed his presentation to one that he had especially prepared for such occasions. He was good at it and the principal was impressed. But students can't be fooled like that; they are there every day. And the principal might be able to fool the superintendent but not the teachers who experience his leadership or lack of it every day.
"Hardly anything," was the answer I got when I asked his former student what a certain teacher taught. That teacher had political connections and taught past retirement age. I doubt if the former student's honest, from-the-gut evaluation ever appeared in top-down evaluations.
Some say students can't be trusted to be fair in evaluating teachers nor take the responsibility seriously. I tried student evaluations several times with ninth- through 12th-graders. I found that, when I gave students responsibility, they were glad to be treated with respect and, as a result, acted responsibly. Student fairness was not what teachers needed to fear. It was far more likely that a principal with a political grudge would use the evaluation system to harass or get rid of a teacher.
Even if student evaluations are not included in the evaluation of a teacher, they should at least be presented to the teacher for their consideration. It was good for this teacher to know what my students thought I was good at and where they thought I needed improvement. No one knew better than my students whether learning took place in my class.
Martin, of Charleston, is a retired teacher
 
]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:23:10 GMT c87e02a5-1dc3-48f4-882e-b3d77385407f <![CDATA[Could Logan County schools go year-round?]]> Could Logan County schools go year-round?
by MICHAEL BROWNING, Logan Banner
 
WEST LOGAN — Could the school year go from the traditional calendar with summers off to year-round classes?

The Logan County Board of Education discussed the possibility of school calendar changes at last week’s regular meeting in West Logan.

Board Member Moss Burgess questioned if there has been any state-level discussion of changes to the traditional calendar. Logan County Schools Superintendent Wilma Zigmond said a new calendar has not been handed down, but other counties are experimenting with students going to school all year, with smaller breaks at different periods on the calendar instead of just having the entire summer off.

“The faculty senate chairs have a meeting once a month and we talk about school issues, problems and answer questions,” Zigmond said. “I said there’s only so many things you can do to a calendar. You have to have 180 days by law. Service personnel can only work 43 weeks once you start the school year. There are guidelines you have to follow.”

Zigmond said she asked that the suggestions be taken back to the teachers to get feedback on a possible new school calendar.

“We used to vote on the calendar, but it became silly to take that time because the only thing they got to vote on was getting a spring break and they always wanted a spring break,” Zigmond said.

According to Zigmond, she has seen three versions of a possible school calendar that have been issued by the state.

“One is the traditional calendar like we already have,” Zigmond said. “One calendar is called the Balanced Calendar, which is year-round school. You might be in school two months and then out three weeks, then in school three more months and then out three more weeks. That’s a balanced calendar that’s year-round. Then you have a calendar that starts around August 3 and then would finish the first semester before Christmas so that when they went on break for first semester, when they came back, they would be in the second semester. Prior to this year, that would have been a smart calendar if you’re really interested in education because you would have gotten most of the bad weather over before Christmas and our bad weather usually came in January and February. So, I gave them three copies of the calendar and told them to look at it and to come up with some ideas. Some of our neighboring counties, like Kanawha County, has two elementary schools that are on the Balanced Calendar and they love it and wouldn’t go back.”

Zigmond said the current school calendar was set up so that kids would get out of school in time to work on the farms and they would work all summer, then go back to school in August after the crops were harvested.

“We all know that that doesn’t happen anymore, so there’s no reason to have a traditional calendar,” Zigmond said. “The faculty senate chairs were there the other day and numerous of them said they would love to try a balanced calendar in a school or two to see what the affects are.”

Zigmond said she doesn’t expect the calendar to change anytime soon, but, the state is looking at different configurations. Zigmond said Logan County has teachers from Mingo and Lincoln counties and they try to work with neighboring counties to keep the calendars the same so that those teachers and their children, who may go to school in the neighboring counties, can have spring break off together.

“There’s lots of different things to do with the calendar. We had hoped the state would send out a calendar,” Zigmond said. “That’s just food for thought.”


 
]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:15:24 GMT 15ee198c-c6b8-4ad0-85ac-adfd7dc255be <![CDATA[State education officials seek No Child Left Behind waiver]]> State education officials seek No Child Left Behind waiver
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia education officials announced Monday they would seek a waiver from key requirements of the decade-old federal No Child Left Behind law by enacting school accountability reforms and expanding a teacher evaluation pilot program.
After months of sitting on the sidelines as other states applied for the federal waivers, Jorea Marple, state superintendent of schools, said adopting accountability measures in exchange for flexibility from the most stringent requirements of No Child Left Behind was "the right thing to do."
"While the writers of No Child Left Behind had the right goals in mind, the law's one-size-fits-all approach has proven ineffective as a mechanism for accountability," said Marple. "Without a waiver, West Virginia would be forced to continue to identify schools with inappropriate measures and labels. What we value in our education system is personalized learning ... that engages students whether it's the arts, world languages, or career technical education."
The Obama administration announced in late September that it would roll back some of the key requirements of the Bush-era education law, including the 2014 deadline for all students to be proficient in math and reading/language arts in exchange for states adopting education reforms.
In early February, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee were grated waivers for their plans to improve student performance and bolster school accountability. The Department of Education denied New Mexico's request for a waiver, but the state is working with the Obama administration to update its proposal.
In total, eleven states applied for waivers by the first deadline in November, and 28 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are expected to apply for waivers later this year.
West Virginia had been on the fence about applying for the waiver and was waiting to see which proposals the federal government approved before applying for the state exemption, said Marple.
Without a waiver, West Virginia risks being slapped with sanctions for not meeting improvement expectations for minority, low-socioeconomic and special needs children. In 2011, 52 percent of schools in the state did not make "adequate yearly progress" for student scores in those subgroups on the state's standardized test.   
On Monday, state education officials estimated that every school in West Virginia would be labeled a failing school by 2014 under the NCLB standards.
"We have long known that No Child Left Behind was a flawed system, it was a system that was never going to work," said Judy Hale, president of the state's arm of the American Federation of Teachers. "It is important to move away from teaching to the test, and that we look at the whole child. And we look at the arts, which teachers have been forced to neglect because we've had to concentrate and narrow the curriculum."
To be granted a waiver, states must show they are preparing students for college and careers, set their own targets for improving student achievement, and implement teacher evaluation systems based in part on student performance -- reforms that are cornerstones of the Obama administration's $4 billion Race to the Top competition.
West Virginia will submit its proposal for a waiver on Sept. 6, 2012, and will focus on a quality accountability system, implementing more rigorous content standards called the Common Core, and expanding a teacher evaluation program that takes student learning into account.
On Monday, right after the announcement by the WVDE about its plans for the waiver, the House of Delegates approved a bill that would expand a pilot teacher evaluation system program to all 55 counties in the state by 2013-2014.
Under the House bill, teachers in their first five years of teaching would be evaluated every year. Teachers with five or more years of experience who have not received a negative performance evaluation will be evaluated once every three years, according to the House bill.
Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education, said the House bill mirrors the teacher evaluation pilot program in that it requires all teachers to be evaluated annually. Teachers with five or more years of experience receive an annual evaluation with goal setting, self-assessment, and a conference with the principal, said Cordeiro.

The Gazette could not find this provision of the House Bill in the text of the legislation available online Monday. 
Eighty percent of a teacher's evaluation would be based on a teacher's ability to meet professional teaching standards (skill in implementing curriculum and setting high standards), 15 percent of the evaluation would be based on evidence of student learning and 5 percent would be based on students' test scores under the new evaluation bill. School administrators would sit in on teachers to observe their interactions in the classroom.
Teachers who receive poor ratings will be put on improvement plans and given one year to correct deficiencies. If the teacher doesn't show improvement in teaching students the next year, school administrators can recommend that the teacher receive more improvement training or be fired.
The same version of the teacher evaluation bill was also advanced in the state Senate last week.
The Bush-era No Child Left Behind legislation was meant to identify struggling schools by monitoring student performance on annual state standardized tests. Schools were expected to make "adequate yearly progress" in improving test scores for minority children, students from low-socioeconomic families and special education students or risk being labeled "low performing." 
Before NCLB, most state accountability systems held schools accountable only for average student achievement levels, which could mask significant achievement gaps. A school that looked "high performing" could have many disadvantaged students falling further and further behind.
Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, called No Child Left Behind a "race to mediocrity" and applauded the state board for taking action to go "in the direction where we as West Virginians control our own destiny."
"It is vitally important that we get away from the mediocrity standards set by the federal government of No Child Left Behind," said Plymale. "We realize that education is our right to run in the state of West Virginia."
As part of its waiver proposal, the WVDE will also request that the current NCLB adequate yearly progress targets be frozen for one year so additional schools are not identified as failing
 
]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:04:55 GMT dfbcb556-ed98-4510-b9b9-f3189e8df1e6 <![CDATA[Critic speaks out against teacher merit pay]]> Critic speaks out against teacher merit pay
by The Washington Post
 
Merit pay for teachers, an idea kicked around for decades, is suddenly gaining traction. The concept is picking up steam from a growing cadre of politicians who think one way to improve the country's troubled schools is to give fat bonuses to good teachers.
The Obama administration has encouraged states to embrace merit pay, highlighting it as one step states could take to compete for more than $4 billion in federal funds through the Race to the Top program. Indiana and Florida passed legislation that requires merit pay for teachers; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, announced a few weeks ago that he wants the same.
The most recent convert: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent. "This is an idea whose time has come," Bloomberg declared at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting last month. "I'm confident that if the teachers are allowed to decide the matter for themselves, they'll support it in New York City just the way they did here in Washington, D.C."
What if they're all wrong?
Meet Dan Pink, author of the 2009 bestseller "Drive." He's a former White House speechwriter, a student of social science, a highly sought-after lecturer and an influential voice when it comes to what motivates Americans in the workplace.
What does he think of merit pay for teachers?
"It doesn't work."
Pink, 47, is holding forth from his writer's studio in a converted garage that sits behind his six-bedroom house. Surrounded by a wall of books dotted with knicknacks made by his three children, he pads around in stocking feet, a living testimonial to his work.
"Rewards are very effective for some things - simple things, mechanical things," he explains. "But for complicated jobs that require judgment and creativity, the evidence shows that it just doesn't work very well." Teaching, of course, is one of those jobs.
The impetus for his investigation of what drives us came in an e-mail from a reader, who wanted to know how to motivate his employees. Pink got knee-deep in research on the subject and was surprised to learn that offering a reward to entice someone to perform complex tasks often does not have the desired effect and can even make that person perform less well.
He was struck by a 1973 study by psychologists Mark Lepper, David Greene and Robert Nisbett that illustrates this clearly. Watching a preschool class, the researchers identified the children who most enjoyed drawing. They divided those children into three groups. The first group was shown an elaborate "Good Player" certificate and the children were asked if they wanted to draw to receive the certificate. The second group was asked if they wanted to draw and, if they did, were given the unexpected reward of a "Good Player" certificate afterward. The third group was asked if they wanted to draw but was neither promised an award at the beginning nor surprised with one at the end.
Two weeks later, the researchers observed that the children in the second and third groups - who had either been given an unexpected award or no award at all - drew with as much enthusiasm as they had before the experiment. But the children who had been offered the reward showed less interest and spent less time drawing.
Other scientists replicated these findings through different experiments, proving the effect with not just children but adults as well.
In 2010, the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University published what it termed the first scientifically rigorous study of merit pay for teachers. Researchers found teachers in the Nashville public schools who were offered bonuses of up to $15,000 a year for improved student scores on standardized tests made no greater gains than teachers who were not offered merit pay.
Tangible, extrinsic rewards can dampen intrinsic motivation, Pink said, noting that these findings have been repeated in dozens of experiments over the decades. "The science on this is robust," he said. "And it's also among the most ignored."
What does work?
Pink said research shows that people who hold jobs that require creativity and sophisticated problem-solving perform best when they have autonomy, an opportunity to master something and a sense of purpose.
He could have been talking about himself.
 
]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:40:21 GMT 95899f7c-522f-415f-bd85-af571d76c504 <![CDATA[Cabell County looks to utilize money saved by OPEB bill]]> Cabell County looks to utilize money saved by OPEB bill
February 22, 2012 @ 11:30 PM
BILL ROSENBERGER
The Herald-Dispatch
 
HUNTINGTON -- Some programs and employees with Cabell County Schools have a brighter future now that the financial burden of the state's unfunded liability has been moved from the local to state level.
 
Superintendent William Smith said Wednesday that instructional and graduation coaches who were hired using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is in its final year, will remain at the high schools.
 
Their salaries will be paid for with the savings that the Other Post Employment Benefits bill signed into law this week provides.
 
He also said there are other programs that can expand or get off the ground thanks to the bill, which will drop the county's annual liability for the benefits by as much as 85 percent.
 
OPEB is defined as a benefit for retirees that allow them to trade unused sick time for additional months of health care coverage. The benefit was cut for employees hired after June 2010.
 
Entities must still book their annual liability, but because the state has agreed to fund it for 30 years, no money will have to be paid.
 
Boards of education will benefit the most, with the state taking an estimated 80 to 85 percent off their books based on the school aid formula, which is calculated based on student enrollment. Those employees paid with federal dollars or with local funds will remain on the boards' books. Both Cabell and Wayne counties have local levies to support additional teachers, service personnel and central office support staff.
 
Cabell County Schools Treasurer Jody Lucas said the compounding liability had reached $23 million during the past three years, but he said it is likely to drop to about $3 million a year for 15 years before steadily declining.
 
That will free up quite a bit of money on the accounting statements, he said.
 
"This is going to help," Lucas said.
 
The legislation will shift an estimated $820 million previously charged to county school boards across the state for these costs. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who signed the legislation Monday, said it will also save the school boards $485 million in future payments.
 
The drastic amount of the unfunded liability was put on paper for the first time in the last decade after the Governmental Accountings Standings Board required that public agencies follow the same accounting rule, known as GASB 45, as private companies. It requires that businesses and government agencies account for the unfunded liability on their books.
 
Lucas and Marshall University President Stephen Kopp said it made people realize how big a problem it was and created an urgency to address it.
 
"I think it was a good thing," Lucas said. "But painful. It was going to hit some generation, either now or down the road. West Virginia has taken action now to solve it."
 
Marshall will still have to book the liability, which was $27 million last fiscal year and is expected to grow by nearly $12 million to bring the total liability for the 2012 fiscal year to $38.9 million.
 
It's quite a lofty number, but now there is assurance the university will not have to pay up.
 
"It will eventually lead to a negative asset balance on our audit," said Mary Ellen Heuton, the university's chief financial officer. "Hopefully, even when this happens, the fact that the state has enacted this legislation will keep us in a favorable light with the credit rating agencies."
 
Ted Cheatham, director of the state's Public Employees Insurance Agency, said it won't help their balance sheets, but said it isn't their responsibility to cover.
 
"We're still saying that the liability goes to the employer, but ... today as we stand, there is no intention of trying to collect that money because we've got a plan in place to fund it by 2036," said "You can just book it and move on."
Kopp said indecision of who was ultimately going to pay for the benefit and how was disturbing, but he said lawmakers stepped up and took responsibility for the state-mandated benefit.
 
"As long as that liability was lurking out there, but not evident or as transparent as it became on our audits, it was easy to dismiss and say it's not that important," Kopp said. "I think we've eliminated the uncertainly and that's a very powerful result of what's taken place here."
 
The OPEB bill dedicates $30 million in annual personal income tax revenues starting in 2016 toward paying down the estimated $5 billion in liability, with an expected payoff in 2036. Currently, that stream of revenue is used to pay off the workers' compensation fund, which will be fully funded in 2016.
 
To aid the bill, PEIA cut the long-term liability by about 40 percent in December by capping the state's annual allocation increase to 3 percent. Cheatham said that ultimately means employers and employees will be putting in larger shares to make up for the rising cost of health care, which grows at a higher rate each year.
 
"That will have a direct impact (on the budget), but not like what OPEB would," Lucas said. "Nothing like what we've been looking at."
 
Kopp said his bigger concern is the impact of the compounding liability on bond ratings.
 
Cheatham said all indications are the two biggest organizational credit rating agencies, Moody's and Fitch, won't penalize West Virginia.
 
"The message I get today is when people look at credit rating, they are putting OPEB off to the side," Cheatham said. "But (the legislation) is going to help even more. The ways these bond ratings are, they will look favorably because we have a plan and the state is funding the plan."
]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:33:29 GMT af65a70b-f7b0-4fe1-9f64-df7c81ea7ec1 <![CDATA[Teacher Evaluation Bill Moves On]]>
Teacher Evaluation Bill Moves On
WV MetroNews Staff
State Capitol
A bill that would require annual evaluations of teachers and principals in West Virginia's public schools has now cleared two major House committees.
The measure was approved by the House Finance Committee Tuesday after receiving the okay from the House Education Committee earlier in the legislative session.
The state Dept. of Education and state Board of Education are planning to apply for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind act. One of the requirements to get a waiver is to have teacher evaluations linked, in part, to student achievement.
Teacher evaluations have been a bone of contention the last few years at the statehouse, but the idea seems to have momentum now because education officials want the federal waiver.
"We really have nailed out the details during the past year," Assistant State Superintendent Amelia Davis Courts told members of the committee Tuesday. Courts has worked on a task force that's been studying the evaluation issue.
Courts says the state Board of Education would like to have the additional flexibility that getting out from under No Child Left Behind would bring. She says there are "unreasonable expectations and labeling of schools" under the federal education act.
The evaluation bill now goes to the full House of Delegates for consideration.
 
]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:31:06 GMT 9d26e143-bd51-4742-9d2b-d4348adc6336 <![CDATA[Debt liability solution hailed by Tomblin]]> Debt liability solution hailed by Tomblin
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When he first became Senate Finance Committee chairman in 1987, Earl Ray Tomblin said Monday, he could not have imagined a day when the state would have all its long-term debts in order.
"When I started out as Finance chair, we had so many liabilities, it was hard to think past the next day," Tomblin, now the state's governor, said Monday after signing into law a bill  (SB469) that sets up a payment plan to pay off the state's $5 billion unfunded liability for future health care benefits for retired state and public school employees.
In the intervening 25 years, the state has come up with funding plans to fully fund pension plans for teachers and public employees, to privatize workers' compensation and pay down nearly $3 billion in previous workers' comp debts, and on Monday, to fund the liability for other post-employment benefits, or OPEB.
"Today, we take the last step in ending our long-term debts," Tomblin said during a bill signing ceremony at the Capitol.
"This is the state's last outstanding liability, and it will be gone by 2036," he said.
The legislation redirects $30 million a year of personal income tax collections into a fund to pay down the long-term liability up front. Without the fund, the pay-as-you-go cost for retiree health benefits was projected at one point to grow to more than $600 million a year.
The fund is the last piece of a plan that included actions by the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board to eliminate state subsidy of retiree health care for all state and public school employees hired after July 1, 2010, and in December, to cap the state's overall contribution to retiree health benefits at current levels, with no more than 3 percent growth a year.
The legislation also will put $5 million of year of personal income tax collections into a trust fund to help post-2010 hires buy health insurance when they retire

For Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, the bill signing was the culmination of more than three years of efforts to get the long-term liability under control.
"By putting this behind us, we are in a position to do some heavy lifting in the future, whether it's roads and infrastructure, or salaries and benefits," McCabe said. "Hopefully, we will see the benefits of this in the years ahead, as we are better able to invest in opportunities ahead."
He noted that the governor's office, Legislature and representatives of public employees and teachers' unions were able work out a compromise -- in contrast to a number of states, where state officials and public employees unions are at loggerheads over efforts to rein in state budgets.
One of those union leaders, West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee, said the legislation should benefit public education in both the short- and long-term.
The law immediately takes about $485 million of OPEB liability off the books of county school boards, and frees up about $20 million in funds that some school boards had set aside in the event they were held liable for the long-term benefits.
"That's money that can be put into the classrooms for the kids," Lee said.
"West Virginia being willing to be the first state to address this issue shows the fiscal responsibility we've employed," he said. "It also tells me we need to make an additional investment in the state, to continue to invest in education."
]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:14:25 GMT 7d10ea1f-a9be-4596-b34f-3fb562043322 <![CDATA[OPEB Put To Bed]]>
OPEB Put To Bed
WV MetroNews
State Capitol
West Virginia is the first state to have a comprehensive plan in place to address the debt created by health care costs for future state retirees. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed the OPEB bill into law Monday afternoon.
OPEB, Other Post-Employment Benefits, was a $10 billion unfunded liability just a year ago. Now the state's plan would have that debt paid for by 2040. Two key decisions will make that happen.
The state Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board passed a plan last year that caps state subsidies for retirees’ health care. That move alone cut the $10 billion debt in half. The legislature did the rest by passing the OPEB bill last week.
The new law will require the state to take $30 million a year for 24 years, beginning in 2016, and apply it to the unfunded liability. The payment will come from money currently being used to pay down the debt in the old workers' compensation fund, which will be completed in 2016.
Sen. Brooks McCabe has worked on the OPEB issue for several years. He says he was confident the state would reach this day; it was just a matter of when.
"What's helpful this time around is everybody was pushing in the same direction. No one was trying to make it difficult. Everyone was candid in what the problems were, the issues we needed to address," McCabe said.
The senator says there's a good amount of pain involved, but it is spread equally.
"The state is putting more money into it and we are doing a better job of defining future benefits," McCabe, D-Kanawha, said.
Gov. Tomblin said the PEIA Finance Board’s decision will keep health insurance premiums at reasonable rates. But West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee is taking a wait and see approach.
"The jury is still out on it," Lee said. "It's really going to depend on inflation, the medical rate of inflation."
Lee says that's why it was so important for the teachers union to keep the 12 cost containment measures in the final version of the bill. He says keeping costs down will help retirees to be able to have premiums they can afford.
"We need to do everything we can to keep premiums to a point where they can afford to make the decision whether they have health insurance and medicine or food," Lee said.
West Virginia American Federation of Teachers President Judy Hale says county boards of education will no longer have to put money aside to address their OPEB debt. She says that money should now be freed up to hire the personnel necessary to teach the children.
"For the last few years every time they have laid off somebody or we have needed a computer lab for example they've said, 'We've got to put money back for OPEB,' okay, that money for OPEB is now freed up," Hale said. "Even though the counties are not saying it-- they will not have to spend one penny on the OPEB liability."
]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:13:46 GMT b7b82bcf-03ab-45b7-91f0-2200ae2722c1 <![CDATA[Schools chief looks to address WV education audit]]> Schools chief looks to address WV education audit
Herald-Dispatch.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — As Jorea Marple's first year of leading West Virginia's public schools winds down, she's faced with perhaps her biggest challenge: working with key stakeholders to sort through a massive audit of the education system.
Commissioned by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, the top-to-bottom audit released last month includes recommendations to trim and reorganize the state Department of Education's high-level positions. It also targets teachers, principals and school coursework.
The recommendations range from a voluntary merit pay system for teachers, to reduced workloads for new educators, using distance-learning technology, and penalizing counties that fail to provide at least 180 days of instruction annually.
"The premise that we can be more efficient is a sound one," Marple said in an interview with The Associated Press to discuss her first year, which began March 1. "There are many recommendations in that report that support the direction that we're moving."
Immediate action can be taken on several recommendations that fall within the state Board of Education's authority, Marple said. Many others will need some sorting out.
"Our suggestion is that we put it through a filter to make sure that the recommendations are always in the best interests of the children and support high-quality teachers in our classrooms," she said.
According to a draft response presented to the state board for its review, the department would form an advisory group to address a recommendation to reorganize the Department of Education, including the operation of the eight Regional Education Services Agencies.
Several audit recommendations call on the state to become a leader in education-related technology and distance learning, and Marple said technology is one of her department's main funding goals in the Legislature.
The department is seeking $23 million annually over the next four years to provide computers for students in six grade levels, giving them access to online resources and assessment tests. The goal is to outfit every grade level by 2020.
It would enable students "to access the whole virtual world and will be able to learn 24-7," Marple said. "(They) can stop carrying 50-pound book bags because they can have PDF files on their computers to access textbooks."
Marple said school districts across the country are moving toward so-called one-on-one technology. While Mingo Central and Wirt County high schools have done that, they're in the minority.
"More and more lack of access to technology is existing out there," Marple said. "What we have to have is a plan and a funding source."
The department's main legislative priorities also include pay raises for educators and service personnel, funding for regional education service agencies, reducing the debt in post-employment benefits, and encouraging the mentoring of new teachers.
West Virginia teachers received across-the-board raises of $1,488 last year, their first since 2008. The National Education Association says the average teacher in West Virginia was paid $44,701 in the 2009-10 school year, ranking it 48th among the states.
Although Tomblin's proposed budget does not include pay increases for teachers beyond the automatic raises tied to years of service, Marple stressed the state needs to act now to study ways to attract young teachers. New teachers currently are paid about $31,000 a year.
Marple said many schools have staffing problems. And according to her department, 44 percent of public school teachers and 59 percent of principals will have reached retirement age within the next five years.
"I go to school, I walk down the hall and there'll be class after class that has a substitute in it, or I listen to students tell me they've had three or four subs this year for algebra 1," Marple said. "Having high-quality teachers in our classrooms is essential to student achievement."
Bills now under consideration in the Legislature would provide college graduates who did not earn a teaching degree with support and mentoring as they work toward a teaching certificate. Among the intent is to help generate more teachers in critical areas such as math, science and special education.
Senate Education Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, has called the Department of Education's budget priorities disappointing and told Marple they had one major omission: Improving the lives of students.
Marple disagrees with that notion. Her background indicates students are her priority.
A Sutton native, Marple followed her mother in becoming a teacher. Marple first worked in Greenbrier County in 1969. She had several roles in Kanawha County, including as schools superintendent from 1993 to 1998. She was the deputy state schools superintendent before taking over as superintendent.
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee singled out Marple's efforts to spend time in classrooms and hear teachers' concerns.
Based on that, Marple got the state Board of Education to change requirements that students have 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading and 60 minutes of uninterrupted math. Attention to the two subjects is still required, but there are no time constraints and teachers are now allowed to use their own judgment, Lee said.
"She is very teacher friendly, very student friendly and seeks input from everyone, including classroom teachers, on the best ways to improve an already good education system," Lee said.
 
]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:33:35 GMT 30b59c6f-4bb6-414f-8328-07e42be06d46 <![CDATA[Elaine Darling: Student vaccines are important]]> Elaine Darling: Student vaccines are important

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In response to "Health board president: Residents not yet aware of new vaccine requirements," Jan. 20, last year, changes were made to the state law that requires immunizations for school entry.

Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, students entering seventh grade will need to show proof of one dose of Tdap and one dose of the meningococcal vaccines. Students entering 12th grade will need to show proof of one dose of Tdap (the 7th grade dose will count for students who have had it) and one dose of meningococcal vaccine after age 16. These vaccines have been recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for some time, so many students have already received them. In fact, about half of all West Virginia teens have already had their Tdap and meningococcal vaccinations, so these teens already meet the new requirement.

The Tdap vaccine prevents tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease that can lead to severe complications and hospitalizations. Pertussis can also be fatal to infants who often contract it from unimmunized family members. Currently, there are three different outbreaks of pertussis occurring in West Virginia.

The meningococcal vaccine prevents bacterial meningitis, a disease for which adolescents and young adults are at increased risk. Meningitis is extremely dangerous. According to the CDC, 10 percent to 15 percent of those who contract meningitis die, while those who survive are often left with amputations, brain damage, nervous system damage, seizures or strokes. Therefore, the Tdap and meningococcal vaccines are very important in protecting teens and young adults from these dangerous, yet preventable, diseases.

When the change was made to add adolescent immunizations to the school immunization requirements, the West Virginia Immunization Network submitted a resolution in support of this change. This resolution was also signed by the West Virginia chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Family Physicians, Association of School Nurses, Perinatal Partnership, Primary Care Association, Public Health Association and the School-Based Health Assembly, whose members understand the positive impact that school immunization requirements have on the health of our students.

Since then, many efforts from organizations at both the state and community levels have been made to notify schools, healthcare providers, and the public of the adolescent immunization requirements. In April 2011, a memo from the state health officer was distributed to schools, health departments and providers, informing them of the changes to the school immunization requirements.

Backpack letters about the requirements were sent home to parents from the Bureau for Public Health's Division of Immunization Services. Throughout the summer, the West Virginia Immunization Network, Division of Immunization Services, the Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools and the Marshall University School Health Technical Assistance Center worked together to develop a toolkit, consisting of customizable materials that schools and health departments could use to inform parents about the requirements.

Multiple training opportunities were held to help prepare school nurses and school-based health personnel for the requirements. In the fall, the Division of Immunization Services launched an $84,000 media campaign to inform the public of the new requirements by placing ads on television stations around the state. It also distributed posters to schools. Additionally, many schools, health departments and health-care providers have been working diligently together to inform parents about the requirements through letters, websites, inserts in report cards, automated phone systems and press releases.

Our efforts to inform the public about the requirements will continue and we will look for more ways to ensure that our message is reaching all parts of the state. We, along with our multiple partners, including local health departments and school nurses, are proud of our state law, which is one of the strongest in the nation, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that students are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and that they are ready and healthy for their first day of school in the fall.

Darling is program manager for the West Virginia Immunization Network, a statewide coalition of more than 200 representatives from the public and private sectors who work to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

 

]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:56:09 GMT 2f09a272-3676-4763-b95f-cf39218e55a8 <![CDATA[State should pay more to get certain teachers]]> State should pay more to get certain teachers
A one-size-fits-all pay scale robs kids of qualified instructors

The state has a shortage of teachers in certain subjects that is so serious that 1,700 teachers are teaching classes in subjects they have not mastered.
The House of Delegates passed two bills that would make it easier to get instructors who know their subjects into the classroom, even though they have not earned teaching degrees.
The proposals would allow experts in chemistry or a foreign language to get on-the-job training instead of going back to college to pick up a teaching degree. Delegate David Perry, D-Fayette, who sponsored the bills, thinks they could produce 590 much-needed teachers in five years.
Josh Sword, political director of the American Federation of Teachers, said his union supports the bills but he has low expectations for their success.
"We're supportive of it because it doesn't do any harm," Sword said of the bills. "We're just nibbling at the edges here. The real issue is being able to attract these folks with a competitive salary."
But Sword wants legislators to concentrate on raising pay for all teachers - again.
Last year, the state raised the minimum salary for teachers to $30,000 a year. That still left shortages in critical subjects.
Legislators should have stopped ignoring the needs of students and the realities of the marketplace decades ago and put qualified teachers in classrooms.
The state doesn't need to raise the pay of all teachers to make progress. Some vacancies are easily filled.
The state needs to raise the pay of people who are qualified in certain subject areas - linguists, mathematicians and scientists.
Delegate Walter Duke, R-Berkeley, told the Associated Press that in the Eastern Panhandle, where he lives, the state must compete with Maryland and Virginia for teachers - states that can pay an extra $15,000 a year.
It will be a long time until West Virginia can do that. For now, West Virginia needs to pay competitive salaries to fill the vacancies that are hardest to fill.
 
]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:49:49 GMT d2bb1855-d582-432c-9e62-2e93fda0ace0 <![CDATA[Bills advance to increase state's teacher pool ]]> Bills advance to increase state's teacher pool
By The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Lawmakers are hoping to ease the certification process for some new teachers in an effort to curb the growing shortage of educators in the state.
The House of Delegates passed two bills Monday that would create new alternative paths to certification, sending them to the Senate for consideration.
Both bills would provide college graduates, who did not earn a teaching degree, with intensive support and mentoring as they work toward a teaching certificate. Schools can hire these teachers in training if no qualified, fully certified teachers apply for openings.
The proposed programs would not require college graduates with expertise in other subjects like chemistry or a foreign language to return to school -- instead they would earn on the job experience, said Delegate David Perry, D-Fayette, who sponsored the bills.
Both bills were recommended by an interim study committee to help generate more teachers in critical areas like math, science and special education. Perry hopes the programs could provide 50 new teachers in the next five years, he said.
West Virginia is short about 1,700 teachers based on the number teaching outside their subject area and the number of long-term substitutes. Schools also hired 175 alternative certification teachers this fall, according to the West Virginia Department of Education.
Teachers call the effort to expand certification options a Band-Aid. They say the real reason behind the shortage is the low pay compared to neighboring states and other industries.
Legislators provided teachers a salary increase last year. Despite the pay bump, the starting $30,000 salary for new teachers turns many college students away from the profession, said Josh Sword, political director of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 15,000 public teachers plus school service personnel in West Virginia.
Other professions with similar levels of training and education offer much higher pay. College students with good math or science skills could seek jobs in finance or engineering, earning two or three times what a teacher would earn, he said.
"We're supportive of it because it doesn't do any harm," Sword said of the bills. "We're just nibbling at the edges here. The real issue is being able to attract these folks with a competitive salary."
No bills that would increase pay for teachers have been filed this year and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin did not provide for a pay increase in his proposed budget.
West Virginians can't afford to pay more in income or property taxes to pay higher teacher salaries. Money for pay increases could be available in the next few years as state tax revenue comes in from the development and expansion of Marcellus Shale drilling, said Delegate Walter Duke, R-Berkeley.
Border counties like Berkeley struggle to attract teachers as schools in neighboring Virginia and Maryland can pay an extra $15,000 a year, he said.
"We can't match, we don't have enough money to match. But you can do it so you get closer," Duke said.
 
]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:01:13 GMT cabf588c-2680-44d5-86bc-0e3278aea8b8 <![CDATA[Senate panel rejects public pension increase]]> Senate panel rejects public pension increase
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Members of the state Senate Pensions Committee, citing cost concerns, shot down a bill to give retired state and public school employees a boost to their pensions was shot down in Monday.
Under the amended version of the bill (SB163), retirees' annual pensions would have risen $12 for each year employed by the state or school system.
Bill Milam, who represents retired state and public school employees, noted that the changed bill cut the original $24 formula request in half, but would still be appreciated by retirees -- some of whom haven't had a pension increase in more than two decades.
"We'd like to have the whole hog, but a strip of bacon will help us out," Milan told the committee. "This bill is a way of giving an increase to all of our retirees who for years have gotten nothing."
Since 2000, the Legislature has approved five pension increases, but none were across the board. Three of those increases raised the minimum payment for the lowest-level pensions; the two others were age-based, with an increase in 2001 for retirees 65 or older, and one in 2006 for those 70 or older.
However, under a state law that requires any increases in pension benefits to be fully funded, or amortized, by the state within six years, the $12 increase formula would have required the Legislature to come up with $29 million a year of new funding for six years.
That cost led one of the bill's co-sponsors, Senate Education Chairman Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, to speak against the bill.
"I think this is needed, but my goodness, this is an awful lot of money at a time when we're facing a shortfall in Medicaid," Plymale said.
Changes in federal funding for the state-managed health-care plan for the poor, elderly and disabled will require the state to come up with an additional $200 million of Medicaid funding in the 2013-14 budget year.
Plymale noted that the proposed 2012-13 budget is balanced only because it assumes the state will finish the current budget year with a $130 million surplus to plug funding gaps.
"If it turns out we don't have a surplus, we could be back here in May to make [budget] cuts," Plymale said.
Committee members rejected the bill on a voice vote.
"I won't say I don't understand it, but I don't appreciate it," Milam said of the bill's defeat.
"We have many people in the Public Employees and Teachers Retirement System that haven't had an increase for 20 years or more," said Milam, who noted that during that time, costs for PEIA premiums, utilities, gasoline and other necessities have gone up.
Also Monday:
· The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to make it illegal to own wild animals without a state permit (SB477).
Prompted by an incident in Ohio when law officers were forced to kill dozens of wild animals turned loose from a private zoo near Zanesville, the bill would prohibit ownership of wild or exotic animals without a state permit. Such permits would be issued only to people who met a list of standards, including having at least $250,000 of liability insurance for each animal.
People convicted of illegally possessing wild animals would face fines of up to $2,000 per animal, while anyone who intentionally released wild animals into the public could face felony charges.
West Virginia is one of only eight states with no restrictions on private ownership of wild animals.
· Senate Judiciary members advanced a bill to create a new legislative Fiscal and Policy Division (SB485).
The new division, which would have four full-time staffers and an annual operating budget of $720,000, would analyze budget bills, research long-term projections for state revenues and expenses, and estimate costs for enacting proposed legislation.
Currently, state agencies prepare those fiscal notes, and legislators have long contended that agency heads either lowball or overestimate costs, depending on whether they support or oppose the particular proposal.
 
]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:59:48 GMT e4364328-bf0d-4df1-b984-5d14bf996627 <![CDATA[House Passes OPEB Legislation ]]> House Passes OPEB Legislation WV MetroNews Staff
State Capitol
What veteran state lawmakers call the last great unfunded liability for the state now has a pay-off plan and is one step closer to being signed into law. The House of Delegates passed the OPEB bill Thursday.
OPEB, Other Post-Employment Benefits, is what the state has to list as debt when it comes to health care costs for future state retirees. The state's remaining debt is about $5 billion. The bill, which passed the House 83-17, sets up a 24-year payment plan beginning in 2016. The state will pay $30 million a year.
Opponents of the bill spoke out again Thursday. Most say they agree with the pay-off plan but don't like several other provisions in the bill.
Del. Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, predicted the measure will be declared unconstitutional because the state is paying off the OPEB debt for county boards of education, but it's not actually distributing the money to those boards as the state constitution requires.
Del. Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, said the legislature has chosen to "tap dance" on the issue of the school boards' debt.
House Finance Committee Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, says the state constitution allows the legislature to take care of county debts but instead of giving the money to the counties and then getting it right back, a trust fund will be established.
"We create a trust fund that we're making those payments into (for the county school boards) that guarantee that long term unfunded liability," White said.
House Minority Leader Tim Armstead voted against the bill. He doesn't like the 12 health care cost-containment measures it includes. Armstead says they sound a lot like Obamacare.
"We don't know what the impact will be on the retirees, the amounts they will pay. We don't know what the impact will be on our hospitals. We don't know what the impact will be on the State of West Virginia, on our budget," Armstead said.
Marshall County Del. Scott Varner criticized the opponents because he says the provisions they are complaining about were in last year's OPEB bill they voted for.
"Maybe they didn't realize they were in there. Maybe they didn't read the amendment. I can't answer that," Varner said.
The state Senate passed the bill last week but must sign-off on the House's work, which will likely take place during Friday's floor session. After that the measure will head to the desk of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin where he is expected to sign it into law.
]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:45:10 GMT f8d82ae9-77f5-4dea-b937-6d0e78443183 <![CDATA[GOP to slow down bill to pay off retiree costs]]> GOP to slow down bill to pay off retiree costs
TOM MILLER
For The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON -- Republicans in the House of Delegates will try Wednesday to slow a bill intended to pay down a $5 billion unfunded liability in future retiree health care benefits for West Virginia's state and public school employees, according to Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell.
"It's taken years for our predecessors to create this mess with Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB)," said Sobonya. "So I think we should take our time and make sure we're correcting the problem the right way."
She predicted that when Senate Bill 469 reaches amendment stage during today's House floor session, some amendments will be offered including one from Delegate Daryl Coyles, D-Morgan. He was one of the few members of the House Finance Committee to vote against the legislation when the bill was recommended for passage last Friday.
Coyles said he thinks the bill in its present form is unconstitutional because it allows the state to absorb the liability for county school boards.
"If the state's going to take on this debt, perhaps rightfully so, then they (retired public school employees) are state employees," Coyles said, referring to teachers and school service personnel covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency plan.
"We've tried to keep everybody in the loop on this," House Finance Chairman Harry K. White, D-Mingo, said prior to Tuesday's floor session in the House. He has indicated he expects the bill to be open to amendments Wednesday and be ready for a final passage vote on Thursday -- the halfway mark for the current legislative session.
If there are no amendments adopted Wednesday, the bill could go to the governor for his signature after a final passage vote in the House on Thursday.
The major thrust of the legislation is to take $35 million each year starting in 2016 from state personal income tax collections -- currently dedicated for four more years to pay down an old debt from the days when the state ran the workers' compensation program.
The lion's share -- $30 million annually -- would go into a fund to pay off the remaining $5 billion of long-term OBEP liability and the remaining $5 million per year would go into a trust fund to assist employees hired after July 1, 2010.
The Public Employees Insurance Agency's Finance Board voted in December, 2011 to cap state contributions to retiree premiums for this plan at current levels with a maximum annual increase of 3 percent. This cut the former $10 billion long-term OPEB liability to $5 billion
 
]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:56:35 GMT 52d527cd-ef6e-4371-86dc-3f7450532783 <![CDATA[Today’s lesson: School reform]]> Today’s lesson: School reform
February 6, 2012
By MIKE MYER , Parkersburg News and Sentinel
West Virginia educators sick of "teaching to the test" soon may find themselves "teaching to the principal" and, perhaps, other teachers.
A recently completed "audit" of public schools in the Mountain State concludes quite a few changes need to be made to improve education. Not everyone likes the audit; the state Department of Education has objected to some parts of it.
But lawmakers and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin seem eager to make changes - though much of what is in the audit won't be acted upon during the current regular session of the Legislature. As Tomblin's chief of staff, Rob Alsop, explained it a few weeks ago, the "stakeholders" need to be brought together. That's government-speak for, "There's going to be some stiff opposition to some of this."
During a speech Thursday morning before members of the West Virginia Press Association and a number of legislators, Tomblin made it clear reforms are on the way. "We're still funding our education system at one of the highest per-capita rates in the country, but we're not getting the output we need," the governor emphasized.
One change on the drawing board involves how teachers are evaluated. Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, students' standardized test performance had great weight in evaluating teachers, schools and school systems. But NCLB has been virtually abandoned. A replacement for it in federal law has not yet been proposed, but one probably is on the way.
A new evaluation system is being considered by West Virginia legislators, a member of the House of Delegates Education Committee told me after the governor's speech. It envisions using standardized tests as only about 5 percent of the formula for determining how well teachers are doing. It's possible the remaining 95 percent will come from observations of teachers by their principals and, perhaps, others.
Most educators object to quality judgments based on test results. One concern is that system encourages "teaching to the test" - that is, putting too much emphasis on material likely to be included in standardized examinations and not enough on other information.
There are concerns about evaluations based heavily on classroom observations, too. For one thing, what about good teachers who, for one reason or another, don't get along with their principals - or with the one or two other educators selected to observe them? What about innovative teachers whose methods may bring out the best in children with whom they work, but may be frowned upon by principals, central office administrators and even their peers?
Again, will some teachers alter their methods to please the evaluators - whether they feel that's best for students or not?
Don't get me wrong. I don't have a better way. Matter of fact, I don't envy anyone whose task it is to come up with a method of grading teachers. But legislators are working on it and, possibly within weeks, will be putting a new system in place.
Of course, there's always the possibility the U.S. Department of Education and Congress, who are considering a replacement for NCLB, will throw a monkey wrench into the works. Let's hope not. I'm on record as having suggested a decade ago, before NCLB was enacted, that West Virginia was doing a good job of school reform without federal intervention. I still think we'd be better off if the feds would stay the heck out of our classrooms.
In fact, some educators wouldn't be terribly upset if the entire U.S. Department of Education was eliminated. Look at it this way: During the coming year, the DOE has proposed about $41 billion in grants and special programs. States taking advantage would have to do things the DOE's way.
On a per-capita basis, West Virginia's share of that would be about $230 million. How much real reform could we accomplish if Congress simply did away with the DOE and wrote us a check?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Myer is executive editor of The Intelligencer and the Wheeling News-Register. He can be reached via e-mail at myer@theintelligencer.net
 
]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:53:41 GMT 63cefdb4-c570-4430-b056-ff440e148363 <![CDATA[A Black History Reading List]]> A Black History Reading List
Source: Florida Department of Education
This reading list was compiled by the Florida Department of Education. Although intended for students and teachers, it also includes some suggestions for parents and other adults who want to learn more about the subject.
Grades K–3 · Grades 4–5 · Grades 6–8 · Grades 9–12 · Adult Literature · Educators
Picture Books (Grades K–3)
·         Amazing Grace, Mary Hoffman
·         Prince, The Future King: A Father's Example,  Kandi Harris
·         Coming On Home Soon,  Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis
·         Dinner at Aunt Connie's House,  Faith Ringgold
·         Everett Anderson's Friend,  Lucille Clifton
·         Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, John Steptoe
·         A Picture Book of Rosa Parks, David A. Adler and Robert Castilla
·         Amadeus-The Leghorn Rooster, Jonathan Green
·         Langston's Train Ride,  Robert Burleigh
·         Cracking the Wall: The Struggles of the Little Rock Nine  Eileen Lucas
·         By My Brother's Side  Tiki Barber, Ronde Barber, Robert Burleigh and Barry Root
·         Beautiful Blackbird, Ashley Bryan
Chapter Books (Grades 4–5)
·         My Name Is America: The Journal of Biddy Owen, Walter Dean Myers
·         Black Diamond, Patricia and Fredrick Mckissack
·         Just Like Martin, Ossie Davis
·         Ellington Was Not a Street, Notzake Shange
·         Teammates, Peter Golenbrock
·         Bud, Not Buddy,  Christopher Paul Curtis
·         Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges and Margo Lundell
·         Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker,  Kathryn Lasky and Nneka Bennett
·         Carter G. Woodson: The Man Who Put "Black" in American History,  James Haskins and Melanie Reim
·         The Black Cowboys,  Gina De Angelis
·         The Friendship,   Mildred Taylor
Chapter Books (Grades 6–8)
·         The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963,  Christopher Paul Curtis
·         The People Could Fly,  Virginia Hamilton
·         Remember: The Journey to School Integration, Toni Morrison
·         The Voice That Challenged a Nation : Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights, Russell Freedman
·         Roll of Thunder; Hear My Cry, Mildred  Taylor
·         Maizon at Blue Hill,  Jacqueline Woodson
·         Jazmin's Notebook,  Nikki Grimes
·         Money Hungry,  Sharon G. Flake
·         Mahalia: A Life in Gospel Music,  Roxane Orgill
·         Extraordinary People of the Harlem Renaissance, Stephen P. Hardy and Sheila Jackson Hardy
Chapter Books (Grades 9–12)
·         A Raisin in the Sun,  Lorraine Hansberry
·         Extraordinary People of the Harlem Renaissance,  Stephen P. Hardy
·         The Collected Works of Langston Hughes: The Poems, Langston Hughes
·         Bronx Masquerade,  Nikki Grimes
·         The Contender,  Robert Lipsyte
·         I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
·         Hoops, Walter Dean Myers
·         The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
·         Invisible Man,  Ralph Ellison
·         Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Adult Literature
·         Cry, The Beloved Country,  Alan Paton
·         Finding Fish: A Memoir,  Antwone Q. Fisher
·         Meridian, Alice Walker
·         Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,  Harriet Jacobs
·         Colored People: A Memoir, Henry Louis Gates Jr.
·         The Bluest Eye,  Toni Morrison
·         A Gathering of Old Men,  Ernest Gaines
Educators: K-12 Black History Books with Reading Resources
·         Why They Marched: The Struggle for the Right to Vote,  Dr. Donna Elam
·         From Civil War to Civil Rights: America's Struggle, Jason Powe
·         Timeline for Freedom: Victories of the Civil Rights Movement, Jason Powe
To suggest a book to add to the list, please email the Florida Department of Education at JustRead@fldoe.org.
 
]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:52:15 GMT 6b2ea91c-a0c4-4dd9-9a6b-216a2e457cf4 <![CDATA[Senate speeds up OPEB approval in national first]]> February 2, 2012
Senate speeds up OPEB approval in national first
By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter
CHARLESTON — West Virginia can now lay claim to being first in one of the good categories — moving to retire an outstanding debt in health care benefits paid to retired state workers.

Senators made short shrift of the plan Wednesday, suspending the chamber’s rules and passing the payoff by a 32-0 vote.

Normally, it takes three days to get a showdown on legislation.

Sen. Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, pointed out that West Virginia became the first state to achieve such a plan to satisfy a huge liability, calling it “monumental.”

“We should hold our heads high on this vote today,” he said.

Under the plan, the product of several years’ toil, engineered largely by Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, some $30 million from the personal income tax will be dedicated to retiring the debt over three decades, once that money erases the remaining red ink in the old workers’ compensation system.

Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, said another $5 million will be placed into an employee trust fund to take care of workers hired after July 1, 2010.

Known as Other Post-Employment Benefits, or OPEB, the debt once stood in excess of $10 billion, but was chopped in half last year by reforms imposed by the Public Employees Insurance Board.

A key component of the Senate bill provides that the state must pick up the tab for employees inside the school aid formula, thus providing counties with sought-after relief.

“The important measures are taking this off the county boards of education, providing cost containment language and taking care of those people hired after July 1, 2010,” said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.

“This was a really good first step,” he said of SB459, sent out only a day earlier by the Senate Finance Committee.

“We will continue to work to get premiums down. We will work so the cost is not shifted to retirees.”

Plymale told fellow senators the cost local boards might face for employees outside the formula “varies from county to county.”

“We are the first state to handle this from a comprehensive nature with a large unfunded liability,” he said.

“Some states do not even offer benefits to retirees. We are the first with any substantial amount of unfunded liability that addressed this.”

Senate President Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, likewise made a point of this, telling reporters, “We are ahead of the curve.”

“We’ve shown the rest of the nation how to get things done,” he said.

Kessler said he expects the House of Delegates to follow suit soon and pass the bill that found Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin “intricately involved” in its shaping.

“We don’t pat ourselves on the back very often around here,” the Senate leader said.

“But the people of this state need to understand their government is working and very efficiently, and we’re tackling the tough issues while many states are maybe avoiding them or kicking those issues down the curb.”

Since the session opened Jan. 11, he noted, the Legislature has dealt with the proposed Marcellus shale cracker plant and moved to take care of the OPEB debt.

“Our fiscal house is completely in order,” he said.

“It sets West Virginia on a path where the future is extremely, extremely bright.”

Kessler acknowledged the Legislature still faces some heavy lifting in the weeks ahead, such as the anti-drug legislation and education reform.

But he voiced confidence the tasks can be accomplished.

“There’s not been anything we’ve not been able to tackle, accomplish and get done,” Kessler said.

“I’m bullish on our state. This Legislature and governor worked very hard in tackling the tough issues.”
 
]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:36:54 GMT bf424642-ed31-4281-a9aa-7aa8fc1e02c6 <![CDATA[Tomblin submits pay-down plan for OPEB liability]]> Tomblin submits pay-down plan for OPEB liability
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin submitted legislation Tuesday to provide the final piece of the puzzle to pay down the state's massive liability for future health-care benefits for retired state and public school employees, also known as the OPEB liability.
Plans are to pass the legislation (SB469) and get it back to the governor for his signature as quickly as possible, which could be by the end of the week.
"We're going to get it behind us, hopefully this week," Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, said of the legislation, which advanced from the Senate Finance Committee to the full Senate Tuesday afternoon.
The plan would take $35 million a year of personal income tax collections that currently are set aside to pay down long-standing deficits in the former state-run workers' compensation program, debts that will be paid off by 2016.
Under the proposal, $30 million a year would go to into a fund to pay down the remaining $5 billion of long-term OPEB liability.
Another $5 million a year would go into a trust fund to assist employees hired after July 1, 2010.
State and public school employees hired after that date will not be eligible for state-subsidized retiree health-care coverage. Pre-Medicare retirees could obtain PEIA coverage, but would have to pay the full premium amount, which would be too expensive for most retirees.
Tomblin's bill does not spell out how the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund would be administered, but mandates the legislative Select Committee on Other Post Employment Benefits to work with the PEIA Finance Board to develop a plan.
In December, the PEIA Finance Board voted to cap state contributions to retiree premiums at current levels, with no more than 3 percent annual increases.
That action effectively reduced the state's long-term OPEB liability from more than $10 billion to a manageable $5 billion -- although it will also eventually make retiree premiums unaffordable for state and public school employees who were hired before July 1, 2010.
Prezioso said the governor's bill is similar to a proposal that passed the Senate last year, but died on the final day of the regular session over an impasse when House leadership pushed to raid the state's Rainy Day emergency reserve funds to pay down the liability.
"This is one of the issues we have to address," Prezioso said of the governor's plan to pay down the OPEB liability.
He said the Legislature needs to quickly resolve OPEB in order to begin work on the state's next big funding hurdle: soaring state expenditures for Medicaid, the state-managed health plan for the poor, elderly and disabled.
Tomblin's proposed 2012-13 budget uses about $109 million of surplus revenue to help fund Medicaid, but Medicaid costs will be a major factor in a projected $389 million budget shortfall the following year.
"Next year, we're going to have to dig deep and maybe have to make some tough decisions," Prezioso said.
Also Tuesday in the Finance Committee, Senate Majority Leader John Unger, D-Berkeley, called for drug testing of recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families and other public assistance -- not to cut off their benefits, he said, but to get them into drug treatment programs.
"I'm saying, testing and offer treatment," Unger said. "You've got to offer someone an alternative. You can't just test them and cut them off if they test positive."
He said the public is becoming increasingly fed up with people abusing public assistance programs.
 
]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:54:28 GMT f004390c-6e0c-4590-858a-9479c3785a71 <![CDATA[Group gives W.Va. D+ for teacher quality laws]]> Group gives W.Va. D+ for teacher quality laws
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia has one of the worst education systems in the nation when it comes to its public school teachers, according to a new report by the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The nonpartisan research and education policy group ranked West Virginia 41st worst in the country for its education laws and gave the state a grade of D+.
The 159-page report published last week, which emphasized a lack of teacher accountability, found that West Virginia's rule-laden system insulated bad teachers, failed to retain good teachers, and had no systemic way to monitor whether educators have actually mastered the subjects they are paid to teach.
"Disregard for performance in education has bred massive dysfunction with disastrous consequences for the health of the teaching profession and for student achievement, especially for students most in need of effective teachers," researchers said in the report.
The report said the big problems with West Virginia's system are:
· Tenure is awarded virtually automatically.
· Student learning is not the main factor in a teacher's evaluation.
· It is inefficient and almost impossible to fire bad teachers.
· There is no system to determine whether a teacher has mastered the subject he or she teaches.
 
Researchers said in the report that West Virginia's structural education woes begin before a teacher enters the classroom and extends throughout his or her time at a school.
While the state has beefed up expectations for students by adopting a set of standards called the Common Core, no move was made to ensure that teachers were properly prepared to teach the more rigorous content, according to the report.
If someone wants to become a third-grade teacher, they must pass an "elementary education" test called Praxis II, which is designed to evaluate a teacher's knowledge in basic subjects such as math, reading and science.
But the test averages scores on content questions about math and science with instructional questions -- and never publishes how teachers rank in basic knowledge questions in each core subject.

"This commercial test lacks a specific mathematics sub-score, so one can likely fail the mathematics portion and still pass the test [to become a math teacher]," the report said.

The National Council on Teacher Quality recommended that West Virginia require teachers to pass rigorous math and science assessment tests to ensure they have the minimum amount of knowledge to teach in the classroom. State education officials say they are working to change the elementary education test to include a teacher's sub-scores in reading, math, social sciences and science.
The report also revisited a familiar criticism launched against the Mountain State: The lack of a strong teacher evaluation system.
It recommended that West Virginia teachers be evaluated annually and that student learning becomes the main factor in a teacher's evaluation.
Under current state law, teachers in West Virginia are evaluated at least two times a year in their first two years of teaching and do not have to be evaluated once they've been on the job for five years. In the state's nearly four pages of law about how to evaluate teachers, student performance is never taken into account.
The report's criticisms of West Virginia's education code come at a time when the education system has already come under scrutiny.
Earlier this month, an external audit of West Virginia's education system said the system was saddled with too much bureaucracy and suggested, among other things, that the state revamp its teacher evaluation system.
In his State of the State address, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said he would introduce legislation that incorporates student achievement into every teacher performance evaluation, expanding on a teacher evaluation pilot program spearheaded in 2009 and in place in 25 schools throughout the state.
 
]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:55:18 GMT 02a8b5ca-2770-4f6c-a4fa-bd1a0b6077af <![CDATA[Students to see healthier school lunches under new USDA rules]]> Students to see healthier school lunches under new USDA rules
By Sylvia Wood, msnbc.com
Millions of schoolchildren in the United States will see more fruit and vegetables and less fat on their lunch plates under new U.S. Department of Agriculture standards unveiled Wednesday aimed at improving child nutrition and reducing childhood obesity.
"Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step in building a healthy future for our kids," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "When it comes to our children, we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition they need to be healthy, active and ready to face the future – today we take an important step towards that goal."
The changes mark the first overhaul of the school lunch program in more than 15 years and will affect the nearly 32 million children who eat at school. The new regulations will be phased in over the next three years, starting in the fall.
Under the new regulations, schools will be required to offer fruits and vegetables every day, increase the amount of whole-grain foods and reduce the sodium and fats in the foods served. Schools will also be required to offer only fat-free or low-fat milk. In addition, the menus will pay attention to portion sizes to make sure children receive calories appropriate to their age, according to Kevin Concannon, USDA under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.
The new requirements are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into law last year by President Barack Obama and championed by the First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her Let's Move! campaign.
"As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet," said Michelle Obama. "And when we're putting in all that effort the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria.
But whether the kids will choose to eat the new, healthier foods remains to be seen. The new menus won't entirely eliminate favorite food choices among kids, like pizza and french fries, but they will provide alternatives. For example, instead of cheese pizza, students will receive whole wheat cheese pizza. Rather than tater tots, students will get baked sweet potato fries.   
"We know if it’s not delicious, kids aren’t going to eat it," said White House Chef Sam Kass. But he added that thousands of schools have already implemented many of the required changes and their chefs are making progress in designing appealing menus. "We're working very hard on that," he said.
Wendy Weyer, director of nutrition services for Seattle Public Schools, said her district is already complying with many of the new USDA standards, and taking other steps, such as having partnerships with local farmers and planting school gardens. "Seattle has been very progressive with changing the way we offer meals, offering fruits and vegetables every day, as well as whole grain-rich foods," she said.
Weyer said the biggest challenge will be reducing sodium content, "while keeping the meals palatable for our students."
Pratt-Heavner said parents will play an important role in supporting the new standards.  ”We all have to work to get the kids to make these healthier choices,” she said. “Students are more apt to pick up a fruit or vegetable in the lunch line if they have been introduced to those foods at home.” 
To support the changes, schools will receive another 6 cents per meal in federal funding, and the overall cost of implementing the new requirements is projected at $3.2 billion. To help minimize costs, schools will also have more flexibility in designing the school lunch line to reduce waste, Concannon said. Students, for example, will be allowed to pick and choose more items as they move through the line, rather than getting a plate served to them.
Weyer said the Seattle school district still needs to determine how far the additional money will go to cover the new requirements.
"It's not going to cover all the cost, but it's definitely going to help," Pratt-Heavner said
 
]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:43:11 GMT 8201d5d4-f9d9-416c-86b5-c40043e33bf7 <![CDATA[WV HEPC trumps low tuition, high enrollment]]> WV HEPC trumps low tuition, high enrollment
By Adam Cavalier
 
January 25, 2012 · West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission touted low tuition and higher enrollment to the House Education Committee Tuesday, but it came with a caveat of poor retention rates.
West Virginia public colleges and universities have more than 94,000 students milling about their collective campuses. That’s 8.2 percent more than five years ago. Interim HEPC Chancellor Paul Hill said the challenge is keeping those students there.
 
“I have to channel my predecessor Brian Noland and really emphasize the cracks in the pipeline,” Hill said. “For every 100 ninth graders today, 72 will graduate from high school, 43 will enter colleges as freshmen, 28 will be there the following year as sophomores and then we will get 17 graduates out of that…
 
"We have work to do certainly there, keeping students in school, ensuring that they graduate from high school and also those that choose to go to college can complete it.”
 
More than 32,000 students departed college with no degree from 1998-2007. That makes regent’s programs a high priority for Education Committee member Tiffany Lawrence.
 
“We have a great number of citizens in this state that do have 60 or so hours that never completed even associate’s degrees or four-year college degrees,” Lawrence said. “I think we need to be focusing on those individuals and trying to re-enroll them in programs such as the RBA to hone their skills and obtain their degrees.”
 
The cost of those degrees is lower then typical – an average of just a shade more than $5,500. All of West Virginia’s public colleges and universities are in the top six for low tuition when compared to 20 of their peer institutions. Hill said the affordability and aid make West Virginia’s higher education system tick.
 
“We have a very solid system,” Hill said. “One of the goals I have is to keep the momentum moving forward to ensure that we don’t lose any of those components and manage that where we can be complimentary and provide additional support, we will continue to do so.”
 
Low tuition is a big reason why Putnam County Democrat Brady Paxton said he thinks West Virginia’s higher education system is doing just fine.
 
“I remember I was campaigning and a woman came up to me and said, ‘We’ve got to stop so many people from coming into our state and taking advantage of our low tuition,’” Paxton said. “I said, ‘Ma’am, I love every one of them.’ That’s one thing that runs our institutions, the bargain that West Virginia is and we are a good bargain.”
 
Out of state students account for more than 25 percent or roughly 25,000 for total enrollment, for West Virginia University, nearly half of the school’s population comes from out of state. 
 
Even with increases in both in-state and out-of-state enrollment, Hill said higher education is competing for a limited about of state dollars, but even with tight budgets, Hill said it’s important to keep on-going initiatives moving forward.
 
“All agencies in state government are dealing with the same set of issues,” Hill said. “Which rise to the level of urgency or direct need that allow us to go forward.  Obviously we’re going to keep our initiatives going forward and see what can be done.”
 
Those initiatives include a $1.6 million operation budget increase for West Virginia State, a $1 million appropriation to start WVU’s school of public health and a figure to be determined for WVU Tech’s revitalization. 
 
That figure is listed as TBD because a panel at Tech is reviewing specific areas to determine where to provide funding for the school. An HEPC report released in the fall indicated that Tech would need $5-7 million a year over the next five years to be at an appropriate level. Education Committee Chair Mary Poling said it’s important for the state to stay the course when it comes to funding.
 
“Our main effort right now is to maintain the level of funding and not go where other states have,” Poling said.
 
“New Hampshire is a prime example. They cut higher education state appropriations by 49 percent, which meant a comparable raise in tuition for their students. I like to quote New Hampshire because it’s very similar in its rural nature to West Virginia.”
 
Paxton says he attended college on the GI Bill. He said it’s crucial that West Virginia natives take advantage of the opportunities
 
“One thing it proves is that we were born of strife, a war and things like that. It means that we want to give everybody a chance,” Paxton said. 
 
“Now if you get that chance and you don’t take advantage of it, don’t come back. But it says West Virginians are very forgiving and we try our best to help people that are down on their luck.”
 
At 2.8 percent, West Virginia is one of eight states that saw an increase in its state operating support for the 2012 fiscal year. North Dakota had the highest increase at 6.8 percent; New Hampshire’s was cut nearly 50 percent.
 
]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:26:34 GMT 69e8ba48-c328-455b-93b4-2a0be54c88ac <![CDATA[Public charter schools have supporters, opponents]]> Public charter schools have supporters, opponents
By Suzanne Higgins
January 23, 2012 · Public charter schools exist in 42 states and the District of Columbia – but not in West Virginia.
A “Charter Schools Act” has been sponsored by several legislators but has died in committee during the last two sessions.
 
“It’s embarrassing that we’re so provincial and that we won’t open our minds to other ideas and give it a try,” said Sallye Clark, a retired school teacher and founder in 2008 of West Virginians for Education Reform. 
 
Clark said she loved her 35 years with students but West Virginia has a public school system that stifles creativity and therefore student achievement.
 
“The beauty of charter schools is that they affords waivers that will allow the school to circumvent things that sometimes bog down the system,” said Clark.
 
“If third graders need to be able to multiply their 3 tables by October 1, some kids may have already accomplished that prior to that time,” explained Clark. “Yet they have to sit and wait for others to get there, or the inverse is true and some may not have accomplished it by then.”
 
“Everyone is expected to progress at about the same time.”
 
Clark says she has researched public charter schools and they have proven they deliver a more individualized approach to teaching.
 
Public charters are tuition-free schools that operate independently from the school district and are held accountable by a state-designated authority.
 
All federal laws that apply to public schools, including No Child Left Behind, apply to public charters.
 
They have the same academic accountability standards as traditional public schools, but public charter schools control their own curriculum, staffing, organization and budget.
 
“We need to provide new public school options to parents and teachers but we also need to create a laboratory for innovation,” said Todd Ziebarth of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. 
 
“I think it’s sometimes a mistake for people to view charter and district schools as an “either-or” when in fact they’re both part of the public education system.” said Ziebarth.
 
“One of the reasons for charter schools is to be that laboratory of innovation that school districts can then take what’s working and apply it to the broader school system.”
 
Ziebarth remembers speaking to a joint education committee meeting of the West Virginia Legislature in 2010.
 
He discussed what works and what hasn’t worked in public charter schools around the country as WV lawmakers considered their own legislation.
 
“You know the major, major concerns were coming from the two teachers unions and the service employees union,” recalled Ziebarth. “Charter schools aren’t required to be unionized, so from their perspective it’s a loss of dues, it’s a loss of members and not something they felt they could support.”
 
“Interestingly, the state school board association was on board for getting a charter school law on the books, recognizing that it’s a positive tool to give local school boards more options to create in their districts,” he said.
 
“I’m against anything that takes money away from public education and all students in West Virginia,” said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union.
 
Lee says he supports the state’s 2 ½ year old Innovation Zones program, which he says allows schools to apply for funding to implement creative learning programs and receive permission for exceptions to certain county and state board rules and policies.
 
“We believe that the teacher led Innovation Zones is the best way to change schools, that teachers need to be the ones that make the decisions on what changes need to be made to improve student achievement and improve the schools, and that seems to work best, and not a charter school that educates a few.”
 
“We want to guarantee that every child in West Virginia has a high quality certified teacher in front of them. And we haven’t addressed that in West Virginia,” said Lee.
 
“Until we can get salaries to where we can compete with the surrounding states and we can recruit and retain the best and the brightest we’re not going to fill our needs and by weakening that even more with charter schools and doing some things that they would want to do does not solve the problem and does not ensure that every child in West Virginia has a great education experience.”
 
Supporters of charter schools point to the failure of West Virginia’s application for $80 million in a federal Race to The Top education grant 2 years ago.
 
West Virginia was competing with other states for the money and former State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine said at the time the lack of charter school legislation and strict school personnel laws hurt the state’s bid.
 
“These applications had to outline how these states were going to push forward on education reform in a number of areas including public charter schools,” said Ziebarth.
 
“West Virginia, like all the other states that didn’t have a public charter school law, was basically shut out at the end of the day because they’ve left a significant lever for improving public schools off the table,” he said.
 
As the 2012 legislative session gets underway, charter advocates like Sallye Clark have a plea for lawmakers.
 
“Just allow a pilot program to start and let’s start with baby steps and then move forward with that,” said Clark. “They’re not a replacement for anything; they’re merely an addition and enhancement.”
 
To date, no charter school legislation has been introduced this session. 
 
]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:05:20 GMT fb17db46-d451-45f1-ab36-4fea3da03708 <![CDATA[Patricia S. Kusimo: We must improve reading skills]]> Patricia S. Kusimo: We must improve reading skills
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A popular African proverb states: "You don't touch what you cannot see." This means you cannot solve a problem unless you understand its underlying causes. This way of thinking explains many of West Virginia's frequent attempts to improve its education system and, more specifically, its high school graduation rate.
Without question, recent high school interventions -- credit recovery, graduation coaches, in-school GED options, ninth-grade academies -- help West Virginia students complete high school. However, these interventions -- as good as they may be -- are reactive, not proactive. It is like rescuing a struggling swimmer from a rapidly moving river. The most successful tactic is to keep the swimmer from falling into the river in the first place. Likewise, these high school interventions try to save students after they are already in trouble and caught in an education system they are ill prepared to handle. They are figuratively drowning. The education system needs to adapt and address the causes of the problem and not wait for the problems to develop.
So, why are so many students academically unprepared for high school and high school-level course work? The root cause arises long before most students reach high school.
In 2010, KIDS COUNT's comprehensive report "Early Warning! Why Reading by The End of Third Grade Matters" identified the following factors that affect student learning in elementary school:
* By fourth grade, most children begin using reading skills to learn other subject areas.
* Up to half of the fourth-grade printed curriculum cannot be understood by fourth graders because of their limited reading skills. Consequently, achievement gaps widen as students progress through school.
* Three of every four third-grade students who are poor readers remain poor readers in high school.
* Most significantly, a student's chances of graduating from high school can be predicted reasonably accurately by examining his or her reading level at the end of third grade.
In other words, third grade is the "make or break" point for children to learn to read sufficiently to ensure their future academic success. Still, despite the broadly recognized importance of third-grade reading levels, most students are promoted from second to third grade despite their reading level.
Each year, West Virginia's third-grade students participate in the WESTEST 2 reading/language arts assessment. Scores fall into one of five categories from lowest to highest: novice, partial mastery, mastery, above mastery and distinguished. In 2011, less than half (46 percent) of West Virginia's third graders scored at mastery or above in reading/language arts. Yet, all but 274 of the state's 20,884 second graders were promoted to third grade for the 2010-2011 school year.
The WESTEST 2 statistics are even more troubling for low-income students. In 2011, only 35 percent of students receiving free or reduced-priced lunches scored at mastery or above in reading/language arts. The report from KIDS Count indicates that this is a national trend. "For low-income children in particular, a 'readiness gap' fuels much of what has become known as the achievement gap. Readiness includes being in good health; having the support of a strong family; feeling safe; and having positive social interaction skills, language skills, the motivation to learn, emotional and behavioral self-control, and physical skills and capacities," the report says. Many low-income students need the same kind of support that most middle- and upper-middle-class students receive at home when they struggle with their reading, comprehension, writing, and speaking skills.
Research confirms that because of these factors, many low-income students require more instructional and practice time and more support to master certain academic skills. When instructional time is maximized, extended learning opportunities provide low-income students, and other struggling students, with the proper support to ensure their academic development is on track. Early childhood educators understand this readiness gap is real, yet they lack the time (during the school day, year and summer) and resources to help struggling students master the critical reading/language arts skills. 
 
Time is one of the few learning variables over which policy makers have some control. Students' cognitive growth, particularly during early school years, should dictate the length of the instructional cycle.

However, too many West Virginia students are not well served by the current 180-day school year requirement.  Findings from a January 2012 audit report of West Virginia's primary and secondary education system found students are not even receiving a full 180 days of instruction. During the 2009-10 school year, no school system in the state was open for 180 days, and 27 of the 55 systems were open less than 170 days. One school system operated for only 160 days.
Some West Virginia schools have tried another concept: year-round schools that are still limited to 180 days. This approach may lessen the summer-break learning loss. However, WESTEST 2  reading/ language arts results do not indicate students attending these schools perform on par with middle and upper middle class peers.
As the recent audit notes, the first step is to ensure all school systems offer their students 180 instructional days. The next is to expand the school day or school year, particularly for schools and districts serving low-income students. Nationally, nearly 700 schools operate with an expanded school day, and 11 states require schools to be open more than 180 days per year. In Europe, students attend school between 190 and 210 days per year, and, in Japan, the school year is 240 days. Some researchers point to this factor to explain why many European and Asian students outperform Americans in mathematics and science.
Results from the WESTEST 2 do matter. They provide parents, educators, students, and the public with early warning signs. Parents need to understand what the results indicate about their children's academic progress, particularly in third grade. Educators must acknowledge what the results indicate about the effectiveness of their school's current reading/language arts curriculum and instruction and work with school and county leaders, parents, community members and students to improve students' preparation and outcomes.
Finally, educators and policy-making bodies at the local and state levels must examine West Virginia's student achievement data with a critical eye. More importantly, they must hold themselves accountable for their roles in the education system's shortcomings. Gov. Tomblin is modeling this type of accountability by establishing an Early Childhood Development Council. The Council will lead West Virginia's efforts to obtain a Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge  grant.
As the proverb says, "You don't touch what you cannot see." Expanded time for learning and quality reading instruction can address some of the unseen, yet powerful factors inhibiting students' pre-k through third-grade reading success. Investments in expanded reading/language arts learning opportunities for pre-kindergarten through third grade students could potentially improve the quality of West Virginia's entire pre-k through 12th grade schooling system.
Imagine a West Virginia where high school completion rates and state assessment, SAT and ACT scores continuously increase. Research shows that this could lead to a West Virginia with a dwindling prison population, decreasing unemployment and significantly lower substance abuse rates. West Virginia could demonstrate for the nation how a true commitment to early learning, particularly in reading and language arts, powerfully improves the educational trajectory of all children and positively transforms lives and communities.
Kusimo is president and CEO of the Education Alliance.  
]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:03:45 GMT 53ff5365-5a5a-4a27-a413-4134c7dfa5af <![CDATA[Supreme Court Rejects Appeals In Student Speech Cases]]> Supreme Court Rejects Appeals In Student Speech Cases
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA | The U.S. Supreme Court has passed up a set of cases for the online age — whether schools may censor students who are off-campus when they create online attacks against school officials and other students.

The court let stand the suspension of a West Virginia high school's "Queen of Charm," who created a Web page that suggested another student had a sexually transmitted disease, and invited classmates to comment.
 
The court also left alone rulings that said schools could not discipline two Pennsylvania students for MySpace parodies of their principals that the students created at home.
 
An appeals court, following 40-year-old case law on student speech, said the posts did not create substantial disruptions at school.
 
Lawyers on both sides were disappointed that it will be at least another year before the high court wades into the issue.
 
Federal judges have issued a broad range of opinions on the subject.
 
"We've missed an opportunity to really clarify for school districts what their responsibility and authority is," said Francisco Negron, general counsel of the National School Boards Association.
 
"This is one of those cases where the law is simply lagging behind the times."
 
The American Civil Liberties Union expects the Supreme Court to examine the question "sooner rather than later," according to Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
 
Still, he is relieved the Pennsylvania students represented by the ACLU have been exonerated after their long legal fights.
 
"When kids go to school, the parents give up control. But once the kids leave the school, the parents again are the primary custodians, and have decision-making authority over those kids," Walczak said
 
With the cases settled, Justin Layshock of western Pennsylvania will receive $10,000 in damages plus legal fees, while an eastern Pennsylvania girl, identified only as "J.S.," can pursue damages and legal costs.
 
Layshock in 2005 created a parody that said his principal smoked marijuana and kept beer behind his desk.
 
The Hermitage School District said it substantially disrupted school operations. Layshock was suspended, but the suspension was overturned by a district judge and upheld by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
 
In the other Pennsylvania case, an eighth-grader in the Blue Mountain School District used her principal's photograph in a fake profile, described him as a pedophile and mentioned a sex act.
 
The girl was suspended for 10 days.
 
"Though disturbing, the record indicates that the profile was so outrageous that no one took its content seriously," a 3rd Circuit majority wrote last year.
 
But the court was divided 8-6.
 
Such disparities are common around the country as school districts wrestle with how to address online pranks, threats or cyberbullying.
 
In the West Virginia case, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond unanimously refused to reinstate Kara Kowalski's lawsuit against school officials in Berkeley County.
 
She claimed her five-day suspension from Musselman High School in 2005 violated her free speech and due process rights.
 
A new statewide anti-bullying policy that goes into effect July 1 extends rules about student conduct beyond the school yard, holding students accountable for "vulgar or offensive speech" online if it disrupts school.
 
Although sexual orientation was not an issue in the legal case, the West Virginia Board of Education policy specifically noted that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are often bullied.
 
That sparked opposition to the policy from certain groups.
 
Kevin McCoy, president of the West Virginia Family Foundation, said Tuesday the high court's ruling is a setback but not a blockade to those who oppose the policy.
 
The group says the policy intrudes on the private lives of children.
 
"Does this make it a little more difficult for us? A little," McCoy said.
 
"But it definitely does not close the door to any future challenge."
 
]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:11:28 GMT 4e551735-3c0b-4317-ae11-f88dba8170b8 <![CDATA[W.Va. begins working through education audit]]> W.Va. begins working through education audit
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Department of Education officials are taking the first steps to implement several recommendations of an external audit of the state's public education system, including discussions about expanding a pilot teacher evaluation system and reviewing the role of the RESAs.
"Many of the recommendations align with the current direction of the West Virginia Board of Education and can be addressed immediately," according to a draft response by the state Department of Education. "Other recommendations need careful study and consideration as to their overall effect on the well being of our students, our professional educators, and our service personnel."
The education efficiency audit, conducted by Public Works LLC at the request of the governor in 2010, found that West Virginia's education system is saddled with restrictive regulations and too much bureaucracy.
"The system is detailed to the extreme in statutory language that results in an education system that has little flexibility to modify policy and operations without changes to Code," the audit said. "We have encountered no other state that insulates its education system so much from gubernatorial -- or voter -- control; restricts local initiative so much on the part of districts, building principals, and teachers; and vests so much authority for education at the state level."
The audit recommended that the West Virginia Department of Education ax a number of its top-level administrative positions to save roughly $4 million a year.
It also suggested streamlining the role of the state's Regional Education Service Agencies, which are tasked with coordinating teacher and staff training with county boards of education and also providing districts with technology help, such as computer repair. Auditors also recommended revamping the state's teacher evaluation system to factor in student achievement.
If the state implements all the changes recommended in the audit, West Virginia could save up to $90 million a year, according to the audit.
In its draft response, the Department of Education did not address a number of the audit's key recommendations regarding cutting administrative positions or retooling the organizational structure of the entire department.
Education officials did say they would form an advisory group to discuss streamlining the state's eight RESAs and review all current state board policies by July 2012 to eliminate "outdated, redundant, or overly prescriptive policy," according to the draft response.
The Department of Education also said it would make it a "legislative priority" to increase teacher and service personnel salaries -- a proposal mentioned in the efficiency audit as a way to attract quality teachers to the state.
"The WVDE believe this is a fundamental necessity for enhancing the overall quality of public schools in West Virginia," said the draft response to the audit.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin did not mention a pay raise for teachers in his State of the State address last week and there has been no talk of a pay boost in the upcoming budget.
Revamping the state's teacher evaluation system was another key finding of the education audit. Education officials were lukewarm about fully expanding the pilot program in place in 25 schools throughout the state until they conduct more thorough research about the system's efficacy, but they said they planned to discuss replicating the model in upcoming months.
The audit suggested giving teeth to teacher evaluations by creating ways to get ineffective teachers out of the classroom.
"While West Virginia requires teachers who receive unsatisfactory evaluations to be placed on improvement plans, it should go further," said the audit, suggesting tying tenure decisions to teacher effectiveness. It also said student performance should account for more than 20 percent of a teacher's evaluation -- the percentage currently used in the pilot program.
State education officials said they would analyze the other recommendations of the audit in the upcoming weeks before drafting a complete response and plan of action.
 
]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:38:26 GMT cda0a5ab-0166-4827-a0fd-ca98ac22c133 <![CDATA[Unions concerned about Tomblin's plans for teacher evaluations, no pay raise]]> Unions concerned about Tomblin's plans for teacher evaluations, no pay raise
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While education groups were pleased Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin called improving education one of his "highest priorities" in Wednesday's State of the State address, teachers' union leaders questioned how Tomblin planned to recruit and retain quality teachers without boosting teacher pay.
Union leaders also expressed misgivings about plans to alter the state's teacher evaluation system. 
"I was very dismayed that there was no mention of a teacher pay raise," said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association. "Education employees are tired of hearing the chorus of voices who say they understand the problems facing educators and the need to address low salaries, yet, nothing is ever done to address those issues."  
West Virginia currently ranks 48th in the nation for teacher salaries, according to the Department of Education.
In a 45-minute speech that centered on job creation, Tomblin said strengthening the state's education system was vital to future job growth.
"Nothing is more important to creating good jobs than providing a world class education for both our children and adults," Tomblin said. "We must start by refocusing our education system on the best interest of the student."
Tomblin said he would introduce legislation that incorporates student achievement into every teacher performance evaluation, building off a teacher evaluation pilot program spearheaded in 2009 and in place in 12 counties throughout West Virginia.
"It is a plan I believe can help make our good teachers great and identify a teacher who needs our help to be better," said Tomblin. 
West Virginia has one of the weakest teacher evaluation systems in the nation, according to an October report by the National Council on Teacher Quality. The report said West Virginia was one of only 11 states that does not require annual evaluations for all teachers or use student growth and achievement data to evaluate teachers. The report also cited the state for lacking a system to fire teachers when they receive unsatisfactory ratings. 
Judy Hale, president of the West Virginia American Federation of Teachers, sits on the state teacher evaluation task force.
She said it was premature to think of expanding the pilot program, which incorporates some student achievement into a teacher's evaluation, without sound data about the program's efficacy.
"Right now we don't have data that says that pilot improves education and when we get data, then we'll be supportive of expanding the program," said Hale. "But it is a little early to really say that the evaluation tool out there is working." 
Lee also took issue with the idea of revamped teacher evaluations, saying the "devil is in the details."
"If it's the pilot project and just expanding it, then that's not a bad thing," said Lee. "If it's moving to the [statewide education] audit suggestion of 51 percent of a teacher's evaluation being based on student achievement and test scores, that's just wrong." 
In his speech, Tomblin also said he would begin tackling the state's education challenges by implementing changes recommended by an external "education efficiency audit" of West Virginia's primary and secondary schools that was released last week.

The audit found that West Virginia's education system was rule-laden and top heavy and recommended giving local officials more authority over schools, creating more comprehensive evaluations for teachers, and improving compensation for teachers.  Implementing those changes could save the state about $90 million, Tomblin said.
"These recommendations have the potential to eliminate overlap and allow our schools to work smarter and more efficiently," Tomblin said.
While Hale applauded the audit's recommendation to boost teacher pay, she said she hoped the governor would solicit input from the state Department of Education and others before implementing changes recommended in the audit.
"I don't think the governor and Legislature is ready to make any major policy decisions based on the audit," said Hale. "So far we don't know the consequences of the recommendations except in terms of money. We have to study the consequences as it relates to kids."
Tomblin also announced Wednesday that he planned to introduce legislation establishing a pilot program to improve struggling local schools that would dovetail with a major public-private sector partnership called Reconnecting McDowell, which was launched in mid-December.
Reconnecting McDowell is a national turnaround project organized by the American Federation of Teachers that pairs more than 40 public- and private-sector groups in a five-year project to tackle poverty, substance abuse, and chronic education problems in McDowell County.
As of Wednesday night, the governor said Save the Children will match $1 million in state funds with a $500,000 investment in McDowell County to promote literacy for the turnaround initiative.
"Children in rural counties should have the same chance to succeed as children who live in the most affluent areas of America," Tomblin said. "Because of this, I am confident that we will bring those opportunities to the children of McDowell County."
 
 
]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:12:00 GMT 7679cd1a-b85f-40d1-aa10-27d0d35fe2bf <![CDATA[Education audit finds millions in inefficiencies, recommends restructuring]]> Education audit finds millions in inefficiencies, recommends restructuring
By Suzanne Higgins, Public Bradcasting
 
State education officials, teachers, lawmakers and others continue to wade through an expansive public education audit released by the Governor’s office Friday.
 
West Virginia has one of the most highly centralized and impermeable education systems in the country according to the Education Efficiency Audit of West Virginia’s Primary and Secondary School System conducted by the Pennsylvania consulting firm Public Works.
 
President Eric Schnurer says no other state education system is so highly regulated in code.
 
“We think you’re the only state where the ed system is essentially set up as a fourth branch of government,” said Schnurer.
 
Schnurer says the West Virginia Department of Education is “constitutionally enshrined” as independent from the Executive and Legislative branches, obviously designed to keep it free and independent of political influence, but he says there are some costs by doing that.
 
“The Legislature has attempted to assert some control over legislative policy and as a result has passed a lot of statutes to try to define what the role of the department is within constitutional limits,” said Schnurer.
 
“So one side effect of the constitutional arrangement that you have in West Virginia is you have a lot more that has been put into statute by the legislature than any other state which makes the system much less flexible, and certainly less flexible at the local level.”
 
“Unlike most states just about everything that needs to be done in education is set out in state code. So it’s a much more top-down, centralized, rule-driven system than in most states in the country,” he said.
 
That runs counter to the trend in education policy today, according to Schnurer, which is to decentralize, giving teachers more authority in their classroom and principals more authority in their buildings.
 
The audit also ranks West Virginia second in the country for the number of state-level staff when compared to student populations.
 
“The WVDE has a lot of employees that have functions that aren’t the direct oversight of k12 education,” said Schnurer. “It’s providing services in some cases that aren’t provided by some state level departments; they oversee a variety of functions that wouldn’t be in education departments in other states.”
 
“That’s roughly halfof their personnel,” he said.
 
“On the other hand, even when you take those additional personnel out and do a straight comparison with what you find in other states, the WV DOE, relative to the number of students that you have, is still significantly larger than the average.”
 
“It could probably benefit from some restructuring and right-sizing that would then free up resources for other sorts of education needs,” he added.
 
The report recommends a 20 percent decrease in the State Board of Education office, roughly 50 positions, over the next several years.
 
Schnurer notes the State Superintendent of Schools has already put a freeze on new hirers, and with many current public employees reaching retirement age in the coming years, attrition could help with a down-sizing goal.
 
The consultant says the single biggest area where cost-saving can be found in West Virginia’s public education system is in purchasing.
 
“The school system at the state level and local level just like any organization purchases lots of things from the outside world, from paper supplies to fuel oil for the buses,” he said.
 
“Everything that is bought can be bought more efficiently and effectively by combining the purchasing power of individual districts, coordinating how things are done across the whole system, you can drive better deals and get better prices and save money,” he said.
 
The second biggest area of cost savings could come from efficiencies in managing our school buildings, according to Schnurer.
 
“There are savings that can be realized through energy efficiency in the buildings, from how the buildings are constructed and maintained, to managing the air conditioning systems.”
 
“So there are things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of when you think of education but they’re all elements of what goes into the education system and that’s where most of the big savings are in this report,” said Schnurer.
 
The report suggests unloading the Cedar Lakes Conference Center, recommends improved oversight of the Regional Education Service Agencies, and the integration of dozens of Human Resources IT Systems.
 
“There’s just a lot of places where you’re not talking about a single something that is outrageously bad,” said Schnurer. “You’re generally talking about things you could do differently here and there, that are generally small amounts but if you pay attention to a lot of these things they start to add up and you end up with significant savings if you’re addressing everything you can be addressing.”
  
Schnurer says if West Virginia were to implement all of the report’s recommendations and apply the review process to all districts and RESAs, the annual savings could total approximately $90 million.
 
He says that would allow the state to focus on recommendations made in the second half of the report on how to improve student achievement.
 
Those recommendations include mandating a 180-day school year, improving teacher preparation and evaluation, raising salaries, and providing technology in every classroom, to every student.
 
In a statement State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple said the West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Department of Education will work with the Governor and Legislature to consider the audit recommendations.
 
“Many of the recommendations align with the current direction and priorities of the WVBE and can be addressed immediately,” she wrote. “Other recommendations need careful study and consideration as to their overall impact on the well being of our students, educators and service personnel."
 
]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:02:05 GMT 984594e6-d82b-412a-94a6-be927a188601 <![CDATA[Tomblin's second State of the State to be first as governor]]> Tomblin's second State of the State to be first as governor
Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In a rare quirk of history, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will be giving his second State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature this evening -- but it will be his first as governor.
Last Jan. 12, when Tomblin gave his first State of the State address, he did so as Senate president, acting as governor to fill the vacancy created in November 2010, when Joe Manchin stepped down to be sworn in as a U.S. senator.
That speech focused on the state's comparatively healthy economy, and did not feature major new legislative initiatives -- themes expected to be revisited in Wednesday's address, which begins at 7 p.m.
"He'll touch upon some of the accomplishments that have happened over the past year," said Tomblin spokeswoman Kimberly Osborne.
The second regular session of the 80th Legislature convenes at noon today<co>, although legislators haven't been away from the Capitol for long, having been called into special sessions in August, November and December.
The December special session dealt with controversial legislation to regulate horizontal drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale basin.
With that issue off the table, the primary focus for the 2012 regular session is likely to involve developing a long-term financial plan to pay down future health care costs for retired state and public school employees, known as the OPEB liability.
Osborne declined to say whether Tomblin will offer a specific plan for paying down the long-term deficit in his speech, but said, "There's going to be reference to continuing to keep our financial standing strong."
Also this session, legislators will also have to quickly revisit congressional redistricting, after a panel of federal judges declared the plan adopted in an August special session to be unconstitutional.
Last year, Tomblin's key proposals in his State of the State address included a reduction in the state sales tax on food from 3 percent to 2 percent, and a one-time, $800 salary enhancement for state employees, teachers, and school service personnel.
Legislators passed Tomblin's sales tax cut -- resurrecting the seemingly dead bill after Tomblin threatened to veto any pay raises if the food tax reduction failed.
Tomblin, meanwhile, compromised on the pay raise issue, approving a variety of pay raises, rather than the one-time "bonus" he favored, including an across-the-board $1,488 raise for teachers, and what worked out to a roughly 2 percent pay raise for state employees.
Tomblin, who won the special gubernatorial election last October, will be running for re-election this year, and will be under pressure to approve another round of pay raises this session.
At a Legislative Lookahead last week, Tomblin chief of staff Rob Alsop declined to discuss that possibility, noting, "The budget is very tight."
Tomblin's roughly 40-minute address is also expected to discuss initiatives to encourage businesses to locate in West Virginia.
Continuing a tradition begun under then-Gov. Gaston Caperton, Tomblin will also introduce special guests in the House chambers.
Unlike his predecessor, whose guests included celebrities such as actress Jennifer Garner and star West Virginia University quarterback Pat White, Tomblin's 2011 guest list was more low-key, featuring retiring state Adjutant General Allen Tackett.
Osborne said Tomblin would introduce several guests tonight, adding, "These are people who have made significant contributions to the betterment of West Virginia."
She declined to say whether representatives of the Orange Bowl-winning Mountaineer football team would be on hand.
The speech will be broadcast live on media outlets including West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and on the Internet at the governor's office web page: www.governor.wv.gov.
 
 
]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:01:03 GMT 554aa4eb-92c9-4c9d-911d-2b08061e9c09 <![CDATA[Educational failure cannot be tolerated]]> Editorials – Charleston Daily Mail
Wednesday January 11, 2012
Educational failure cannot be tolerated
Standardized tests are part and parcel of accountability
In recent days, West Virginians have received two perspectives on a public school system that costs $3.5 billion a year and satisfies no one. Student achievement is abysmal. Teacher pay is low.
The state has failed to fix either problem.
West Virginians will probably spend the next year discussing a new course. It's high time they did.
A $275,000 audit commissioned by the state found a cuckoo management framework apparently unique to West Virginia. Under the state Constitution, the state Board of Education, appointed by governors, isn'taccountable to anybody — not governors or legislators.
The public school system is overregulated, highly inflexible and has too many bureaucrats, the audit said.
The state requires way too little instructional time; none of the 55 counties delivered even 180 days of instruction during the 2009-2010 school year. (Japan requires 240. Europeans call for 190 to 210 days.)
The audit made many findings and suggestions.
A few days later, the West Virginia Education Association released findings and suggestions of its own.
Teachers think their pay is too low, that they are unfairly blamed for low student achievement, that their expertise is not valued, that educators are best equipped to design education policy, that it's unfair to base teacher pay on student achievement, and that there is too much emphasis on standardized tests.
The union said it will seek salary increases, which in the past has meant across-the-board increases. The audit suggests incentives and differential pay to attract and keep teachers in hard-to-staff areas.
Policymakers should patiently hear everybody out, but they should commit to change.
Let's be honest. The system outside that observers and teachers say is strangling education was shaped —in minute detail —by the state board and educators lobbying the Legislature.
That approach has failed students, teachers and the state. It cannot be defended.
As for achievement tests, it is unfair to blame teachers for poor results or to base their pay entirely upon test scores. The union is right about that.
But the system itself must be held accountable.
The state should minimize testing, but West Virginians deserve test scores that can be compared directly to results in other states.
You can't spend $3.5 billion a year, get poor results and expect to preserve the status quo
 
]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:43:09 GMT 1a60dadd-fc0c-4d65-890b-59b311177831 <![CDATA[Gene A. Budig and Alan Heaps: Teachers deserve better]]> January 9, 2012
Gene A. Budig and Alan Heaps: Teachers deserve better
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Every year, America spends more than $500 billion on elementary and secondary education, much of that on our teachers. We do this because we know that such expenditures are essential.
And yet most of us know amazingly little about teachers as a group or as individuals. For example, there are 3.6 million teachers in our 133,000 schools and 14,000 school districts.  Did you know that 70 percent are female, the median age is 46, and 60 percent earned a master's degree or higher? Or that two-thirds have more than 10 years in the classroom and they teach on average 87 students per day?  Or that more than 80 percent of public school teachers are white, with African-Americans and Hispanics each accounting for about 7 percent of the teaching force?
Or that the average salary for a public school teacher is a little more than $55,000, a shamelessly low figure, considering the importance of their work, the complexity of teaching, and that, on average, they work more than 50 hours per week?
One thing we do know about teachers is that they are entrusted with our youngsters, to assure that our nation continues as a prosperous and stable force for good.
Unfortunately, last year was not a good year for teachers and countless other Americans. Our once-robust economy was in shambles. Rampant unemployment ravaged many parts of society. The New Year is likely to show measured improvement but few in business and industry are willing to predict what will happen if our political system remains in political gridlock and our government continues to eschew compromise.
This financial crunch has put education funding under severe pressure. But to their credit, school administrators have been scrupulous in trying to protect outstanding teachers, placing them on lists to be rehired when the economy recovers.
Thankfully, in the fall of 2011 there were fewer teacher layoffs than anticipated. A survey of large urban school districts found that half had no layoffs and the average layoff rate was 2.5 percent -- pretty small compared to the 5 percent many had anticipated.  But this average figure hides unsightly warts; school districts in hard-hit locales such as California and Ohio laid off 10 percent, or even 20 percent, of teachers.
To many, teaching is still a prized profession, a calling as much as a job.  Teachers aren't in it for the money. Given the nation's financial situation, most realize that levels of compensation are not likely to change anytime soon and that their futures may be in jeopardy.  But young teachers are largely an unspoiled and optimistic lot, and they understand that we live in a country with extraordinary freedoms and individual and collective opportunities that few others can even imagine.  They know that their jobs safeguard these liberties.
Teachers also understand the pros and cons of their jobs.  On one hand, the United States remains fortunate when compared to the economic challenges of Europe and Japan.  On the other hand, according to leading economists, the recession may have ended in 2009, but that does not mean that many large cities like New York and Los Angeles are home free. Far from it. Teacher layoffs continue to hover over all our schools.
According to leading deans of education, there are many students interested in careers in elementary and secondary education, and more in the sciences, mathematics and languages. There is reason for measured optimism but the deans are quick to point out that teachers cannot be indefinitely disadvantaged when it comes to fair economic treatment.
Teacher retention is too low and it must be addressed in a measured and constructive way. Countries like China and South Korea revere teachers, seeing them as key bricks on the path to a competitive future. Can the United States, today the most powerful nation on the face of the earth, afford to do less? We think not.
Budig is former president West Virginia University and past president of Major League Baseball's American League. Alan Heaps is a vice president at the College Board in New York City.
 
]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:02:44 GMT f95fdb7d-4176-4a1e-b11d-b76b1373e616 <![CDATA[Public wants teacher pay raises, union survey claims]]> Public wants teacher pay raises, union survey claims
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A majority of the public agrees with teachers that they should receive salary increases, according to two surveys backed by a state teacher's union.
Two surveys were conducted - one for teachers and one for members of the public. Identical questions were asked, said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.
More than 3,800 educators took part in the teacher survey, while more than 300 "likely general election voters" participated in the public survey.
The surveys also show agreement between the two groups on issues like standardized testing and teacher accountability.
Lee highlighted the findings on Monday, saying that a mix of "teacher bashing" and low pay is destroying morale among educators all over the state and depleting the supply of new teachers to replace those who are retiring.
"We are constantly hearing from elected leaders, business groups and others that our students are not performing well and the impression is that our schools and school employees are the problems," Lee said.
"We have teachers who feel as though their expertise is ignored and their work is not valued."
Both groups surveyed were first asked whether teachers should get salary increases. The response from the education realm was unsurprising; about 97 percent of teachers said they should get a raise.
About 58 percent of the public agreed. Additionally, 39 percent of the public and 49 percent of teachers surveyed felt that teacher salaries should be competitive with the salaries paid in surrounding states.
Last year, teachers got a $1,488 raise across the board, but West Virginia teacher salaries still rank 48th in the country, which is around $12,000 below the national average, Lee added.
In connection to teacher salaries, the education association asked both groups whether or not a teacher's paycheck should be influenced by student performance on standardized tests.
Teachers responded with a resounding 'no,' as 91 percent voiced their opposition to such a means of accountability while 78 percent of the public opposed the idea.
"There are just too many variables outside of a teacher's control to say that we're going to base pay on test scores," Lee said.
Both groups furthered their disapproval for the amount of emphasis put on standardized test scores. Ninety-three percent of teachers and 49 percent of the public surveyed said that standardized tests are pushed too hard in classrooms.
In terms of tracking that accountability, the education association also asked who the surveyed thought would be best situated to propose education policy. Both teachers and the public agreed that educators and the state Department of Education were the best groups to consider school policy.
Both groups also agreed that teachers would probably give the best advice when it comes to improving schools. A close second popular response was the parents of school-aged children.
The options "business leaders" and "legislators" were both the least-picked response to that question.
Thirty-nine percent of the public blamed elected leaders for most of the problems in schools today, while 28 percent blamed parents.
Thirty-six percent of teachers placed the blame on uninvolved parents, while 29 percent blamed elected leaders.
Lee says that is partially because of the amount the education budget has shrunk over the last 15 years.
"The most important aspect in education is the certified quality of the teachers in front of those kids ... We have gone from 56 percent of the budget to 46 percent of the budget, but out of that 46 percent, when you take a look at what actually makes it into the classroom, you're only seeing about 28 percent," Lee said.
Teachers and the public differed on how educators are viewed; about 71 percent of the public surveyed said teachers are viewed in a positive light, while about 42 percent of teachers said they feel the public views them unfavorably.
"I absolutely believe that is based on the talk they hear from elected leaders, business leaders and the news they see on the airwaves and in print. It goes back to the morale issues of educators and how they have been beaten down by those in positions of power," Lee said.
Lee said on Monday that he intends on at least asking for another raise for teachers this year to bring those salaries up to the national average. He also said a lot of the education association's next moves will be decided after Tomblin gives the State of the State address on Wednesday.
He said the only way to improve the educational landscape in West Virginia is to hold everyone accountable for how students do in school. That will require parents, administrators, teachers, policymakers and students to work together, he said.
"It is difficult for our parents and children to respect their teachers and value education when it is clear that many people in power do not. It is time to stop the criticism of public education and education employees and honor those individuals who work in our public schools," Lee said.
 
]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:56:16 GMT f380b961-5f88-453a-8e2a-9ef94e5ab23a <![CDATA[Teachers union’s poll finds support for pay raise]]> Teachers union’s poll finds support for pay raise
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Education Association is taking the public's pulse on its proposal to again boost pay for public school teachers.
According to the WVEA-commissioned poll released Monday, 58 percent of 2012 likely voters agreed that West Virginia teachers were due for a pay raise, while 31 percent of respondents disagreed.
Of the respondents who thought that teachers should receive a salary increase, 39 percent thought teacher's pay should be competitive with that of surrounding states, 24 percent thought it should be on par with the national average, and 37 percent thought it should reflect compensation of similar jobs in the state.
Three hundred likely voters were contacted by telephone in mid-August by polling group Grove Insight.
Dale Lee, president of the WVEA, said the union decided to put a poll in the field because the morale of school employees is "approaching an all-time low."
"Teaching used to be a very respected profession," Lee said in a news conference on Monday. "People equate respect with salaries."
West Virginia currently ranks 48th nationally in teacher pay, nearly $12,000 below the national average, according to the WVEA.
An average West Virginia schoolteacher made about $43,500 in base pay last year, according to state salary data.
That is significantly below the pay of neighboring states like Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio, Lee said. He said West Virginia teachers made $16,274 less than the average teacher in Pennsylvania, $20,951 less than a teacher in Maryland, $13,029 less than Ohio teachers and $5,776 less than Kentucky teachers.
Lee said competitive teacher salaries are needed to recruit and retain quality candidates, or the state risks having a chronic shortage of teachers like it did several years ago.
During the 2008-09 school year, more than 2,000 classrooms in the state didn't have certified teachers, Lee said.
"I am hugely concerned about the morale of teachers," Lee said. "There are a huge percentage of teachers eligible to retire and we're not having people to come in [and] fill those positions."
Lee says he will ask the Legislature for an across-the-board pay raise for teachers in this legislative session. He also hopes that boosts in teacher pay will be a top priority in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address Wednesday.
Teachers in West Virginia received a $1,488 raise from the Legislature last year.
 
]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:54:10 GMT df5f9b73-e9db-47fe-94a5-7ff0bab8c2a3 <![CDATA[WVEA Survey Results]]>
WVEA Survey Results
Charleston

Teacher pay raises and certified educators in the classroom go hand in hand according to the West Virginia Education Association.
Once again raises will be a top priority for the union as they lobby lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session which starts Wednesday.
WVEA President Dale Lee released the results of two studies Monday. The first, conducted back in August, asked 300 likely voters a variety of questions including whether education employees deserved a raise. Fifty-eight percent of those who responded said "yes." The second study involved public educators and asked the same question. Ninety-seven percent of educators agreed they deserved better pay.
Currently, West Virginia teachers rank 48th in salary and make more than $20,000 less than their counterparts in Pennsylvania and nearly $6,000 less than teachers in Kentucky.
The union made it clear they're not just thinking about themselves when it comes to the pay raise issue.
Lee says qualified teachers in the classroom mean better prepared and educated students. But the state has had a difficult time attracting certified teachers. He says the numbers from school year 2008-2009 prove it.
"More than 2,000 classrooms in West Virginia didn't have a certified teacher in it. And that's just unacceptable for our kids."
Lee says if you can't pay teachers what they're worth, they'll go elsewhere for a job, like neighboring states or they will simply search for work in other fields. He says that directly impacts student learning.
Lee says their studies show, people want to see teachers and students succeed.
"The most important thing to a parent, in my opinion, is their child's success,” he said. “And we as parents and we as teachers have to figure out how to combine that."
Lee says they'll wait to hear what Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has to say in his State of the State Address before the union proposes any pay increase for legislators to consider.
Teachers received a pay raise in 2011, an across the board $1,488 increase.
 
]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:57:16 GMT a9e26235-883e-47df-a8b2-3445d0ab0035 <![CDATA[Education audit arrives on eve of W.Va. session]]>
Education audit arrives on eve of W.Va. session
By LAWRENCE MESSINA
Associated Press
 CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A wide-ranging review of West Virginia's public school system has arrived just as lawmakers prepare to launch their regular session for 2012.
But the leaders of the Legislature's education committees aren't sure whether the audit and its scores of recommendations will fuel proposals during the 60-day session, which begins Wednesday.
"I can't imagine, with the report just being released, that we will automatically accept their findings and start moving in any direction without further study," House Education Chairwoman Mary Poling, D-Barbour, said Sunday.
Poling's Senate counterpart largely agreed.
"I think there may be some legislative action this year, but the bulk of it will be next year or when we've had the chance to really review it for ourselves on the legislative side," said Senate Education Chair Robert Plymale, D-Wayne.
Lawmakers must also wait until Wednesday's State of the State address to hear whether Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will include any of the review's findings in his session agenda.
Tomblin commissioned the consulting firm Public Works to conduct the review. It scrutinized the Department of Education and several other state-level entities, including the School Building Authority. It also brought in another firm, MGT, to review a sampling of the 55 county school systems and the regional education service agencies.
The audit report released Friday describes a tightly regulated, bureaucrat-heavy system with limited flexibility or voter accountability. It noted the state's lagging student performance despite sizable spending on education - $3.5 billion during the 2010 budget year. It offers dozens of recommendations to improve student performance and working conditions for teachers while reorganizing the system and cutting costs by around $90 million annually.
Topics addressed in the audit include teacher evaluations. Plymale and Poling both expect lawmakers to tackle that subject during the coming session, but not necessarily because of the review's recommendations. A special task force recently studied ways to evaluate educators regularly, and a handful of states are conducting a pilot project as a result.
Education Department officials are reviewing the report, spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said Sunday. So are the groups that represent teachers, the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia.
WVEA President Dale Lee said he hoped the audit's discussion of teacher pay catches the attention of lawmakers and other state officials. It found that West Virginia cannot compete regionally or nationally with the salaries it offers, even after two rounds of raises since 2008.
Though the report does not recommend specific pay levels, it notes that "it hardly would be surprising to observe that West Virginia cannot hope to attract and retain the highest-quality teachers when it pays them at almost the lowest levels in the nation."
"Even compared to other education personnel in West Virginia, it would be fair to say that, if what they are paid is an indication, then teachers are the least valued part of the state's education structure," the report said.
But Lee also questioned the accuracy of some findings. He cited comparison between West Virginia schools and those in highly populated urban areas.
"Certainly schools in rural WV aren't the same as they are in a Boston or a New York City," Lee said.
The report does note the state's rural nature, and found that it may explain the number of administrative staffers when compared to the student population.
"It is hard for parents to place their children in a better school if that school is 100 miles away," the report said. "And, in any event, West Virginia needs to do more to attract, train, and retain the best teachers in every school."
More than a dozen recommendations focus on harnessing technology to allow students to "take any course they want, from any teacher, anywhere in the state - or the world." Plymale said classroom technology is another topic that lawmakers could consider this session. He blamed the system's rigid structure for a lack of progress in this area.
"Certainly, I'd like to see something on that as quickly as possible," Plymale said.
---
Online:
Education Audit: http://tinyurl.com/7mzkxhg
 
]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:55:49 GMT dbee7422-990e-46db-ae16-e517a2e3f669 <![CDATA[West Virginia K-12 audit results released ]]> West Virginia K-12 audit results released
Report: Merit-based pay, distance learning among suggestions
By The Associated Press
Read the Education Efficiency Audit here.
 CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A sweeping review of West Virginia's public schools released Friday offers scores of recommendations its authors say can improve lagging student performance and save about $70 million a year statewide.
From a voluntary merit-pay system for teachers and reduced workloads for new educators to seizing on distance-learning technology and penalizing counties that fail to provide at least 180 days of instruction annually, the audit scrutinizes the state's education system from practically every angle.
"The main thrust of this review is to make the West Virginia educational system more efficient, from top to bottom, so that tax dollars can be better spent educating our children," the report from the consulting firms Public Works LLC and MGT said.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin commissioned the review last year. With a $275,000 price tag, it focused on relevant state-level departments, as well as one of the state's eight Regional Education Service Agencies and the Harrison, Taylor and Wyoming county school systems.
"From the classroom to the state school board, this assessment shows us we have room for improvement," Tomblin said in a statement. "For the future of our children and our state, we must [build] a better learning and teaching environment in our classrooms and reduce administrative redundancies, thereby directing financial savings back into the classroom."
The review concluded that West Virginia has perhaps the most tightly regulated education system in the country. State laws control many details of school operations, allowing for little flexibility, the review found. The Department of Education, while led by a board whose members are appointed by the governor, is independent of the executive and legislative branches under the West Virginia Constitution.
"We have encountered no other state that insulates its education system so much from gubernatorial -- or voter -- control; restricts local initiative so much on the part of districts, . . . principals, and teachers; and vests so much authority for education at the state level," Friday's report said.
While that might be the choice of West Virginia's citizens, the report continues, "it runs counter to most of the concern and thinking in educational reform today that individual initiative and accountability should be encouraged, while responsibility for education must ultimately come to a single point at the top of the pyramid."
The audit also ranked West Virginia second for the number of state-level staff when compared to student populations. Even when narrowing the focus to states with similar student populations or rural terrain, the state had among the lowest ratios of bureaucrats to students.
."In recent years, [the Department of Education] in fact has demonstrated an ability modestly to reduce overall departmental staffing levels through attrition," the report said. "At the very same time, however, it has increased its number of high-level positions."
About 60 of the review's recommendations would trim and reorganize that bureaucracy. While calling for fewer department employees, it also recommends hiring architects and engineers to replace contractors. The department should absorb the training-oriented Center for Professional Development, which is now independent, but shed the Cedar Lakes Conference Center, the report said.
Another 73 recommendations focus on teachers, principals and school coursework. These include requiring a reduced workload for new teachers, and low-cost loans for those who agree to live and work in the more rural communities for five years. They also propose special pay to retain teachers or keep them in high-need schools and subject areas. The state also should offer higher salaries to teachers who agree to merit-based pay, the report said.
Such proposals have proved thorny, as has enforcing a 180-day school calendar. While West Virginia sets that as the goal, it does not mandate that minimum. However, 29 states do, and 11 others require more than 180 days, the report said. Japan, meanwhile, sets a 240-day school year and the calendars in Europe call for between 190 and 210 days, the report said.
No West Virginia school offered 180 days of instruction during the 2009-2010 year, the review found. Of the 55 counties, 27 reached only 169 days. One unnamed county had its schools open for just 160 days.
The review said the state should abolish the calendar's 43-week limit, reduce the number of staff support days and "provide consequences to districts for not meeting the 180-day minimum."
The report also noted, though, that "time in school alone, however, will not improve student outcomes. What matters most is quality, instructional time."
West Virginia spent $3.5 billion on primary and secondary education during the 2010 budget year, the report said. By some measures, it ranks in the Top 10 among states for per-pupil spending, the report said. However, it also notes that when payments aimed at a teacher pension shortfall aren't counted, it ranks 32nd.
The review proposes keeping but focusing and streamlining the eight RESAs. Besides 24 recommendations for county school systems, it offers 12 specific proposals for Wyoming County schools and at least two-dozen apiece for Harrison and Taylor counties. These include eliminating an in-house print shop and creating new bus routes. All three counties are advised to increase the prices of their school lunches.
A number of the report's recommendations offer that level of details. It said at least 35 counties can save $4.4 million over five years, for instance, if they stop paying bus drivers extra for midday runs. It also cites the practices of other states, such as Oklahoma, which recently adopted policies targeting ineffective teachers for firing.
MGT handled the RESA and county reviews, and also sought to survey all 55 county systems. While 47 took part, eight did not: Clay, Doddridge, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Monroe, Ritchie and Roane counties. Of those eight, one declined and two did not respond. The others responded too late, did not send needed information or took part only in the survey's online-forum component, the report said.
 
]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:13:33 GMT af937182-d55f-402d-8413-d446873afd99 <![CDATA[WVDE takes public comment on special education policy revisions]]> WVDE takes public comment on special education policy revisions
 
Public hearings to accept comments regarding proposed revisions to the West Virginia Board of Education’s special education policy for public schools are being conducted by the West Virginia Department of Education at three locations across the state in January and February.  Additionally, written comments may be submitted to the department now through February 13, 2012.  The schedule is as follows: 
 
January 10, South Charleston High School,  Charleston;
January 24, Bridgeport High School, Bridgeport; 
February 7, Martinsburg  High School , Martinsburg.  
 
All hearings will begin at 6:00 pm.  A sign language interpreter will be available at each public hearing.
 
Revisions to Policy 2419:  Regulations for the Education of Students with Exceptionalities ,  a comment form and mailing address are posted on the department Web site at http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/.  Comments will be accepted online or by mail in writing during the comment period.  Contact the department at (800) 642-8541 or (304) 558-2696 for assistance.
]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:58:53 GMT 5e4b042b-a5b9-47b3-9bca-f9d9f1d045bf <![CDATA[Medicare beneficiaries with PEIA not affected by Humana decision]]> Medicare beneficiaries with PEIA not affected by Humana decision
Company will stop care for many at Thomas, Saint Francis
By Paul J. Nyden
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Humana's recent decision to stop paying for medical visits, laboratory tests and hospital care at two Kanawha County hospitals will not affect Medicare beneficiaries who are covered by the state's Public Employees Insurance Agency.
Humana, a Louisville-Ky.-based insurance company whose benefits include Medicare advantage and supplement plans, recently told local customers that beginning Feb. 2, it would no longer pay for care at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston and Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston.
Humana sent letters to thousands of its customers on Dec. 22.
Five days later, Humana sent another letter to hundreds of those same customers, who are covered under PEIA, informing them they would still have benefits. The letter was headlined, "No Change to a Specific Provider in Your Humana Medicare Network."
Paige Johnson, director of marketing and public relations for the Thomas Health System, said on Tuesday, "Those recent letters went to PEIA-covered retirees. Thomas and St. Francis are still in their network.
"But those are the only patients remaining in the Thomas Health System network," she said.
Jeff Blunt, from Humana's office of Regional Strategic Communications for West Virginia, based in Cincinnati, said on Tuesday, "Humana is working quickly to explore available options to resolve this issue for all of our members in the Charleston area.
"We are in communication with key parties including appropriate state and federal regulatory agencies. It's our hope to continue uninterrupted in-network access to these hospitals [and the four-hospital CAMC system] for our West Virginia Medicare members in 2012.
"It's important to note that PEIA members are not impacted by this situation," Blunt said.
Blunt did not explain why Humana told patients in Thomas Health System that they would not continue to get Humana benefits after Feb. 1.
Humana's letters to PEIA members stated, "We sent you a letter on December 22, 2011, stating our contract with Saint Francis Hospital [and Thomas Hospital] would end on February 1, 2012.
"However, since that date, we've renewed our contract with Saint Francis Hospital. Your plan benefits remain the same.
"The contract renewal doesn't affect the benefits you receive through your Humana Medicare plan."
The letters were signed by "Medicare Customer Service," not by an individual official at Humana.
Betty Via of South Charleston, who has PEIA because she had worked for the Kanawha County Board of Education, called Humana last Friday.
"A woman came on the phone and told me the new letters were being sent out and that I would have insurance throughout 2012," Via said. "She said I could still go to Thomas."
Johnson said, "People at Thomas and Saint Francis have been getting a lot of phone calls from patients. They are confused. We are confused as well.
"This is a very sad situation. We are doing all that we can to contest this issue and to reach someone at Humana," Johnson said.
Thomas officials first learned about Humana's plans on Dec. 6, when Thomas President Stephen P. Dexter received a letter, dated Nov. 30, from Beverly Steen, Humana's contracting director.
"Notice is hereby given that your ChoiceCare network agreement is terminated without cause effective [Feb. 1] for all lines of business," Steen wrote.
Steen's letter also noted the agreement between Humana and Thomas "shall automatically renew for subsequent one-year terms unless either party provides written notice of non-renewal to the other party at least 90 days prior to the end of the initial term or any subsequent renewal terms."
But Dexter received Steen's letter only 56 days before the annual agreement was set to expire. 
 
Steen did not return several telephone calls last week. On Tuesday, Steen said, "I cannot comment."
John Turner, director of corporate public relations at Humana in Lexington, did not return numerous telephone messages left on Thursday, Friday and Tuesday.
Blunt said, "Humana is a health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services.
"Medicare supplement plans are actually a very small part of what we do and the current St. Francis/Thomas Memorial issue impacts our Medicare Advantage membership, not our Medicare supplement membership."
Last week, Dexter said the Thomas Health System has 22,000 Medicare patients who visit its hospitals for lab tests, X-rays and other medical care.
Medicare recipients have the annual option to register with a private provider, which is paid by Medicare to provide benefits. Those plans often include additional benefits, such as pharmaceuticals.
 
]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:46:21 GMT c2390f06-54b6-4867-91e9-9d494d832f83 <![CDATA[W.Va. tax collections ahead of estimates]]> W.Va. tax collections ahead of estimates
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- At the midway point of the 2011-12 budget year, state tax collections are running about $56 million ahead of projections, at $1.977 billion, state Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow said Tuesday.
Year-to-date, severance taxes, primarily from coal and natural gas, are running $26.3 million above estimates, at $237.1 million.
"About half of our revenue surplus year-to-date is attributable to severance taxes," Muchow said.
However, he said economic turmoil in Europe could affect those numbers, since about half of all coal exported from West Virginia goes to Europe.
"We're getting a little concerned about the European markets facing a recession in the near term," Muchow said.
Two key elements of state revenue collections -- personal income taxes and consumer sales taxes -- each continued to perform strongly in December, running about 6 percent ahead of estimates.
Personal income tax collections for the month were $139.8 million, about $20 million above projections. However, Muchow said much of that is because of individuals who pay those taxes quarterly paying the Jan. 15 installment early in order to claim it on their 2011 federal income tax returns.
"A lot of people pay early to get the full credit on their federal income taxes," he said.
Year-to-date, personal income tax collections are at $777.6 million, $10.5 million over estimates.
 
]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:44:21 GMT 5740c6a3-a713-4731-a843-2ef2b15ac020 <![CDATA[2011 marred by test cheating scandals across US]]> 2011 marred by test cheating scandals across US
By DORIE TURNER
AP Education Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - It was the year of the test cheating scandal.
From Atlanta to Philadelphia and Washington to Los Angeles, officials have accused hundreds of educators of changing answers on tests or giving answers to students. Just last week, state investigators revealed that dozens of educators in 11 schools in Georgia's Dougherty County either cheated or failed to prevent cheating on 2009 standardized tests.
In July, those same investigators accused nearly 180 educators in almost half of Atlanta's 100 schools of cheating dating back to 2001 - which experts have called the largest cheating scandal in U.S. history. And at least 20 students have been charged on Long Island with cheating on SAT and ACT college-entrance exams by paying someone to take the test for them.
"It's a year in which cheating became a national scandal, a scandal of national proportions," said Bob Schaeffer, a spokesman for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, which advocates against high-stakes testing. "The Atlanta case forced policymakers and journalists in other jurisdictions to look to see if there's anything similar going on in their backyards."
Experts say some educators have bowed to the mounting pressure under the federal No Child Left Behind law as schools' benchmarks increase each year toward the ultimate goal of having all children reading and doing math at their grade level by 2014. Teachers in Atlanta reported that administrators created a culture of "fear, intimidation and retaliation" where testing goals had to be met no matter what, according to investigators.
"This problem existed before No Child Left Behind, but NCLB has exacerbated the problem, clearly," said Walter Haney, a retired Boston College education professor and expert on cheating. "I think testing is really important, but the problem has been the misuse of test results without looking behind the test scores to see who and who is not tested."
Federal officials have been saying for more than a year that the law, which is four years overdue for a rewrite, doesn't accurately depict what's happening in schools. While federal lawmakers agree the law needs to be fixed, an overhaul has become mired in the partisan atmosphere in Congress.
At President Obama's invitation, states have begun filing waivers to get relief from the law. Under the 11 waivers already filed, states are asking to use a variety of factors to determine whether they pass muster and to choose how schools will be punished if they don't improve. Among the factors that could be used are college-entrance exam scores or the performance of students on Advanced Placement tests.
At least 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, have said they will file waivers, though it is unclear how many will get approved.
In Pennsylvania, an investigation continues into irregularities found in 2009 state standardized tests in reading and math. The probe began last summer after a routine forensics report flagged "highly improbable" results in 90 schools across the state.
The state education secretary ordered the 50 districts representing the named schools to conduct internal investigations and submit reports to him by Aug. 15. But nearly four months later, the reports are still being analyzed and have not been made public.
Twenty-eight of the flagged schools were in Philadelphia, the state's largest district. District spokesman Fernando Gallard said the system is talking with the state Department of Education over how to move forward with the cheating investigation.
In Washington, D.C., federal and city officials are investigating possible cheating in more than 100 schools from 2008 to 2010. The unusually high rate of erasures in those schools came to light after a USA Today investigation into improbable test gains in more than 300 schools in six states and D.C.
City officials tossed out test results for three classrooms in May because of proven cases of cheating.
A Waterbury, Conn., principal resigned earlier this month over an alleged cheating scheme on the Connecticut Mastery Test. A dozen teachers who were also caught up in the scandal lost 20 days of pay and have to perform 25 hours of free tutoring.
In Los Angeles, teachers at three schools have resigned after being accused of coaching students or changing answers on tests. The test scores at two of those schools have been thrown out.
Schaeffer, who follows cheating scandals closely for years, said he's seen as many cheating stories this year as in the last half-dozen years combined. He said there have been confirmed cases of cheating in 30 states and D.C. in the last three years.
 
]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:57:07 GMT bddc8fba-70c7-4830-91f7-96cb891ef34e <![CDATA[School cell phone policy discussed]]> School cell phone policy discussed
December 22, 2011
By WARREN SCOTT - Weirton Daily Times
WELLSBURG - The Brooke County Board of Education on Wednesday made a few changes to a proposed policy for cellular phones and other electronic devices.
At a special work meeting Board President Jim Piccirillo fine-tuned the draft of a policy calling for cellular phones, pagers, portable media players and similar devices to be used only before and after school while on school grounds and for high school students, between classes and during lunch at the principal's discretion.
When not in use, they are to be turned off, not left in vibrating mode, and stored out of sight, according to the proposed policy, which will be considered by the board at its Jan. 9 regular meeting.
Piccicillo said the policy is needed because use of cell phones at the high school has become a major discipline problem, causing disruptions to class instruction.
He said confiscating them isn't an effective solution because many students resist relinquishing them and many teachers aren't comfortable taking them.
Instead the policy states the first time a student violates it, he or she will receive a warning and a discipline form will be sent to the principal's office.
For the second violation, the student will receive one day of internal suspension and for the third, the student will receive one day of external suspension and lose the privilege to use the phone at school or participate in certain extracurricular activities, such as trips or dances.
Piccirillo clarified such activities wouldn't include participation in sports, the school band or clubs.
He noted the loss of such privileges also applies to other offenses for which a day of external suspension is a penalty.
Kathy Kidder, superintendent of schools, said stricter penalties will apply for use of phones and other devices to cheat, threaten or take photographs in locker rooms, restrooms and other inappropriate areas.
The proposed policy also prohibits teachers and other staff from using cell phones and other devices during class time, when supervising students or completing other work tasks.
Ron Ujcich, the school district's transportation director, noted the state already prohibits school bus drivers from using cell phones and other devices while driving, whether or not students are present.
Kidder noted while the high school had a policy for cell phones in the past, this is the first time staff have been included in such a policy.
School officials were asked about a provision that would prohibit students from using cell phones during a school emergency unless permitted by a teacher.
Marty Bartz, assistant superintendent of schools, said this is because it may block calls between school and emergency officials, something he said occurred during the 2004 flood.
Piccirillo said when a shooting occurred at a home near the school in 2006, many students used cell phones to call their parents, and some came for their children soon after.
Such a situation could result in parents arriving in vehicles at the same time as emergency departments and school officials are attempting a lockdown for students' safety, he said.
Bartz said he understands parents would want to be able to communicate with their children at such times and suggested a procedure might be developed to allow students to use their phones under certain circumstances.
He noted the school district wasn't using the School Messenger program at the time of either event.
Bartz said the program allows school officials to send messages to the home or cell phones or e-mails of more than 3,700 parents and has been used to alert working parents of early dismissals as a result of snow.
 
]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:16:52 GMT 07b7e837-eab8-42a6-8239-6e38daec692d <![CDATA[Making schools ‘greater’ is goal]]> Making schools ‘greater’ is goal
WVEA president asks for BOE’s support of resolution identifying core education issues
By Jessica Borders/Times West Virginian
Fairmont ─ It’s time to stop bashing public education and teachers, and collectively take action, Dale Lee of the West Virginia Education Association said during Monday night’s Marion County Board of Education meeting.
 
Lee, president of the WVEA, which is the largest organization of teachers in the state, asked the board of education to support its resolution that identified core issues to help “develop a world-class education system that everyone wants for our children.”
 
“West Virginia teachers have the best interest of our students at heart and are deeply dedicated to helping every student succeed,” he said. “There are great things happening in our public schools. But unfortunately, this dedication that teachers have is constantly being challenged.”
 
Lee said CEOs, politicians, parent and others seem to always be criticizing the teachers in public education. These people who are making accusations feel like they know how to fix public education even though they’ve spent very little time in actual classrooms.
 
“It’s difficult for our parents and our students to respect teachers or value education when it’s clear that so many others in power or in positions of power have little respect or no respect,” he said. “Now it’s time to stop the criticism of our public schools and school employees. It’s time to honor those individuals who work in our public schools and our classrooms every day.”
 
Teachers, who are on the front lines each day, know what is needed to improve public education, schools and student achievement. Students must be at the center of education reform, Lee said.
 
He said the WVEA believes that in order to improve public education, everyone must be accountable for the success of students. That includes the teachers, administrators and support staff, students, parents and families and elected officials.
 
Also, to build the foundation for student learning, policymakers have to invest in classroom priorities, Lee said.
 
“It has to be a well-rounded approach to education and we must have up-to-date technology and most of all more communication between teachers and parents,” he said.
 
In addition, Lee said the state must work to make sure every student has a teacher that is qualified, caring and committed. Addressing teacher salaries is essential for recruiting and retaining the best professionals.
 
“Together we will make West Virginia schools even greater than what they are now,” he said.
 
Several members of the Board of Education said they would like to support these goals and commented on the excellent employees in the county.
Also during the meeting, Fairmont Senior High School senior Daren Wadsworth gave a presentation on why automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are needed in Marion County schools. She has been working with school nurses on this issue as her senior project.
 
AED’s which typically cost about $1,800 can be used in the case of sudden cardiac arrest. Wadsworth demonstrated to the board how simple it is to use one of the devices.
 
AED’s are required in schools in Texas and several other states in the country, but not in West Virginia, she said. Some schools in Marion County have already purchased AED’s through private donations.
 
Marion County Superintendent of Schools Gary Price said there hasn’t been an effort on behalf of the central office staff to establish a policy requiring AED’s in the schools. He explained that these devices are quite an investment and making a mandate would mean that the office would have to be prepared to buy them for every school locations. The state has not chosen to make AED’s a requirement either.
 
The school nurses have gone to the locations they’re assigned and made presentations on AED’s and Wadsworth has been following in their footsteps encouraging parent-teacher organizations to make these devices a priority.
 
“We’re trying to get them filled voluntarily first, and it does appear that we’re mostly in compliance,” Price said. “Right now, the schools are doing a tremendous job of finding financial support for those. There’s groups like the Kiwanis and various city councils that…want to do that. We’re always glad to have that kind of support.”
 
If some schools aren’t able to raise their own funds for AED’s, then ways of providing assistance could be discussed, he said.
 
In other news, the board approved the expulsion of three students for one calendar year for violating the Safe Schools Act. Price could not comment on why the students have been expelled or what schools they attend, but said the most common reasons for this type of disciplinary action are possession of an illegal substance, verbal or physical assault, or having some kind of weapon.
 
At the request of new board member Janet Crescenzi, who recently filled her late husband Nathan “Nate” Crescenzi’s seat, the board will hold a workshop soon to talk about personnel matters and being a more efficient organization. Board president Dr. Babette Simms also announced that they plan to start having meetings in February to discuss a bond for the North Marion High School attendance area.
]]> Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:55:43 GMT 2d56b002-8745-4564-a434-d79787d0d5ff <![CDATA[Jay, Joe at odds on payroll tax, jobless benefits ]]> Jay, Joe at odds on payroll tax, jobless benefits
By Paul J. Nyden
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. voted against a bill Saturday that will continue payroll tax relief for 900,000 working families in West Virginia until at least Feb. 29, saying Congress instead should focus on passing tax reform.
The payroll tax funds Social Security. The Senate voted 89-10 on the extension.
The legislation also maintains all unemployment benefits for two more months.
If payroll tax cuts had been eliminated, a typical family making $50,000 a year would pay about $1,000 more in taxes in 2012.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va, voted for the legislation.
The legislation, Rockefeller said, will "maintain unemployment benefits for jobless workers for another two months and fully protect Social Security. The Social Security Trust Funds will not lose one penny from this bill."
Rockefeller said it will continue "payroll tax relief for another two months . . . to provide relief for struggling working families."
During a telephone interview Saturday morning with the Sunday Gazette-Mail, Manchin said, "I think there are many better ways to do this that don't take money from the Social Security Trust Fund.
"Why don't we do meaningful tax reform? We are not going to fix this unless we put our financial house back in order."
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose administration created Social Security, had it right in 1941, Manchin said.
"We put those payroll contributions there so as to give the contributors a legal, moral and political right to collect their pensions and their unemployment benefits," Roosevelt said at the time. "With those taxes in there, no damn politician can ever scrap my Social Security program."
Manchin said he also believes the government should focus on more programs to train people and offer them real jobs.
"I can't figure out why we, as Democrats, would let this happen," he said. "FDR came in with the biggest [economic] depression. He did not simply send checks out to people."
Roosevelt, Manchin said, created programs like the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which had people constructing buildings and creating parks.
"Now all we are doing is continuing to send checks out, without requiring training or education," Manchin said. "It is not the Democratic plan or policy that I subscribe to. I am a proud Democrat."
Legislation passed in 2010 reduced payments into the Social Security system during 2011 from 6.2 percent of a typical worker's wages down to 4.2 percent.
Legislation, backed by most Democrats and supported by President Obama, would have reduced those taxes from 4.2 percent to 3.1 percent. That bill, which did not pass, also would have extended payroll tax cuts to many employers, who also pay a 6.2 percent tax to Social Security from their payrolls.
The existing tax relief gave an average worker about $1,000 more this year.
"Those dollars then flowed back into the local economy and jobs," Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller said the temporary two-month extension of payroll tax cuts will protect Social Security.
The cuts will be fully paid for by increasing fees borrowers and lenders pay to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration, Rockefeller said in a news release.
The original legislation Rockefeller supported would have financed payroll tax relief by ending tax breaks and loopholes for millionaires.
 Manchin said he would have supported the legislation that passed Saturday, "as long as there was a finite time to end it, at the end of this fiscal year. I would have accepted that - if I knew we could finally stop it.
"I want to help the people who are still working and the people who are working hard to find work.
"I know that I and my senior senator disagree on this," Manchin said. "The politics of 2012 are trumping everything that is being done for the American public.
"The best politics is good government. If you do good things, people will make their decision on what you have achieved, not on how you posture yourself."
Additionally Saturday, Manchin criticized Congress for going into holiday recess.
"Delaying a decision for another two months makes no sense, especially when Congress will not be working for one of those months. Only in Washington would you get a month off for failing to do your job."
In letters to Congress last week, the AARP and Social Security Administration said a one-year continuation of the current payroll tax relief would not cut Social Security funds or future benefits.
The agreement also requires the Obama administration to make a quick decision on whether to build the Keystone XL pipeline system to send crude oil from sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in states such as Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.
Many Senate Republicans refused to support continued payroll tax cuts unless Obama agreed to make a decision about that pipeline in the near future.
Manchin said, "I don't know why the Keystone pipelines also came into play. Either we are going to buy oil from our friends or our enemies. I would rather buy it from Canada, our best friend, than from Venezuela."
Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, criticized forcing a decision about the pipeline.
"The deal passed by the Senate rushes the pipeline review process, making a credible, science-based review impossible . . .  .
 "The Keystone XL pipeline is a carbon bomb that would devastate our climate by resulting in the use of vast quantities of tar sands oil that is much dirtier than conventional crude," Pica said.
"The pipeline would threaten communities through America's heartland with costly and toxic spills."
Seven of the 10 negative votes came from Republicans. The other three were cast by: Sens. Manchin; Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt.; and Bernard Sanders, I-Vt. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., did not vote.
The 90 votes favoring the measure included 49 Democrats, 39 Republicans and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
 
]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:50:53 GMT 9fb8bab2-ef4c-468b-9d3d-dc7d4d679b98 <![CDATA[State school board approves anti-bullying policy to include gay, lesbian students]]> State school board approves anti-bullying policy to include gay, lesbian students
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For the first time in state history, gay and lesbian students will be expressly protected from school bullying after the West Virginia Board of Education unanimously adopted a new anti-bullying policy Wednesday.
Under the new policy, bullying based on 13 categories including race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and "gender identity or expression" qualifies as a Level 3 disciplinary offense.
Punishments for harassment can range from detention to suspension from school for 10 days. Students can also be punished for "vulgar or offensive speech" online if it disrupts school learning.
 "Students and teachers alike are entitled to a safe educational environment," said state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple. "This policy addresses behavior and school safety comprehensively by addressing inappropriate behaviors proactively to promote safe and supportive learning conditions."
The policy will go into effect July 1.
Bradley Milam, executive director of Fairness West Virginia, called the board's approval a major victory for civil rights in the state.
"We all know that students are targeted because of physical appearance, disability, or perceived sexual orientation every day in schools all across West Virginia," said Milam. "This policy will ensure that these kinds of bullying incidents and many others will decrease. This could make all the difference in the world to students across West Virginia who are bullying victims."
In adopting this policy, West Virginia joins a number of states that have created statewide guidelines recommending districts to protect LGBT students from harassment.  
Across the country, 14 states have drafted bullying laws that include protections for LGBT students, said Alison Gill of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national group that tracks LGBT protections in schools around the country.
The policy drew ire Wednesday from conservative groups that said the rule-change would curb students' free speech and seemed to condone homosexuality.
"Why include sexual orientation and gender identity?" asked Tom Fast, of Fayette County. "This is an attempt to sanction the homosexual agenda and lifestyle." 
Jeremy Dys, president of the conservative values group Family Policy Council, said he had "grave concerns" about the anti-bullying measure. Dys said it "unconstitutionally limits free speech" and gives "unbridled authority" to teachers to crack down on students who speak out against homosexuality.
The state Board of Education put the proposal on public comment and received feedback from 33 county boards of education and more than 800 school principals and teachers about the impact of the policy
 
]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:01:38 GMT cedf8250-ed2d-4e26-ab66-573270c84f4a <![CDATA[Effective OPEB plan is priority for Tomblin’s administration]]> Effective OPEB plan is priority for Tomblin’s administration
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT — In recent years, West Virginia government has focused on putting its finances on a solid path.

There is evidence that the strategy has paid off. West Virginia’s jobless rate is lower than the national average. While many states have struggled to balance their budgets, West Virginia has maintained general revenue surpluses in recent years. The state’s “Rainy Day Fund” is healthy.

Now West Virginia has a plan that would cut a $10 billion funding shortfall in half and then gradually pay down what remains. The shortfall mostly reflects health-care benefits promised to public employees once they retire. These non-pension costs are known as other post-employment benefits, or OPEB.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, still in the early days since his election to the position, deserves credit for aggressively addressing a multi-billion dollar issue.

The 214,000 West Virginians covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency can expect some new or higher health-care co-payments, while retired enrollees will see a limit to the subsidy that helps them pay premiums, which will rise 9 percent, under provisions approved Tuesday by the agency’s finance board. With each subsidy now at $343, the vote will limit increases to up to 3 percent a year to account for rising health-care costs.

This plan, which takes effect July 1, 2012, will save about $5 billion and will allow the state to erase the remaining unfunded liability by 2040, agency Executive Director Ted Cheatham told board members.

The PEIA had already taken a major step toward curbing longer-term OPEB costs. It will stop subsidizing retiree premiums starting with all employees hired after June 2010.

The work, though, is not done. Now it is up to the Legislature to address the remaining $5 billion shortfall by finding a funding stream. It has been a significant issue since a 2004 national accounting standard called on government bodies to start calculating their unfunded liabilities. West Virginia has gone a step further, by requiring government entities to pay annual amounts toward this unfunded liability or else list them as debts. Other states are continuing with the pay-as-you-go approach.

The PEIA action was not without controversy. The West Virginia Education Association, The Associated Press reported, opposed the subsidy freeze. Association President Dale Lee urged the finance board to wait until after the upcoming regular session of the Legislature. He also noted that a proposal from this year’s session had included a 4 percent annual increase for medical inflation.

The American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia supported the move, President Judy Hale told the board. She said the state’s handling of the OPEB liability is now driving county school boards to reserve funds for the shortfall instead of spending it on education.

“There’s a real desire to put this thing to bed this time,” Hale told the AP. “We very much want to get this issue settled. County boards of education are putting aside money for this liability, as opposed to using the money for students. ... It really does hurt kids, the way the situation is right now.”

Legislators came agonizingly close to reaching a deal on OPEB last March.

One of the stumbling blocks was insistence by delegates that $250 million be drawn from the “Rainy Day Fund” to begin erasing the deficit.

One plan originating in the Senate called for paying off OPEB through higher taxes on tobacco products, pumping $50 million a year into the debt, but that plan died with lawmakers opposing any increase in taxes.

The House bill would have re-routed $95.4 million in annual general tax revenues, once they ease a shortfall in a workers’ compensation fund from the time before the system was privatized. That is projected to occur in 2016.

The PEIA changes are a start and represent “a huge concession, we feel, on the part of public employees,” Hale said this week. “It’s now time for the governor and the Legislature to do their part, and that is to find a funding stream.”

We’re confident that will happen when the regular session gets under way. An effective OPEB plan is clearly a priority for the Tomblin administration.

“It will be a great thing,” Tomblin’s chief of staff Rob Alsop said. “This is, we think, the last big liability.”

The solution — which has never been nearer — will keep West Virginia on the path to fiscal health it has followed so well in recent years.
 
]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:59:48 GMT b1fa3d2a-9352-45fe-b158-8b51178a3117 <![CDATA[WVEA asks Raleigh board for support ]]> WVEA asks Raleigh board for support
By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter
BECKLEY — Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, spoke before the Raleigh County Board of Education Tuesday to ask the board to support reforms needed to improve public schools.

Lee is traveling to 14 counties in the state to get board signatures of support prior to the start of the legislative session in January.

He set down three items that would improve public education.

First of all, he asserted that everyone is responsible for student success — teachers, administrators, parents, students and elected officials.

He then said that policy-makers must invest in classroom priorities like smaller class sizes, a well-rounded curriculum (including art, music and media) and up-to-date technology.

Finally, he said each child deserves a qualified, caring and committed teacher, and that teachers need to be mentored, supported and adequately paid.

“Teacher salaries need to be comparable to other states, particularly if we are to recruit and retain the best teachers,” he said.

Lee pointed out that West Virginia’s teacher salaries are well below the salaries of surrounding states, $16,000 below the average teacher in Pennsylvania, $21,000 under Maryland teachers, $13,000 below Ohio teachers, $7,000 below Virginia teachers and $5,000 below Kentucky teachers.

“The WVEA is dedicated to these three core resolutions and by focusing on these issues, we believe we can develop a world class educational system with children at the center of education reform,” he said.

He asked the board to commit to these issues and sign the WVEA resolution.

“If we in public education don’t unite, our loud voice can’t be heard,” he said.

The board responded favorably to Lee’s statements and said they would place the resolution under board actions of their next meeting.

Lee also voiced concern over media criticism of teachers.

“When teachers are criticized it has a trickle down effect. It become difficult for students to respect teachers and value education. Teachers are on the front lines every day and teachers know what works best in public education and how to improve student achievement,” he said. “West Virginia’s teachers have the best interests of all our school children at heart and are deeply dedicated to helping our students succeed.”
 
]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:58:18 GMT 2de24066-9c14-429c-b19c-4ddf71fc265e <![CDATA[PEIA board cuts health care benefits for state workers ]]> PEIA board cuts health care benefits for state workers
 
By Zack Harold, Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va.

Dec. 14--Members of the Public Employees Insurance Agency's finance board unanimously voted Tuesday to cut health benefits by $18.4 million and take steps that will reduce the plan's long-term liability for retiree premium subsidies by $5 billion.
Employees will see their co-payments rise for urgent care, emergency room care and specialist visits. New co-payments will be established for gastric bypass surgery, medically necessary dental procedures and physical, occupational, speech and massage therapy services.
With PEIA's coverage costing about $600 million a year, the benefit cuts represent a reduction of about 3 percent.
The board also voted in favor of an initial cap on retiree premium subsidies of an average $343 per month. The cap could increase over time, but by no more than 3 percent per year.
Finance board members said the cap would cut in half the state's $10 billion liability for so-called Other Post Employment Benefits -- basically retiree health insurance premiums.
They hope to eliminate the liability completely by 2040.
State teachers union representatives asked board members not to approve the contribution cap or the 3 percent increase cap.
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, suggested members wait for state lawmakers to pass a cap in January's legislative session. He said legislators' plan likely would include a funding source to pay down the liability.
The PEIA cap would balance the state budget "on the backs" of retirees, Lee said.
If inflation drove up medical costs by 10 percent and increases in state and local government employer subsidies of retiree premiums were capped at 3 percent, retirees would be left to pay the remaining 7 percent, Lee reasoned.
Judy Hale, president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, also encouraged board members to wait on the Legislature.
"We all know that 3 percent is not enough. We all know what medical inflation is," she said.
Board member Elaine Harris, who works for the Communication Workers of America union, made a motion to amend the 3 percent limit. Member Joshua Sword, who works for the West Virginia Federation of Teachers, seconded that motion. Harris and Sword were the only board members to vote for that motion, however.
Robert Ferguson, cabinet secretary for the Department of Administration and chairman of the PEIA board, said the move was too important to wait on lawmakers
 
]]> Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:05:39 GMT 583db9f7-5b76-4402-90d0-239871378711 <![CDATA[Employees covered by PEIA to see $18.4 in benefit cuts]]>  
Employees covered by PEIA to see $18.4 in benefit cuts
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State and public school employees covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency will see benefit cuts totaling $18.4 million next year, under a 2012-13 benefits plan approved by the PEIA Finance Board Tuesday.
The board also voted to cap the state's contribution to retiree premiums at $4,116 a year per retiree, with an annual increase of no more than 3 percent in subsequent years.
That effectively cuts the state's OPEB liability for the costs of future retiree health care benefits from an estimated $10 billion to $5 billion.
Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, a leading advocate of legislation to pay down the OPEB liability, said that with the Finance Board's action, the state will need to come up with about $30 million a year of funding to pay down OPEB.
Without the cap, estimates were that the state would need to come up with as much as $90 million a year to pay down the future indebtedness.
"This is important," McCabe said after the board meeting. "The Finance Board has shown the ability to tackle difficult questions and make tough policy decisions."
In addition to coming up with the $30-million-a-year funding plan, McCabe said he would anticipate that the 2012 legislative session will see passage of legislation declaring OPEB to be a liability of the state -- removing any potential burden on county school boards for their share of the debt.
However, leaders of the state's teachers unions argued that the Finance Board simply shifted the financial burden from the state to all retirees and future retirees.
Judy Hale, president of the West Virginia Federation of Teachers, said the 3 percent annual premium increase clearly will not keep up with ever-increasing costs for medical care and prescription drugs.
"We know that health care costs continue to go up and up and up, and there seems to be no way to stop it," she said, adding, "It's not going to be too long until retirees are at the point where they are no longer able to pay their health care costs."
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said, "Retirees and future retirees around the state should be outraged at this action."
In 2009, the Finance Board voted to eliminate retiree health coverage for state and public school employees hired after July 1, 2010, to help curb the growing OPEB liability.
Retirees will also see a 9 percent premium increase next year, but no increase in co-payments or deductibles, the alternative favored by most retirees who commented at a series of PEIA public hearings last month.
Active employees will see a total of $18.4 million in benefit cuts -- through a variety of increased co-pays, deductibles and cuts in certain benefits.
However, that's $14.2 million less than the cuts that were originally proposed by the Finance Board in October.
The board withdrew proposals to impose $500 co-pays for a variety of surgical procedures, including hip and knee replacement surgeries.
Board members also backed off on a proposal to eliminate coverage for brand name drugs not on the PEIA preferred drug list. Instead, there will be a 75 percent co-pay, but members will be eligible for provider discounts offered to PEIA.
The board also modified a proposal to increase co-pays for emergency room visits from $50 to $100. Under the plan adopted Tuesday, the $100 co-pay will drop to $50 if the visit is for a legitimate medical emergency, and will be waived entirely if the insuree is admitted to the hospital.
It also withdrew a proposal to eliminate coverage for massage therapy, instead opting to provide coverage for massage therapy deemed medically necessary, with $10 per-visit co-pays.
Board members also adopted a motion by Josh Sword, the education employees' representative on the board, to reject two other proposed benefit cuts.
One would have increased the out-of-pocket maximum for family coverage to double the maximum for single coverage. Family maximums will remain at 11/2 times single coverage for the coming year.
The other proposal would have imposed a $50 co-pay for advanced imaging, such as CT, MRI, or PET scans.
Combined, those changes will save PEIA insurees about $7.8 million in the 2012-13 budget year over the benefits cuts originally proposed.
Also, the plan adopted Tuesday has no premium increases for active employees.
]]> Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:03:48 GMT 4fb949a3-3bc3-4a0e-97b3-fe3b1759ca17 <![CDATA[W.Va. public insurer OKs $5B cut in retiree costs]]> W.Va. public insurer OKs $5B cut in retiree costs
December 13, 2011 @ 11:05 PM
LAWRENCE MESSINA
The Associated Press
 
CHARLESTON -- The 214,000 West Virginians covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency can expect some new or higher health care copayments while retired enrollees will see a limit to the subsidy that helps them pay premiums, which will rise 9 percent, under provisions approved Tuesday by the agency's finance board.
But officials say the retiree subsidy cap will reduce a projected $10 billion funding shortfall by half. That will allow the state to erase the remaining unfunded liability by 2040, agency Executive Director Ted Cheatham told board members. With each subsidy now at $343, the vote will limit increases to up to 3 percent a year to account for rising health care costs.
 
The subsidy limit sets the stage for 2012 legislative action to tackle the remaining $5 billion shortfall that involves other post-employment benefits, or OPEB. West Virginia has adopted a tough stance toward tackling these non-pension retiree costs since a 2004 national accounting standard called on government bodies to start calculating their unfunded liabilities.
 
But that stance has prompted legal challenges. The state's two main groups representing teachers have sued over the related decision by Cheatham's agency to end retiree subsidies starting with those enrollees hired after June 2010
.
One of those groups, the West Virginia Education Association, opposed Tuesday's subsidy freeze. Association President Dale Lee urged the finance board to wait until after the upcoming regular session of the Legislature, which begins next month. He also noted that a proposal from this year's session had included a 4 percent annual increase for medical inflation.
 
"I'm very disappointed by today's action," Lee said after the vote. "It forces us to negotiate from a position of weakness."
 
But the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia supported the move, President Judy Hale told the board. She said the state's handling of the OPEB liability is now driving county school boards to reserve funds for the shortfall instead of spending it on education.
 
"The people who are really hurt are our poorest kids," Hale said, adding that "We very much want this OPEB problem put behind us."
 
The benefit changes approved Tuesday total $18 million for active employees and $6.7 million for retirees. They include a $100 copay for emergency room visits, up from $50. But enrollees would pay nothing if they're admitted for actual emergencies, or $50 if the visit was legitimate but did not require admittance.
 
Urgent care visit copays would rise from $15 to $25, and from $20 to $25 for specialized physician visits. Visits to chiropractors and speech, occupation, physical and massage therapists will cost $10, and that copay will rise to $25 after 20 visits upon approval of a case plan.
 
The board had weighed ending massage coverage. It instead limits it to certified therapists with malpractice insurance. Cheatham says that will whittle down the number of eligible therapists from 1,100 to around 370. The plan also ends acupuncture coverage.
 
The board agreed to dip into reserves to avoid charging a $50 copay for imaging services. It also whittled down the list of procedures requiring $500 copays to bariatric surgery and medically necessary dental services. It also voted to require enrollees to pay 75 percent of the cost of certain specialty prescription drugs. Those payments will count toward the annual out-of-pocket maximum of $1,750, Cheatham said.
 
Tuesday's benefit changes take effect July 1, 2012. The agency insures 214,000 active employees, retirees and dependents.
]]> Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:59:58 GMT 9329a0f4-a38e-4ac6-9a12-9c0535a14800 <![CDATA[PEIA Board Approves Modified Benefit Plan ]]>
PEIA Board Approves Modified Benefit Plan
MetroNews
Charleston, Kanawha County
The Director of the Public Employees Insurance Agency says the 2012-2013 health care coverage plan for state workers and retirees reflects changes made after a series of public hearings involving state workers and retirees.
"We've probably enhanced about $14 million worth of benefits to citizens of West Virginia through the changes," Ted Cheatham told MetroNews after PEIA's Finance Board approved a revised plan during a Tuesday meeting.
The original proposed coverage plan had included no premium increases, but came with a total of $32 million total in new co-pays and increases to existing co-pays were added along with changes to prescription drug benefits.
The drug changes would have required some state workers and retirees to pay hundreds of dollars more, each year, out of pocket as PEIA officials looked for ways to fill a $42 million deficit.
However, Cheatham says some of those co-pays have now been eliminated and others have been reduced while the drug plans have also been modified.  He says the changes will keep costs down for state workers and retirees without putting PEIA in the hole.
"We listened at public hearings.  We paid attention.  We tried to adjust the plan accordingly," Cheatham said.  "So the employees are about $14 million better off coming out of this plan than they were going into (the) public hearings."
Those hearings were held earlier this Fall.
"We did listen to those concerns and try to mitigate what we could to still be fiscally responsible," Cheatham said.
"We really have a difficult job balancing the needs of the state, the needs of the taxpayers and the needs of the employees.  It's a very difficult line to walk down."
The revised health benefit plan will take effect on July 1st, 2012.
 
 
]]> Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:08:37 GMT a1c65162-b486-4e01-92cc-d4e046768197 <![CDATA[Premium Changes Cut OPEB in Half]]>
Premium Changes Cut OPEB in Half
WV MetroNews
Charleston
Changes to state premium payments for retired public employees will immediately cut in half the state's near $10 billion unfunded liability for promised future heath-care benefits to retirees, and could completely eliminate the debt over the next three decades, members of the state Public Employees Insurance Agency said Tuesday.
The PEIA Finance Board voted Tuesday to increase premiums for retirees by 9 percent.  Board members also approved a plan that will cap the amount the state pays toward premiums for retirees.  The state currently provides a $343 subsidy toward premiums for every retiree.  The board voted to cap subsides at $343, with a 3 percent increase each year to account for medical inflation.
Those cuts in benefits will push other post-employment benefits, or OPEB, liabilities to $5 billion immediately and eventually completely phase out the debt, according to state Department of Administration Secretary Robert Ferguson.
"That action literally cut OPEB in half," Ferguson said.  "This will completely fix OPEB over the next 30 to 40 years.  In 30 years from now, and that's figuring the average age people retire and people life cycle out, OPEB will go away completely."
State labor groups, including the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, have criticized the proposal, saying increasing premiums for retirees will dissuade many prospective workers from moving to or remaining in West Virginia.  The plan would deepen a teacher shortage problem in the state, according to officials with the AFT-WV.
Ferguson said he expects opposition to the changes, which will take effect July 1 of next year.
"It's not a very popular decision," Ferguson said.  "I understand the challenges it presents to our hardworking retirees who traditionally do not get a cost-of-living allowance, but as the chief fiduciary of the finance board, we have a requirement to make sure we keep the plan sound and we're using taxpayer dollars wisely."
Ferguson also said the changes will make a significant change to the amount active employees pay toward retiree premiums.  At this point, about 70 percent of retiree premiums are funded through costs to active employees.  Tuesday's vote to cap subsidy increases at 3 percent each year will, over time, chip away at costs to active employees, Ferguson said.
"The fixing of the 3 percent escalator will alleviate the costs of active employees funding retirees," Ferguson said.
If medical inflation rises higher than 3 percent a year, retirees will have to cover the extra costs, meaning premiums could eventually go up more than 9 percent, Ferguson said.  For example, if inflation increases 6 percent next year, the state will cover only 3 percent of that increase.  Retirees will have to cover the additional 3 percent.
For months, state officials have been looking for a funding stream to help pay down OPEB liabilities.  But Ferguson even if no funding stream is found, changes made Tuesday will get rid of OPEB issues.
Still, Ferguson said the state could face health-care issues as costs rise nationwide.
"We have a national crisis with health care," Ferguson said.  "Something has to happen in the next few years or we're going to be in a real problem with health care in this country."
 
]]> Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:07:42 GMT fdbb5b82-1bc0-4f25-909d-5416a87fb3b8 <![CDATA[WVEA Congratulates 2011 National Board Certified Teachers®]]>
WVEA Congratulates 2011 National Board Certified Teachers®
 
The WVEA congratulates the 53 West Virginia teachers who have earned or renewed their National Board Certification®, which is the highest voluntary professional credential in the field of teaching. Certification is achieved through a voluntary performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. West Virginia now has 635 educators who have certified. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards® (NBPTS) announced more than 6,266 achieved certification, bringing the national total to 97,291 NBCTs®.
 
This year’s group of 53 NBCTs is a 9.1 percent increase in the total number of NBCTs® certified in the state. West Virginia now ranks 26th nationwide in the total number of National Board Certified Teachers® (NBCTs) certified from 2005-2006 to 2010-2011.
 
Fifteen percent of the new NBCTs certified nationwide are middle and high school teachers in
the four STEM-related areas. More than half (55%) of all 97,291 NBCTs teach in Title I eligible, high-need schools as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.
 
“The WVEA congratulates each West Virginia educator who completed the rigorous NBPTS® process and celebrates their success,” said WVEA president Dale Lee. “West Virginia is privileged to have dedicated teachers who ensure students receive a challenging 21st Century global education which prepares them for the future.”
 
The WVEA commends the following West Virginia teachers on their professional accomplishment:
Tammy Ashby, Mineral; Brian Baker, Monroe; Katherine Becker, Lincoln; Mary Blaker, Wood; Angela Boninsegna, Wyoming; Connie Bowers, Wood; Sarah Burton, Monroe; Meredith Canterbury, Greenbrier; Brittany Cecil, Marshall; Sonda Cheesebrough, Monongalia; Lisa Coleman, Wood; Elizabeth Combs, Raleigh; Rebecca Crane, Greenbrier; Marion Dailey, Cabell; Leanne Dolin, Boone; Elizabeth Duncan, Lincoln; Corinne Full, Wood; Pamela Gorrell, Jackson; Tina Green, Cabell; Terri Gunter, Raleigh; Alanda Hall, Berkeley; Jane Hall, Greenbrier; Myrtle Holland, Berkeley; Lee Hvizdak, Cabell; Mary Kessinger, Kanawha; Kent Kraft, Berkeley; Lewis Marcum, Mason; Kelly Massinople, Kanawha; Deanna Maynard, Mingo; Michelle McHaffie, Hancock; Bethany Miller, Berkeley; Heather Nutter, Greenbrier; Sara Pennington, Monongalia; Kathleen Perry, Mineral; Margaret Ponton, Berkeley; April Rearick, Berkeley; Rebecca Rhett, Mineral; Sonjia Richardson, Putnam; Rhonda Ritchie, Jackson; James Russell, Jefferson; Kristin Ryder, Cabell; Revonda Shiflett, Raleigh; Candace Smith, Berkeley; Melissa Smith, Kanawha; Jennifer Sparks, Mingo; Sharon Squires, Mineral; James Stewart, Wood; Mary Testerman, Mingo; Cindy Thomas, Berkeley; Bernard Vandal, Kanawha; Melissa Vinson, Lincoln; Elissa Whelchel, Harrison; Catherin Whorton, Ohio.
 
                                                                   —30—
The West Virginia Education Association is the state’s largest education employee organization. It is an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest professional employee organization representing more than 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
]]> Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:17:47 GMT 67995a2a-e04e-4c7e-941f-48fa46a8849d <![CDATA[Schools turn to lawmakers after OPEB ruling]]> Schools turn to lawmakers after OPEB ruling
By Lawrence Messina
By The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia's top legislative leaders consider tackling retiree health-care costs a top priority for the upcoming session, and county school officials say the potential relief can't come soon enough.
All but six of the state's 55 county school boards sued last year over a policy that bills them annual sums toward these costs. They must list any unpaid amounts as debts.
Last month, the state Supreme Court upheld a circuit judge's dismissal of their lawsuit. But that hasn't deterred county officials who say the policy is unfair and threatens their schools' finances. Among other arguments, the school boards say the state should shoulder this liability because it requires the school systems to offer this benefit to their employees.
"Eventually I think it will affect our bond rating. That makes a big difference when it comes to the construction of schools," said Richard Snuffer, president of the Raleigh County school board. "Sooner or later, it's going to affect the children's education, that's the bottom line."
At least one school board member is resigning as a result. Although his term does not end until 2014, Wood County's Richard Olcott will step down at the end of the year because of the ruling.
Olcott said he cannot support the state's policy.
"My continued involvement with this school system under these conditions is more or less an endorsement of this accounting approach," Olcott said Friday.
Olcott was first elected to the board in 2004 and recently headed the state's association of county school boards. He said he regrets having to leave a post that allowed him to serve his community and its children.
"It saddens me that we haven't reached a point of resolution in five years," Olcott said. "They've just been unable to crack this nut."
Officials estimate the budget year will end July 1 with a $10 billion funding gap between available assets and these costs, known as other post-employment benefits or OPEB. A 2004 national accounting standard calls on government bodies to calculate their unfunded OPEB liabilities.
States had followed a pay-as-you-go approach toward these costs, and most still do in the accounting standard's wake. But West Virginia went above and beyond the standard with a 2006 law that charges government units an annual required contribution toward closing this funding shortfall. That law also says that any part of the contribution not paid "shall remain the liability of that employer until fully paid."
The amounts are too large for the counties to pay without gutting their school systems, their officials say.
 
Snuffer estimated that Raleigh County will owe $30 million by July 1, an amount equal to one-fifth of its annual budget. Olcott said Wood County will owe $35 million, and he put the statewide liability total for all county boards at $835 million. But both counties are also reserving funds toward these costs, each official said: $3 million by Raleigh County, and $1.8 million by Wood.
Senate President Jeff Kessler recently told The Associated Press that he deemed OPEB a top priority of the 2012 session. House Speaker Rick Thompson joined Kessler in echoing that view recently to the West Virginia School Board Association, Executive Director Howard O'Cull said Friday.
The association was not part of the lawsuit but has followed the concerns raised by its members, O'Cull said.
"We as an organization await any recommendations from the Legislature that may come forward," O'Cull said. "We are ready to work with them."
West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency, which oversees retiree health care and bills the annual amounts to the counties, has already taken a major but hotly debated step toward resolving the OPEB quandary in the long-term. It has eliminated the OPEB costs from all employees hired after June 2010 because it will not subsidize their premiums. These employees can still obtain coverage from the agency once they retire, by paying the full premium, officials there say.
 
]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:55:09 GMT 2c0c60c4-85ae-4b4d-86eb-94974106cabe <![CDATA[W.Va. tax revenues fall $42M short in November]]> W.Va. tax revenues fall $42M short in November
By LAWRENCE MESSINA | AP – Fri, Dec 2, 2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia general tax revenues missed their mark by $42 million in November, their worst monthly performance in nearly two years, but officials don't see specific red flags for West Virginia's economy in the numbers.
Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow said Thursday that income tax refunds account for much of the shortfall. Both individuals and corporations overpaid what they owed last year because of uncertainty over 2010 federal tax rates, he said. Those two revenue sources fell nearly $33 million below estimate for the month, after back-to-back months of collections that beat expectations.
October's ahead-of-schedule proceeds from taxes on coal and other extracted natural resources also played a role in last month's results, Muchow said. These severance taxes came in $7.3 million below their projection.
But sales and use taxes, a sign of economic activity that supply nearly one-third of all general revenues, beat their target for the third straight month. The state collected $3.6 million more than the expected $95 million.
All told, November brought in $242.3 million, but $284.3 million had been forecast. A monthly revenue estimate hadn't fallen that far short since March 2010, when the shortfall exceeded $58 million.
But total revenues since this budget year began July 1 are $27.2 million or 1.7 percent ahead of schedule. The state expects these taxes and fees to yield $4.015 billion by June 30, and so far they've brought in $1.64 billion. Approaching the midpoint of that budget year, revenues are also 3 percent above what they were at this time last year.
Muchow said the Tomblin administration is mindful of the bigger picture. He cited a deteriorating outlook for the U.S. economy, as the recovery limps along in the wake of the Great Recession. He also said the chances are high for a European recession.
"Europe has some dark clouds over it," Muchow said.
That could hurt West Virginia because that market receives more than half the state's exports, particularly coal, Muchow said. Economists previously forecast a slowdown in the state's coal industry because of the export market, but Muchow also noted that officials still hope demand in Asia will at least partly offset that.
"We're much more cautious going forward," he said.
November's collection figures coincide with a Thursday report from the National Conference of State Legislatures that finds state government finances slowly improving around the nation. The nonpartisan group's survey found West Virginia among just seven states with positive fiscal outlooks for the rest of this budget year. Spending appears stable for most states, and few see deficit threats, it said.
"However, despite these positive developments, the effects of the Great Recession continue to linger," NCSL said in a release. "State tax collections still remain well below pre-recession levels."
 
]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:46:39 GMT 1d7dacca-a596-45ab-a230-ac481f738573 <![CDATA[Brooke studies cell phone policy]]> Brooke studies cell phone policy
December 1, 2011
Weirton Daily Times
WELLSBURG - The Brooke County Board of Education on Monday tabled a proposed policy for the use of cellular phones in schools and learned of a competition between the county's two middle schools to read the most books.
School board officials have been working to develop a countywide policy for the use of cell phones, pagers and similar devices since hearing earlier this year from a few parents who complained that students and staff have been using cell phones to text during classes.
Brooke High School has had a policy prohibiting students from using cell phones in class, but the complaints also involved a primary school.
The board agreed to table the policy after board President Jim Piccirillo and board member Chad Haught said they have some concerns that should be addressed before adopting it.
Piccirillo said a policy is needed to ensure classrooms are disrupted by cell phones as little as possible and the penalties should be strict enough to deter recurring problems.
As proposed, the policy would allow high school students to use cell phones between classes or during lunch at the principal's discretion. All other students could use them only before and after school.
Students would be required to get their school bus driver's permission before using them on school buses.
While at school all students would be required to store them in a locker, purse, backpack or pocket and may not leave them in vibrating mode.
The policy also addresses incidents of cell phones being misused, such as cheating, bullying or taking photos in locker rooms or restrooms.
Proposed penalties for unauthorized cell phone use or misuse range from five days of lunch detention to three days of external suspension and loss of all cell phone privileges.
The policy would allow a student's phone to be confiscated and returned to his or her parent or guardian.
It also wouldn't allow cell phones to be used during a school emergency without a teacher's permission on the grounds.
In recent years school officials have used an automated calling system to alert parents and guardians of early dismissals due to inclement weather and other issues.
In other business, the board learned of a competition between Follansbee and Wellsburg middle schools in which pupils at each are attempting to reach the largest number of books.
Valerie Smith, the school district's curriculum director for grades sixth through 12th, said the pupils may read a variety of books, provided they are at their reading level, and take an online quiz through the Accelerated Reader computer program.
Dollie Kidd, a teacher at Follansbee Middle School, said the pupils must earn at least 85 percent on the quiz to earn points for a book.
Smith, who has worked with Kidd and Rhonda Combs, curriculum director for grades kindergarten through fifth, said to encourage reading, 30 minutes of homeroom are allocated for that purpose and small prizes are offered as an incentive.
She added there are plans to present other prizes and a traveling trophy to the winning school at the end of the competition.
Also on Monday, Piccirillo asked how snow-related delays on Mondays will be handled since students already report to school an hour later that day.
Since August that hour has been reserved for teachers to meet and discuss new teaching strategies in an effort to improve reading and math scores on the state achievement test.
Kathy Kidder, superintendent, said since a two-hour delay would be called on other school days, there will be a one-hour delay on Mondays if needed.
Piccirillo asked if all teachers are attending the meetings, known as public learning communities.
Kidder and other school board staff said they have attended the meetings but can't visit all of the schools on a regular basis.
"My experience is the longer you do programs like this, the more lax you get," Piccirillo said. "I've heard people aren't showing up on time or not going to meetings."
 
]]> Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:45:30 GMT 35b0d560-39b9-4729-9b8d-4e95f07cb2a8 <![CDATA[Energy Express seeks help]]> AmeriCorps seeks 500 individuals to help children through summer reading and nutrition program Energy Express
December 1st, 2011
Applications are now being accepted for summer positions in a unique statewide program administered by the West Virginia University Extension Service and AmeriCorps that helps 3,000 West Virginia children maintain and improve their reading skills.
AmeriCorps is recruiting mentors and community coordinators for Energy Express, an award-winning, 8-week program offered in rural and low-income West Virginia communities.
The program is designed to provide learning opportunities and nutrition during the summer months, when children are most at risk for falling behind on reading levels – a preventable loss known as the “summer slide.”
There are two ways in which people can serve Energy Express through AmeriCorps: as a mentor or community coordinator.
Energy Express mentors are college, or college-bound, students who make learning fun for small groups of school-age children by creating a safe, enriching environment focused on reading, writing, art and drama.
In addition to the learning activities, mentors eat nutritious, family-style meals with children, make family visits and complete a community service project.
“Our activities help create a special bond between the mentor and the children,” Alicia Cassels, literacy and academic success specialist with WVU’s Extension Service – a partner in the Energy Express. “This program is designed to help shape the lives of the children who the mentors serve, but in the process, we find that the mentors often have a life-changing experience, too.”
The community coordinator recruits volunteers to assist Energy Express children during reading, writing, art, drama and non-competitive recreation activities.
Other community coordinator duties include raising awareness and involving the community and family members in children’s learning. Each community coordinator will also complete a community service project with other Energy Express AmeriCorps members.
“Energy Express is about impacting children’s lives, but it also has a huge impact on the lives of the volunteers,”Cassels said. “When community members work together to help children succeed it makes for a better experience; and we depend on our community coordinators to help us build those relationships.”
In return for their 300 hours of service, AmeriCorps mentors and community coordinators receive a $1,850 summer living allowance and a $1,175 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award valid for up to seven years to pay for college tuition or loans.
Each summer, AmeriCorps engages college-bound graduating high school seniors and currently enrolled college students to serve communities in need. AmeriCorps’ Energy Express mentors must be at least 18 years of age before June 7, 2012.
Community coordinators must also be 18 years of age by the above date. However, these positions are not limited to college students.
Applications for both positions are available online at www.energyexpress.wvu.edu, or by calling 304-293-3855. The selection process begins March 1. Applications are accepted until all positions are filled.
Energy Express is a program under the leadership of WVU Extension Service’s 4-H Youth Development program. This AmeriCorps program is funded, in part, by grants from the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts and Volunteer West Virginia. Volunteer West Virginia encourages West Virginians of all ages and abilities to be involved in service to their communities.
Based on the success of Energy Express participants and the unique aspects of the program, the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University named Energy Express program one of the nation’s best summer learning programs in 2009.
For more information about becoming an Energy Express community coordinator, visit www.energyexpress.wvu.edu, or call 304-293-3855
 
]]> Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:42:09 GMT a019f1cb-a260-43b1-b8fa-629692615d8c <![CDATA[Dale Lee: Cracks about teachers reveal lack of understanding]]> Dale Lee: Cracks about teachers reveal lack of understanding
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- WVEA has said for years that administrative salaries, particularly those of county board of education central office administrators, have risen disproportionately to classroom teachers and other school employee salaries. The "Super-Sized Salaries" article in the Nov. 20 Sunday Gazette-Mail was not new information.

The discrepancy in salaries is one of the reasons WVEA advocates vigorously for significant salary increases for educators each legislative session.

For our schools to excel, it takes a team effort. Superintendents, teachers, support professionals, administrators, etc. must all work in tandem for students to achieve their full potential. Everyone has a role to play, and one part of the team should not be valued more than the others.

I was surprised at the lack of understanding displayed by some of the individuals quoted in the article. In particular, Martha Dean's remark that "teachers only work 7 1/2 hours per day" shows her lack of knowledge. It is a common perception with outsiders who attempt to judge teachers without understanding what they do.

Few, if any, teachers "only work 7 1/2 hours a day". There is so much more to the craft of teaching than simply being in the classroom in front of students during school hours. Many are in school hours before class begins and others are there for hours after students have gone home. In addition, they are preparing lesson plans, taking classes, attending professional development trainings, sponsoring school activities, grading papers, meeting with parents and helping struggling students.

All of this occurs outside of the time students are present in the classroom. Those who discredit teachers as working only 7 1/2 hours a day without considering all of the hard work and dedication that occurs before school, after school on weekends and throughout the summer should be ashamed.

I do believe the job of a superintendent of schools is a difficult, time-consuming job that deserves competitive pay and respect. Our classroom teachers deserve competitive pay and respect, too. The argument about attracting and retaining the best superintendents with competitive salaries is also true with teachers.

Keep in mind, our public schools could be successful with a mediocre superintendent and great teachers but our schools cannot succeed with a highly paid superintendent and poorly paid, poorly equipped, mediocre teachers. I personally don't know a superintendent in the state worth the combined salary of three or four classroom teachers.

We are blessed in West Virginia to have great teachers who are dedicated to their students. More than 72 percent have a master's degree or higher and many have completed their national certification. Yet, they are paid at a rate that ranks them 48th in the nation and dead last when compared to their counterparts in neighboring states.

Comments such as those by Dean and others are hurtful to educators and contribute to the lack of respect given to teachers. I am surprised they chose to justify superintendent salaries by disrespecting teachers and the work they do.

Educating our children is difficult work. It is made even more difficult by divisive comments and untruths.

Lee is a special education teacher at Princeton High School and president of the West Virginia Education Association. 
 
]]> Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:39:57 GMT b64c8988-e8f1-4ef7-b08a-7e4c9e05f4b0 <![CDATA[No excuses: New attendance policy holds students, families accountable ]]> No excuses: New attendance policy holds students, families accountable
By MATT CHRISTIAN
 
PRINCETON — Mercer County Board of Education unveiled a new attendance policy Tuesday, designed to compliment the recently established Truancy Program scheduled to take effect in January 2012.

Before the first policy reading began, Board of Education President Greg Prudich explained, “After 10 truants, that person is referred to the program started by Judge Aboulhosn.”

Absences are deemed truant in nature when a student misses school without an excuse from a doctor or as a result of a school-approved activity.

Prudich continued, “Three unexcused tardies or early dismissals are considered to be one truant for this program.”

After 10 unexcused absences, if a child is in fifth grade or below, that case will be referred to the Division of Health and Human Resources as a potential neglect and abuse petition.

While only one child may be considered truant, a neglect and abuse petition could involve the children residing in the household. At the time the petition is filed, the parents or guardians in question will be granted a six-month improvement period.

If after 90 days, the student is attending school regularly, the case could be dismissed. If the problems are still occurring then the petition will go forward with the most severe sanction being the removal of the children from the home.

Prudich continued, “After fifth grade, the student will be referred to the probation department.”

The student in question will be a status offender and the same 90-day time limit will apply meaning that if the student follows the conditions of their probation and attends class on time and everyday the case will be dismissed.

If there is no improvement, the case will continue with the least severe consequence being probation until the student has graduated from school and the most severe being the placement of the student in a correctional facility.

Prudich continued, “It’s our hope that parents will get the message that its not OK for children to miss school. It’s not about punishment. It’s about the court system looking into the situation and saying, ‘What’s going on here?’ That’s the intent of the policy.”

Finally Prudich said, “I know that there are a lot of kids out there that are not going to school because they don’t want to get up. The goal of this policy is to make them do what they need to do. Some people may call that tough love.”

The changes to the Mercer County Attendance Policy (J-10) involve limiting the ability of principals to accept parental notes to medical conditions only.

Board member Mary Alice Kaufman expressed her concern with that change.

She said, “I have a concern. There maybe extenuating circumstances that cause a child to miss. For example, there have been several children that have had the opportunity to go with the parents to Europe or India. We are putting principals in a bad place with this policy. We need to give the principals more discretion.”

Superintendent Deborah Akers responded, “The intent of this policy is that we expect people to be better planners. There are times in the calendar for that already built in.”

Vice President Gene Bailey who believed that three tardies equating to once absence was too much raised another concern.

He said, “If a student enters a class late, that not only steals from that student but from every student in that class.”

Bailey called for a more strict policy regarding tardies and early dismissals.

Another change to the policy requires principals to send notices to the parents after five days of unexcused absences and leaves referral to Judge Aboulhosn’s program at the sole discretion of the attendance director.

Akers revealed that the students that have already accrued over 10 days will be appearing in court soon.

She said, “The first large number of referrals to the program will happen in January. It’s our intent to have 100 or more cases appearing in front of the court beginning at 3:30 p.m. This will show people that we are serious.”
 
]]> Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:24:34 GMT c48790e2-15bc-4c5d-9ef0-ecc8d7e0263e <![CDATA[Fairness should be a factor in superintendents' salaries]]> Fairness should be a factor in superintendents' salaries
The Herald-Dispatch

A recent examination of salaries paid to West Virginia county school superintendents raises questions of fairness that should catch the attention of many local boards of education.

The question is not whether superintendents merit higher pay than teachers. With large responsibilities in a year-round job, they clearly do. But for many county school superintendents, the rate of pay increases in the last few years has far outstripped what teachers have received and have occurred at a time when many Americans are struggling to survive financially.

The report on salaries by The Charleston Gazette concluded that county superintendents' average base salary will be about $102,400 by the end of this fiscal year, or 9 percent higher than last year and 11 percent more than the 2008-2009 school year. Considering the bulk of the increase in average pay is in the last year, the pace of pay raises seem to be picking up.

But some superintendents' pay has risen at a much faster pace. For example, the Kanawha County superintendent's pay rose 47 percent during the last three years, to $146,667, and the Monongalia County's chief's pay rose 27 percent, to $146,000. In Cabell County, the superintendent's salary rose from $104,000 in 2008-2009 to $124,000 this year, an increase of about 19 percent.

In comparison, the base pay of a Cabell County teacher with 20 years of experience in 2008-2009 rose about 7 percent over the last three years, once annual incremental increases and a $1,488 pay increase approved earlier this year by the Legislature are factored in.

Some counties no doubt agreed to superintendent contracts that included annual pay increases just before the bottom fell out of the economy in 2008. And others may have recently hired a more
experienced superintendent, thus accounting for significantly higher pay in that position from a few years ago. But hefty pay raises in light of economic conditions over the past few years do raise eyebrows.

Since the bailout of financial firms during the height of the Great Recession, much has been made about the continuing high pay and bonuses for Wall Street executives, and rightly so. And in recent months, the gap between people of different income levels has been put in the spotlight.

The situation involving superintendents' pay, of course, is nowhere near the level of the Wall Street financiers or the "1 percent" and shouldn't be regarded in the same light.

However, the basic question of fairness during these hard times should be on the minds of county school board members in West Virginia when it comes time to consider superintendents' pay.
]]> Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:23:28 GMT 4e3ab024-6e9a-4b26-9954-ccc5f6d1b09d <![CDATA[PEIA chief rewriting coverage changes]]> PEIA chief rewriting coverage changes
by Zack Harold
Daily Mail staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Changes to state workers' health insurance plans are being rewritten following public hearings held earlier this month.

Officials with the state Public Employee Insurance Agency hosted six meetings around the state, wrapping up in Huntington last Thursday.  

"People are concerned that their benefits are going up and they're going to have to tighten their belts," PEIA Director Ted Cheatham said. "I think there were some good ideas that we're looking at now."

The PEIA Finance Board will vote on a new health insurance plan Dec. 13. If passed, it would take effect July 1, 2012.

The state budget office approved PEIA for a 4 percent increase in tax revenues in its $800 million annual budget next year, Cheatham said.

But the agency needed an additional $40 million due to rising medical costs.

That extra money will come from employee co-pays and coverage changes.

Under the new plan, health insurance premiums would not increase for active employees and non-Medicare-age retirees. PEIA would debut a host of new co-pays, however. Members also would have to pay more for prescription drugs.

Cheatham said in light of the public hearings he's working to change the agency's new pharmacy coverage plan.
The agency had presented two options for pharmacy coverage next year, but neither was very popular, he said.
Option A would require employees to pay $5 copays for generic drugs, $15 for preferred brand medications and $50 for specialty medications.

This option would not cover so-called "third tier" drugs, medications listed on the "non-preferred brand" list. Instead of the cholesterol drug Lipitor, for instance, PEIA wants its members to buy lower-cost medicines like Crestor, lovastatin or simvastatin.

Option B would cover non-preferred brands but would increase drug co-pays across the board. Under that option, members would pay $8 for generic drugs, $50 for preferred brands and $100 for specialty medications.

"They didn't like either one of those," Cheatham said.

He said he's now looking for a way to cover some third-tier drugs but not increase co-pays on other medications.

Cheatham said PEIA may institute a "co-insurance" plan for third-tier drugs, where participants pay a percentage of the drug's cost rather than a set co-pay.

Third-tier drugs are currently subject to a $50 co-pay. If a drug costs $200, PEIA pays the remaining $150. With a co-insurance plan, the employee might have to pay 50 percent of the drug's cost.

"You still have access to the drug, and you can still change to another tier," Cheatham said.

He said the insurance agency still would need to come up with extra revenue to offset the cost of those third-tier drugs, however.

"If we need to do something on the third tier, then I'm going to be short money. So where's the money going to come from? It's either going to come from our reserves, or it's going to come from Option C or Option D," he said.
Option C is eliminating coverage of $4 generic drugs, available at many pharmacies. Option D is eliminating coverage of proton-pump inhibitor drugs, such as Prilosec.

Cheatham said Prilosec and its sister drugs are now available over the counter and only 19 percent of PEIA participants make use of $4 generics.

Acupuncture and massage therapy - now completely covered under PEIA's benefits - also were set to be dropped from the coverage list next year.

Cheatham said he's working to keep massage therapy within the plan, following an outcry from PEIA members.

"People were more upset over that than anything in the plan," said West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee.

Lee said he's glad PEIA is listening to workers' suggestions.

"People over and over would say, after the massage therapy they don't have to take pain medications and those kinds of things. In the long run it will probably save money."

Lee attended four of PEIA's six public hearings. He spoke at one of the hearings, opposing the addition of new co-pay fees.

The current PEIA plan includes new $10 co-pays for occupational, physical or speech therapy and a $50 co-pay for imaging services.

Other out-of-pocket costs would increase under the proposed changes: members would pay $100 instead of $50 for each emergency room visit and $25 instead of $20 for a visit to a specialist.

Members also would be required to fork out $500 co-pays for spinal procedures, knee or hip replacements, shoulder surgeries, gastric bypass surgeries and medically necessary dental service.

"Those are certainly not elective surgeries," Lee told the Daily Mail Tuesday. "Those are things ... you get a knee replaced and a hip replaced as a last resort.

"Adding additional cost to that is just wrong. You're penalizing the people who need it and asking them to pay more."

Lee said many of the people who need hip or knee replacements are retired and don't have much expendable income.

Cheatham said the increases cannot be avoided.

"We still have a fiscal responsibility to the state, to the people of West Virginia, to the taxpayers," he said.
 
 
]]> Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:21:46 GMT 3be8a4fd-e612-4442-ae59-363f9faaf656 <![CDATA[Teen's Death Possibly Linked to Bullying ]]>
Teen's Death Possibly Linked to Bullying
Chris Lawrence, WV MetroNews

  There may be more to the death of a Buckhannon-Upshur High School student than was at first believed.
The Upshur County prosecutor's office is now investigating the death of 15-year old Eston Nelson II after his parents raised concerns his death earlier this week may have been linked to bullying he had endured at school.
Friday night, several Buckhannon-Upshur students staged a petition drive in the parking lot of the local Wal-Mart.  The petition is to be presented to the Upshur County School Board asking for anti-bullying policies in the county to be strengthened.
 
Nelson's parents reported him missing back on Tuesday. A note left behind caused alarm that he may hurt himself and others.  As a precaution the school day at Buckhannon-Upshur started a half-hour later than usual as school officials searched the building for him.   Nelson was found dead a day later not far from his Ellamore home in neighboring Randolph County.

Authorities are releasing few details surrounding the teen's death.
 
 
]]> Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:19:42 GMT 5426fd9a-7b43-4444-b85a-e67f7485a82a <![CDATA[State superintendents get generous pay hikes while teacher pay drops]]> Super-sized school salaries?
State superintendents get generous pay hikes while teacher pay drops
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While West Virginia teachers' salaries slumped over the past three years, state school superintendents' paychecks have shot up since the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to state salary data.
The average superintendent will earn a base salary of about $102,400 by the end of this fiscal year -- a 9 percent increase from last year. That's more than double what a West Virginia schoolteacher made in base pay last year -- about $43,500.
"Everyone is complaining how unfair it is that the top people make big bucks and no one else does, but that's exactly what's going on in the school system," said Pete Thaw, Kanawha County school board president. "We have people in our schools making 30 or 40 thousand a year, and some people even making in the 20-thousands. That is a great disparity, and I just hate to see that much at the top."
Of the 55 superintendents in West Virginia, 40 saw their paychecks rise this year. Nine had their salaries cut.
The paychecks of superintendents have steadily climbed over the past decade, and most haven't taken a hit since the economic downturn began.
State school chiefs made 11 percent more in their base salary this year than they did in the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to state salary data. Teacher salaries went down about 2 percent last year -- the most recent salary data available -- from that of three years ago.
More than half of all the school chiefs in the state make six-figure salaries.
"I really don't think that [West Virginia] superintendent salaries are out of line -- or have caught up to that of other states," said Martha Dean, executive director of the state Association of School Administrators. "Other states pay better than West Virginia."
Superintendents in the Mountain State made about $60,000 less last year than the average superintendent across the nation, according to the Educational Research Service.
"A superintendent is really on duty 24/7 and a teacher has about a seven-and-a-half hour day," Dean said. "Ultimately, everything that happens in the county is the responsibility of the superintendent. They have to understand finances, live within their budget and prioritize money. It's a pretty complex job."
 · nn
 Not everyone thinks a superintendent's work merits the paycheck.
In Kanawha County, the largest school system in West Virginia, teacher salaries have stayed mostly flat since 2008-09. Longtime superintendent Ron Duerring's salary, meanwhile, has increased by 46 percent in that time. His four-year contract has built-in annual pay raises.
School board member Thaw thinks Duerring's pay hikes are excessive.
"I thought it was too big of a raise," Thaw said. "That's why I didn't vote for it. I don't think [Duerring] deserves that type of salary, but he has done a very good job managing the school system's money."
Three years ago, Duerring made $100,000 a year. Now, he earns more than $146,000, making him the second highest paid school chief in the state. When his four-year contract expires in June 2013, Duerring's paycheck will bump up to $150,000 a year.
The board approved Duerring's salary raise in 2008.
 · nn
 Raising teacher salaries is more complicated than raising superintendent salaries for one reason: the sheer number of teachers.
The last time Kanawha County significantly raised teachers' salaries across the board was in the 2007-08 fiscal year, said Harry Reustle, treasurer of Kanawha County schools. When school board members gave every teacher in the county a $500 pay raise, it cost the county about $2 million, Reustle said.
"When you give a pay raise, it isn't a one-time thing, it goes on forever," Thaw said. "We can't afford it -- $2 million for every year from now on is a huge amount. I can't understand how people can indebt the school system for that much forever."
A teacher in Kanawha County made about $45,700 last year, according to the most recent salary figures.
 .nn

· Comparing a superintendent's salary to a teacher's is not an apples-to-apples comparison, said Howard O'Cull, president of the West Virginia School Board Association. A teacher's base salary does not include various types of retirement and health benefits, whereas direct superintendent pay might bundle these benefits into the contract.
Additionally, teachers are contracted to work only 200 days a year and get summers off, said Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education. Superintendents, meanwhile, work year-round.
"We foundationally believe that teachers across the board need to make more money," Cordeiro said. "We need to set our salary at a level that is comparative and competitive."
West Virginia ranks 48th in the nation for teacher salaries, according to the Department of Education.
 · nn
 Rising superintendent paychecks don't surprise O'Cull. When counties hire new school chiefs, they must entice them with higher pay and benefits to get qualified candidates to take the job.
"A master's degree is all that is required of a superintendent," said Dean, of the Association of School Administrators. "A doctorate is not required, but to attract someone more qualified, you have to increase the level of the salary."
Dean said boosting superintendents' salaries also is a way to keep current school chiefs from leaving an around-the-clock job of dealing with financial matters and sometimes-testy school boards. All but 10 of the superintendents in the state have multi-year contracts, the majority of which have guaranteed raises built in.
Manny Arvon, Berkeley County Schools superintendent, was the highest paid school chief in the state this year, making more than $154,000. Arvon oversees more than 17,000 students in 29 schools in the Eastern Panhandle. When his four-year contract expires in June 2014, Arvon's salary will rise to almost $170,000 a year.
The average teacher in Berkeley County made about $44,500 last year.
Local school boards typically negotiate the contracts of county superintendents, but when the state takes over a failing county school system, it immediately pays off for superintendents who are assigned to those counties.
 While the average pay hike for school chiefs was about 10 percent this year, in the six takeover counties in the state -- Grant, Preston, Gilmer, Mingo, McDowell and Fayette -- the pay raises were dramatic.     
Gilmer County boosted its superintendent's pay by almost 54 percent this year - the largest one-year percentage jump in the state. Gilmer Superintendent Ron Blankenship was appointed by the West Virginia Board of Education in June after the state said the school system was failing.
Blankenship now makes $120,000 a year -- about $42,000 more than his predecessor made before the state takeover.
When the state intervenes in a county school system, the state superintendent of schools sets the county superintendent's pay scale. This year, the standard pay for superintendents in takeover counties was fixed at $120,000. The local school boards continue to pay a share of the salary, and the state supplements the rest.
"The reasoning behind that is that these superintendents are stepping into shaky situations where students are not performing at high student-achievement levels, and there could be issues with hiring and facilities," Cordeiro said.
A teacher in Gilmer County made a little more than $41,000 in base pay last year.
Suzanne Dickens, the superintendent of Mason County -- a non-takeover county -- also had a dramatic salary hike. Her pay rose by more than 30 percent this year -- about $26,000. She made $111,500 this year.
Teacher salaries in Mason County dropped about 2 percent last year from the level of three years ago. A teacher in the county made a little less than $44,000 last year.
The lowest paid state superintendents were Dennis Albright of Braxton County, which enrolls about 2,200 students, and Eddie Campbell Jr. of Tucker County, which enrolls a little more than 1,000 students. Both superintendents were paid $85,000 this year.
]]> Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:05:51 GMT 6e655e30-6fad-48d1-a332-1d932cbc97d1 <![CDATA[Couple bug Ohio student to hear teacher bullying]]> Couple bug Ohio student to hear teacher bullying
November 17, 2011
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A couple raising a 14-year-old developmentally disabled student say they hid a recording device on the girl to prove a teacher and school aide were bullying her, and the audio and subsequent investigations have led to a lawsuit, the aide's resignation and disciplinary action for the teacher.
The girl's mother and the woman's longtime boyfriend said in court documents that they complained about the mental and emotional abuse to school officials in the Miami Trace district, about 30 miles southwest of Columbus, and then secretly recorded instructors' comments for four days last spring after their claims were rebuffed.
In the recording, voices identified as aide Kelly Chaffins and teacher Christie Wilt are heard questioning the girl's weight and how active she is and making derogatory comments about her character and the character of her mother and the boyfriend.
"Are you that damn dumb? Are you that dumb?" Chaffins said. "Oh, my God. You are such a liar. ... You told me you don't know. It's no wonder you don't have friends. No wonder nobody likes you. Because you lie, cheat ... steal."
In another instance, Wilt apparently talks to the girl about the results of a test before evaluating it. "You know what, just keep it," she said. "You failed it. I know it. I don't need your test to grade. You failed it."
In another recording, Chaffins asks the girl if she does chores. When the girl says no, Chaffins responds "Don't you find that a little ridiculous? ... How you gonna do a job? ...
"You should be embarrassed. I just am in awe. Makes you worthless."
The girl's mother, Kourtney Barcus, and her boyfriend, who helps raise the girl, said in the lawsuit that their concerns about the aide spanned several years before they recorded the audio and that school officials initially rejected their claims. But they were shocked by what they heard on the hours of tape.
"We couldn't know. We didn't know," the boyfriend, Brion Longberry, said Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show.
In comments to the local newspaper, district superintendent Dan Roberts acknowledged this week that there was a problem.
"The persons involved fell short of our mission," Roberts told the Washington Court House Record Herald, which first reported the story. "We're sincerely sorry for that and we will work very hard to never let that happen again. We need to provide proper training and restate our expectations of how we treat children so that this never happens again."
In an email to a social worker in April, Roberts said he had looked into similar complaints from the boyfriend earlier in the year and found that the girl was lying. "It came to a point where I had to remind the man that his continued false accusations were bordering on harassment and slander," the email says.
The girl, now a freshman, was moved from the middle school to the high school ahead of schedule this spring as a result of the situation and is enjoying her new teacher and new environment, but the family remains upset with her previous instructors and how the district handled the situation, said the family's attorneys, Brian Garvine and Daniel Mordarski.
"To say this stuff to any 14-year-old girl would be just awful," Mordarski said. "To say it to a girl that really doesn't have the capacity to fend for herself or to speak up or to really fight back is — it's just heartbreaking."
A $300,000 settlement was reached in a lawsuit filed this year by the girl's family against the school district, Wilt and Chaffins, the attorneys said.
The lawsuit alleged verbal and emotional abuse and inappropriate comments by the aide and the teacher, as well as failure by school officials to report suspected child abuse. It also said the instructors put the girl on a treadmill if they were not satisfied with her work.
The school has said the treadmill is used strategically to help students focus.
Chaffins resigned, and the State Board of Education on Tuesday accepted her decision to give up her educational aide permit "based upon her inappropriate comments to students," according to documents from the board. That prohibits Chaffins from getting another job as an Ohio teacher's aide.
After a confidential investigation, the board decided to suspend Wilt's license as an intervention specialist for one year because of "conduct unbecoming to the teaching profession." Under an agreement with the board, Wilt can avoid that suspension if she remains in good standing with the district and completes eight hours of training focused on bullying awareness and reporting child abuse.
Roberts, the superintendent, told the Record Herald that Wilt has not taught this school year because she's on family medical leave.
Messages left Tuesday for Roberts, Chaffins, Wilt and their attorneys weren't returned.
The Fayette County prosecutor's office reviewed the case but didn't pursue criminal charges.
 
]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:54:48 GMT 9bab7435-8fb2-40ee-92b5-5f3d50957faf <![CDATA[PEIA is correct on co-payments]]> Wise Decision
PEIA is correct on co-payments
November 17, 2011
Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Steadily increasing health care expenses have left West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency officials no choice but to pass much of the cost on to beneficiaries. The PEIA board's method of addressing the problem is wise.
Public hearings on the plan are to be held throughout the state.
A key to the PEIA plan involves requiring higher co-payments from beneficiaries who use the program to pay for health care services. It is expected higher co-payments will cover about $32.9 million in increased costs for the PEIA.
Tens of thousands of active and retired public employees rely on the PEIA for health care coverage. One method of handling cost increases in the past has been to increase monthly PEIA premiums.
But that approach has two important drawbacks. First, it affects all beneficiaries, not just those who use PEIA services the most. In effect, customers who try to be responsible and restrained in use of health care services - and who use "wellness" programs to improve their health - help pay for their peers who cost the PEIA more.
Another drawback is that premium increases in most cases are deducted from public employees' paychecks. After a few months of noticing the withholding, many PEIA beneficiaries forget about it.
Higher co-payments, on the other hand, are noticed each and every time a PEIA customer uses health care services. That may tend to make some think twice about visiting health care providers unless they really need professional services.
It is unfortunate the PEIA must take the planned action. But officials have no option if they are to avoid placing a new burden on the backs of taxpayers.
Again, the PEIA's strategy is a fair way of handling increased expenses. It also is one that should have some effect on holding down cost concerns in the future.
 
]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:52:31 GMT 28cb8bce-237b-4b3a-809f-4ad17d1f3c4f <![CDATA[Schools Supt says achievement is everybody’s job]]> Schools Supt says achievement is everybody’s job
By Suzanne Higgins
 
November 17, 2011 · National assessments continue to rank West Virginia near or at the bottom in reading and math.
 
 On the WESTEST 2, the Educational Standards Test, two out of three 11th graders score below mastery in at least one subject area.
 
Jorea Marple, PH.D., has been WV State Superintendent of Schools for 8 months and says improving achievement in public schools is the job of everyone.
 
“Certainly the educators in the building have direct accountability and responsibility and have to work diligently to improve instruction and improve learning opportunities for students,” said Marple.
 
“But at the same time all of us have to work and support the learning of our children. And when you live in a state of significant poverty, it does increase the difficultly of the job,” she said.
 
“When children come from a home without rich reading materials, children will come to school without a rich vocabulary and it makes it more difficult to acquire reading skills.”
 
The WV Department of Education and WV State Board of Education have submitted their budget request to the governor and the legislature in advance of January’s legislative session.
 
Marple says plans to address student achievement are a priority beginning with teacher pay raises.
 
“We are near the bottom in terms of salaries for educators, and our legislative priority is a challenge to make progress in this decade to move us up from 48th to hopefully 25th in the nation.”
 
“That is fundamental if we are going to keep equity of access and high quality teachers," said Marple.
 
Another priority of the superintendent’s is access to technology. The Department of Education is requesting 23 million dollars annually for the next 4 years to provide 6th graders with classroom computers.
 
“Technology is a great equalizer of opportunity because it allows children to learn 24/7," said Marple. “It provides them with rich support and resources."
 
Marple says the State Board of Education is looking at what itcan do to change policy to give teachers more flexibility to teach, addressing some of the more rigid instruction time requirements, revisiting student conduct expectations, and expanding curriculum.
 
“There’s nothing more important than reading and math, but we also know that children can improve their reading and math skills through other content areas, most especially the arts.”
 
“We know that children stay in school, don’t drop out, if they’re engaged in arts instruction,” she said. “So we have to change policy to allow and support a broad curriculum.”
 
]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:51:18 GMT 808a86b9-4b4b-404f-a8a6-2f4c128d15ad <![CDATA[Voices of concern heard at PEIA forum ]]> Voices of concern heard at PEIA forum
By Brandy Brubaker, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Nov. 16--A possible increase in the cost of prescription drugs and some medical visits topped the list of concerns voiced at a public forum Tuesday about proposed changes to the state's health insurance plan.
About 90 people attended the forum at the Ramada Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Morgantown, sponsored by West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). PEIA provides health insurance for state employees, such as teachers.
Board chairman Robert Ferguson Jr. said change is necessary to make up for a $42 million deficit.
"This is a terrible problem. We're in a tough spot," Ferguson said. "We've got to come up with $42 million. The government is not going to give us $42 million. We're trying to find a way to give you everything we can with what we have."
The proposed plan is being introduced and opened for public comment at several meetings scheduled throughout the state this month, including Tuesday's forum in Morgantown. The board will vote on which changes to make at a December meeting.
Included in the proposed changes for active employees and non-Medicare retirees are increases in co-pays for some medical services; the addition of $500 copays for some procedures, such as hip and knee replacements; and coverage removal for acupuncture and massage therapy.
PEIA also presented four possible plans for changes in prescription medication coverage. One plan stops coverage for a list of nonpreferred brands, such as Celebrex, Nasonex and Lipitor. Another increases all drug co-pays. A third removes Proton-Pump Inhibitor coverage. A fourth plan eliminates coverage for $4 generics.
For Medicare Advantage and Special Medicare Plan retirees, the proposal suggests either a 9 percent premium increase or increases in deductibles, co-pays and medical out-of-pocket maximums.
West Virginia Education Association Executive Committee President Dale Lee said increasing copays is just a way to shift the burden of health care costs to employees.
"The practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul has to stop," Lee said.
Mary Ann Ferris, a retired school teacher said: "Many of our retirees are forced to choose daily between eating and buying the medication they need to live."
Ken Twentier, also retired, agreed.
"We gave our lives and, believe me, with the changes in prescriptions, with people who can't afford it, you will make your $42 million on the backs of senior citizens and retirees dying because they can't afford health care."


 
]]> Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:22:30 GMT c17318d4-ac68-48b0-ac50-1ddc4e30c006 <![CDATA[Weir High English teacher receives national award ]]> Weir High English teacher receives national award
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Examining paintings to find parallels to Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" might not sound like your typical high school English class, but thinking outside the book is how Hancock County English teacher Lissa Dulick works in her classroom.
On Monday, Dulick, who teaches at Weir High School, became the 69th educator in the state to receive a Milken Family Foundation award, dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching."
"[Dulick] is an extraordinary individual who cares about each and every one of you," Jorea Marple, state superintendent of schools, told a packed student assembly in the gym of Weir High School. "She's an inspiration for the profession and a mentor to new teachers."
The Milken Award was created by brothers Lowell and Michael Milken to recognize the country's top educators. More than 50 educators in the country receive unrestricted awards of $25,000 in a surprise school-wide assembly in the largest educator recognition program in the country.
To date, the program has given more than $1.725 million to 69 West Virginia educators since the state joined the program in 1990.
"Teachers have the most important jobs in America," said Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken. "The Milken Educator Awards say, in a very public way, that greatness in education must be recognized and rewarded."
In her more than eight years of teaching, Dulick has used problem-based learning and creative projects to immerse high school students in English classes, according to the Milken Family Foundation website.
Dulick helped revamp Weir High's English curriculum and is credited with helping the school boost its language arts scores by 10 percent. She has also developed a transition reading course that will be piloted across West Virginia.
"Thank you for the students," Dulick said. "You guys have truly made the last nine years of my career very interesting."
Amanda Mays, at J.E. Robins Elementary School on Charleston's West Side, received the award last year.
 
]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:48:21 GMT 3c3b4a07-a338-4e95-940f-52f2d88a13f1 <![CDATA[US Supreme Court Declines to Review W.Va. Immunization Case]]> US Supreme Court Declines to Review W.Va. Immunization Case
By Andrea Lannom

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari Nov. 14, following a civil liberties organization filing to hear a West Virginia case challenging the state's immunization statute.
The Virginia-based Rutherford Institute filed the petition for certiorari in July, urging the nation's highest court to reverse a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling.
In April 2009, Jennifer Workman filed the suit against the Mingo County Board of Education, Dr. Steven L. Paine, Dwight Dials and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Workman claimed she decided against immunizing her younger daughter after another child suffered health problems from an earlier vaccination. However, state law does not allow children to be admitted to school unless they have been immunized for diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough. However, state law says a child can be exempted from the immunization rule if a physician presents the patient with a permanent medical exemption showing it is not recommended, according to the suit.
Workman received the certificate from a child psychiatrist recommending the child not receive immunizations because of the other child's health condition.
This request was later denied however, and Workman's daughter was asked to leave a preschool program. A local head start program accepted the certificate, but once Workman's daughter completed the program, Mingo County schools refused to admit her, the suit states.
Workman accused school board officials of violating state code by not accepting the psychiatrist's certificate and additionally argued that immunizations are against her religion.  
"I sincerely believe that it is wrong to immunize, and that it is a sacrilege," the suit states. "My religious beliefs prohibit me from submitting to any immunizations. The denial of my choice not to immunize (my daughter) based upon the free exercise of my religion violates my constitutional rights protected by the First Amendment."
Workman took her challenge to federal court but was denied relief in a November 2009 ruling. According to court documents, the federal judge determined Workman's claims lacked merit and defendants were entitled to 11th Amendment immunity.
The federal court also ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear Workman's claim for relief regarding rejection of the certificate and saw "no indication that state law provided a cause of action for damages."
Workman appealed her case to the 4th Circuit, which affirmed the original decision, stating that the immunization requirements do not infringe on Workman's freedom of religious expression.
"Indeed, the district court appears to have assumed the sincerity of Workman's religious beliefs but ruled that those ‘beliefs do not exempt her from complying with West Virginia's mandatory immunization program,'" the opinion states.
In her 4th Circuit appeal, Workman argued that there was no compelling state interest because vaccinations only were uncommon diseases.
"On the contrary, the state's wish to prevent the spread of communicable diseases clearly constitutes a compelling interest," the opinion states.
The court also agreed with the federal court's ruling regarding the rejection of the certificate.
"Workman does not explain how such purely legal determinations raised any triable issue of fact," the 4th Circuit opinion states. "Accordingly, we hold that the district court did not err in ruling that this issue did not preclude summary judgment."
 
]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:47:02 GMT e07b2bf5-1d51-4c79-b7e5-3691d4c8e1d7 <![CDATA[State kicks off College Application week]]> State kicks off College Application week
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia ranks among the bottom in the nation for its college-going rates, but state officials are hoping a massive information campaign will help turn that around.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has proclaimed Nov. 14-18 as "College Application and Exploration Week," a five-day push to help students and their families gear-up for education beyond high school.
 "Completing some form of education and training beyond high school, whether through certificate programs, two-year degree, or four-year degree programs, is an essential step for our citizens as they strive to compete in the global workforce," Tomblin said.
Sixty-five high schools and four YMCAs across the state have planned a variety of activities, including college application labs and workshops, college scavenger hunts and trivia contests, and panel discussions with current college students.
According to the Higher Education Policy Commission, only 59 percent of West Virginia high school graduates went to college in 2010. That's below the national average of almost 64 percent and below the college-going rates of states in the southern region.
Brian Noland, chancellor of the Policy Commission, said College Application week isn't just about filling out paperwork. He hopes it will spark a statewide culture-change.
"College Application and Exploration Week is an opportunity to encourage a college-going culture throughout our state," Noland said. "This is an opportunity for us to build enthusiasm for higher education and to reach out to students who have not yet realized their full potential and assist them in discovering their passion and exploring their options."
For every 100 ninth graders in the state, only 72 graduate from high school, according to the Policy Commission. Only 43 of those students enter college.
West Virginia's effort is part of a growing national initiative to increase the college-going rate -- particularly among families in which neither parent attended college. College Application and Exploration Week began in North Carolina in 2005 and has since spread to seven other states including West Virginia. The state piloted the program in 24 West Virginia counties in 2010.
Additional online resources about college access and applications are available at CFWV.com, the state's free college- and career-planning web portal.
 
]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:46:02 GMT 489c6631-ac27-4034-8cd6-32afff1878b0 <![CDATA[Audit: Make 180 school days mandatory in W.Va.]]> Audit: Make 180 school days mandatory in W.Va.
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An ongoing audit of West Virginia’s public school system recommends the state make a 180-day instructional calendar mandatory.
 The state Board of Education learned about some results in the education efficiency audit on Wednesday from Eric Schnurer of Pennsylvania-based consultant Public Works. The audit is spearheaded by Gov.-elect Earl Ray Tomblin and also includes several state agencies.
 While the state already has the 180-day calendar, snowstorms make it difficult for many counties to meet that goal. This year, public schools in every county began classes earlier.
 Schnurer says other areas of needed improvement include increased funding for online instruction and establishing a better accounting of professional development expenditures, especially on the county level.
The audit began in June. A final report is due in December.
 
]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:24:19 GMT 23a2214f-21b7-48a7-b36a-197d5e8edddc <![CDATA[State policy to protect students sparks controversy]]> State policy to protect students sparks controversy
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A proposed policy change that protects West Virginia's gay and lesbian students from school harassment has drawn criticism from some conservative groups.
Groups like the Family Policy Council of West Virginia have lambasted the policy for threatening religious freedom and free speech, while civil rights groups say the rule will finally give LGBT students much-needed help.
Jeremy Dys, president of the Family Policy Council, told State Board of Education members Wednesday that anti-bullying laws that target homosexuality can take schools down a slippery slope. 
But the president of the state school board said Dys doesn't understand the policy.
"If a student makes a comment in opposition to homosexuality and what Scripture teaches about homosexuality, they could be in violation of the proposed bullying policy," said Dys. "Bullying policies need to make sure they apply categorically across the board, but in reality, we have an infringement upon religious liberty."
He said a policy should be based on the bullying action, not the characteristics of the person being victimized.
Under the state Department of Education's proposal, bullying based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or "gender identity or expression" -- 13 categories in total -- qualifies as a Level 3 disciplinary offense.
Punishments for harassment can range from detention to suspension from school for 10 days.
The policy also says students can be punished for "vulgar or offensive speech" online if it disrupts school learning.
If approved, West Virginia would join a number of states that create statewide guidelines recommending districts to protect LGBT students from harassment. Across the country, 14 states have drafted bullying laws that include protections for LGBT students, said Alison Gill of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national group that tracks LGBT protections in schools around the country
"Our research has shown that enumeration is critical for anti LGBT harassment, said Gill. "In states with enumerated policies, LGBT students feel safer and more a part of the community and are less likely to skip classes. Students are more likely to actually report harassment and teachers more likely to intervene."

Bradley Milam, executive director of Fairness West Virginia, a state civil rights group, said national surveys have shown that about nine out of 10 LGBT students say that they have been bullied or harassed on the basis of sexual orientation. 

Dys, however, said legislating issues involving gender identity, which he called "a nebulous concept", tends to run head-to-head with the First Amendment and "in reality, infringe on religious liberty."

Wade Linger, president of the state board of education, said the anti-bulling policy "doesn't do what [Dys] thinks it does."

"The new policy provides no special recognition or protection to any group or characteristic," Linger wrote Tuesday in a letter released by the state Department of Education. "I completely agree ... that all students should be uniformly subjected to anti-bullying policies that broadly prohibit bullying against all students, while at the same time protecting the First Amendment rights of all students."

 The anti-bullying protections are part of a larger school disciplinary policy that state school board members plan to vote on in December. Principals and teachers have criticized other aspects of the policy, like limiting suspensions for minor offenses, saying the state is undermining teacher authority.

If adopted, the disciplinary policy changes would go into effect July 1.

Also Wednesday, state board members heard about some preliminary results from the statewide education efficiency audit commissioned by Gov.-elect Earl Ray Tomblin. The full report will be released next month.

Eric B. Schnurer of auditing agency Public Works recommended some areas that need improvement. Those include mandating -- as opposed to recommending -- 180 days of instructional time, increased funding for online instruction and a better accounting of money spent on teacher training, especially on the county level.    
 
]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:23:15 GMT 852a08e4-4982-4e35-8968-20280fda846d <![CDATA[Lloyd Jackson II named to state education board]]> Lloyd Jackson II named to state education board
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Former state senator Lloyd G. Jackson II has been appointed to the state Board of Education.
Gov.-elect Earl Ray Tomblin announced Jackson's appointment Monday.
A Hamlin native, Jackson is an attorney and businessman in the oil and natural gas industry.
He served in the state Senate from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 2003, including as chairman of the Senate Education Committee. He also was Lincoln County's prosecutor from 1980 to 1986.
As a legislator, Jackson proposed laws creating the PROMISE scholarship and establishing preschool programs for 4-year-olds.
 
]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:21:20 GMT b4336c01-263e-420b-bda8-795b5730510b <![CDATA[Ohio voters reject Republican-backed union limits]]> Ohio voters reject Republican-backed union limits
November 9, 2011
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The state's new collective bargaining law was defeated Tuesday after an expensive union-backed campaign that pitted firefighters, police officers and teachers against the Republican establishment.
In a political blow to GOP Gov. John Kasich, voters handily rejected the law, which would have limited the bargaining abilities of 350,000 unionized public workers. With nearly 95 percent of the votes counted late Tuesday, about 61 percent were to reject the law.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, among the many union leaders who hailed the outcome, said victory was achieved among Democrats and Republicans in urban and rural counties.
"Ohio sent a message to every politician out there: Go in and make war on your employees rather than make jobs with your employees, and you do so at your own peril," he said.
Kasich congratulated his opponents and said he would spend time contemplating how best to take the state forward.
"I've heard their voices, I understand their decision and, frankly, I respect what people have to say in an effort like this," he said. "And as a result of that, it requires me to take a deep breath, you know, and to spend some time reflecting on what happened here."
Kasich said he has made creating jobs his priority and he's beginning to see his policies work.
In a signal of the issue's national resonance, White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a statement saying President Barack Obama "congratulates the people of Ohio for standing up for workers and defeating efforts to strip away collective bargaining rights, and commends the teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers and other workers who took a stand to defend those rights."
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern, at a celebration at a downtown Columbus hotel, said Republicans and Kasich overreached.
"He literally thought he knew more than everyone else," Redfern said.
Asked whether the collective bargaining law, called Issue 2, was a referendum on Kasich, Redfern said, "Absolutely. He was the face of the campaign. John Kasich chose to put his face on this campaign for the last eight weeks. The people of the state pushed back."
Labor and business interests poured more than $30 million into the nationally watched campaign, and turnout was high for an off-year election.
The law hadn't taken effect yet. Tuesday's result means the state's current union rules will stand, at least until the GOP-controlled Legislature determines its next move. Republican House Speaker William Batchelder predicted last week that the more palatable elements of the collective bargaining bill - such as higher minimum contributions on worker health insurance and pensions - are likely to be revisited after the dust settles.
Earlier Tuesday, voter Janet Tipton, a 46-year-old nurse and a Teamsters union member at a private health care center, said Issue 2 was the only reason she came out to vote.
"If they break the union, we won't have anything," she said outside a church on Toledo's east side. "They'll come after us, too."
She said retaining the union-limiting law would have affected quality of care for the elderly because it would have meant fewer nurses per patient.
Earlier this year, thousands of people swarmed the Statehouse in protest when the bill was being heard. The bill still allowed bargaining on wages, working conditions and some equipment but banned strikes, scrapped binding arbitration and dropped promotions based solely on seniority, among other provisions.
Kasich and fellow supporters promoted the law as a means for local governments to save money and keep workers. Their effort was supported by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business-Ohio, farmers and others.
We Are Ohio, the largely union-funded opponent coalition, painted the issue as a threat to public safety and middle-class workers, spending millions of dollars on TV ads filled with images of firefighters, police officers, teachers and nurses.
Celebrities came out on both sides of the campaign, with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and singer Pat Boone urging voters to retain the law and former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn and the Rev. Jesse Jackson urging them to scrap it.
Jackson said in a statement issued Tuesday after the vote that "workers, students and parents have come together, demonstrated, fought back and won."
"The struggle for workers' rights in Ohio is something that all Americans cherish. Although tonight's gains were a move in the right direction, the struggle continues," he said. "The passage of Ohio Senate Bill 5 by the Republican-led Ohio House was deplorable, but the tide has turned."
Labor and business interests poured more than $30 million into the nationally watched campaign, with the law's opponents far outspending and outnumbering its defenders.
Opponents reported raising $24 million as of mid-October, compared to about $8 million raised by the committee supporting the law, Building a Better Ohio.
Tuesday's result in the closely divided swing state was expected to resonate from statehouses to the White House ahead of the 2012 presidential election - potentially energizing the labor movement ahead of President Obama's re-election effort.
Ohio residents also voted Tuesday to reject an insurance mandate in Obama's federal health insurance overhaul. Jeff Longstreth, who managed the successful campaign, said he sees that issue as more telling for the president's future in the swing state.
"Voters spoke very loudly and very clearly about how they felt about Barack Obama's proudest legislative accomplishment," he said.
 
]]> Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:48:55 GMT 9e3ee57c-7ba7-4e8d-bef6-8069ef70649b <![CDATA[Schools decry weaker discipline policy]]> Schools decry weaker discipline policy
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A proposed change to the state Department of Education's discipline policy came under fire at a state school board meeting Tuesday.
Kanawha County school administrators and teachers' union officials challenged the proposed changes, some of which make it more difficult to suspend students.
The underlying philosophy is that keeping a student in school as part of his or her punishment makes it less likely the student eventually will drop out.
St. Albans High School Principal Jeff Kelley said some of the proposed measures would only make his job harder and his school less safe.
"Ultimately, we have a policy that we feel will weaken our schools and learning environments. It addresses behavior and school safety comprehensively, but we do not feel that it addresses matters as effectively as the existing policy," he said.
The policy, titled Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools, takes multiple disciplinary policies and combines them into one 80-page document.
The 60-day comment period for the new code of conduct ended Tuesday evening. State school board members are expected to vote on the policy revisions in December.  
Herbert Hoover High School Principal Mike Kelley said the line of thinking behind the proposed changes is skewed. He called for more input from teachers and administrators.
"A student may be suspended for 10 days for gambling ... but a student who is guilty of selling imitation drugs may not be suspended," Kelley said.
"A student ingesting inhalants may not be suspended, but another can be suspended for writing in a textbook, but not if they're huffing glue to get high.
"To say weakening consequences is going to make our schools safer, frankly it defies common sense as far as I can tell."
Under the new policy, offenses committed on school grounds would be classified in four levels of severity.
Cheating, disruption, disrespect, tardiness or class skipping, inappropriate displays of affection or deceit all could result in a Level 1 violation. Those violations cannot be punished with out-of-school suspension.
Habitual violation of school rules could result in a Level 2 offense, which would be punished with out-of-school suspension under the new policy, but the maximum number of days would be lowered from 10 to five.
Level 2 offenses also include gang-related activity and physical fights that do not result in injury.
Level 3 violations, which include the possession of imitation drugs or tobacco and inhalant abuse on school grounds, do not result in out-of-school suspension.

Instead, a conference first would have to be held with the parent or guardian, as well as a law enforcement official.

The student then would be referred to a substance abuse program. The idea is an intervention service is more effective at curbing behavior than sending the student home for 10 days where he or she might be free to further engage in such activities.

 Policies regarding Level 4 offenses, which include possession of a dangerous weapon or battery of a school employee, have gone largely untouched.

The policy is focused on teaching appropriate behaviors to students, rather than simply punishing them.

It relies on programs like weekend detention, in-school suspension and counseling services to keep kids in school where they are under supervision.

Critics also said the policy fails to address how school systems can fund alternative learning centers, counseling services and provide staffing for after-school detention.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said alternative punishment could be positive but the policy revisions are not well thought-out.

"We support these programs and ask that we join hand in hand in looking at funding to make sure these are tools in a teacher's and an administrator's toolbox to make sure these students stay in school," Lee said.

"I am disappointed that neither the policy or the board addresses this need when it comes to funding."

Judy Hale, president of the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said the new, lengthy policy is not "user friendly" in its layout. She called for more input from teachers, administrators and parents.

"I have asked if I am going to have the ability as the representative for more than 16,000 practitioners in West Virginia to look at this before it goes to vote, and I have not heard from you yet," Hale said.

Jeff Kelley, the St. Albans principal, said his school's experience contradicts the idea that out-of-school suspensions lead to an increase in students dropping out. Suspensions increased at St. Albans last year, but the dropout rate decreased, he said.

The board will continue talking about the policy when its meeting reconvenes at 9 a.m. today]]> Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:44:16 GMT 011b328a-2834-4b87-a61d-d25291bf6e7e <![CDATA[Residents Speak Out at PEIA Public Hearing]]> Residents Speak Out at PEIA Public Hearing
By Sarah Plummer

Although residents are used to hearing stories of West Virginia’s prescription drug epidemic, many active and retired public employees from across our region spoke out at Tuesday’s Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) public hearing, hoping to protect coverage of acupuncture and massage therapy, treatments many of those present said they choose instead of prescription drugs.

PEIA’s recommended plan changes for 2012-13 are an effort, in part, to decrease OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefit) liability, said PEIA Executive Director Ted Cheatham. Both acupuncture and massage therapy may no longer be covered for active employees and non-Medicare retirees if the proposed changes are adopted.

Loria Shumate, a licensed massage therapist currently practicing in downtown Lewisburg, said 75 percent of her clients are PEIA insurees who have been referred for medically oriented massage therapy due to injury, illness or chronic pain.

“Massage therapy is an excellent adjunct or complimentary therapy to physicians’ medical health care,” she said.

Massage improves overall health with added benefits like boosting the immune system, she added.

Anita Anderson, a Mercer County middle school teacher in her 29th year, said she would have to take Loritabs for neck and back pain if she did not go to massage therapy.

In addition, Anderson said massage has relieved her migraines and greatly reduced her instances of work-related strep throat and colds.

“I think it is shocking how people misuse prescription drugs. I am someone who chooses not to take narcotics. I choose massage therapy and am so happy that you pay for it now and hope you continue to,” she stated.

Another of several individuals who spoke in favor of continuing coverage for massage therapy, Lieutenant C.T. Lowe with the Athens Police Department explained how massage allows him to continue working.

“I was hit head-on in 2001 transporting a prisoner, and the doctors wanted to put me on medical disability at the age of 31. I did not want to go home and collect a check; I think there is too much of that,” he shared.

After the accident, his spine began to shift forward through the hip plate, and he has curvature of the spine and herniated discs. Medication, ice and heat only do so much for him, and surgery would not solve the problem, he said.

“Sometimes, after I chase down and arrest a suspect, I can barely move my neck. Calling in sick is not an option for me. When people call the police, they need us. Medical massage allows me to go back to work,” he continued. “I choose to do this. It is an honor and a privilege to be a police officer in the state of West Virginia, and I have worked very hard to obtain this honor, and I expect to continue to work. ...  Massage is preventive maintenance so I can do my job.”

Other concerns at the public hearing were possible changes in the amounts of co-pay.

Under the proposed changes, emergency room co-pays will increase to $100, urgent care to $25, and imaging to $50.

New co-pays of $500 each will be applied to spine procedures, knee replacements, hip replacements, shoulder surgery and medically necessary dental services.

In addition, the plan puts forth two possibilities for pharmaceuticals.

Option A does not increase co-pays, but is a closed formulary. Those currently taking a third-tier drug with a $50 co-pay will no longer be covered, said Cheatham.

“You will need to pay for it on you own or move to a second- or first-tier drug,” he said.

Option B increases co-pays from $5 to $8 for generic, $15 to $50 for a preferred brand, and $50 to $100 for a  specialty brand.

“This option does keep the drugs options that you have today intact, but it does raise co-pays, in my mind, somewhat significantly,” Cheatham said.

Debra Elmore, president of Fayette County’s American Federation of Teachers, commented, “A second-tier co-pay would increase by $35 per drug. For many families or individuals with several second-tier co-pays per month, this will place an enormous financial burden upon them.”

Many families may have to choose between medicine and other necessities, she said.

She also criticized the new $500 co-pays for hip and knee replacements.

“Our sickest, most vulnerable PEIA participants are under attack,” she said.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, added “Hip and knee replacements and spinal procedures are not elective surgeries; those are last resort measures. These co-pays affect those who need it the most. What will happen is that people who need these procedures will put them off due to the cost.”

Changes like those proposed by PEIA will greatly affect teachers and service professionals across the state, he added. Small raises are more than taken back in co-pays and deductibles.

“In 2009, there were more than 2,000 classrooms in West Virginia without a certified teacher,” Lee said. “That is a direct reflection upon the salary and benefits teachers here get. Changes like those proposed here will only enhance the problem of maintaining and attracting quality teachers in our state.”
 
]]> Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:40:10 GMT 5890e401-bd07-42a0-bcd2-c57f91d87dcd <![CDATA[WVU salaries still below national averages ]]> WVU salaries still below national averages
By The Associated Press
 
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University faculty are getting closer to earning as much as their peers nationally, but President James Clements agrees that there is more work to do.
The Dominion Post said the issue was discussed with the Board of Governors on Thursday.
Faculty representative Robert Griffith said educators are grateful for recent raises that have narrowed the gap.
On average, a full professor now earns $106,496 for a nine-month contract. An associate professor earns about $78,416, and an assistant professor makes about $62,232.
Those averages don't include specialists in the medical field.
But nationally, a full professor averages $118,054. An associate professor averages $81,266, and an assistant professor averages $69,777.
Board Chairman Drew Payne says WVU will continue its efforts to bring faculty in line with peer institutions.
 
]]> Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:55:46 GMT 09dfabf5-bf89-4f3e-b57b-4f19edc22be5 <![CDATA[W.Va. reading scores flat, math scores up a bit]]> W.Va. reading scores flat, math scores up a bit
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Despite West Virginia's massive statewide push to significantly boost student achievement, reading and math scores from the state's fourth- and eighth-graders have largely stayed the same since 2009, according to a national survey.
In the National Assessment of Educational Progress report -- also called The Nation's Report Card -- released Tuesday, West Virginia was one of nine states that saw math scores improve for students in the eighth grade, with a three-point jump from 270 in 2009 to 273 in 2011. Fourth-grade students raised their math scores by two points from 233 in 2009 to 235 in 2011.
"We are optimistic about the statistically significant increase in mathematics," said Jorea Marple, state superintendent of schools. "Research shows that it takes time for change to take hold in the educational arena, but we believe what students are learning as part of Global21 is on target."
The state's fourth-grade reading scores fell one point from 215 in 2009 to 214 in 2011. Eighth-grade student reading scores increased one point from 255 in 2009 to 256 in 2011.
Patricia Kusimo, president of the Education Alliance, a state nonprofit research and education fund, said the state should be proud of making modest improvements in its math scores, which she called West Virginia's "Achilles' heel."
But Kusimo said the report is a wake-up call for students and educators.
"The fact of the matter is that the challenge is ahead of us," she said. "We're making progress, but to have 69 percent of fourth-grade students at basic or below basic means that we all have to acknowledge that we have to focus more on education on a community and state level."
Across the nation, students in fourth and eighth grades improved in math from 2009, with the highest scores to date. In reading, the national picture was mixed -- the average score for fourth-graders was unchanged from 2009, while the average score for eighth-graders continued to rise.
NAEP conducts its test every two years and is the largest nationally representative measure of student achievement in the U.S. A representative sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students in West Virginia and the country were given the national test earlier this year and the results were used to calculate each state's average test score on a scale of zero to 500.
West Virginia students continue to score below the national average in both reading and math, with eighth-graders trailing the nation by 10 points in math and eight points in reading, and fourth-graders trailing by five points in math and six points in reading.
About 70 percent of fourth-graders in West Virginia scored at or below basic in both math and reading. More than 75 percent of eighth-graders in the state scored at or below basic in both subjects this year.
or 304-348-4814.
Steven Paine, Marple's predecessor as superintendent, had pegged 2011 as the year that West Virginia would hopefully turn around its national test scores, giving adequate time for the state's comprehensive new curriculum in 2008 to kick in.

After the release of the state's disappointing NAEP scores in 2005, the West Virginia Department of Education began to assess the state's curriculum and decided a major change needed to be made.

In 2008, West Virginia piloted a comprehensive curriculum change called "Global21," meant to produce proficiency in three areas: 21st-century skills, technology tools and core subjects like math and reading/language arts.

"I hope to see significant achievement increases by 2011," Paine said a year ago. "I am confident the steps outlined in Global21 will lead to real student achievement across all grade levels as we help our kids to be globally intelligent and resilient in a digital world."

In addition to statewide results, the NAEP scores are also broken down by the percentage of students performing at four achievement levels: below basic, basic, proficient and advanced.

This year, 27 percent of fourth-graders in West Virginia performed at or above proficient in reading and 31 percent performed at or above proficient in math.
Among the state's eighth-graders, 24 percent performed at or above proficient in reading and 21 percent performed at or above proficient in math.

The National Assessment Governing Board sets the standards for what students in each grade should know and be able to perform at each grade and defines "proficient" -- the minimum goal for each student -- as "competency over challenging subject matter."

In reading, that means students can comprehend the basic differences between literary and informational texts, and in math it means they have mastered the basics of properties and operations, measurement, geometry and probability.

West Virginia made a big push to include all students in NAEP testing this year to get a representative sample for the test. In mathematics in grades four and eight, West Virginia had an exclusion rate of only 2 percent.
 
]]> Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:00:27 GMT 9aa36853-00a4-475b-ac83-73e4e0e87863 <![CDATA[State surplus surges on energy industry]]> State surplus surges on energy industry
by Jared Hunt
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - State general revenue collections again exceeded expectations last month, pushing the state's current surplus over $69 million just four months into the fiscal year.
The state collected $336.7 million in general revenue during October, about $25.6 million or 8 percent above budget expectations of $311.2 million for the month.
Since the fiscal year began on July 1, the state has taken in just under $1.4 billion in revenue, 5 percent more than the $1.33 billion the state had projected it would collect by this point.
That $1.4 billion represents a 6.5 percent growth rate over last year.
State Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow said that indicates the state economy is growing faster than the rest of the country, which logged a 2.5 percent growth rate in the third quarter.
Muchow said the growth can be attributed to one sector: energy.  
"The state economy is being driven ahead by coal and gas," he said. "Without coal and gas, we would be average or below average with economic performance. With coal and gas added in, West Virginia is probably doing better than the average state."
Muchow said state exports showed a 42 percent growth rate over last year through August. Coal and natural gas account for much of the export growth, and both sectors performed well in the most recent month.
They're also the leading driver of the $69 million in surplus revenue collected since July 1.  
Muchow said $28.9 million of the surplus comes from greater-than-expected severance tax collections from coal and gas production.
That extra production means more business activity and therefore greater corporate income taxes, which are running about $30.8 million ahead of expectations.
About $59 million out of the $69 million is attributable to severance or corporate income taxes," Muchow said.

The rest of the surplus comes from higher-than-expected personal income and consumer sales tax revenues.

Personal income tax revenues have been showing about a 14 percent growth rate over last year.

That typically indicates strong wage growth, although Muchow said it appears to be concentrated in a few sectors.
 
"Energy has been our leading sector so far as growth, and in the energy sector your average wage is higher than the rest of the economy," Muchow said.

He also noted the health care sector seemed to show strong wage growth year-over-year.

While the $25.6 million surplus logged in the month of October alone was a good sign, Muchow noted the calendar might have affected the figures.

Many taxes are collected on the last business day of the month, and that fell on a Monday this October as compared to a Sunday last year. That helped boost the numbers a bit because last year some revenues came in on the first day of November.

"Last year we collected on the first day of November in excess of $20 million in severance tax," Muchow said. "This year (on Nov. 1), we collected $9.6 million."

When the Nov. 1 totals are taken into account, severance tax revenues are showing a 22 percent growth rate over last year, Muchow said.
 
]]> Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:58:55 GMT f639cfb0-6d4b-489a-88f7-75b33da8ecbc <![CDATA[State School Super Has Priorities ]]>

State School Super Has Priorities

MetroNews
Charleston, Kanawha County

The 2012 session of the West Virginia Legislature is still more than two months away, but that hasn't stopped state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple from planning for the future.

"We have submitted to the Governor, to all the members of the Legislature and to the leadership our legislative priorities.  The state Board of Education approved those priorities," Marple said.

She says her office got started early on the things that most need addressed because, often times, the early bird gets the worm.  "The Governor might consider [the priorities] with his legislative package and the legislators will be well informed about it."

So what are the five priorities on that list?

Marple says coming up with a plan to reduce the OPEB debt is critical, as is increasing teacher salaries.  Currently, West Virginia ranks 48th in the nation. Marple would like to see the state jump to 25th in pay over the next decade.

Technology is also crucial, according to the superintendent.

"We want all of our children to access to technology, not just some of our children in some of our schools," she said.

Finishing off the list are lifting the RESA cap and supporting teacher mentorships.

Marple says there are a lot of needs but some seemed to loom larger than others.  "There are a lot of things that need to be addressed at any time in public education. But what we said was, 'These are the things that we have common agreement on.'"

Marple says the five priorities have already been presented to county superintendents and teacher organizations.  They're asking county boards of education to adopt the priorities as as their own.

]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:18:49 GMT 412717e1-9bdc-4b9e-aafb-bbb6ab8e074b <![CDATA[In Idaho, teacher bonuses depend on parents]]> In Idaho, teacher bonuses depend on parents
By JESSIE L. BONNER
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Parents across Idaho will now play a role in whether or not their child's teacher gets a raise.
Teacher bonuses in more than two dozen school districts statewide will depend to some degree on how well they can engage parents throughout the year, as part of new education changes signed into law earlier this year.
The laws championed by public schools chief Tom Luna carry sweeping changes for Idaho's public schools that include phasing in laptops for high school teachers and students, while requiring online courses.
School districts and public charter schools were also required to develop plans to reward employees who go above and beyond. The teacher pay-for-performance bonuses could be based on a variety of factors, including improved test scores and attendance rates.
A database compiled by the state Department of Education shows schools districts have adopted a mixture of criteria, giving teachers points for everything from student attendance to graduation rates and writing assessments.
The result: A laboratory of pay-for-performance methods in a state that has long debated whether teacher pay should be tied to things like student test scores.
At least 29 school districts statewide have since developed merit pay plans based, at least partly, on parental involvement.
In the central Idaho countryside, Challis schools have set a goal that teachers make contact with the parents of their students at least twice every three months.
"We're a really little town in the middle of nowhere, parents are pretty involved in what's going on, but we wanted to get them more involved in the academic side of the school," said Challis Superintendent Colby Gull.
Of the two required contacts, one can be general, such as a note sent home with every student in their class, while the other contact must be personal, where a parent is informed specifically about their student. That personal point of contact can be as simple as a teacher running into a parent in town.
"In Challis, that happens every time a teacher goes to the grocery store," Gull said.
And that chance meeting would go toward the teacher's merit pay goals.
"As long as they're talking about what's going on in the classroom and the parent is informed about their student," Gull said.
In southern Idaho, up to 70 percent of the potential bonus available to employees at Wendell High School will be based on attendance at parent-teacher conferences. More than 40 percent of parents have to attend the meetings in order for Wendell teachers to earn the maximum bonus and that goal was exceeded this fall.
In the nearby farming and ranching town of Gooding, the school district has a similar plan for seventh through 12th grades, with 25 percent of the teacher bonus based on parent attendance at three conferences throughout the academic year.
In northern Idaho, the Kendrick School District will also base the merit pay bonuses for teachers on how well they involve parents. .
"I think it's important to include parents, to engage parents," said Kendrick Superintendent Calvin Spangler.
Some critics of Luna's education changes have questioned the larger role for moms and dads. Their concerns include: Will an educator be afraid to discipline a student because their parents will now have a say in teacher job evaluations, under the education changes.
Spangler counters that since parents will already have input in job evaluations under Luna's plan, why not include them in the merit pay portion.
"If they're going to be involved, we might as well get them involved right now," Spangler said.
But how involved parents are may also be outside the control of teachers to some degree, said Penni Cyr, president of the Idaho Education Association.
"Idaho teachers know that parents are very, very important in the education of their child," Cyr said. "But there also factors that are outside of a teacher's control. So is it reasonable for holding teacher responsible for getting parents to a conference or to withhold pay because parents can't attend conferences for whatever reason?"
About 50 school districts and charter schools have opted not to develop their own pay-for-performance systems but rather to comply with the state's plan, which bases bonuses on standardized test scores. In the 105 districts and charter schools that have developed or are working on their own merit pay plans, teachers will still have to meet statewide goals in order to receive their pay-for-performance bonus.
The bonuses will be paid out during the next fiscal year, which starts in July 2012.
The statewide teachers union has criticized Luna's plan, which shifts money from school employee pay and benefits to help pay for the education changes. The reduced money for employee salaries has resulted in fewer teachers and larger class sizes in some school districts.
This year, the state is shifting $14.7 million in employee pay and benefits to increase the minimum teacher pay to $30,000, restore salary increases for teachers who further their education and pay for high school students who graduate early to earn college credits.
Under a proposed budget for next year, Luna wants to use about $20 million from Idaho's projected budget surplus to replace the funding that would continue to be taken from salaries to pay for new education changes, such as the teacher merit pay.
While critics of the funding formula have argued that Idaho is reducing money for all teacher salaries to award bonuses to a few, that has yet to happen and the projected surplus could allow the state to avoid that altogether, Luna spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said.
"No money has been shifted from salaries toward pay-for-performance, and our proposal for next year would not make that necessary because of recent revenue projections," McGrath said
 
]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:17:42 GMT 413dd67f-b3b8-47ab-a081-8d99730ffd89 <![CDATA[W.Va. schools recognized for nutrition efforts ]]>
W.Va. schools recognized for nutrition efforts
Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using West Virginia schools as an example for good child nutrition standards and outreach efforts.
Officials say the federal agency has posted the West Virginia Board of Education policy on nutrition on its Center for Excellence website as an example for other school systems. The site describes the state's standards as a practice-tested policy with a focus on the school food environment by improving the nutritional quality of foods available and reducing marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.
State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple says the department is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for public school students.
Officials say nearly 85,000 of West Virginia kindergarten through 12th grade students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.
]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:16:28 GMT aeb8020a-ec03-4f90-a0a6-f558519b61ab <![CDATA[Year-round school gets another push]]> Year-round school gets another push
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- Year-round school has a new name and a new push.
 
The concept is now called the balanced calendar.
 
And a special committee with the state Department of Education is gathering information and gauging interest from counties and individual schools across West Virginia.
 
The recently developed committee has heard interest from superintendents in Jefferson, Marshall, Mingo and Wyoming counties, along with the West Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. 
 
Principals at J.E. Robins and Watts in Kanawha County and East Lynn Elementary in Wayne County have also expressed interest in joining the dialogue with the state department's committee.
 
In Jefferson County, Superintendent Susan Wall has been meeting with members of her school system and her community about changing the overall school calendar.
 
"We're on a fact-finding mission," Wall said.
 
Even the local chamber of commerce has joined in on the discussion because of the effect a shorter summer break could have on local businesses that depend on students for part time work during the summer.
 
Representatives from the Jefferson County Fair and the local 4-H chapter have also been involved with the discussion. Surveys are also being sent out to the two most important parties — the students and parents.
 
"We want to know how it will impact instruction and students in terms of academic performance and the child as a whole," Wall said.
 
In Marshall County, Cameron Elementary started using a balanced calendar in August. Wendy Clutter, the principal at Cameron, has said that it addresses the times of the year when attendance seems to drop — like a weeklong break when hunting season begins as well as the week of the county fair, when many students are busy showing 4-H projects.
 
The state education department's committee is gathering information and taking questions about how balanced calendars might work, said Betty Jo Jordan, the executive assistant to the state superintendent. 
 
"Right now we are identifying those questions that need to be answered, so we are really doing our research so that we can create a solid body of information," Jordan said.
 
Jordan and the committee have heard concern that if a parent has a child in a school operating on a balanced calendar and another child in a school on a traditional calendar then child care issues can arise.
 
Though no school system will be forced to use a balanced calendar, Jordan says that if one does decide to start, it would be best to first try it in feeder schools — meaning an elementary school whose students "feed" into a certain middle school and then a certain high school.
 
All of the schools that are on a balanced calendar are elementary schools, leaving questions about how it could affect high school extra curricular activities and athletics. The committee will also be meeting with the state Secondary Schools Athletic Commission's executive director, Gary Ray, to talk about any complications that could come up.
 
"Some high schools might have the scenario of 'Our schedule starts here but other teams might not start for four more weeks,'" Jordan said.
 
Jordan said all of the criticism she has heard about studying balanced calendars is rooted in the misconception that a "year-round" calendar means students will never get a break.
 
"It is this concept of 'I don't want my child to go to school all year and never take a vacation,' that people have. It is a misnomer that we don't recognize that kids need a break," Jordan said.
 
No matter how a calendar is set up, schools in West Virginia cannot exceed the 180 days of instructional time for students and 200 days of employment for faculty and staff.
 
Schools operating under a balanced calendar go the same number of days as schools that are on a traditional calendar. Those days are just spread out a little differently.
 
The biggest difference is during the summer when students on a traditional calendar can have up to 11 weeks off for break. Students under a balanced calendar would have a shorter break during the summer and at the end of semesters.
 
The brief breaks are designed to curb what Jordan calls a "learning slide" when students can forget most of what they learned at school during their time off. 
 
Steve Knighton, the principal at Piedmont Elementary, says that all it comes down to is shortening what he calls "the season of forgetting," which his school has done since 1995.
 
"Under a modified calendar like this it can be whatever you as a community want it to be as long a you shorten that season of forgetting from June to September," said Knighton, who is offering advice to the committee.
 
Knighton is meeting with Local School Improvement Councils from Watts and J.E. Robins elementaries on Tuesday to answer questions and talk about the feasibility of using a balanced calendar with the future Edgewood school, which will consolidate Watts and J.E. Robins.
 
Henry Nearman, principal at J.E. Robins and eventually the Edgewood school, has taken part in conversations with the state department's committee and says it's important for all of the community to understand what moving to a balanced calendar would mean.
 
"We are always looking for ways to improve student achievement, and this is one more thing that's worth investigating in that regard," Nearman said.
 
Though the committee is aimed at gathering information, this is not the first time year-round schooling has been debated. In 1987, a special commission set up to solve school financing problems recommended that the state Department of Education study the issue.
 
The issue has always been met with skepticism. When Knighton initially campaigned for transitioning to year-round school in 1992, the initiative was rejected. 
 
But when he finally succeeded in 1995, two other Kanawha County elementaries, Glenwood and Chandler followed him the next year. Those schools consolidated last summer into Kanawha County's only other year-round school, West Side Elementary.
 
The state department's committee will meet again in November and throughout the winter. Jordan says the hope is to have some sort of feasibility plan ready for those schools and school systems that want to move to the balanced calendar ready so they can plan for the 2013-2014 school year.
  
"I think there is a degree of readiness in the education community to move forward, but it will ultimately be an individual choice," Jordan said.
 
]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:15:38 GMT b55a32f2-728b-4428-a857-2d8da82a14d6 <![CDATA[Halloween is the time to treat local teachers]]> Halloween is the time to treat local teachers
Halloween is a wonderful time for students to treat their teachers, says John Snider, Arch Coal vice president, external affairs, eastern region.
"The best treat I can think of," Snider says, "is to tell a classroom teacher that she or he is respected and highly regarded. An easy way to do that is to nominate the teacher for an Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award."
Twelve great West Virginia classroom teachers each will receive a $3,500 personal award again this school year, according to Snider. "There's no trick to nominating teachers: nomination forms are available in schools and libraries and also may be made online at www.archteacherawards.com," Snider says.
The Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards is West Virginia's longest running, privately sponsored, statewide teacher-recognition effort.
 
]]> Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:19:20 GMT 4100a495-123a-4929-b601-6e2e59de84c6 <![CDATA[In W.Va., a bill is not a bill that must be paid? ]]> Editorials
Wednesday October 26, 2011
In W.Va., a bill is not a bill that must be paid?
$8 billion worth of unfunded retiree benefits is one very hot potato
 
West Virginia legislators grandly promised public employees, including teachers, health care benefits in retirement. State officials made no provision for funding those benefits.
 
It's been estimated that keeping that promise would cost West Virginians $8 billion.
 
A change in accounting standards now requires states, counties, cities and school boards to show the cost of such unfunded liabilities on their balance sheets.
 
In 2006, lawmakers addressed this by passing a law.
 
County school boards already cover the current costs of retiree health care — $167 per month per employee.
 
But to cut the liability, the Public Employees Insurance Agency now bills county boards for an additional $794 per employee. Boards will be charged $200 million this year. What they don't pay goes on their books.
 
Again, legislators did not provide additional money to fund what it asks county school boards to pay.  
 
Last week, all but six of the state's 55 county school boards asked the state Supreme Court to declare that asking county boards to pay that much violates the state constitution's requirement for a "thorough and efficient system of free schools."
 
"We have school boards that are reserving money that could be spent and should be spent to educate 
children," said Howard Seufer, a lawyer for the county school boards.
 
"We're just asking the court to declare that it is unconstitutional to place the liability upon the county boards of education in a situation where they're not also given the funds with which to pay these hundreds of million of dollars  . . . ," Seufer said.
 
Lawyer Ned Rose, who represents the agency, 
 
argued that the boards are exaggerating the problem. They have to show the liability on the books, he said, but they don't actually have to set aside money to pay it because they have no obligation to fund it.
The state is not teachers' employer, he added help-fully. County boards are the employers.
 
Nice try, but county school boards are employers in name only. They don't set base salaries or benefits. Governors and legislators do.
 
County school boards didn't promise public employees health coverage in retirement. State politicians did. Now legislators are shifting part of the liability onto the balance sheets of school boards.
 
The state's balance sheet will look better and school systems' balance sheets will look worse.
 
Pity the county school board that tries to explain to ratings agencies that yes, these hundreds of millions of dollars are unfunded liabilities of county taxpayers, but local taxpayers don't actually have to pay them.
 
They're just, well, false bookkeeping entries — dodgy little West Virginia legislative artifacts.
 
Legislators, not the court, should clarify which taxpayers they intend to hit with this $8 billion hot potato
 
]]> Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:31:49 GMT 06a17b11-4142-4c29-bb3e-f60ae6d45125 <![CDATA[National report: West Virginia weak on teacher evaluations ]]> National report: West Virginia weak on teacher evaluations
By Amy Julia Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia has made little to no progress in adopting a teacher evaluation system that factors student achievement and performance into its teacher ratings, the National Council on Teacher Quality said in a report released Wednesday.
While there has been a national movement to tie student performance to teacher quality, West Virginia has one of the weakest education systems linking student performance to teacher effectiveness, said the report.
"Much like schools' tendency to "teach to the middle," teachers have been evaluated to the middle," said the report. "The disregard for performance in education has bred massive dysfunction and has disastrous consequences for the health of the teaching profession and for student achievement, especially for students most in need of effective teachers."
West Virginia was among only 11 states that does not require annual evaluations for all teachers, use student growth and achievement data to evaluate teachers, or have a system to fire teachers when they receive unsatisfactory ratings, said the report.  
Across the nation, 32 states and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) have made some change to their state teacher evaluation policy in the last three years, according to the nonpartisan National Council on Teacher Quality. Twenty-four states and DCPS require annual evaluations of all teachers and in 18 states and DCPS, teachers are eligible for dismissal based on teacher evaluation results.
 "A system that treats every teacher the same or fine isn't getting us the results we need, especially with student achievement levels being where they are," said Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality. "We cannot continue with the status quo."
Jacobs said even in states like West Virginia that have "barebones" evaluation systems, there is something on the books to evaluate teachers, albeit standards that are extremely watered down.
"For a long time states didn't think they could change these [evaluation] policies, didn't think they could make them more rigorous, because there was too much opposition in the statehouse from teacher's unions," Jacobs said. 
Under current state law, teachers in West Virginia are evaluated at least two times a year when they are in their first and second years of teaching. Teachers in their third, fourth and fifth years of teaching are evaluated at least once a year. If teachers with more than five years of experience have not received an unsatisfactory rating, the state no longer evaluates them.
Of the nearly four pages in West Virginia's teacher evaluation law detailing what criteria should be used to judge a state teacher's effectiveness -- which includes skill in implementing curriculum, setting high standards for students and striving to meet goals -- student achievement is not taken into account. 
The West Virginia Department of Education is taking the first steps to change that.

It launched a teacher evaluation task force in 2009 comprised of teachers' union representatives, superintendents, principals and teachers to create a more high-stakes system to assess teacher effectiveness, said Lowell Johnson, a member of the state Board of Education.

Twelve counties -- Berkeley, Doddridge, Hampshire, Hardy, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marion, McDowell,
Nicholas, Ohio, Roane, and Wood -- have piloted the state's evaluation system in the last few months and will report back to the Department of Education on how the new system is working in their schools.

The revised evaluation system requires some emphasis on student performance, Johnson said.

Teachers are required to set goals for students and show how these student goals are being achieved through systematic reports to the principal, he said.

"While test scores are important, the test scores on the children should be just one indicator for how well teachers are doing," said Johnson. "That's the reason that we decided in the pilot that teachers should provide evidence of what they're doing to improve students' achievement."
And if a teacher is found unsatisfactory?

"We're going to provide them with help and professional development," he said. "But if you repeatedly can't perform the work, you're not helping students. Then it might be time to find a different job."

The state Department of Education task force will meet Nov. 2 to continue working on the new evaluation system and pilot.
 
 
]]> Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:30:14 GMT f4141286-32b6-4566-8a2b-a4951a1118e2 <![CDATA[W.Va. school boards sue over retiree coverage liability]]> W.Va. school boards sue over retiree coverage liability
By The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- County school boards are warning that West Virginia's plan for tackling retiree health costs threatens to derail the state's education system. Defenders of the plan say the boards are overreacting and must share the burden of closing a significant liability.
All but six of West Virginia's 55 county boards asked the Supreme Court last week to declare that the plan violates the state constitution's mandate for a "thorough and efficient system of free schools."
The boards have sued the Public Employees Insurance Agency over monthly billings for the future health-care coverage of their teachers and other employees, for when they retire.
Howard Seufer, a lawyer for the boards, told the justices that these monthly charges will total $200 million this budget year. Amounts left unpaid become debts of the school systems.
"We have administrators and school boards that feel paralyzed. They don't know what's coming in the future," Seufer said. "They know their books show millions of dollars of liability, and they've been told that ultimately they'll be responsible for it."
The billings are part of a 2006 law targeting a funding shortfall for nonpension benefits promised to public workers once they retire. PEIA recently estimated an $8 billion gap between on-hand assets and these future other post-employment benefits, or OPEB. The legislation, proposed by then-Gov. Joe Manchin, responded to a national accounting standard that called on government entities to start calculating the size of this unfunded liability.
The school boards have been covering the health coverage as employees retire. That pay-as-you-go portion of the monthly billing equals $167 per employee, Seufer said. But PEIA has also begun charging the boards for the estimated future liability, and that portion equals $794 per employee, he said during last week's argument hearing in the case.
"We have school boards that are reserving money that could be spent and should be spent to educate children," Seufer said.
Most states have stuck with the pay-as-you-go approach. West Virginia went above and beyond the standard with the 2006 law, but failed to increase the state's share of the funding for public schools accordingly, Seufer argued.
While other county and local government bodies face monthly billings for their PEIA-enrolled employees, they have options such as shopping for health coverage elsewhere, Seufer said. When it comes to teachers, school boards must participate in PEIA, he told the justices.
"We're just asking the court to declare that it is unconstitutional to place the liability upon the county boards of education in a situation where they're not also given the funds with which to pay these hundreds of millions of dollars of liability for this unfunded OPEB benefit," Seufer said.
But lawyer Ned Rose, representing PEIA, told the justices that the boards have exaggerated the consequences of leaving OPEB billings unpaid. The state's elected auditor, for instance, can't consider these liabilities when checking school boards for budget deficits, Rose said.
"I think it's important and it's vital for the court to appreciate that while the liability resides with the county school boards, they are never required to spend any money to pay off that liability," Rose said. "While the liability continues to be booked, they have no obligation to fund that liability."
The threat to the constitution's education mandate, Rose suggested, comes from boards overreacting to the OPEB legislation.
"It is arguable that if a school board in 2011 diverts funds from other classroom needs to reserve for this problem, I think that they're violating the constitution because they're not spending money in the classroom but rather for a contingent liability that is probably never going to cost them any money," he said.
Rose said the 2006 legislation sought to spread the burden of the OPEB funding gap so entities across government would have a stake in closing it. The law also recognizes that county boards have always been liable for the benefits of their teachers and other employees, Rose said.
"The state has never, never adopted a position as the employer of schoolteachers," Rose said. "If it were to do that today, it would unleash any number of issues that go well beyond the question of this unfunded liability."
The boards are appealing a Kanawha Circuit Court ruling that had dismissed their lawsuit as posing a political question better answered by the Legislature. The county boards have been urging lawmakers to revisit their 2006 measure. A special Senate panel has been pursuing a measure that would attack the OPEB liability while also easing the burden on school boards.
Some legislators have proposed taking the step that Rose warned against. Seufer argued last week that the justices could reach that conclusion without interfering with that branch's powers.
"If the state of West Virginia acknowledges in the law that it is responsible for this OPEB liability, over and above the pay-go amount, then the county boards don't have to show it on their books," Seufer said. "They are free of these apprehensions about the future, they don't have to plan around this liability."
 
]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:42:56 GMT d1c594db-36b3-44a1-ab5c-374e598d42e1 <![CDATA[Arts vital to students’ successful futures ]]> Arts vital to students’ successful futures
By TOM BONE
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
ATHENS — Reading, writing and arithmetic are among the “basics” required in public education, but the arts have an important place for the nation’s future as well, according to a state education official who visited southern West Virginia over the weekend.

The challenges of a very complex world “are going to require people who have extraordinary creative capacities to solve those problems,” said John A. “Jack” Deskins, arts coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Education in Charleston.

“If all we’re doing is teaching them to read and figure, then we’re not maximizing our greatest natural resource, which is our students. ... We need to treat students as individuals; we need to recognize their humanity.”

He visited Concord University for the annual conference of the West Virginia Art Education Association that concluded on Saturday.

The former Beckley resident is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from West Virginia University. He taught music at Beckley Stratton School and at Shady Spring High School before taking his current job a little more than a year ago.

He said the arts have the active support of state superintendent of schools Jorea Marple, who took over the top spot in March. “Dr. Marple speaks everywhere on the importance of arts education,” he said.

Deskins said, “I think that West Virginia students have all of the imaginative and creative abilities that students in any other state do. ... One of the things we do know about the arts is, students from lower socio-economic status thrive when they’re given opportunities in the arts as well.”

“Having said that, we do have a number of districts that do, increasingly, narrow the curriculum, to my chagrin.”

Education is no longer about preparing for “a very specific work task,” Deskins said. “We’re educating them to live in a very complex and changing world, where they have to adapt and they have to maximize their creative capacities.”

The arts also helps people get more value from their leisure time once they get off work, Deskins contended.

The status of arts education in West Virginia overall is “difficult to say, for a number of reasons,” Deskins said. “In some ways, I would say there are things that are very definitely better.” He pointed to the development of statewide standards for teaching skills and content in such classes.

He said roughly 47 percent of the state’s high school students take at least one arts credit each year. A credit can be earned in one semester on a high school “block schedule,” or perhaps a year of study for non-block schools.

One arts credit is required to graduate from high school, with limited exceptions, Deskins said.

“In the middle and elementary schools, theoretically, a student is required to have a visual art and a music [class] every year.” He said an exception in middle school is to condense arts classes into a more concentrated time frame.

“A lot of folks though, would point, and I think correctly so, to a narrowing of the curriculum,” he said. “It’s very easy to say ... this is probably due to what was very well intentioned with ‘No Child Left Behind,’ and that is, that we close the achievement gap. But really it predates that.”

“There was no great outcry from people when it was suggested that we narrow the curriculum that way.”

“We do not have music and art teachers in every single school in West Virginia, which is very distressing to me. When that’s the case, then the classroom teacher is [expected] to give instruction in music or art — but many of them have limited professional preparation in those subjects ... so those students suffer.”

Some schools have problems finding teachers in the arts because of the pay, he said.

“West Virginia is currently 47th in the nation in teacher pay, which is not a good thing, and must be remedied if we’re going to make those changes,” he said.

“Some of our rural communities have administrators who are committed to arts education,” he said. He used Mingo County and the school in Hannan in Mason County as examples.

He said there are “pockets” of thriving arts programs in the state, often in higher-populated areas like the Kanawha Valley, Wheeling and the Eastern Panhandle.

He also said that organizations such as the state art educators “are the single most vital element in professional development and advocacy for our teachers.”

Through eras of narrowing education, he said, these groups “kept the torch burning” about the importance of the arts. “Those folks have kept the conversation alive.”

“They’ve also raised the bar, significantly, as to what it means to be an arts educator in the United States. ... They are the authors of our national standards in arts education.”

Another role of these associations is to “provide content-rich professional development.”

Participants at the art educators’ conference last weekend could choose from hands-on sessions dealing with stained glass, fabric dyeing, “flip video” cameras, linoleum block prints, Chinese lanterns, watercolor painting on rice paper and fashioning shoe sculptures from clay.

To improve the teaching of arts, he said, requires people outside of the classroom to advocate for it, he said.

“Very often, we’re not insistent that schools deliver the kind of rigorous arts curriculum that we really think students deserve.”

“Community members have a much stronger voice than they imagine that they do,” Deskins said. If parents or grandparents band together and visit the principal’s office to ask for a class or a teacher in the arts to be put into place, “that becomes very hard to ignore, 15 or 30 parents who are insistent about it.”

“If we truly want to see a shift in arts education in our state, and I hope that we do, I think it’s those folks who are really going to make the difference.”

“The idea of public education is that we want those for everybody’s children, not just for people of means, because all of them have absolutely enormous [creative] capacities.

“For our very, very complex world, we need those people. We need all of those children who are going to be the next Steve Jobs, who are going to fill those roles for the future.”]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:41:51 GMT 8ab9dc9f-1d47-4a0a-a1ad-2c47716d8c25 <![CDATA[NEA to support The National Teachers Hall of Fame]]> NEA to support The National Teachers Hall of Fame
Partnership will raise visibility for nation’s teachers
 
WASHINGTON – October 11, 2011 - The National Education Association (NEA) today announced a partnership with The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) to strengthen efforts to honor the nation’s teachers and raise the profile of the teaching profession among the general public.
The NEA, through the NEA Foundation, provided a grant of $25,000 to the NTHF and will honor the 2012 inductees to the Hall of Fame during National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-12, 2012). NEA leaders will join the NTHF Board of Trustees and have a representative  serve on the national selection committee.
“The National Education Association is proud to support The National Teachers Hall of Fame in honoring outstanding Pre K-12 teachers throughout the nation,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.
The NTHF http://www.nthf.org/ was founded in 1989 by Emporia State University, the ESU Alumni Association, the City of Emporia, Unified School District 253, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce. The NTHF is committed to drawing the public’s attention to exceptional PreK-12 teachers through a museumand recognition program, which honors the nation’s most outstanding PreK-12 educators each year. The NTHF is the only organizatiom of its kind dedicated to recognizing career teachers, to preserving and promoting education, and to serving the nation by inspiring others to enter the teaching profession.
###
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
]]> Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:43:46 GMT 75be1ca7-c71d-4d15-a0b6-72ea5daba578 <![CDATA[Lincoln County sets Gold standard for school lunches]]> Lincoln County sets Gold standard for school lunches
 
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
 
HAMLIN - Students in two Lincoln County schools had a new lunch lady on Wednesday.
State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple put on some plastic gloves and dished out meals to kids.
Marple started at Hamlin PreK-8, where she wrapped harvest muffins and blueberry parfaits with the rest of the kitchen staff. Later she moved on to Duval PreK-8 to serve a lunch of chicken and ranch fajitas.
But she is not leaving her job as West Virginia's top education official to become a school cook, as challenging as the job may be these days.
The cooks there do a good enough job on their own, as evidenced by the recent Gold Award of Distinction the Lincoln County school district received by meeting the standards of the Healthier US School Challenge.
The award led Diane Miller, the food services director for Lincoln County schools, to Washington, D.C., Tuesday to meet First Lady Michelle Obama, who issued the challenge to improve school lunches nationwide.
Lincoln County, which has nine public schools, is so far the only full district to achieve the Gold Award of Distinction, which is the highest designation.
Miller now will act as a mentor to other school systems in West Virginia and beyond.
"Mrs. Obama told us, 'Do not take what you learned and hoard it. Share it with others,'" she said.
The Lincoln County school system is one of eight counties in West Virginia participating in the Universal Free Meals Pilot Program, which provides free meals to all students regardless of their parents' income.
Those free meals come with a catch for the school systems, however. Participating schools have had to redesign their menus to include fresh, healthy ingredients. Employees must cook from scratch more often and rethink how and when they serve breakfast and lunch. If they can boost student participation, the school is reimbursed through federal subsidies.
All of this is intended to get more students to eat and address childhood obesity with more nutritious meals, said Richard Goff, the state education department's director of child nutrition.
"If you want an eye-opener to hunger, go to McDowell County or Wyoming County or any of these poverty-stricken areas where breakfast and lunch at school is it; that is the only thing these students get," he said.
To receive the Gold Award of Distinction, a school or district must take overhauling food services and physical education to the next level.
For example, schools must maintain a breakfast and lunch participation rate of 70 percent of their enrollments.
At Hamlin PreK-8, the participation rate for breakfast has gone from 30 percent to 90 percent since the Universal Free Meals pilot began.
To increase participation at breakfast, Miller began having students eat around second period rather than as soon as they arrived at school.
Goff says the start of school is the worst time to get children to eat breakfast. They tend to be too distracted to want to sit down and eat.
But that wasn't enough for Miller. She also brought in red wagons that are used to take breakfast directly to classrooms, where students can eat at their desks rather than in a crowded lunchroom.

When Marple asked a class of second-graders at Hamlin why they liked having their meals brought to them in the wagons, some said it was better to eat in a room that isn't so loud. Some were too busy eating yogurt, bananas, string cheese and muffins to respond.

"When you're in a cafeteria with a couple hundred kids, they're distracted and just kind of mess with their food, but here it is more of a family setting," Marple said.

In addition to changing how and when students get their breakfasts, Miller has nearly eliminated processed foods from Lincoln County school menus.

Everything from steak and cheese sandwiches to the granola that went on top of Wednesday's parfaits is made from scratch now.

But changes have to be made slowly, Miller pointed out. It has taken her the last two and a half years to get all of the kitchens in the school system up to speed.

"When you take away those processed foods instantly, students and cooks are going to be a little upset because they won't understand why you're doing what you're doing," she said.

Goff says school menus are randomly analyzed to ensure they are meeting the state's nutritional standards. However, schools don't necessarily have to meet the standards each day.

If a cafeteria serves pepperoni rolls one day, it could offset the high fat and sodium levels by serving an entree like grilled chicken later in the week.

Goff and Miller say understanding how to implement such a system slowly will help Kanawha County's frustrated cooks, who say they have not been properly trained to prepare meals from scratch three days a week, as well as the students who are refusing to eat the new meals.

"It's a learned behavior. We want kids to have menu choices, but we also want to make the easy choice to be a healthy choice," Goff said.

In addition to providing healthier menus, Lincoln County has had to make sure its students get at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week. At Hamlin PreK-8, that means alternating Zumba classes in the morning with scheduled physical education classes.

Other counties are having success as well. In Fayette County, the entire school system's lunch participation has increased to 65 percent, more than double last year's rate.

Goff says to improve the participation in Kanawha County schools, the state's largest school system, he has been meeting weekly with Superintendent Ron Duerring and Nutrition Director Gary Cochran.

Like Goff and Miller, cooks at Hamlin agree change takes time.

Christina Terry, the head cook at Hamlin, says that because Miller trained her and the other cooks for two and a half years before any major changes were made, the transition wasn't dramatic.

"It really wasn't hard on us because we had been (cooking from scratch) for so long, but it makes a difference with the staff because they have to want to do it," Terry said.
 
]]> Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:42:46 GMT 00eb89fb-16af-452e-9ad5-9b1657506057 <![CDATA[Marple questions 'lack of progress' on Internet project ]]> Marple questions 'lack of progress' on Internet project
By Eric Eyre
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State schools Superintendent Jorea Marple has called on Gov.-elect Earl Ray Tomblin's office to explain the state's "lack of progress" in completing a $126.3 million federal stimulus project designed to bring high-speed Internet to schools and other public facilities across West Virginia.
In a recent four-page letter to state Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette, Marple said only a "fraction of the promised work" has been completed - or even started.
With the stimulus funds, the state plans to install about 900 miles of fiber optic cable. Only six miles have been finished, according to a recent report.
The $126.3 million project started 20 months ago. It must be completed by February 2013, or the state will have to return any unspent funds. 
"On a daily basis, education staff across West Virginia express concern about the current lack of progress and the impact it will have on West Virginia children," Marple wrote in the letter to Burdette.
After a meeting with Tomblin administration officials last week, Marple said Tuesday she was "cautiously optimistic" that the broadband expansion project will get back on track.
"During the past couple of weeks the Department of Education has been working closely with the Governor's Office on a plan of action in hopes of reaching the [federal] grant deadline," Marple said in a prepared statement. "The comprehensive plan will include detailed installation schedules, monthly completion updates and information outreach plans."   
Under the federal grant, the state has promised to bring fiber optic broadband service to more than 1,000 "community anchor institutions" - schools, libraries, health-care facilities, public agencies and fire stations.
About 470 schools are on the list, but not a single school has confirmed receiving a fiber-optic connection paid for with grant funds, according to the Department of Education. 
State Homeland Security chief Jimmy Gianato, who's helping to coordinate the broadband project, said Tuesday that he understands Marple's concerns.
"Progress has been a little bit behind where we wanted to be," Gianato said. "We're working on a mitigation plan to get back up to speed."
Gianato said Frontier Communications, which is installing the fiber optic cable, has assigned additional personnel to the project. The company also has authorized employees to work overtime and weekends, he said.
"We think we'll be caught up and back on schedule pretty soon," Gianato said.
He also disputed the report that showed workers have installed six miles of the 900 miles of fiber. Gianato said the number is much higher, but he won't have the correct figure until a new report comes out Thursday afternoon.
 
In her letter, Marple also noted the state hasn't completed engineering studies for 69 percent of the public facilities scheduled to secure a broadband hook-up.

Marple said many engineering reports were awaiting approval from the state Historic Preservation Office. The reason: State officials administering the grant have submitted "insufficient information," Marple said.
Gianato said environmental reports took longer than expected. He said all engineering studies should be completed by the end of the year. Fiber installation should start soon after.

"It's like building a house," Gianato said. "You don't see real progress until the walls start going up."
Marple also raised questions over how the state is paying Frontier to build the fiber optic network with federal grant funds. The state apparently is using a previous contract with Verizon to pay Frontier, which purchased Verizon's landline business in West Virginia last year.

Marple said that contract doesn't hold Frontier - or anyone else -- responsible for meeting any deadlines. Project administrators also have failed to produce any documents that detail the work necessary to complete the $126.3 million broadband expansion, according to Marple's letter.

In February 2010, state officials announced plans to use the stimulus funds to lay more than 2,400 miles of fiber optic cable. Last summer, those same officials said the project would be scaled back to 900 miles.

The state plans to spend $35 million to bring broadband to public facilities, $30 million for equipment and $30 million for wireless towers. That would leave $30 million to $40 million in unspent grant funds, but state officials have said it's too early to confirm there will be money left over. 

Last week, Burdette told state lawmakers he planned to hire a broadband consultant in the coming months. Burdette said state officials lacked expertise in broadband issues. He said Tomblin gave him the go-ahead to solicit bids for the consulting job.

Burdette could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Gianato said schools remain a "high priority" under the broadband expansion project. Broadband routers - paid for with grant funds -- have been installed at 217 schools, he said. 

"The final deployment of this grant isn't until 2013," Gianato said. "The grant is getting fiber to schools that would not have it otherwise."
 
]]> Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:24 GMT d56c7aab-24f2-40b8-8065-70ea5a33a0be <![CDATA[W.Va. is only state with rising teen birthrate]]> W.Va. is only state with rising teen birthrate
By Megan Workman

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Teenage birthrates decreased in every state in the country from 2007 through 2009 except in West Virginia, which saw a 17 percent increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Statistics from the Natality Data File in the National Vital Statistics System showed that the teenage birthrate declined 8 percent in the United States from 2007 through 2009, the most recent data available.
The nation's teen birthrate reached its lowest in 70 years, at 39.1 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19, according to the CDC. West Virginia's 15- to 19-year-old population's birthrate has steadily been on the rise, as the 2009 rate was 49.7 births per 1,000 teenagers.
"We think it should be a wakeup call for West Virginia to begin collaborative approaches to teen pregnancy and childbearing," said Margaret Chapman Pomponio, executive director at WV FREE, a nonprofit organization that advocates for women's health, rights and justice.
WV FREE and the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership hosted an hourlong webinar on Tuesday to release the 2011 Report on Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing in West Virginia. Charleston Area Medical Center funded the webinar.
The online seminar included local and national experts, including Dr. Brenda Dawley, of WV Perinatal Partnership, chairwoman of the Central Advisory Council and chairwoman of the Committee on Unplanned Pregnancy. The seminar also included Andrea Kane, senior director of policy for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Lida Shepherd, WV FREE's director of research and development.
The Guttmacher Institute also participated in the advisory panel.
"It really takes the work and the research to a new level of credibility," Pomponio said. "We issued our first report in 2008 and when we saw that the rates had gone up so much we decided we needed to do a follow-up."
The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 2009 indicated that West Virginia has a higher rate of teen sexual activity than the national average: 54 percent compared to 46 percent.
West Virginia teens also are not using condoms, Dawley said, which hasn't changed much since 1990.
Coordinated School Public Health identified West Virginia's five counties with the highest rates of teen birth as Calhoun, Clay, McDowell, Mingo and Tyler, with an average of 93.3 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19. The state's five counties with the lowest rates of teen birth are Brooke, Monongalia, Pleasants, Putnam and Tucker, with an average of 25 births per 1,000 females. CSPH is a partnership between the West Virginia Department of Education and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services to address teen pregnancy.
Although one particular reason cannot be pinpointed for West Virginia's teen birthrate, Pomponio said poverty might be one factor.
The five West Virginia counties with the highest rates of teen birth all have high poverty rates, she said.
"We can reasonably surmise that if youth live in communities where there's more opportunity, it makes a world of difference," she said. "If a kid sees a variety of life choices out there, they're more likely to make decisions that will enable them to have productive lives with more options. We see them making better decisions."
In some communities, she said, having more positive activities available to teenagers could help decrease teen birthrates.
Another possible contributing factor to West Virginia's 17 percent increase in teen birthrates is education, WV FREE's report suggested. State Board of Education policies include a comprehensive approach to sexual education, but implementation is not necessarily comprehensive or consistent, according to the study. Also, the details to the lessons and materials taught are locally controlled and vary by school.

"We know that there is a very, very strong relationship between teen pregnancy and education," Kane said.

A goal, Pomponio said, is to plan trainings for health educators to inform them about the curriculum standards and give them resources they need to teach sex education. Then, she said, a child won't learn only about HIV/AIDs without also being taught about pregnancy prevention in their sex education classes.
It is important for teenagers to understand the different kinds of contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases and what it means to be sexually active, Dawley said.

"There's so little time in the day for health education and you combine that with the fact that there haven't been clear resources identified for how teachers can teach this tricky subject," Pomponio said. "The key is educators have the best interest of students at heart to make their jobs easier."

More than 100 people registered for Tuesday's webinar, but, Pomponio said, several health educators also spent their lunchtime attending the online seminar.

"That's a really great visual image, of teachers huddled around a computer. They're eager to tackle this issue. They're committed in youth health and the dropout rate. It's exciting to see that people are ready to roll up their sleeves," she said.

Fewer than four in 10 mothers (38 percent) who have a child before they turn 18 have a high school diploma, WV FREE's report states, with 30 percent of teen girls crediting pregnancy or parenting as a key reason for dropping out of school.

"Sex education needs to be a part of the entire community. Abstinence is important, but half of our students are having sex before they graduate," Dawley said. "We need to realize our teenagers are having sex instead of keeping our heads in the sand. It should be recognized and funding should be available."

Margie Hale, executive director of West Virginia KIDS COUNT, watched the webinar and agreed with Dawley.

Teaching teens the abstinence-only approach isn't being honest, she said, because half of West Virginia's teens are having sex.

"All of the data shows that teenagers that have babies, it doesn't work out. The teen doesn't finish school, the child doesn't get the nourishment physically and emotionally that it needs," Hale said. "It leads to terrible consequences: Not having a calling, ambition, getting into trouble with the law. It's a terrible thing for West Virginia."

Some other factors contributing to West Virginia's higher teen birthrate include: parental involvement, transportation restrictions, limited access to family planning services, abortion care and inadequate insurance coverage, according to the 2011 Report on Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing in West Virginia.
]]> Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:58:43 GMT 0b6888f6-f242-46e8-9884-71f1b7cf85c5 <![CDATA[Proposed Policy Gets Specific About School Discipline ]]> Proposed Policy Gets Specific About School Discipline
MetroNews Talkline
 
Listen to the full interview by following this link -Dale Lee interview on discipline 
 
The President of the West Virginia Education Association says many schools in West Virginia do not have the punishment options that are part of a new proposed policy dealing with school discipline.
"When you have to take one of the tools out of the toolbox, it just hinders you in your ability to maintain the discipline," Dale Lee said on Wednesday's MetroNews Talkline.
The 75 page policy, now out for public comment through the state Department of Education, splits specific bad behaviors into four levels with corresponding punishments including Saturday school, detention before or after the regular school day and lunch detention.
For example, Level One includes, what are called, minimally disruptive behaviors like lying, plagiarism and dress code violations from students.  Level Two deals with habitual violations of school rules or policy.
Lee says it's a good idea, but the problem is some of the potential punishments are not options everywhere.  Things like Saturday school or lunch detention have been eliminated, in many places, for budget or other reasons.
He says teachers and administrators need options.
"They want to have the choices to take that child out of the classroom, give them some other option of discipline and that's where it's important to have the full arsenal," Lee said.  He says discipline is a huge issue.
"As a society, I don't believe that we respect each other as much as we need to and as much as we used to.  There doesn't seem to be consequences in society anymore."
You can read more about Policy 4373 at www.wvde.state.wv.us.
]]> Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:46:34 GMT 91a66439-f988-4d4d-911b-373a97c75ebb <![CDATA[Officials yield on school ad ban]]> Officials yield on school ad ban
by Ry Rivard
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Faced with concerns from local school officials, the West Virginia Department of Education backed off a proposed statewide policy that would have banned advertisements for unhealthy foods on school property and in school publications.
The ban would have apparently extended to yearbooks, school newspapers and sports scoreboards - all of which can depend on money or donations from the makers of soft drinks, candy and other foods the state deems unhealthy.
The proposed prohibition was buried in an 80-page rewrite of the statewide student code of conduct. A vote on the final rule isn't expected until early next year.
Instead of banning the advertisements, the proposed policy now states that schools are "strongly" discouraged from allowing them, said Liza Cordeiro, Department of Education spokeswoman.
Cordeiro said Monday that officials decided to change the language because of concerns expressed by school officials.
The original draft rule asked for the assurance from county school boards that "no school or board of education property or school or county publication may be used for the advertisement of any product deemed unhealthy or unsafe to students or staff (i.e. tobacco, alcohol, non-nutritious foods and beverages as defined in WVBE Policy 4321.1  - Standards for School Nutrition)." WVBE is the acronym for West Virginia Board of Education.
Existing rules already ban the sale of candy, soft drinks, chewing gum and "flavored ice cream" during the school day. There's one exception: State law allows counties to permit the sale of soft drinks in high schools, though Kanawha County has stopped selling soft drinks during school hours, even at high schools.
Current nutrition standards ask only that high schools "minimize marketing" of soft drinks and other foods during school hours.
Banning such advertisements would have been a problem for schools that receive thousands of dollars in sponsorships for their publications or receive donated scoreboards that feature the logos of soft drink companies.
State officials involved with drafting the policy weren't available to talk about the policy in detail, but Cordeiro said the proposal is out for comment because the agency wants to hear from the public.
Schools would not be discouraged from allowing a soft drink maker to place advertisements, so long as the specific product being marketed was considered healthy.
"Perhaps instead use a water product instead of a soda product," Cordeiro said.
St. Albans High Principal Jeff Kelley was one of several officials concerned about the ban.
"You're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars that are coming to schools in Kanawha County," Kelley said. "That's a huge deal."
The proposal is found in one paragraph in the middle of an 80-page document on student behavior.
The current student code of conduct makes no mention of nutrition requirements.
Kanawha County Board of Education President Pete Thaw said if state officials ever want to ban ads for certain foods, they must specifically order counties to stop taking the money.
"If they are going to go that far, they are going to have to send a letter so we'll know where to hang the dead horse," Thaw said.

Schools would not have adhered to the ban voluntarily, he said.

"No one is going to turn down thousands of dollars in advertising for their yearbooks and their scoreboards and this, that and the other - until we're ordered," Thaw said.

West Virginia has been trying to do what it can to curb childhood obesity. Officials have tried to do that by making school lunches healthier and by making it harder for children to buy candy and soft drinks during school hours.
Capital High Principal Clinton Giles said, "The road to purgatory is paved with good intentions."

He said the ban would have cut off revenue to extracurricular programs that rely on ad money or donations featuring foods the state considers non-nutritious. A ban also would have had unintended consequences for groups that use school property.

"I don't know that that would receive widespread support from either the school personnel or from the general public, for that matter," he said. "And I say that because the general public utilizes school facilities - the midget league programs, and all those entities - and they are a bit more free to generate revenue and enter into contracts with vendors."

Giles said there are some things that the state and county boards don't pay for. That includes expensive scoreboards, though Capital has ad-free scoreboards it bought itself.

The ban on ads was not the only controversial thing the state is proposing. Some other parts of the 80-page document are proving to be bones of contention.

Kelley, other principals and the head of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers are worried the new rules will make it harder for teachers to discipline students and run orderly classrooms.

The proposed code of conduct is designed to keep children in school by making it harder for them to get suspended, even if they act up.

For instance, the proposal doesn't allow principals to give students out-of-school suspension for the lowest level of offenses. It also reduces the number of days principals can suspend students if they commit other offenses. The rules do not appear to change the strong series of punishments students can receive if they become violent or are involved with drugs.

But Thaw said state officials might be going too far by limiting the punishments that teachers and principals can dole out.

"The poor teacher and the poor principal are out on the front line," Thaw said. "And they can't do anything because some appointed bureaucrat says, 'They can't do this and they can't do that.'"

Although the language regarding advertisements was changed, disciplinary procedures remain in the proposal.
 
]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:40:48 GMT 3172b326-b5ff-4160-abdf-1138f46703ec <![CDATA[More students from W.Va. colleges struggle to pay off loans ]]> More students from W.Va. colleges struggle to pay off loans
By Amy Harris
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Students from West Virginia colleges entering a recession-wracked job market had trouble paying off their student loans, exceeding the national average for college loan defaults in the 2009 fiscal year, according to a report last month by the U.S. Department of Education.
West Virginia was 14th worst in the nation for college loan defaults with a state default rate of 9.7 percent for students at 56 public and private universities, according to the national report. That means that more than 9 percent of students with college loans -- over 2,500 students -- did not make their payments between Oct. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009, the timeframe measured by the U.S. Department of Education.
The nationwide student loan default rate was 8.8 percent for the 2009 fiscal year.
West Virginia's high default numbers don't surprise Angela Bell, interim director of state financial aid programs for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. She said that students in West Virginia are among the worst in the country for paying off their loans for one simple reason: the state has so many low-income students to begin with.
"Lower-income students are more likely to default than other students," said Bell. "As a state we have a large number of first generation students and low income students, and many of them are less likely to complete their degrees and then [pay off their loans]."
Stanley Technical Institute in Clarksburg had the highest percentage of students defaulting on their loans in West Virginia in 2009, according to the Department of Education report. The school's default rate was so bad -- hitting almost 29 percent in the 2009 fiscal year -- that the school is now in jeopardy of losing its eligibility for federal student aid programs like direct loans and Pell grants.
Stanley Technical Institute was one of only five schools in the United States --and the only private school -- that the U.S. Department of Education specifically cited for having an "excessive default rate," which means 25 percent of students from the college defaulted on their loan three years in a row.
If a college's default rates are too high, the school loses access to federal aid programs for at least two fiscal years -- a move that can hurt the students who need the loans most, said Starla Daniels, financial aid administrator for Stanley Technical Institute.
"We do seven to 10 loans a year, so if three or four go belly-up, we're over our limit and are on the government's list," said Daniels. "We're just going to do some alternative financing on our own to work with these students."
Schools that are slapped with federal sanctions by the U.S. Department of Education can still get federal aid by asking the government to take anther look at their school and showing that they have a high number of economically disadvantaged students. Stanley Technical Institute applied and was granted an appeal last year. The school has until Nov. 15 to file this year's appeal to continue receiving federal aid. 
Daniels says colleges around West Virginia are in a bind because if students from a low socioeconomic background find out they can get student loan money, "there's not much we can do from stopping them."
"A lot of these people already have bad credit and then they don't pay back their loans," said Daniels. "So it's a bad situation."
Bell of the Higher Education Policy Commission is working to change that.

She said that the state has collaborated with the federal government to help recent graduates entering a battered job market come up with a more flexible plan for them to pay off their loans. Nationally, the government has started an income-based repayment plan that gives low-income students a more affordable loan repayment plan by capping monthly payments based on a student's family size and income level.

The U.S. Department of Education has also tightened loopholes to protect students from overly aggressive recruiting practices and has established rules that require career college programs to better prepare students for the job market or risk losing access to federal student aid.

The national changes are helping, said Bell, but she said that the number-one thing policymakers in West Virginia can do to prevent loan defaults is to help students complete their degrees.

"If we can get students to finish college and find a job, there won't be such [a problem]," she said.
]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:37:44 GMT f3591b8e-9792-4f8e-8cd1-0d0ad9fcd30b <![CDATA[Gilmer, Lewis Counties to Work on Elementary School ]]>
Gilmer, Lewis Counties to Work on Elementary School
MetroNews
Gilmer and Lewis counties can work together on a new joint elementary school, under a plan approved by the state Board of Education Wednesday.
Board members approved the plan during a regular meeting
State schools Superintendent Jorea Marple said the idea was an innovative solution to help two smaller counties work together.
"I think it's really a precedent-setting direction," Marple said.
Marple said it's often difficult for small counties will fewer students to find funding to meet all their needs.  She said allowing counties to have joint projects benefits everyone involved.
"All of our boundaries need to begin to disappear and we can work together as a community," Marple said.  "It doesn't matter what county you live in or what state you live in.  It's about meeting the needs of the children."
Earlier this year, the state took over Gilmer County School due to problems with a divided school board, dwindling student enrollment, inadequate facilities and excessive micromanagement.
The state Office of Education Performance Audits conducted a surprise audit of the school system in early May.  That's when all the problems were found.
The school system had fewer than 1,000 students, which made it difficult to support all five schools, the audit found.
Working with Lewis County will help alleviate those issues, according to Marple.
Since taking over Gilmer schools, the state has named veteran school superintended Ron Blankenship to lead Gilmer.  Blankenship previously served as superintendent in Calhoun County.
Marple says Gilmer County continues to take strides in the right direction.
"We see a lot of good things happening with Gilmer County," Marple said.  "We're really please with the progress."
Once the state takes over a school system, it generally takes between four and five years before it's returned to local control.
]]> Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:03:37 GMT d7ffd527-f88e-4894-89db-3acbb03b57e9 <![CDATA[State revenue fund boasts surplus]]> State revenue fund boasts surplus
by Jared Hunt
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia's general revenue fund is running a healthy $43.7 million surplus three months into its fiscal year, and officials say that's a comfort given the uncertainty surrounding the global economy.
State revenue collections picked up significantly in September, resulting in a $34.6 million surplus for the month. That's on top of $9.1 million in extra revenue collections for the months of July and August.
 State officials say they're encouraged by those figures, given the less-than-upbeat outlook for the U.S. and global economies.
For example, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressional committee Tuesday the U.S. recovery from the 2008-2009 recession was weaker than previously thought and the Fed believes economic growth will remain sluggish into 2013.
"Right now, there's a significant amount of uncertainty out there for the national economy and some signs of a slowdown," state deputy revenue secretary Mark Muchow said.
 "Given the economic uncertainty, the numbers are a little bit better than we had expected, and that gives us a little bit of comfort heading into the future months."
For the month of September, general revenue collections were about 9 percent higher than expectations. Revenue collections for the first quarter of the fiscal year also are running 4 percent ahead of where they were at this point last fiscal year.
Muchow said when excess lottery fund transfers into the general revenue fund are subtracted, the state is actually running about 6 percent ahead on general revenue tax collections for the year.
"If I can get 6 percent revenue growth, that's outstanding," Muchow said. "That's much higher than we normally get, so that's a fairly strong performance year-to-date."
A leading driver of the September surplus was higher-than-expected corporate income tax revenues, which are running about 8.6 percent ahead of last year's collections.
For the month, the state took in about $62.5 million in corporate and business franchise taxes, more than $23 million beyond expectations.

Muchow said the state received fairly strong payments from businesses filing quarterly taxes.

September also was the last month for corporations that had sought extensions for payment of their 2010 taxes.

Payments from individuals who sought extensions also helped personal income taxes come in about $10 million higher than expectations.

Officials are keeping their eyes on severance tax collections, which came in roughly in line with expectations at $43.9 million for the month.

There have been published reports that a possible slowdown in the Chinese economy could reduce demand for metallurgical coal, a key West Virginia export.

"That's on our radar screen," Muchow said.

He said revenue and budget analysts had expected severance tax revenues from coal mining to flatten over the course of the year. So far, that trend has not developed.

For the year, severance tax collections are running about 15 percent ahead of expectations and 24 percent higher than at this point last fiscal year.

 
]]> Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:02:37 GMT 25c91d28-17ce-4dbe-a9aa-c496d66b9738 <![CDATA[WVEA congratulates Governor Tomblin]]> Pledges to work with him to improve public education
WVEA congratulates Governor Tomblin
 
“On behalf of WVEA members throughout the state, I would like to congratulate Earl Ray Tomblin for his victory,” states WVEA President Dale Lee. “We’ve had a productive relationship with Earl Ray Tomblin throughout the years and we look forward to continuing that relationship in his capacity as governor.”
 
“Moving West Virginia forward is a top priority for all citizens of our state and public education is the key to making that move possible,” continue Lee. “We look forward to working with Governor Tomblin to improve public education and prepare our state for the future.”
 
WVEA-PAC was one of the first groups to endorse Tomblin in the special gubernatorial general election.
 
]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:08:17 GMT 27a50103-e08c-4363-bea0-7587ddfe193e <![CDATA[W.Va. students participating in reading campaign]]> W.Va. students participating in reading campaign
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia students are joining a national campaign aimed at setting a world record for the largest shared reading experience.
Jumpstart's Read for the Record event is set for Thursday, when children and adults will read the children's story "Llama, Llama Red Pajama" by Anna Dewdney.
The state Department of Education says numerous schools across West Virginia are participating.
State Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple will read to kindergarten and first-grade students at Jayenne Elementary School in Marion County.
Acting first lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin will read to kindergarteners at Charleston's Westside Elementary School.
The record was set last year when more than 2 million people participated in the Read for the Record event.
 
]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:07:00 GMT 126ea623-3f09-4bbe-8af9-e4511e245528 <![CDATA[Pay, not drugs, primary school crisis]]> Pay, not drugs, primary school crisis
Paul T. Farrell, Jr.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney wants to drug test teachers. No rational person would object to teacher drug testing in appropriate circumstances.
Most reasonable people will, however, recognize this as yet another facet of Maloney's "least common denominator" campaign. The conservative wing of the Republican Party loves to pander for votes on the back of fear and loathing. Listen to any conservative talk show, and you will immediately tap into some broad, ugly resentment and search for someone to blame.
Teacher drug testing is not the panacea for our public school woes. The most glaring and obvious public school crisis relates to teacher pay.
West Virginia is ranked 47th in the country in average teacher pay and $11,000 below the national average. We are ranked behind Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. We have a teacher shortage evidenced by the startling fact that 2,000 West Virginia classrooms are taught by instructors with either a first-time permit or an out-of-field authorization. Fifty percent of our current teachers are eligible to retire -- today.
We face a serious teacher crisis. Many of our beloved schoolteachers are reaching retirement age, and we are not hiring enough talented young teachers to take their place.
We manage our teachers like the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. We pay rock bottom salaries and wonder why nobody wants to play for us. We develop our talented players only to watch them sign with other teams. Then we lament another last place finish.
We need to manage our schools like the New York Yankees. We need to surround our children with the most talented teachers we can hire, provide them modern schools and 21st century technology, and then watch our investment pay dividends.
Our newspaper want ad should read "competitive salary" rather than "cheapest employer in the eastern United States." If you want to get and retain qualified teachers, pay more. If you want better teachers, pay more. If you want a better education for your children, or grandchildren, then pay more.
The Republican solution is teacher reform. Maloney told a Huntington newspaper that we should annually identify "bad teachers" and hold them accountable for student performance. Maloney says the last teacher pay raise was nothing more than "career politicians working in their self-interests to get the support of special interest groups and that needs to stop."
Maloney wants to pay teachers "if we can afford it."
We can afford it. West Virginia finished the most recent fiscal year with a $330 million surplus. While our neighboring states struggle to meet payroll, West Virginia is primed for an extended growth spurt according to acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Even conservative radio pundit Hoppy Kercheval admits that "we're in pretty good financial shape" while other states are "mired in a fiscal crisis."
It is time we invest in our best natural resource -- our children.
The West Virginia Board of Education recently named Jorea Marple as the state superintendant of schools, and she gets it. Dr. Marple is a former teacher, principal, county superintendant and now oversees West Virginia's public school system.
Dr. Marple recently told me that her goal is to raise West Virginia average teacher pay from 47th to 25th in the country over the next five years. She understands that recruiting quality teachers requires an investment. We need to support her initiative in the halls of the Legislature. We need to retain our talented teachers and replace our retiring teachers with the best and brightest young minds from our universities. We need to pay teachers like we mean it.
Maloney accuses Tomblin of supporting across-the-board teacher pay raises as a political maneuver. The corollary is that he is pandering to the conservative tea party and alienating teachers.
Elections matter.
Farrell is president of the West Virginia Association for Justice
 
]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:25:54 GMT e15c577e-8f7c-4b77-9e80-170511f5f883 <![CDATA[W.Va. fares well on study of budget health]]> W.Va. fares well on study of budget health
Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia ranks third in the United States in terms of the long-term health of its state budget, according to a report released Wednesday by State Budget Solutions, a nonpartisan organization based in Alexandria, Va., that monitors state government finances and promotes fiscal reform.
The study compared annual expenditures and long-term spending obligations -- including future pension liabilities -- of each state with all available revenue sources, including tax collections, fees, bonds, income from earnings from trust funds and other investments, and all other sources.
Comparing total sources of revenue with all expenditures, the study showed West Virginia with a 6.16 percent overall budget surplus, ranking it third, behind Wyoming and North Dakota.
Conversely, 31 of 50 states showed overall budget deficits, with expenditures exceeding available revenue from all sources. Wisconsin ranked 50th in the study, with long-term spending obligations exceeding total available funds by more than 29 percent.
Among neighboring states, the study ranked Virginia 32nd, with a -3.47 deficit; Kentucky 36th, at -4.41; Maryland 39th, at -5.63; Pennsylvania 43rd, at -7.65; and Ohio 48th, at -11.25.
The study notes, "When the financial crunch hit, states found themselves with vast spending obligations and little revenue. The ARRA stimulus bill served as a temporary stop-gap, but now stimulus has dried up, and states must confront the structural deficits they have been ignoring for years."
 
]]> Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:30:05 GMT ff1c0cc7-c4af-46e2-a846-e135fea160d8 <![CDATA[Jobs Bill Would Help State Schools ]]>
Jobs Bill Would Help State Schools
MetroNews
If the jobs bill from President Barack Obama were to pass Congress it could mean as much as $167 million in construction work for existing West Virginia schools.
State School Building Authority Executive Director Mark Manchin admits that's a big if with the criticism of the bill in Washington, but he says it's possible a compromise jobs bill could mean some money too.
Manchin says the SBA would put it to good use.
"It would be for new HVAC systems, new windows, roofs and some major renovations for the sustainability of our existing schools," Manchin said.
The funding would also come at a good time according to Manchin because county school districts are submitting their latest "needs" projects to the SBA over the next several weeks for consideration.
Manchin expects the jobs bill to be dead or alive in the next 60 to 90 days.
The SBA also decided this week to explore the possibility of selling its next round of bonds next year instead of 2014. Manchin says interest rates are nearing historic lows.
"We would be remiss if we didn't explore the possibility," he said.
Selling the bonds two years early would give the SBA about $50 million a year to allocate for school construction projects. Without it, the last few funding cycles would produce less than $20 million.
The option will be discussed again at the SBA's Dec. 12 meeting.
 
]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:07:15 GMT 09456871-2133-47c9-b729-92595f8db544 <![CDATA[Partners tackle nations need for math and science teachers]]> 80 Partners Join Multi-Sector Movement to Tackle Nation's Need for 100,000 Excellent Math and Science Teachers in 10 Years
"100Kin10" Initiative to Recruit, Develop, and Retain Excellent STEM Teachers for Public Schools Secures Nearly $20 Million in Funding; President Obama Says "Nothing Could Be More Important"; Secretary Duncan Lauds Initiative's "All-Hands-on-Deck Strategy"
NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 80 partners–from NASA and Google to the New York City Department of Education, Stanford University, and Teach for America–have joined 100Kin10, an effort to respond to the national imperative to prepare, deploy, and support 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the coming 10 years. The partners are unified by a single, ambitious goal: to prepare all students with the high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge and skills needed to address the most pressing national and global challenges of tomorrow. The effort is led by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Opportunity Equation.
100Kin10 is a multi-sector mobilization that invites any organization, including but not limited to corporations, school districts, museums, institutions of higher education, foundations, federal agencies, professional associations, states, and nonprofit organizations, to apply their particular assets to creatively and strategically address the challenges of increasing the supply of and retaining excellent STEM educators. The complete list of partners as of today is below, and all commitments are available on the 100Kin10 website.
The initiative was originally announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America Meeting in Chicago in June 2011, where President Clinton urged corporations, foundations, and other interested organizations to take part. At the seventh Annual Meeting of CGI in New York City last week, President Obama reiterated the imperative: "[Our future] demands that we give every child the skills and education they need to succeed. And I thank you for the commitment that you made to recruit and train tens of thousands of new science, technology, engineering, and math teachers. Nothing could be more important."
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan yesterday lauded the 100Kin10 initiative, saying: "President Obama and I believe that recruiting and preparing 100,000 excellent new teachers in the STEM fields is essential for our students' success in the 21st century knowledge economy. We need an all-hands-on-deck strategy to make this happen. I applaud the work of Carnegie Corporation and the Opportunity Equation and the 80 organizations including corporations, universities, non-profits, states, and districts that are coming together under the banner of '100Kin10' to provide our students with a world-class education in the STEM subjects."
Michele Cahill, Vice President for National Programs, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Co-Chair of the Opportunity Equation, said, "With 100Kin10, partners aren't just voicing their concern, they are making real, measurable commitments to solving a complex, national problem. We hope their commitments will help mobilize others to join in the effort to increase the supply of excellent math and science teachers and retain them and all those currently in the classroom so that all students have access to rich, engaging, challenging science and math learning."
A dozen corporate and foundation partners have created an initial funding base of nearly $20 million in pledges that can be allocated to any of the 100Kin10 partner organizations at the discretion of the funder. The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation joined as an early funder and committed $3 million to fund 100Kin10 partners that are preparing, training, and retaining excellent STEM teachers in California. 
"We see 100Kin10 as a unique partnership that is addressing one of the most important issues in our nation today – the need for high-quality STEM teachers for all of our students," said Lauren B. Dachs, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation President.
The effort is growing: Another round of nominations for partnership will occur in the late fall. With the exception of funders, who can join at any time, all partners must be nominated by an existing partner. Interested organizations can signal their interest on the 100Kin10 website.
Other partner commitments include:
·         California State University will prepare 1,500 new math and science teachers annually through 2015, half of whom will teach in high-need schools for at least three years and 10 percent of whom will earn dual certification, addressing the needs of hard-to-staff schools. Charles B. Reed, Chancellor of California State University said, "We will recruit excellent candidates, encourage them to work in the state's highest need schools, and engage in partnerships with school districts to ensure they are retained."
·         Google & The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT will partner to build out a blueprint for a high-profile recognition program for the top 5% of STEM teachers nationwide.
·         NASA Headquarters will leverage their facilities, missions, data, images, and staff to support training and development of educators by providing access to research opportunities, science and engineering activities, and innovations and technologies applicable to the classroom. "It will take all of us to improve STEM education in this country, but teachers have front-row seats, since they are with students everyday and are in a unique position to influence and inspire them," said NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin. "Both of my parents were middle school teachers, so I've seen first-hand what a profound impact an enthusiastic, dedicated teacher can have on a student's life."
·         State of Marylandwill build a model for effective partnerships, innovative statewide initiatives, and targeted investments for STEM teacher preparation and support to help better prepare Maryland residents and companies for the New Economy.  
·         Teach for America (TFA) will recruit 11,000 STEM corps members by 2015 and will fast track high-potential TFA applicants with a STEM background who do not meet TFA selection criteria.


The complete list of partners, beginning with funding partners (indicated by "F"): The Bezalel Foundation (F), The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (F), The Boston Foundation (F), Carnegie Corporation of New York (F), The Dow Chemical Company (F), Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation (F), The Greater Texas Foundation (F), The Heising-Simons Foundation (F), J.P. Morgan Chase (F), Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (F), NewSchools Venture Fund (F), S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation (F), The Algebra Project, Inc., American Association of Physics Teachers, American Museum of Natural History, Ashoka's Changemakers, Baltimore City Public Schools, Boston Teacher Residency, The Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, California State University, California STEM Learning Network, Capital Teaching Residency, Citizen Schools, Clinton Global Initiative, Creative Commons, DC Public Schools, Denver School of Science and Technology, Denver Teacher Residency, Donors Choose, EnCorps, Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry, Florida International University, GOOD/Corps, Google, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, , High Tech High, IDEA Public Schools, Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education, Intel Corporation, Kenan Fellows Program for Curriculum and Leadership Development, KIPP, Los Angeles Unified School District, Loyola Marymount University School of Education, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, Mass Insight Education & Research Institute, MATCH Teacher Residency, Michigan State University, Museum of Science and Industry, NASA Headquarters, National Association for Research in Science Teaching, National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, National Math and Science Initiative, National Science Foundation, National Science Teachers Association, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Teacher Center, New Visions for Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, New York Hall of Science, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Opportunity Equation, PhysTEC (led by APS, in partnership with AAPT), Public Education Foundation, Regents Research Fund, New York State Education, Relay School of Education, Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Stanford Teacher Education Program, State of Arkansas, State of Maryland, Teach For America, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM, Tennessee Department of Education, The New Teacher Project, Twin Cities Teacher Collaborative, Uncommon Schools, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, University of Indianapolis, University of Washington College of Education, USC Rossier School of Education, Urban Teacher Residency United, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
 
]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:05:47 GMT 37d814ab-1ee7-4368-b62a-d00f961ff762 <![CDATA[Innerviews: WVEA chief found niche in classroom]]> September 25, 2011
Innerviews: WVEA chief found niche in classroom
By Sandy Wells

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Descended from UMW organizers, he grew up in a coalfields culture where quitting school to work in the mines was considered a rite of passage.
Both parents were ninth-grade dropouts. His father eventually got a college degree and started teaching. His parents worked hard to send all four sons through college.
Ultimately, Dale Lee discovered his calling in the classroom. The connection with students still drives him.
Today, as president of the West Virginia Education Association, he leads more than 15,000 teachers in their struggle for better pay and greater respect.
The calm, businesslike demeanor belies a passionate commitment to his mission.
He's 54.
"In the coal mining country of Wyoming County, it was tradition that you went to school to a certain age then worked in the mines. That's what all of my family had done.
"My great uncle helped start the miners union in Wyoming County. He worked alongside John L. Lewis. They took great pride in helping to start the UMW.
"My mom and dad are from Ikes Fork on the border of McDowell County. Both parents quit school in the ninth grade. Dad got his GED and went to Marshall on the GI Bill and got his college degree.
"When I was very little, Dad worked for the IRS in Chicago. He had been in the military.
"I have three brothers. There was never a question that we were going to college. They saw early on that education was a way to a better life.
"When we moved back to West Virginia, my father started teaching. Mom had a restaurant, then a florist and eventually went to cook at the school. On those meager salaries, they put four boys through college. All four of us have successful careers.
"I graduated from Baileysville High in 1975. I played football, basketball and ran track, but I wasn't a very good athlete. I was very small, about 5-foot-7 when I graduated. That summer, I grew to 6-foot-1.
"I'd always wanted to be a coach, but I didn't think it would be fair to go into teaching just to coach. So I got an accounting degree.
"I worked a couple of insurance jobs and was sales manager at a cemetery. My oldest daughter was born as I was leaving one company. She had a heart artery closed off and had surgery when she was eight days old. I stayed with her for several weeks.
"The football coach had been in a car accident and was going to be out the last eight weeks of school. They asked if I would sub the last eight weeks.
"The first minute in the classroom, I knew this is what I should have been doing all along. I taught math and physical education. The connection to the kids was like nothing I'd ever experienced in any other job. It wasn't a job. It was like a calling.
"I was 28. I went back and got my certification in special education through COGS and got a job in Mercer County teaching special ed in an elementary school for six years.
"I would tell the kids that we all have some type of learning problem and some are just more pronounced. I'm very good in math, for example, but the worst speller you've ever seen. I was able to figure out different ways in math to get the concept across to those kids.
"I transferred to Bramwell High School and started coaching immediately as an assistant to Robert Ray. The second year, we were state champions. He went to Princeton and asked me to go with him. High school is what I should be teaching. I was an average elementary school teacher. I am a very good high school teacher.
"The last year I taught before I was elected WVEA president was our first year of inclusion in math. It worked exactly the way it's supposed to work. And it was the most fun I've had in teaching.
"You couldn't tell which teacher was special ed and which was the regular teacher. The young lady who had the second highest average in the class was learning-disabled.

"When I was treasurer of the association, I took my two daughters to a meeting in San Francisco. I helped Danielle with her algebra assignments. It was a percentage of a number over another number. I teach it as a proportion. Her teacher taught it as an equation.

"I asked the teacher about it. We found that the men teachers were teaching it as a proportion and women teachers as an equation. We thought maybe male students understood it better as proportion and females as an equation. We started teaching it both ways. We realized different kids learn in different ways.

"I joined WVEA immediately when I started teaching. My dad was a lifelong member. I was a coach and not very active, but I filed three grievances over coaching decisions and won all three.

"In 1990, we had our first and only statewide teachers strike. At a meeting in Mercer County to decide whether to stay out or go back in, I spoke from the back of the courtroom. Apparently people liked what I said. Next thing I knew, we were running a write-in campaign for president of the local. I won the election.

"In '95, I stepped down as county president and ran for executive committee, and I won that. I moved from there to treasurer and vice president. I was elected president in 2007. You can serve two three-year terms.

"I miss the classroom, the kids. The first day of school is still extremely difficult for me.

"I like traveling around the state and getting to see great teaching. I'm a much better teacher by watching other teachers teach.

"I like being a voice for education, listening to our members and presenting their voice and watching them take a stand. The only thing I don't like is that I'm not in the classroom.

"Salaries continue to be our biggest issue. In 2008 and 2009, we had over 2,000 classrooms that either had a teacher on a first-time permit or out-of-field authorization. That's a direct reflection of salaries and salaries in contiguous states. We aren't competitive. Our young teachers can make $10,000 to $20,000 more by driving 30 minutes.

"On top of that, those hired after July 1, 2010 aren't going to get any retiree subsidy on PEIA, so what entices them to stay in-state?

"We have to put respect back in the profession. It's easy to blame teachers for all the ills of society.
"We say our NAAP test scores are terrible, but we teach more lower socioeconomic and special ed students than any other state, so our scores are going to be lower.

"We don't talk about the great things happening in the West Virginia classroom. Our ACT scores are higher than the national average. We have more students pass the AP exam than anybody around us, but we don't promote that.

"One fallacy is we don't listen to teachers to make changes. We listen to the politicians. Look at No Child Left Behind. We have become a test-driven society. Did they bring teachers in and ask how they needed to change that? We need to listen to the experts -- the teachers.

"Ten years ago, I found I had a viral infection that did some serious damage to my heart. Only about 8 percent of the blood was pumping out of my heart. I didn't know it. I was walking 18 holes of golf. They flew me to Cleveland Clinic for a possible heart transplant.

"They said maybe with medication my heart would rebound. I went back after 6 months. My heart was at 18 percent. The doctor said he didn't know if I would live five years.

"My heart specialist in Princeton, Abdul Piracha, wouldn't let me believe the statistics. He said I was going to rebound and beat this.

"After something like that, you learn to appreciate life. But I never felt cheated. I've had the two greatest gifts in life in my two daughters. How could I be cheated?

"And as a kid in Wyoming County, I could only dream about being in San Francisco and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and meeting a governor and a president. Through the WVEA, I had those opportunities.

"I do have a bucket list. I always wanted to jump out of an airplane. With the heart condition, I won't ever get to accomplish that dream. If I could have one dream come true, it would be to meet players on the White Sox baseball team and spend an inning in the dugout at a major league park."

PDF of the article(w/photos)


 
 
]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:15:42 GMT ecd89c64-62cc-4299-a528-09c1c0bc5a80 <![CDATA[Unions support Tomblin in special election]]> Unions support Tomblin in special election
By Paul J. Nyden
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Numerous unions across the state have thrown their support behind gubernatorial hopeful Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin and shunned Republican opponent Bill Maloney, who they say has not paid enough attention to unions in his bid for governor.
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association and chair of its political action committee, criticized Maloney for saying he would consider refusing federal funds that help finance West Virginia's public schools.
"This causes us great concern," Lee said. "Maloney doesn't appear to have a plan or a strategy. Earl Ray Tomblin brings the experience and ideas needed to move the state forward.
 "We have way too many kids in poverty and in need for the state to refuse federal dollars that pay for free lunch, special education and Title One programs."
Title One programs pay for more than 3,000 teachers in low-income West Virginia schools where many students need additional help in areas like reading and mathematics.
"We need someone who will bring respect to our educational system," Lee said. "Tomblin has pledged to provide a quality education for all of our kids. We have to ensure there is a high quality teacher in every classroom."
Maloney refused to fill out an election questionnaire WVEA sent to both candidates, Lee said.
In addition to having the support of the education system, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has also thrown its support behind the acting governor.
Steve Roberts, president of the state Chamber, pointed out that they are not the only state agency that is supporting Tomblin. The West Virginia Coal Association, Charleston Alliance, Huntington Chamber of Commerce, Logan County Chamber of Commerce and West Virginia Business and Industry Council have also pledged their support.
Kenny Perdue, president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, said, "Gov. Tomblin thought enough of us to complete our questionnaire. Bill Maloney didn't even do that. He apparently didn't want our endorsement.
"Maloney has criticized tax incentives. That is hypocritical," Perdue said. "He accepted tax incentives for his businesses, but now wants to stop them for new businesses coming in. We want to create a more positive business atmosphere in the state. "
Perdue also criticized Maloney's plans to weaken safety standards in a state where "fatalities have been so widespread for many years.
"I want him to look at the face of a fallen worker -- a coal miner, steelworker or chemical worker -- or into the eyes of widows and say, 'we want to weaken safety standards.' It is amazing he would even bring that up."
Teddy Hapney, international representative for the United Mine Workers, said, Maloney's perceived ignorance into safety standards is disheartening.
"Our main concern is trying to protect the health and safety of miners," he said.
Hapney praised Tomblin for appointing C.A. Phillips to be director of the state Office of Miners Safety, Health and Training in August. Phillips, the agency's acting director since last November, had been the agency's deputy director for 10 years.
"This was the first time somebody from the ranks of the UMW has held that office since Gaston Caperton was governor."
Hapney also expressed concern about the anti-union movements against public employees in states like Wisconsin and Ohio.

"We also represent some state employees. Mr. Maloney didn't even bother to fill out our questionnaire. Earl Ray did."

Judy Hale, president of American Federation of Teachers' West Virginia chapter, said its Tomblin's willingness to speak to people that makes him the better candidate.

"He has always been someone we could talk to. He may not have always agreed with us, but he would always listen," she said of Tomblin, referring to his being a state senator and Senate president, acting as governor.

"As Senate Finance Committee chair, Tomblin was very conservative. But as a result, we have not had any teacher layoffs here like in other states. And we were granted a pay raise last year. That is very different from many of our colleagues around the country. He is very fiscally responsible," Hale said.
Ken Hall is president of Teamsters Local 175 based in South Charleston, which endorsed State Treasurer John Perdue in the gubernatorial primary.

"We supported John Perdue because he has always been a friend of ours. We have no regrets," Hall said.

"After the primary, I talked to Earl Ray Tomblin for a hour and a half.  His ideas about what he should be doing are not that different from what I think. I have always said the governor shouldn't totally favor the business community or totally favor labor.

"You need a balance if you want to increase jobs in the state. That is what this is about," said Hall, who also is international vice president of the Teamsters.

"His positions are totally in line with ours, trying to attract more corporations to move here.

"And he doesn't support right-to-work legislation, which is very divisive. Wages and benefits are significantly lower in right-to-work states."

"Under Tomblin's leadership, West Virginia has had a surplus that is the envy of almost all states in the United States," Hall said.

Elaine Harris, international representative for the Communication Workers of America in West Virginia, said, "Bill Maloney represents what is going on around the country -- an attack on public workers in states like Wisconsin and Ohio."

The CWA backed House Speaker Rick Thomson, D-Wayne, in the primary, but is actively supporting Tomblin today. Maloney also failed to fill out a CWA election questionnaire and did not meet with union members.

Harris expressed concern about the possibility Maloney would consider cutting federal funds for West Virginia's schools.

"That is the biggest thing that concerns me," Harris said. "Thank God for Senator [Robert C.] Byrd. We miss him. He took good care of us. If Maloney is elected, that is very worrisome."
]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:13:24 GMT 57f2a30e-6dcf-47e0-926c-f4f790ee70eb <![CDATA[Arch Coal seeks top teachers ]]> Arch Coal seeks top teachers
CHARLESTON -- The Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards Program will again recognize 12 outstanding teachers in the 2011-2012 school year. The WVEA Foundation (WVFIE) is pleased to once again assist the winner’s school.
The Arch Coal Foundation will make $3,500 personal, cash awards to individual program recipients. In addition, the West Virginia Foundation for the Improvement of Education, operated by the West Virginia Education Association, will again provide a $1,000 grant to the school of each public school recipient for use with at-risk students.
The public nominates outstanding teachers, who are then sent applications for completion and submission to the foundation. The applications are judged by a blue-ribbon panel of previous recipients, and the top 12 applicants are determined. Nomination forms are available at schools and all state libraries. Nominations forms may also be found here.
The teacher-recognition awards are underwritten by the Arch Coal Foundation and supported in program-promotion by the West Virginia Department of Education, the WVEA and the West Virginia Library Commission. The program began in 1989 in West Virginia.
The Arch Coal Foundation also supports teacher-recognition or grant programs in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, as well as a number of other education-related causes. Including the teacher awards program, Arch Coal and its Foundation support $1.4 million in education-related programs and charitable giving each year. Details about the Foundation's signature teacher awards and grant programs are posted online at www.archteacherawards.com.
 
]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:11:34 GMT 62a7ab0b-0cda-453c-a09c-b0fcf03fd622 <![CDATA[Roane schools chief at White House for reform speech]]> Roane schools chief at White House for reform speech
By Davin White

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As Roane County Schools Superintendent Mickey Blackwell was shaking hands with President Obama in the East Room of the White House on Friday, he felt his phone buzz in his jacket.
At least the president couldn't hear it ring.
"Like we tell everybody in class: Make sure the ringer is turned off," Blackwell said with a laugh.
Blackwell attended a morning conference at the White House, where Obama announced that teachers and educators would have new "flexibility" to improve student learning. States can apply for waivers that would excuse them from some provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, which has guided U.S. public schools over the past decade.
Blackwell received a ton of text messages from friends and co-workers Friday morning.
A co-worker watching on live TV texted that he saw the back of Blackwell's head and that he should turn around.
"I texted back and said, 'I'm turning around,'" Blackwell said.
Students at Spencer Elementary watched Obama's 15-minute speech on TV, Blackwell said, while officials with the West Virginia Department of Education watched it on streaming video, said agency spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro.
"I think that everybody can agree that No Child Left Behind has not been a successful tool for students and teachers," said Blackwell, who was principal at Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha City until this summer.
Because all students learn differently, a "one-size-fits-all" approach that's punitive doesn't work, he said.
Under the Obama administration's plan, rural school districts would have more choice in the way to spend their federal education money, according to a U.S. Department of Education news release. The release did not outline specific ways the districts could use the money.
"Keep in mind, the change we're making is not lowering standards; we're saying we're going to give you more flexibility to meet high standards," Obama said Friday. "We're going to let states, schools and teachers come up with innovative ways to give our children the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future.
"Because what works in Rhode Island may not be the same thing that works in Tennessee -- but every student should have the same opportunity to learn and grow, no matter what state they live in," the president said.
Under the plan, school leaders would be asked to set "ambitious but achievable" goals in reading/language arts and math -- but no longer required to meet an oft-criticized target that all U.S. students need to master those subjects by 2014.
To receive waivers of No Child Left Behind, states must adopt high curriculum standards in reading and math and set basic guidelines to evaluate teachers and principals. They also must establish plans that help turn around the low achieving schools that have weak graduation rates and poor student performance

.
West Virginia already has met some of those requirements and is working toward meeting others.

The U.S. Department of Education has developed a workbook so states can see which "flexibility options" might work for them, Cordeiro said. Some of the options could apply to West Virginia, she said, while others might not.

"We're taking a look at it to see what the feasibility of it is for West Virginia," she said.

Blackwell said, "I'm sure there's a lot more examination of this to come."

After Obama's address, Blackwell and Spencer Middle School Principal David Gaul attended a roundtable discussion set up by the Department of Education.

They discussed the need for money to recruit and keep teachers in rural areas, and the need for modern school facilities, he said. 

"We were able to voice our opinions on what we need for rural education," Blackwell said.

He also met with staff members of U.S. Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, both West Virginia Democrats.

"That really is a positive feeling," Blackwell said, "when you know that our areas of interest and their areas of interest are the same."

He went to the White House at the invitation of the Save the Children Foundation, which provides free books and literacy programs for Roane County students. Blackwell and Gaul joined a district superintendent from Arkansas and an assistant superintendent from California.

As Blackwell shook hands with Obama, the president told him to "keep doing what you're doing."

"He was very direct and very passionate about his topic, but he was very personable," Blackwell said.
 
]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:10:29 GMT 8353ad7e-8a1d-4c13-9795-be8353f34f76 <![CDATA[Obama: States can opt out of No Child Left Behind]]> Obama: States can opt out of No Child Left Behind
Move around Congress on tough rules has politicized education, critics say
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Friday morning unveiled major changes in the way public schools are evaluated, scrapping an essential element of President George W. Bush's signature education program in favor of letting states come up with their own plans.
Bush had good intentions with his "No Child Left Behind" plan of 2002, Obama told a crowd of educators and students, but it ended up inspiring states to lower their standards and schools to "teach to the test."
"Accountability is the right goal," Obama said, "but experience has taught us that in its implementation No Child Left Behind is . . . hurting instead of helping."
Under his new plan, Obama will basically throw out the requirement that every student pass state tests by the 2013-14 school year and let states draft their own plans to improve the performance of struggling students in troubled schools.
Schools will not necessarily get failure grades for missing particular goals on state achievement tests, and states will be eligible for more flexibility in how they spend federal money previously marked for special tutoring programs.
Obama hasn't been able to reach an agreement in Congress on how to amend the elementary and secondary education act that carries the No Child Left Behind provisions, so the changes will come by way of state waivers.
The Department of Education will let states apply to change the way they test students and the way they judge school and district performance. States may begin to apply as early as this November.
The waivers will relieve elected officials all over the country who were expecting a raft of school failure grades next year. Some 80 percent of U.S. schools were projected to earn the "failed" label under the old standards.
But some members of Congress are already reacting negatively to Obama's move to do this with his executive power rather than through legislation. Some believe that Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are assuming too much power this way.
Obama said Friday morning that he had no other choice. His team has been working with Congress for several months to try and remedy the problems without success.
"Congress has not been able to fix these flaws so far," Obama said, "so I will."
Obama's announcement could fundamentally affect the education of tens of millions of children. It will allow states to scrap a key requirement that all children show they are proficient in reading and math by 2014 -- if those states meet conditions such as imposing their own standards to prepare students for college and careers and setting evaluation standards for teachers and principals.
Kids will still have to take yearly tests in math and reading, although the administration says the emphasis will be more on measuring growth over time.
The impact on school kids could vary greatly, depending on how states choose to reward or punish individual schools. Under No Child Left Behind, children who attend schools deemed failures after a set period of time are eligible for extra tutoring and school choice. Under the president's plan, it's up to states granted waivers to decide if they will use those same remedies.

A majority of states are expected to apply for waivers, which would be given to those that qualify early next year.

State officials have long complained that, if they had more flexibility, they could implement positive changes. Now, they will have to step up and prove it.

"This is really going to change things because it really does put responsibility squarely on the states," said Amy Wilkins, a vice president at Education Trust, a nonprofit that seeks to raise achievement standards in schools.

Officials from Kentucky, Idaho, Wisconsin and Colorado were among those expressing support for the president's plan on Friday.

"I look forward to the federal government narrowing its role in education and allowing Tennessee the flexibility to abide by its own rigorous standards," Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, said at the White House event.

However, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who chairs the House Education Committee, wrote in an editorial published Friday in The Washington Examiner that the plan "could mean less transparency, new federal regulations and greater uncertainty for students, teachers, and state and local officials."

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking member on the Senate committee that oversees education, said the president's action "clearly politicizes education policy, which traditionally has been a bipartisan issue that attracts support from both parties."

The president's plan is likely to feed the storyline by Republicans that Obama is aggressively expanding the presidential footprint, particularly since some people might view it as unconstitutional to go around Congress to get around the law, said Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

"In pushing this way, the administration makes it likely that education is going to be much more of a partisan divide leading up to the 2012 election," Hess said.

During Thursday night's campaign debate in Orlando, Fla., the Republican presidential candidates echoed a common refrain about the federal government's role in education. Mitt Romney said, "One, education has to be held at the local and state level, not at the federal level." Said Rick Perry, "The federal government has no business telling the states how to educate our children."

Despite allowing states to do away with the approaching 2014 deadline, Obama insisted he is not weakening the law but rather helping states set higher standards. He said the current law was forcing educators to teach to the test, to give short shrift to subjects such as history and science and lower standards as a way of avoiding penalties and stigmas.

In delivering his remarks, the president took a shot at Congress, saying his executive action was needed only because lawmakers had not stepped in to improve the law.
 
]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:08:03 GMT cc344afa-ddaa-46a5-8700-15cf3a7cc58b <![CDATA[Hoarse teachers find talking is an occupational hazard]]> Hoarse teachers find talking is an occupational hazard
Educators rely on exercises, gargling, even surgery, to soothe their strained voices
By JoNel Aleccia
By the end of her first day of school this month, Theresa Simon’s voice was already starting to go.
“You can hear a little bit of rasp,” said the 48-year-old teacher at Cecelia Snyder Middle School in Bensalem, Pa.
But the frog in her throat now is nothing compared to what Simon used to suffer every fall when she was among scores of teachers who find themselves going hoarse after heading back to the classroom.
“Probably by the middle of the week, by the end of the week, I would lose my voice, just from usage,” said Simon, a 23-year veteran who teaches seventh- and eighth-graders. “The acoustics in the classrooms are not that good and when you’ve got a class of 30 kids, you’ve got to reach the ones in the back.”
Simon’s story is nothing new to voice and speech experts, who say they see an influx of scratchy-voiced teachers seeking help every autumn. Teachers make up about 16 percent of the 37 million people in the United States who are dubbed "occupational voice users," which includes air traffic controllers, emergency dispatchers and telephone customer service representatives, said Eric J. Hunter, deputy executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech.
On average, teachers are more than twice as likely as non-teachers to have voice problems and about three times more likely to see a doctor about the issue, he added.
“It’s in the first three weeks of school,” said Hunter, an associate adjunct professor in the departments of bioengineering and surgery at the University of Utah.
 “What’s hard with teachers is that as their voice starts to go, the primary tool of their trade isn’t effective.”
The problem is especially acute in female teachers, who use their voices about 10 percent more than males when teaching, and about 7 percent more when not teaching, Hunter found. Women have smaller larynxes, or voice boxes, and their vocal cords vibrate more quickly. That, along with other physical factors, may contribute to the strain, Hunter said.
But sheer demand is also a factor, especially for teachers of younger kids, said Dr. Joseph Spiegel, co-director of the Voice and Swallowing Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
“The younger the children, the more they’re having to use their voices for crowd control,” said Spiegel, who says teachers make up about 20 percent of his clients in the fall.
That was certainly true for Lauren Roberts, 30, a teacher at Chews Elementary School in Blackwood, N.J., who transferred from small special education classes to large fourth-grade classes. Soon after, she found herself nearly speechless by the end of every work week, with a raspy voice, sore throat and aching neck muscles.
“I’m not a yeller,” said Roberts, who just started her ninth year of teaching. “But when you talk in front of a larger group, you have to project your voice a lot more.”
For Roberts and Simon, the solution turned out to be surgery, performed by Spiegel, to remove nodules and polyps they’d developed on their vocal cords. They also had to learn new ways to pamper their voices. Simon says she used a portable microphone to boost her volume and now makes sure to warm up her voice in the shower before heading to class.
Roberts says her voice is much better now, post surgery, but she makes sure to monitor it carefully — and to warn her colleagues about this occupational hazard.
“Whenever there’s a teacher with a raspy voice or who has a sore throat, I always say, remember what happened to me,” she said. “Without my voice, I couldn’t do my job.”
 
]]> Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:35:25 GMT d8527472-7e86-4a19-ad70-5c51ba2a654c <![CDATA[Obama rolling back No Child Left Behind law]]> Obama rolling back No Child Left Behind law
The Associated Press
·        
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, trying to energize school performance at the local level, wants to give states the flexibility to opt out of provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, a Bush-era education initiative that has grown increasingly unpopular as more schools risk being labeled a failure.
Under the plan Obama was to outline Friday, states would be allowed to ask the Education Department to be exempted from some of the law's requirements if they meet certain conditions. That includes enacting standards to prepare students for college and careers and setting evaluation standards for teachers and principals.
"To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change," Obama said in a statement Thursday. "The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level."
The administration says it is acting because Congress has been slow to address the issues by rewriting the law.
But Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who chairs the House Education Committee, has questioned whether the Education Department has the authority to offer waivers. He's said the president has allowed "an arbitrary timeline" to dictate when Congress should get the law rewritten and that the committee needs more time to develop its proposals.
Kline on Thursday called the administration's plan a political move and said he could not support a process that sets a precedent by granting the education secretary "sweeping authority to handpick winners and losers."
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking member on the Senate committee that oversees education, said the president's plan would undermine the policymaking authority of Congress.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said the plan would not undermine efforts in Congress because the waivers could serve as a bridge until Congress acts.
 
Duncan said the emphasis would be more on growth than on test scores.
"We can't have a law on the books that's slowing down progress, that's slowing down innovation," he said Thursday in Joplin, Mo., where schools were left in ruins after a tornado in May.
The No Child Left Behind law passed in 2001 with widespread bipartisan support and much fanfare. It sought to hold schools more accountable for student performance and get better qualified teachers into the classrooms. It also offered school choice and extra tutoring to students attending schools deemed failing.
In Obama's plan, states granted waivers would have more control over how troubled schools are handled, although to qualify for a waiver they would have to show they had a plan to help low-performing schools.
Critics say the law placed too much emphasis on standardized tests, raising the stakes so high for school districts that it may have even driven some school officials to cheat. In particular, the requirement that all students be on grade level in math and reading by 2014 has been hugely unpopular.
Duncan has warned that 82 percent of schools next year could fail to reach proficiency requirements and thus be labeled "failures," although some experts questioned the figure.
He has said it is "dishonest" for schools to be labeled as failing if they are showing real improvements and that the law is creating a "slow-motion educational train wreck." Duncan also has said that many states under the law have lowered standards instead of making them more rigorous.
The law has been due for a rewrite since 2007. Obama and Duncan had asked Congress to overhaul it by the start of this school year but a growing ideological divide in Congress has complicated efforts to do so.
The GOP-led House Education Committee has forwarded three bills that would revamp aspects of the law but has yet to fully tackle some of the more contentious issues such as teacher effectiveness and accountability.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a former U.S. education secretary, said waivers should be limited.
]]> Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:18:32 GMT 15eb58f8-61ac-4e98-8864-eb3bab525fbe <![CDATA[PEIA chief hopes premiums won't go up, despite cost increases]]> PEIA chief hopes premiums won't go up, despite cost increases
By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The executive director of the Public Employees Insurance Agency hopes the plan can avoid premium increases in the coming year -- despite reports Thursday showing that cost and utilization trends for the 2010-11 budget year went up faster than expected.
"Let's say we had a good year two years ago and a worse year last year," Ted Cheatham said of reports showing that medical services trended up by nearly 8 percent, while prescription drug costs went up nearly 12 percent.
Dave Bond, actuary for PEIA, told the agency's Finance Board that medical services trended up by 7.8 percent in the 2010-11 year, with utilization increasing 4.2 percent and costs going up by 3.5 percent.
The biggest upswing was for hospital inpatient treatment for psychiatric/substance abuse, which trended up nearly 36 percent compared with 2009-10. However, inpatient psychiatric care still amounted to less than 1 percent of all PEIA medical care.
Overall, medical claims expenses went up from $309 million in 2009-10 to $400.48 million last budget year. However, PEIA chief financial officer Jason Haught said $48 million of that $91 million increase is because of a change in accounting procedures that requires that premium shortfalls be credited to the budget year in which they're incurred.
Meanwhile, PEIA prescription drug costs for active employees went up 11.7 percent, from $143.5 million to $160.37 million, as the total number of prescriptions filled went from 3.46 million to 3.68 million.
An encouraging figure, according to Ramon Vickman with Express Scripts, is that the percentage of prescriptions filled using lower-cost generic drugs increased from 74 percent in 2009-10 to 77.5 percent.
"That's an excellent number. We're actually hovering around 80 percent," said Vickman, who noted that the generic fill rate for other state government plans managed by Express Scripts averages 73 percent.
He said the 3.5 percent increase in generics in 2010-11 resulted in a cost savings of $13.5 million for PEIA, and a savings of $2.4 million to PEIA members, through the lower, $5 co-pay on generic drugs.
Because of the higher-than-expected increases in utilizations and costs, Bond said he is adjusting trend assumptions upward, with the medical trend increase going from 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent, and the drug trend up from 9 percent to 10 percent.

The Finance Board will use those forecasts next month, when it will come up with a proposed PEIA coverage plan for 2011-12.

Cheatham said that, while the forecast will become clearer by the time the Finance Board meets next month, he's hopeful the proposed plan will avoid premium increases or significant cuts in benefits.
"I don't foresee a premium increase per se," he said.

Last year, PEIA premiums increased by $14 a month, but members could offset that increase by undergoing a wellness screening and by verifying they had prepared an advanced directive for end-of-life care, often called a living will.

Cheatham said about half of all PEIA members avoided premium increases through those options.
Whatever plan changes are proposed at the October Finance Board meeting will be put out for public hearings, with final approval of the new plan slated for December. The new plan will go into effect July 1, 2012.
 
]]> Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:34:56 GMT dddbb591-0c5e-48f4-89a4-eb6117333da4 <![CDATA[Single-sex classes increase, fueling interest and debate ]]> Single-sex classes increase, fueling interest and debate
By SARAH LEMAGIE Scripps Howard News Service
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Girls and boys mingled as they jumped off the bus, greeted teachers and headed into Battle Creek Middle School one recent morning. But within minutes, boys headed to the auditorium, while girls went to the gym.

They spend most of their school days in separate classes that teachers say are tailored to their differing needs. Battle Creek, in St. Paul, Minn., is among a growing number of public schools nationwide venturing into single-sex education, a trend fueling both experimentation and debate.

“What single-gender education allows us to do is really focus on the needs of girls and boys, and create a climate where kids feel comfortable,” said Jocelyn Sims, Battle Creek’s principal.

It’s unclear how many single-sex public schools exist, but estimates from several advocates and opponents fall between 80 and 200, up from a handful 15 years ago. Hundreds more co-ed schools offer at least one single-sex class, and several experts agree that the number has risen since 2006, when the U.S. Department of Education issued new rules making it easier for districts to launch such schools and classes.

Even as the schools and classes spread, research is inconclusive on whether they help. A 2008 report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, which included a review of studies on single-sex schools, said the results were mixed, though they suggested some support for the idea.

Sims admits it’s hard to prove that single-sex classes have caused the “incremental growth” the school has seen on tests: “I cannot say that single-gender schooling makes or breaks the learning.”

Many advocates argue single-sex schooling can help build a strong academic culture, reduce social distractions or bust stereotypes such as the idea that poetry is girly or computer science is for boys. Critics counter that it’s unproven and often promotes, not reduces, harmful gender stereotypes.

Opponents argue that the 2006 rules undercut Title IX, a law barring sex discrimination in federally funded schools. Some particularly object when schools justify separating boys and girls by citing consultants who say that brain differences between the sexes create distinct learning needs.

“There’s no research that shows that any of those (sex-based) biological differences should lead to differences in teaching or require separation of boys from girls,” said Galen Sherwin, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Women’s Rights Project. All students learn differently because of many factors that don’t break down simply along gender lines, the ACLU argues.

Many school administrators cite school consultant Leonard Sax as a resource for information about single-sex education.

In a 2005 book, “Why Gender Matters,” Sax wrote of “consistent and significant brain-based sex differences in how girls and boys learn geometry and how they understand literature.”

Among other things, Sax wrote that many young boys are “energized by confrontation” while “few young girls will flourish in high-pressure” situations. A teacher working with a girl should smile and look her in the eye, but sit shoulder-to-shoulder with a boy and refrain from smiling.

Sax’s critics say those claims amount to stereotyping. He now says the book contains “major errors,” but still argues that co-ed classes are often taught in a way that shortchanges one sex.

Battle Creek teacher Stephanie Drow said separating boys and girls means that “they act more age-appropriate.” Before, with girls in her co-ed classes, “It was always about who’s trying to get a boy.”

Several boys and girls agreed. Without students of the opposite sex in the room, “we can just act like ourselves,” said eighth-grader Chimua Lor.

Teachers said they notice gender differences and tweak lessons accordingly. For example, boys tend to be more competitive and crave physical activity, they said, while girls are more organized.

Battle Creek officials began splitting up some classes by gender in 2005 in a plan to boost enrollment, Sims said. Initial efforts were rocky. One year when kids divided their days between co-ed and single-sex classes, “They would think it was party time (in the co-ed classes), because they got to socialize with the opposite gender,” Sims said.

Now, students are split up for most classes in boys’ and girls’ academies, though they mingle in the hall and at recess. Sims says that the academies have helped Battle Creek create a positive culture and that disciplinary problems have diminished.

But in some other districts, similar classes have died out within a few years, with officials citing low interest, external factors such as budget woes, or lack of evidence that separating girls and boys boosted achievement.
 
]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:20:39 GMT c337237a-1095-40d2-af4f-588e78a3a579 <![CDATA[Spain teachers strike for 2nd day over staff cuts]]> Spain teachers strike for 2nd day over staff cuts
MADRID (AP) - Teachers in Madrid stayed off the job in large numbers Wednesday on the second day of a strike over staff cuts, and colleagues in the northwestern region of Galicia joined them.
Virginia Fernandez of the UGT union said about 80 percent of teachers were staying away from classrooms. Government officials put the figure at 40 percent.
Teachers in schools for children aged 12 to 18 are furious with Madrid's conservative-led regional government for budget cuts that will reduce staff, force them to teach two hours more per week and give them less time for tutoring.
The budget cuts are part of a wave of austerity measures being taken in Spain as it tries to shed debt and resurrect an economy hit hard by the bursting of a real estate bubble. In Spain, education is largely run by regional governments, and the one in Madrid hopes to save euro80 million ($110 million) with staffing cuts.
Tens of thousands of teachers, parents and students staged a boisterous march in Madrid on Tuesday evening.
Some carried banners calling public education an investment rather than an expense, others had placards with a picture of the regional president, Esperanza Aguirre, and the phrase, "Wanted, for robbing public education."
In Galicia, Spain's misty green northwest corner which is also run by the conservative Popular Party, teachers at both the elementary and secondary level went on strike Wednesday to protest increased classroom hours. Union leader Marcelino Brea said 75 percent of teachers there honored the call.
 
]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:16:55 GMT f5dd72ca-bc7f-408d-bdf6-d63be58a0fcb <![CDATA[West Virginia to help craft new U.S. science standards]]> West Virginia to help craft new U.S. science standards
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Rosie Rhodes, a self-described "Trekkie," recalls the days when she would share her love of Gene Roddenberry's science fiction series with her student
The former chemistry teacher and current Kanawha County Schools science curriculum specialist would talk with her students about the technology on "Star Trek."
It's pretty cool, she said, how communicators on "Star Trek" were like early cellphones.
At Sissonville Middle School on Tuesday morning, she told science students they could be the generation who creates the technology that makes the famous science-fiction phrase "Beam Me Up, Scottie" become a reality.
Rhodes spoke during a press conference in Sissonville to announce that West Virginia will be one of 20 states that leads an effort to develop new science standards for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
Science teachers and experts across the states will write and produce drafts of the standards, which are meant to help set consistent and clear curriculum that students learn in math, English, science and other subjects.
Over the past decade, states were given wide-ranging flexibility to create their own standards and assessment tests, which met the requirements of federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
Some states, like Massachusetts, had challenging and difficult standards that they expected their students to master. Others, like Tennessee, had watered-down content. When students in Tennessee took state tests, it appeared that almost all were mastering courses like math and reading.
The new nationwide collaboration is meant to address common issues and create a more challenging, consistent curriculum across the states.
State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple said Tuesday that as part of the effort, many West Virginia science teachers would participate in developing the new standards -- known as "Next Generation Science Standards" -- and will learn from their participation.

The 19 other participating states are Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.

The 20 states are using a "framework for science education" developed by the National Research Council to help guide their work. That framework identified core ideas and practices in natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate from high school, according to a state Department of Education news release.

In teacher Kelly Buckner's seventh-grade science class, students attached temperature probes to colored construction paper to test hypotheses.

Their first experiment tied into the idea that you should wear light-colored clothes in the summer and darker colors in winter. They first tested white paper (under a heat lamp) against black construction paper and found that the black paper absorbed more heat than the white paper.

"The lamp will simulate the sun," Buckner said.

Student Faith Thompson then compared blue construction paper with pink. The blue paper got a few degrees hotter under the lamp, but the pink paper actually appeared to slightly decrease in temperature when the light hit it, which Thompson found "kind of odd."

 
]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:15:55 GMT a68072e5-bd89-476a-98ae-e274787d405e <![CDATA[Tomblin supports students, teachers while Maloney supports cuts to education]]> Tomblin supports students, teachers
while Maloney supports cuts to education
 
Kym Randolph, WVEA Communications

WVEA reiterates its support for Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor. WVEA supports continued improvements to our state’s education system while noting Tomblin’s opponent has suggested cutting money going to our classrooms.
 
This year Tomblin proposed legislation that funds programs to assist students from dropping out of school and improve West Virginia’s vocational programs to make sure opportunities are there for students who may not want to attend a four-year college.
 
In addition, Tomblin ordered a performance audit of the state’s education system to identify programs that are no longer effective. Any savings realized from the audit will be returned to the classroom to assist in improving student achievement.
 
That’s a very different approach than Bill Maloney has advocated. Maloney said during a campaign appearance he would consider turning away all federal funding for education, a move which would cost the state more than $280 million. The only alternatives to federal funding would be huge tax increases for West Virginians or massive cuts in education programs for our students.
 
Maloney also said in an interview on West Virginia Media’s “Decision Makers” the first place he would cut the state budget would be education.
 
In a recent debate, he also advocated drug testing teachers and welfare recipients in an effort to stem the state’s drug abuse problems.
 
“Many people have asked for comparisons on issues that matter to West Virginians and education clearly is one,” WVEA President Dale Lee said. “Earl Ray Tomblin wants to ensure our students are prepared for the jobs being created in the state. He doesn’t think the education budget is the first place to cut and he doesn’t think the state can find a replacement for federal funding.”
 
 “Earl Ray Tomblin is committed to increasing the salaries of education employees to a competitive level with our surrounding states ensuring qualified teachers fill our classrooms. Earl Ray Tomblin is committed to working with educators to bring respect back to the profession.” continued Lee.
]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:05:44 GMT 66253304-5a37-48aa-a88b-b807724d65e4 <![CDATA[Library funding lobbyists concern school board]]> Library funding lobbyists concern school board
Thaw wants to know if rumors are true
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County Board of Education President Pete Thaw said school board members might want to hold a closed session in the next few weeks to discuss a possible lobbying effort tied to a lawsuit over library funding.
On Wednesday, Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. denied a motion that now clears the way for the Kanawha County Public Library to appeal his July decision -- which sided with the school board -- to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
His ruling declared null and void a funding stream that required the Kanawha school board to pay about one-third of the library's annual budget, or more than $2.8 million each year.
Thaw said at a school board meeting Thursday night he has heard that library officials are hiring a lobbyist and lawyers to press their case to the Legislature.
Library Director Alan Engelbert did not return a phone message Thursday night.
In December 2006, the Supreme Court told the Legislature to fix the dispute over library funding with the school-aid funding formula. Early the next year, Kanawha school officials were not happy with the result.
Thaw wants a closed session to discuss what the school board might do to counter any of the library's efforts.
"We're defending the taxpayers here and we should let them know it," he said.
But he wants to carefully discuss it so the school board does "nothing illegal" and nothing that would needlessly cost taxpayers money.
"If they're going to flood the [legislative] hall with lobbyists, then maybe we need to," he said.
Library officials have said a loss of funding would be devastating and could force them to curtail hours of operations, close library branches, eliminate Bookmobile services, lay off personnel and reduce wages and salaries for employees.

Kanawha school board members first sued over the issue in 2003, saying a 1957 special act that requires them to help fund the library is unfair. The Kanawha County Commission and the city of Charleston also help fund the library. They argued that the state counted money dedicated to the library as part of the school board's funds, qualifying Kanawha County Schools for less money under the state school aid formula.

A circuit judge ruled against the school board, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision in December 2006 and told lawmakers to fix the problem.

In 2007, Kanawha school officials were unsatisfied with the Legislature's solution because it freed up more local money for all 55 counties -- not just the nine with special acts that fund local libraries.

The school board returned to Kanawha Circuit Court in October 2008, with Zakaib ruling in its favor this summer.

Along with the library board, the state Board of Education and former state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine are defendants in the lawsuit.

Also Thursday, board members decided to use $600,000 in carryover funds from the fiscal year that ended June 30 to demolish the old Sissonville Middle School, which closed in late 2007 once the new school was finished.

Another $1.4 million from the carryover funds will be used for roofing, while $733,000 will go toward technology.

Late in the meeting, board member Bill Raglin asked about installing flashing safety lights at the new West Side Elementary School. Superintendent Ron Duerring said he does not expect the city of Charleston to install any lights, so he is seeking grant money for the project.

 
 
 
]]> Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:09:20 GMT b910f7d4-1da6-40e9-b3b6-f77cc30b92b3 <![CDATA[Three WV Schools Win National Award ]]>
Three WV Schools Win National Award
WV MetroNews
Three West Virginia schools have been named some of the nation's best.
Inwood Primary School in Berkeley County, Maxwell Hill Elementary School in Raleigh County and Triadelphia Middle School in Ohio County were named Thursday as National Blue Ribbon schools.
Only 304 schools around the nation received the honor from U.S. Sec. of Education Arne Duncan.
Schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students perform at a high level are recognized.
All three West Virginia schools will have representatives honored in Washington D.C. later this year.
To qualify for the program, public schools must have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improve scores on state tests.
Schools can also earn the honor by having students, regardless of their backgrounds, achieve in the top 10 percent of state test scores.
Private schools must achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation on national tests to qualify.
The program started in 1982. More than 6,500 schools nationwide have won the award.
 
 
]]> Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:07:48 GMT 777c8b2c-5ab6-46a5-9beb-1bc0368f62c3 <![CDATA[Lightning can strike our state]]> Robert Rupp: Lightning can strike our state
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Following the adage of  "Forewarned is forearmed," the West Virginia school board members at their fall conference last week learned about the recent educational policy battles in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Until recently each of these Midwestern states had a reputation of educational excellence and political civility.
But no more. Recent controversy over education and budget issues has poisoned the political environment and challenged public education.
In Minnesota an $8 billion budget deficit lead to a 20-day government shutdown, while in Wisconsin a reduction of collective bargaining rights prompted protests at the capital building, and recall efforts at the ballot box.
And the animosity did not stop there. Rick Eloranta, the president of Wisconsin Association of School Boards, told the audience about the power of politics to poison not just communities and a state, but also of families. For five months his 93-year old father has not spoken to his brother whose wife is a teacher.
These nightmare scenarios can prompt a stance of smugness rather than a state of alertness in the Mountain State. After all West Virginia is a state with a budget surplus and without collective bargaining. It's policymaking processes are far more collegial and incremental than what has occurred in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
But that doesn't mean that external factors will not surface in our policy debates and prove to be divisive and distracting. As the Minnesota speaker pointed out, the economic wheel can turn quickly. His state like West Virginia once had a surplus, and that was without the large unfunded liabilities our state now confronts. And the stories from Wisconsin resonated because the toxicity of the teacher strike two decades ago still lingers in the Mountain State.
We need to see the events in Minnesota and Wisconsin as lightening strikes from a storm of national political discontent and economic fear in 2011.
For we start this second decade of the 20th century:
* More politically divided as nation then at any time in the last 100 years.
* More economically challenged than at any time in the last 80 years.
* More worried about the future than at any time in last 40 years.

The West Virginia School Board Association should be congratulated for highlighting what their national affiliate proclaims "It's not business as usual these days for America's K-12 Public Schools."

For in 2011 it is "not business as usual" for anything in America these days.

To assert otherwise is a tragedy for an individual, and a disaster for any elected official -- especially those charged to help carry out the state's constitutional mandate to provide a "thorough and efficient system" of free schools for our youth.
 
]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:32:24 GMT dba791af-7060-4a0c-806c-68e26f7e2204 <![CDATA[Mo. Senate passes revision to teacher-Facebook law]]> Mo. Senate passes revision to teacher-Facebook law
Associated Press
CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri senators have overwhelmingly passed legislation revising a new law that restricts teachers' online conversations with students.
The legislation would repeal a law barring teachers from using websites that give "exclusive access" to students, such as sending private messages on Facebook. Senators voted 33-0 Wednesday to send the bill to the House.
The Missouri law was placed on hold last month by a judge because of free-speech concerns. Gov. Jay Nixon then added the measure to a special legislative session that began earlier this month.
Nixon asked that the law be repealed but senators went a step further. The new bill would require local school boards to develop policies on communications between employees and students, including those conducted by electronic media.
]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:31:01 GMT 74ccdc6e-6d3d-4f38-9f37-d38bae43c3b7 <![CDATA[Library funding case may go to high court next]]> Library funding case may go to high court next
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. refused Wednesday to reconsider his July ruling in favor of the Kanawha County school board, which no longer wants to help fund the Kanawha County Public Library.
Zakaib's decision clears a legal path for the library to appeal to the state Supreme Court.  
In his original order, Zakaib declared null and void a stream of funding -- set by a 1957 special act of the Legislature -- that requires the school board to provide about one-third of the library's annual budget, or more than $2.8 million each year.
In August, the judge ordered Kanawha school officials to continue to make $235,150 in monthly payments to the library while both parties await an appeal.       
At Wednesday's hearing, library attorney Chris Winton said Zakaib's ruling was "overbroad," going beyond any action the school board initially requested in its lawsuit.
The problem is that Zakaib's order declared the 1957 special act "null and void," even though the state Supreme Court has already upheld the act as constitutional, Winton said.
The ruling "treads in an area that does not need to be addressed ... and needs to be left alone," he said.
Al Sebok, an attorney for the school board, said Wednesday that Zakaib's ruling still means that the city of Charleston and the Kanawha County Commission have to fund the library, but the school board doesn't, as it is treated differently because it funds public schools.
Sebok also said that the school board is attacking the legality of the 1957 special act, even though the state Supreme Court has already declared it constitutional.
He told Zakaib that the case -- which has been in and out of court since 2003 -- has been going on too long. He urged Zakaib to deny the defendants' motion and let it move on to the state Supreme Court.
"Everybody needs a resolution," Sebok said.  
Winton also argued against the court's ruling that the Kanawha school board is treated unfairly when compared to 46 other county boards of education that do not help fund their local libraries.
The Legislature has found that libraries are a legitimate school purpose, Winton said. In the case of counties with a special act, the Legislature decided to fund education through "two pockets" -- both the school board and the library board.  
 
"The library is education. Libraries serve a legitimate school purpose," Winton said. "Where are the facts that show the library is not education? Where are the facts that show the library is not a school purpose?"
Sebok said the money the school board gives to the library each year is going "not to the classroom, not to the students, but to the library commission," an apparent reference to the Kanawha County Library's board of directors.

Some library employees and supporters in the courtroom Wednesday whispered uneasily and shook their heads at Sebok's statement.

In a court document, Winton listed several details about how the library helps educate students. Among the details, 34,192 of the library's registered borrowers during the last school year were children.

"We are arguing that clearly, libraries are a school purpose," said Alan Engelbert, director of the Kanawha County Public Library.     

Kanawha school board members first sued over the issue in 2003, saying the 1957 special act is unfair.

They argued that the state counted money dedicated to the library as part of the school board's funds, qualifying Kanawha County Schools for less money under the state school aid formula.

A circuit judge ruled against the school board, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision in December 2006 and told lawmakers to fix the problem with the school aid formula.

In 2007, Kanawha school board members and their attorney, Jim Withrow, were upset with the Legislature's solution because it freed up more local money for all 55 counties -- not just the nine with special acts that fund local libraries.

The school board returned to Kanawha Circuit Court in October 2008 to settle the current lawsuit.

Along with the library board, the state Board of Education and former state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine are defendants in the lawsuit.

Lawyers on both sides said Wednesday that the state Board of Education is already prepared for an appeal.
 
]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:30:10 GMT 3f8ce73e-f6d5-48e5-a549-afac83b90056 <![CDATA[Pants-wearing sponge blamed for kids' poor attention spans ]]> Pants-wearing sponge blamed for kids' poor attention spans
Rapid pace of the cartoon 'SpongeBob SquarePants' might be too much for preschoolers to take in, researcher says
By Rita Rubin
TODAY.com contributor
Poor SpongeBob.
Back in 2005 he caught flak from a Christian evangelical group because its leader thought he was gay. Now a small new study suggests he could be turning preschoolers' minds to mush.
The study, published online Monday by the journal Pediatrics, found watching a snippet of a SpongeBob cartoon negatively affected 4-year-olds’ attention spans. Watching a more realistic PBS cartoon did not.
These days, kids typically start watching television at 4 months of age, and they watch lots of it, Dr. Dimitri Christakis writes in a commentary accompanying the study.
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under age 2 not watch any television, the group says a limited amount is OK for older children as long as it's no more than one to two hours a day of educational programs.
The quality of what children watch is just as important as the quantity, Christakis, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, said in an interview.
“Most parents worry too much about how much TV their children watch and not enough about what they watch,” he says. “It’s not about turning the TV off. It’s about changing the channel.”
In the new study, it’s about changing the channel from Nickelodeon to PBS.
University of Virginia researchers recruited 60 mostly white and middle- or upper-middle-class 4-year-olds and randomly divided them into three groups. One group watched a 9-minute clip of "SpongeBob SquarePants," a second watched a 9-minute clip of "Caillou," a realistic PBS cartoon about a preschool boy, and the third drew pictures for 9 minutes instead of watching television.
Immediately afterward, the researchers tested what psychologists call “executive function” in the children. “What executive function basically measures is your ability to stay on task, to not be distracted and to persist on task,” Christakis explains.
Turns out the PBS and picture-drawing groups performed equally well on the tests; the SpongeBob group scored significantly worse. Watching a full half-hour fast-paced cartoon show could be even more detrimental, the study authors write.
They speculate that the SpongeBob show’s more rapid pace and fantastic characters, such as that talking, pants-wearing kitchen sponge who lives under the sea, might be too much for preschoolers’ brains to take in.
“It confirms something that parents have observed for some time,” Christakis says of the study. “They put their kids in front of television, particularly fast-paced programming, to quiet them down, but when the TV goes off, the kids are more amped up than they were before.”
Don’t blame Mr. SquarePants for messing with preschoolers’ brains, Nickelodeon spokesman David Bittler says. “SpongeBob is produced for 6- to 11-year-olds. Four-year-olds are clearly not the intended demographic for this show.”
True, SpongeBob is not listed among the shows for preschoolers on nickjr.com. Probably the best-known of those is “Dora the Explorer,” and, Bittler says, many adults complain that show is too slow.
SpongeBob might not have the same negative effect on attention in older children, the authors acknowledge. And, they write, they don’t know how long the negative effects last or what the long-term effects of regularly viewing SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and the gang might be.
“Maybe the next step is really to try and figure out how long-lasting these effects are,” says Georgetown University psychologist Rachel Barr.
Barr’s research also has found that watching shows not specifically aimed at preschoolers—and that would include SpongeBob—adversely impacted 4-year-olds’ executive functioning. On the other hand, Barr speculates, educational, age-appropriate programming might have a positive effect.
 
]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:35:15 GMT 33819d5b-80cf-4cfb-8a29-fbfb08bf3209 <![CDATA[W.Va. gov race revisits drug testing debate ]]> W.Va. gov race revisits drug testing debate
by Lawrence Messina
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia already allows for the sort of drug testing of teachers called for by gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney, but the testing of welfare recipients that he also advocated has been a thornier issue both for this state and others.
The Morgantown Republican says his daughter was tested for her new teaching job in North Carolina. Speaking at a Wednesday debate in Wheeling, Maloney said West Virginia needs to drug-test teachers. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, the Democratic nominee, said after the debate that he's not philosophically opposed to the idea.
The state's county school systems can test teachers for drugs before they're hired, according to groups that represent educators. Teachers can also face testing under other circumstances, such as when an administrator has a reasonable suspicion of drug abuse.
Both the West Virginia Education Association and the state's chapter of the American Federation of Teachers support such policies.
"We agree with pre-employment testing," said Judy Hale, president of AFT-WV. "We don't want people in the classroom who are abusing drugs."
Kanawha County, the state's largest school district, adopted a drug use prevention policy in 2007 that provided for testing in six situations, including pre-employment and for reasonable cause. But it revised that policy the following year to include random drug testing. Hale's group sued, and the WVEA later joined that legal challenge.
A federal judge in 2009 blocked the random testing provision as "an unconstitutional excess that threatens the fundamental freedom from unreasonable searches." The Kanawha County school board unanimously voted later that year to repeal the provision.
"Random drug testing absolutely makes no sense, when you can drug-test under other circumstances," said WVEA President Dale Lee. "Random drug testing is a costly way of possibly never testing anyone who actually has a drug problem."
West Virginia does not have a statewide policy mandating pre-employment drug testing for teachers, Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said, though it does require it for school bus drivers. Citing provisions of a federal law governing transportation employees, that policy also allows for random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug testing. Federal courts have upheld random testing for jobs that involve "extraordinary safety interests."
But while counties can require some testing of teachers for drugs, it's unclear how many do. Martha Dean, executive director of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators, said she believes that teachers have been tested under the reasonable suspicion provision. But Dean also said that she was unaware of any counties that were testing all new hires.

Some lawmakers in recent years have proposed requiring all school employees statewide to take drug tests before they're hired. But at least some of these bills would also mandate random drug testing. They have proved to be non-starters.

Other states have wrestled with the random testing issue. Hawaii, which has allowed reasonable suspicion testing since 2007, dropped an attempt earlier this year to require random testing. Teachers in an Illinois district held a strike last month to oppose a random testing policy proposed there. A North Carolina appeals court struck down a random testing policy adopted by one county 2009.

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott has mandated drug-testing for state employees. The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging that policy, and last week it also sued to block the law he championed that drug-tests new welfare recipients.

During Wednesday's debate, Maloney said that those on welfare "all need testing." His campaign spokeswoman, Michelle Yi, said later that Maloney considers the drug problem a complicated one that requires both law enforcement and treatment to address. Malone is willing to consider all possible solutions, including testing, Yi said.

Legislatures in more than half the states, including West Virginia, have debated testing for people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families over the past decade. Florida's law requires people who apply for welfare benefits to pay for drug testing. Those who test positive are denied benefits, while the state reimburses those who pass.

While not requiring random testing, Missouri enacted a law in July that calls for welfare recipients and applicants to be screened for illegal drug use, and tested when there's reasonable cause. But until Scott signed Florida's law in May, no other state had enacted one in the wake of court rulings that halted a 1999 Michigan program. As the federal judge later ruled in Kanawha County's case, the Michigan policy was deemed to violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches.

Proponents of such testing argue that it aims to ensure that taxpayer dollars help children and families, and aren't diverted by a recipient's drug habit. Opponents say such policies wrongly single out groups of people, and they also cite the potential price tag. While Scott has promoted Florida's law as a money-saving measure, a study by Idaho officials earlier this year found that testing welfare recipients would cost more than it would save in benefits denied to offenders.

Following Wednesday's debate, Tomblin told The Associated Press that "for people in responsible places, it would not hurt to have some random testing." Campaign spokesman Chris Stadelman later cited the 2009 Kanawha County ruling, and said Tomblin has no intention to challenge that decision.
]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:46:43 GMT 241843e1-91ab-43fc-afbc-925f7033057e <![CDATA[Wood Schools wary of social networks]]> Wood Schools wary of social networks
September 11, 2011
By MICHAEL ERB, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - Wood County Schools officials are asking teachers to refrain from using social networking sites to connect with students.
In April, Wood County Schools Superintendent Pat Law sent a newsletter to employees asking them to follow certain online guidelines, which included not associating with students through social networks.
The letter was based upon a similar letter issued to employees by Kanawha County Schools.
"We've asked them to be very cautious and to remember that when you put something on the Internet, it belongs to the world," Law said. "Something you may feel is appropriate or private, if you are putting it on a social network location, you are giving it to the world."
Law said the school system has also asked employees to not connect with students via social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.
"It kind of blurs that relationship between a student and teacher," Law said. "We recommend that not take place."
The issue and its pitfalls have come sharply to light this year via events in Missouri where the state banned teachers from "friending" students. The state's court system has placed a temporary injunction on the ban, but officials are still fighting to make it illegal for teachers and administrators to have online relationships with students.
Proponents of the ban say it helps prevent improper relationships between students and adults in positions of trusted authority. Proponents have compared the social networks to placing a student alone in a room with an adults without any safeguards of supervision.
Opponents of the ban say it unfairly punishes good teachers and keeps them from developing healthy relationships with students. The social networking sites give teachers a better understanding of their students and provide open lines of communication.
One Missouri teacher has filed suit over the ban, saying the wording of the ban would make it a fireable offense for her to be friends with her son on Facebook because he is a student in the district where she teaches.
A similar measure is being considered in a school system in Massachusetts and has already been put into place in Dayton, Ohio.
Law said school systems throughout the state and nation are keeping a close eye on the fight in Missouri, but he believes the guidelines issued locally should help protect both students and teachers.
"It is a nationwide phenomenon," he said. "We are dealing with issues as we are confronted with them."
However, Law acknowledged without policies in place, the school system can only urge teachers to avoid friending students online.
"It is a recommendation," he said. "We don't have control over that."
Law said the school system's Acceptable Use Policy for technology and online media would cover some of the more grievous offenses, even if those offenses were committed on personal time. Law said a teacher using his or her position with a school to do something inappropriate, or causing harm to the school or a student through online behavior would fall under punishable acts.
Greg Merritt, president of the Wood County American Federation of Teachers, said the AFT has given similar recommendations to members.
"AFT has for the last two or three years offered workshops and guidelines to its members on this topic," Merritt said. "We certainly encourage teachers to not friend students on social networks. We encourage teachers to use social networking responsibly, and for the most part I think that happens."
Merritt said the organization opposes attempts to ban teachers from those social networks, as it sends a negative message to the professionals and the public.
"We have to give teachers some credit," he said. "Creating a policy or banning their participating just seems a bit extreme."
 
]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:45:09 GMT 2ca5862b-158a-408f-82dd-3a24f723deb5 <![CDATA[WVEA angered by drug testing comments]]> WVEA Angered by Drug Testing Comments
 
WVEA is angered by the comments of Republican nominee Bill Maloney in a recent debate regarding drug testing of teachers. WVEA opposes random, suspicionless drug testing of public school employees. WVEA believes that in addition to being ineffective and costly, drug testing without cause violates education employees’ constitutional rights to privacy.
 
“The proposed random drug testing of public school employees is an affront to our fundamental rights and a senseless waste of scarce taxpayer dollars that will not increase student safety,” said WVEA President Dale Lee. “Education employees should not be required to surrender their constitutional rights as a condition of serving their students. Mr. Maloney needs to look elsewhere for political traction.”
 
“West Virginia’s statute already provides the opportunity for testing any employee suspected of drug use,” said WVEA President Dale Lee. “In addition, all newly hired education employees in West Virginia go through a thorough background check. While employees do not fear drug testing, they are concerned about the loss of privacy and believe there are many larger more pressing issues the State needs to address and allocate resources toward.”
 
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the government may only conduct a suspicionless drug test of employees in “safety-sensitive” job roles such as air traffic controllers or nuclear power plant operators whose job functions, if done improperly, would cause specific and potentially catastrophic threats to public safety. In a 2009 decision, the Federal Court for the Southern District of West Virginia ruled that the vast majority of education employees are not in “safety-sensitive” positions.
 
WVEA applauds acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s statement following the debate supporting educators and dismissing the idea of random, suspicionless drug testing,” continued Lee. “There is no evidence of any pervasive drug problem among educators. Tomblin recognizes the important role teachers’ play and respects their hard work and dedication.”
]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:44:18 GMT 821f68ad-b93e-41db-a5b6-78bbb0243bc7 <![CDATA[State school board outlines new student behavior policy]]> State school board outlines new student behavior policy
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.
Sept. 09--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia students are expected to respect their classmates and teachers so that everyone has a chance to learn, conduct themselves responsibly on the Internet, refrain from drug use and violence and generally behave well in school.
Age-old lessons, but there has never been one specific state Board of Education policy that addresses student behavior issues.
"We have five different policies," state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple said Thursday.
Addressing student behavior all in one place makes sense, she said. It's also a way to send a renewed message out to not only students, but also their teachers, school leaders and county school board members -- defining what's expected of them.
Marple said she believes when you clearly articulate to students and staff members what's expected of them, they're more likely to follow through.
On Thursday, state Board of Education members placed a new behavior policy on public comment for 60 days.
The goal behind the change, according to Melanie Purkey, executive director of the state Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools, is "improving school climate and conditions for learning."
Assistant State Superintendent of Schools Amelia Courts said the policy changes would come back to state board members for approval at their December meeting.
Also Thursday, state board members agreed to set their legislative priorities for January's regular session, but said there could be changes as matters evolve over the coming months.
Some of their priorities include incentive packages to recruit and retain educators, revising teacher evaluations and more year-round schools.
However, in part because the results of an "education efficiency audit" later this year could spur new legislation, they expect some priorities to change.

Also, Marple noted a new issue that recently has made news that could become a legislative priority.

This weekend, officials in South Charleston said they found 20 young athletes in a small apartment who were supposed to be attending the West Virginia Prep Academy for sports.

Students at the school did not have sufficient meals or lodging, and have since been sent home or to other schools.

South Charleston city officials say Daniel Hicks had lured the young men and two coaches to the area, and then disappeared and abandoned them. Hicks has said his only mistake was allowing students at the academy to postpone payment for tuition, which he needed to provide meals and lodging.

The school qualified under "exemption k" status -- as do other private and parochial schools -- and Marple said that some level of accountability would be a good thing.

She noted that some schools that qualify for "exemption k" status do a good job, but for now there is very limited state oversight.

"Maybe, as we study this," she said, "this raises to an issue of legislative priority."

 
]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:33:31 GMT b887b7df-a0a4-4710-a036-a4035afc386f <![CDATA[Candidates shy away from teacher drug tests]]> Candidates shy away from teacher drug tests
by Ry Rivard
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

Both the Democrat and Republican candidates for governor on Thursday appeared to back away from suggestions they would like to test West Virginia teachers for drugs.
When asked about strategies for tackling the drug problem, Republican Bill Maloney said during a debate Wednesday in Wheeling, "We need to drug test teachers."
Afterward, his Democratic opponent, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, told The Associated Press he's not philosophically opposed to the idea. Many unions are working with companies to randomly test employees, he said, and "for people in responsible places, it would not hurt to have some random testing."
Schools are allowed to do for-cause or suspicion-based testing, a method accepted by teachers unions for testing teachers who appear impaired on the job. But, so far, public school systems have met legal roadblocks in trying to do tests at random.
During Wednesday's debate, Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber dismissed the drug-testing notion, according to the AP.
"I think it's great rhetoric. I think it's an easy way to get votes," he said, according to AP, "and I think it would be extremely difficult to implement."
Asked to clarify their positions Thursday, campaigns for Maloney and Tomblin were not so open to the idea of testing as the candidates themselves were Wednesday.
"Earl Ray Tomblin supports having safe environments for our students and teachers and recognizes the important role they play in the lives of our young people," Tomblin campaign spokesman Chris Stadelman said in an email.
 
]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:31:50 GMT 0097d1b0-baf8-4801-ad89-5c3c1d88f5e3 <![CDATA[Teachers devise Sept. 11 lesson plans]]> Teachers devise Sept. 11 lesson plans
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va.- Teachers are facing the challenge of educating students about an event that is slowly becoming history.
Even the oldest high school students were in the early grades of elementary school on Sept. 11, 2001. So conveying the importance of the ripples that have been felt since the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. that morning is not an easy task for social studies and civics teachers.
At Nitro High School, Drew Wendt, the social studies and civics department chairman, says the challenge is not just to communicate the seriousness of the situation.
"We need to make something constructive out of a destructive event. We need to see that we can build up where they tore down," Wendt said.
In his government and civics classes, students start by watching clips of the events that unfolded on 9/11. Then they are to interview adults who had clearer perceptions of what was happening that day.
"There have been moments of time when there were dark periods, and we need to look at those that we came through and see that we survived them, that they had an impact on our national character, but we overcame them and moved forward," Wendt said.
He will ask his students to think about what it means to be an American and to write essays on the subject. Those essays will be graded, and one student will receive a $100 savings bond.
Local firefighters and police officials also are being honored this week with banners signed by the entire school.
Exercises like this are meant to help students understand what happened 10 years ago and what has happened since.
The state Department of Education has provided a long list of lesson plans and learning materials on its website.
An outline of events for next week's Constitution Day, which was initiated by the late Sen. Robert Byrd, and a short message from state Superintendent Jorea Marple are included.
Paula Kerner, the social studies department chair at Capital High, spent time sorting through the extensive list of materials provided by the state.
She realized she was dealing with a touchy subject.
"Any topic like this is sensitive, so to allow students to talk candidly about it is a good thing," Kerner said.
At Riverside High School, Johnathan Veazey was having no trouble relating to his students as far as being young when the attacks occurred. Veazey was sitting in English class at Riverside when the first plane hit the North Tower.
Now he teaches 20th Century history in a room next to the one where he watched the first few minutes of coverage.

"It will be weird to be talking about history when I sort of witnessed it. When you're teaching a history class, normally you expect to be teaching something that happened 50, 60 years ago, not something in your own lifetime," Veazey said.

In addition to showing clips, Veazey intended to ask his students what they already knew and start from that point. That's how he starts all lessons so he can dispel any false information.

"This was not so much a religious attack, and it's important these kids know that these guys did not represent the entire Islamic faith. They didn't represent Islam anymore than Timothy McVeigh represented white Christians," Veazey said.

The false rumor problem is the reason Staff Sgt. Robert "Gene" Smith started teaching American government at Riverside two years ago.

Smith was in the Marines for 10 years before becoming a teacher and says he thinks too many students either vote as their parents do or go off to college and come under the influence of biased political science professors, especially regarding events like 9/11.

"I was dissatisfied with what the average citizenry was being taught out of high school. The level of knowledge they gained about their own government I thought was also being too heavily influenced by professors who have a political agenda of their own," he said.

"It's up to (the students). It's their society next."

Dealing with the fear felt by many students and instilling a sense of honor for those who lost their lives on 9/11 is Carma Peters' mission at South Charleston High.

Her students, like Wendt's, will conduct interviews with people who witnessed the attacks as adults.

"We want to give it the respect it deserves. It was a very significant, historical event, and we want the students to be aware of what happened that day," Peters said. "They're very respectful to it, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sgt. Stephen Donelson, who is over the Marine Corps ROTC at St. Albans High, says his students will be in full uniform this morning to hoist the American flag up the pole and have a moment of silence. They also will interview teachers and making videos in tribute to the victims of 9/11.

"Everyone knows where they were on Pearl Harbor Day. Now they need to do the same with Sept. 11 and ask themselves how did they feel and what do they think of the state of the world today," Donelson said.
 
]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:30:53 GMT 7869acd9-58f8-4bd1-9974-defbd80a46f3 <![CDATA[State tax revenues exceed forecasts]]> State tax revenues exceed forecasts
Jared Hunt
 Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
Sept. 08--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State tax revenue receipts are running slightly higher than expectations two months into the fiscal year.
West Virginia's general revenue fund was running a $9.1 million surplus, according to the latest August revenue report from the state Budget Office. The 2012 fiscal year began July 1.
For the month of August, tax revenues exceeded expectations by $3.08 million. That's on top of a July monthly surplus of $6.05 million.
The biggest driver of the surplus figures remains better-than-expected revenues from coal mining in the state.
"Higher coal exports and higher coal prices continue to result in double-digit gains in severance tax receipts," said Mark Muchow, deputy revenue secretary.
The state took in $66.7 million in severance tax revenues in August, higher than the expected $52 million in receipts budgeted for the month.
So far this fiscal year, severance tax collections are running 24 percent above expectations and 40 percent higher than at this point last fiscal year.
Corporate tax collections also came in slightly above expectations for the month at $2.2 million compared to expectations of $1.5 million. The $11.3 million in corporate received so far this year is 74 percent higher than expectations and 52 percent higher than at the same time last year.
"Corporate collections also remain strong due to higher corporate profits and improved balance sheets," Muchow said.
However, he noted that most of the corporate tax receipts received so far were from only a small number of businesses, so it might not be a complete picture of how state businesses are doing.
Muchow said the first major collection month for business taxes is September.
The higher-than-expected business and severance tax collections helped offset personal income and sales tax figures that came in less than expected.
The state took in about $94.1 million in consumer sales taxes for the month of August, roughly $3.5 million less than the expected $97.6 million. Personal income tax collections came in at $120.3 million, $9.4 million less than expectations of $129.7 million.
But Muchow said the shortfalls in those areas were due in part to the fact that the state distributed more refund checks than expected for those taxes during the month.
The state issued $8.2 million in personal income tax refunds during the month, nearly double both the estimate and the amount issued last August. Sales tax refunds totaled $5.6 million for the month, compared to $700,000 in August 2010.
"These higher-than-expected monthly refund payments do not represent a trend," Muchow said. "Despite small year-to-date deficits, personal income tax collections are 4.5 percent ahead of prior year receipts, and sales and use tax collections are 1.9 percent above prior year receipts."
But while general sales taxes were down, the state's so-called "sin taxes" were all up for the month. Tax and license fee collections on liquor, beer and cigarettes were about $1.26 million higher than expected.
Muchow said the collections calendar allowed for an extra collection day for those taxes this month compared to August of last year, so that might account for why the tax collections were higher.
While the state's general revenue fund had a surplus for the month of August, the state road fund came in $4.5 million dollars below expectations for the month.
That was mainly caused by a nearly $9 million shortfall in gasoline tax revenues, which are highly volatile. That shortfall was offset by motor vehicle sales taxes, which came in $4.4 million higher than expectations for the month.
While the road fund came up short for the month of August, year-to-date the revenue going into the fund is running $1.3 million ahead of expectations.
 
]]> Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:15:51 GMT 9a845f85-6758-427c-ae1c-a32ea97b655a <![CDATA[Maloney: W.Va. should drug-test teachers]]> Maloney: W.Va. should drug-test teachers
Associated Press
WHEELING — West Virginia should start drug-testing school teachers and welfare recipients to help curb growing statewide abuse of illegal and prescription drugs, the Republican candidate for governor said at a debate Wednesday night.

When asked about strategies for the problem, GOP businessman Bill Maloney initially demanded a crackdown on pill-peddling doctors. But in a 30-second follow-up, he said drug testing of employees is common in the private sector and also noted his daughter was tested for her new teaching job in North Carolina.

“We need to drug-test teachers,” Maloney said, pressing on as a murmur rippled through the crowd at West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling. “How about welfare recipients? They all need testing. Come on!”

Afterward, his Democratic opponent, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, told The Associated Press he’s not philosophically opposed to the idea. Many unions are working with companies to randomly test employees, he said, and “for people in responsible places, it would not hurt to have some random testing.”

Tomblin, who took over when former Gov. Joe Manchin was elected to the U.S. Senate, just announced the formation of six regional task forces to study the drug problem and recommend local solutions. In the Northern Panhandle, he said, street drugs like heroin are more common. In the southern coalfields, the bigger threat is prescription drugs.

“We’ve had a lot of problems out there, even in the classroom,” Tomblin said. “Because of putting people’s lives in danger out there, it may be something we really need to seriously look at.”

But Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber dismissed the notion.

“I think it’s great rhetoric. I think it’s an easy way to get votes,” he said, “and I think it would be extremely difficult to implement.”

Baber compared it to testing workers to see if they drink.

“We have people who smoke marijuana in our state at night and they are perfectly capable of working the next morning,” he said. “What are we going to do, throw them all out on the street because they had a joint? That’s not the America I know.”

The debate was sponsored by the college and The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. It’s the only one featuring the three main contenders before a special election Oct 4. Six other third-party and write-in candidates did not participate.

The West Virginia Broadcasters Association is sponsoring a debate Sept. 13, but it’s only for Maloney and Tomblin. In his closing remarks Wednesday, Baber pressed the two on whether they’d be willing to let him join.

“It’s fine with me,” Maloney said. “The more, the merrier.”

Tomblin said he didn’t make the rules for the event but eventually agreed he wouldn’t object.

Much of the 90-minute discussions, however, centered on the state’s economy. Each candidate has a different opinion on its well-being.

Tomblin, who’s been in the state Senate since 1980, said West Virginia is healthy and stable, with solid surpluses and no plan to raise taxes. Unlike other states considering fee and tax increases, West Virginia has a balanced budget and is “poised for great things,” he said.

But Maloney, owner of a drilling company in Morgantown, sees room for improvement. He demanded elimination of regressive taxes and overhaul of the legal system to create an intermediate appeals court. He argued that less bureaucracy and regulation would give business the certainty they need to relocate or expand.

Baber also demanded change, arguing the state should diversify its economy and stop giving away its natural resources. Many problems — from lack of broadband access and senior programs to underpaid teachers — could be fixed by raising $300 million in higher severance taxes on the oil, gas and coal industries, he said.

“Our state should be one of the wealthiest in the nation,” Baber said. “We’ve given it away for far too long.”

Tomblin picked up a key endorsement earlier in the day from the West Virginia’s Chamber of Commerce, which cited his experience, leadership, and ability to work with the Legislature. Tomblin has also won support from West Virginia’s largest labor organization, the state AFL-CIO.

And he got the biggest laugh of the evening at the debate when he had his chance to answer a question about how to keep the state budget in good shape.

“You’ve got to keep Earl Ray Tomblin as governor,” he said.

“That was just a joke, guys,” he said, nodding at his opponents as everyone chuckled. Then he added, “No, it really wasn’t.”
]]> Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:13:11 GMT d864da30-842a-4c5f-8f47-ef65fdb154b8 <![CDATA[Clay County Teacher Wins Teacher of the Year ]]>
Clay County Teacher Wins Teacher of the Year
WV MetroNews
A Clay County High School agriculture and forestry teacher who's been in the class room for more than two decades was named West Virginia's Teacher of the Year Wednesday.
Robert Morris won the award during the 2012 Orchestra of Achievements Banquet at the Embassy Suites in Charleston Wednesday.
Morris will receive an educational technology package that includes a laptop and other devices worth $15,000.  He'll also get to use a new Toyota free of charge for a year.  Mountain State Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Horace Mann Insurance will give him a cash reward.
Morris was just one of dozens of teachers and administrators recognized Wednesday.  Teachers from all 55 counties were given an award.
State Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple said the event is designed to support teachers.
"It's a celebration to honor teachers and service personnel who have had exemplary practice in the classroom," Marple said. 
The Mountain State has had trouble in recent years keeping enough teachers in the classroom.  Marple said that could get worse in the future.  More than half of current teachers could theoretically retire, she said.
Marple also said the state is also struggling to recruit new teachers, because of low pay and lack of resources.  The state ranks 48th in the nation in salaries for public teachers.
During the regular legislative session this year, lawmakers approved a one-time pay increase of nearly $1,500 for teachers.  Still, the state is near the bottom in average pay.
With teachers fleeing for better pay elsewhere, the state must honor teachers in any way possible, Marple said.
"We need to attract and maintain the best and brightest teachers in the classroom," Marple said.  "It's really important that, as a community, we honor our teachers as frequently as we can."
Also recognized Wednesday were four Schools of Excellence in the state.  Hurricane Town Elementary and Confidence Elementary are in Putnam County.  Steenrod Elementary is in Ohio County, and United Technical Center is in Harrison County.
Marple said the school board hopes to increase the number of high-achieving schools.  She said it starts with the teachers and resources provided.
"It really determines if you have effective educators in the classroom and you have great schools, then you're going to turn out good kids who can do great work," she said.
Marple said school officials will work to secure another pay raise for teachers next year.
Morris will represent West Virginia in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
 
]]> Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:51:17 GMT 025cb06a-d382-4cad-b9c0-baadc371a26b <![CDATA[Play Is Under Attack in Our Schools: 7 Absurd Stories That Say It All]]> Play Is Under Attack in Our Schools: 7 Absurd Stories That Say It All
Darrell Hammond, CEO of KaBOOM!
This week, our Congress will be returning from their August recess -- a yearly tradition that recognizes the human need to take a break from a grueling schedule and spend some time playing.
At the same time, as children across the country return to school, some will find that they have no recess at all. Others will find that their combined recess and lunch period is so short, they have to choose between food and play.
Play is under attack in our nation's schools -- and shrinking recess periods are only part of the problem. Homework is increasing. Cities are building new schools without playgrounds. Safety concerns are prompting bans of tag, soccer, and even running on the schoolyard.
Despite countless studies proving that play is integral to children's learning and health, most kids aren't getting enough space and time to play during the school day. These seven absurd stories from last school year say it all:
  1. A New York mom sued her child's preschool because the kids there played too much. According to the suit, "The school proved to be not a school at all, but just one big playroom." The mother worried that all this play was ruining her tot's chances of getting into an Ivy League college. Meanwhile, an article in The New Republic reported that children in Finnish elementary schools -- who get an average of 75 minutes of recess a day -- consistently rank higher than U.S. children in International Student Assessment Scores.
  2. School inspectors in New Jersey identified a new playground menace: trees. To eliminate the threat of "suspended hazards," the director of a rural child-care facility in Moorestown, N.J., Sue Maloney, was ordered to remove all tree branches below 7.5 feet from the school property, despite the fact that in her 30 years on the job, these branches have not only provided valuable play opportunities, but have yet to injure a child.
  3. When a youngster in Cabell County, West Va. broke his arm jumping off a schoolyard swing set, his parents filed a lawsuit, prompting a plan to remove all swings from Cabell County schools. Luckily, after consulting with the West Virginia Department of Education's Office of School Facilities, officials discovered that swings are actually required at state elementary schools, and the plan was halted.
  4. In Spring 2011, the New York Department of Health went public with a list of classic games that pose a "significant risk of injury," including wiffleball, red rover, dodgeball, kickball, freeze tag, capture the flag, and tetherball. For years, schools have already been banning tag, soccer, and touch football--all in the name of "safety."
  5. Hostile attitudes towards children's play extend beyond the United States. In Namatakula Village in Nadroga, Fiji, primary and secondary school children were told they were no longer allowed to play after 6 p.m. during the week. The village headman Jovilisi Natoya instituted this new rule to "ensure that [children] concentrate on their studies instead of wasting time playing."
  6. Administrators at the Barlby Community Primary School canceled afternoon recess and banned hard ball in response to complaints from neighbors. These neighbors had contacted the environmental health department to express their concerns about "excessive noise." This is despite the fact that Barlby Community Primary has been around for 100 years, which means that the disgruntled neighbors had knowingly moved next to a school.
  7. Last winter, students in Edinburgh, Scotland were not allowed to go outside to play during recess because the abundance of snow was deemed potentially dangerous -- and because wet boots make a mess in the classroom. An exasperated parent told Scotsman.com, "I'm a trained risk assessor and this is not a health and safety issue."
These stories are only the beginning. Let's start this year off right! It's time to defend our children's right to play -- in the classroom, on the schoolyard, and after school hours.
If you are a parent or a teacher who is concerned that your school is all work and no play, you are not alone. Join the fight against the rising tides of paranoia, testing frenzy, and blatant disregard for the physical, emotional, and mental health of our children. Get started by signing this Back-to-School Pledge and receive a PDF guide with 15 action ideas you can implement this year.
 
]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:06:21 GMT ff4ed092-7a03-4655-86d1-096d959de5eb <![CDATA[Teacher program seeks nominations]]> Teacher program seeks nominations
By MICHAEL ERB, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - A national math and science training program is asking students and parents to nominate local teachers.
The "Send My Teacher" program is sponsored by champion golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy. The duo teamed up with ExxonMobil to form the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a week-long professional development program focused on math and science education.
Since 2005, more than 3,200 teachers representing all 50 states have attended the all-expenses paid workshop.
"We want to make sure West Virginia is well represented," said Shenikwa Stratford, a spokeswoman with the program. "Students or parents can nominate a teacher, and the teacher just has to fill out the application. If selected, they will be a part of the 2012 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy."
The deadline for nominations is Oct. 31. Nominations can be made online at www.SendMyTeacher.com.
The program, held at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., usually in June of each year, is designed for educators in grades 3-5.
"The program really is amazing, giving teachers access to all kinds of math and science experiments and teaching ideas," Stratford said.
 
]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:02:37 GMT 5ee999d4-dcf6-477c-850b-cd9e8a91e1c7 <![CDATA[W.Va. teachers required to earn new Advanced Placement credits ]]> W.Va. teachers required to earn new Advanced Placement credits
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- New training sessions are available for Advanced Placement teachers, and are meant to improve the number of students who succeed in challenging "AP" courses and exams.
But officials with the West Virginia Center for Professional Development worry that a lot of teachers across the state are unaware of the required training.
In June, state Board of Education members approved several policy changes that are meant to open up more AP classes to students and improve their scores on AP exams, said Dixie Billheimer, chief executive officer of the Center for Professional Development. A score of "3" or higher on AP exams -- which are offered to high school students -- is usually worth college credit.
Starting this summer, college faculty and College Board-endorsed high school teachers led summer institutes for Advanced Placement teachers, according to Karen Linville, state AP program director, including some at Capital High School in Charleston.
The New York-based College Board administers Advanced Placement courses and exams, as well as the SAT college entrance exam. State school board members such as Lowell Johnson have long argued that the state should only recognize AP classes approved by the College Board.
Those college professors and high school teachers who led this summer's training sessions have past experience as AP exam readers.
During the sessions, they go over exams with the teachers, look at student pitfalls on the tests and discuss content they might need to focus on when they're teaching the course.
During November's "fall institutes," high school teachers preparing to teach AP classes will learn more in-depth information about course content.
The changes are required for all teachers who will teach AP classes by Fall 2012.
The first fall institute is scheduled for Nov. 2-4 in Charleston, and a second one Nov. 15-17 at Lakeview Conference Center in Morgantown.
"I anticipate that we'll be offering more sessions to accommodate the influx of teachers who will need to come," Linville said.
During the summer, the Center for Professional Development already offered 57 small group sessions across a number of different subjects, Billheimer said last month. "I think we're all still in recovery," she said.

The sessions focused heavily on math, science, English and social studies AP content, Linville said.
The new requirements -- which are included in the state Board of Education's Policy 2510 -- require that high school AP coordinators and principals receive training as well as teachers.

This fall, teachers can receive the required training during just one day at the institute, which helps cut down on county substitute teacher costs.

Last week, West Virginia Center for Professional Development officials released new data from the College Board, which shows that more West Virginia students are taking and passing AP exams.
West Virginia ranked second nationally in the "percent increase" of passing AP exams scores of "3" or higher. During the 2009-2010 school year, West Virginia public school students passed 3,264 AP exams, but they passed 3,992 exams during the most recent school year, an increase of 728.

The state also ranked fifth nationally in the percent increase of total exams taken in public schools. They moved from 8,061 to 9,201 in one year.

More students also took AP exams last year, with 5,710 test takers.

CPD spokeswoman Christy Day said while the raw numbers of test takers and exams passed are lower than most other states (in large part because of West Virginia's size), state educators recognize positive gains.
In a news release, Linville noted that with the passage of Policy 2510, "we hope these numbers will continue to grow as more teachers will be required to take AP professional development."

According to College Board data, 61 percent of students who take two or more AP classes will graduate from college in four years or less.
 
 
 
]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:09:02 GMT 1f3e5774-9787-487c-9f84-33ae4728cd42 <![CDATA[W.Va. schools' emphasis on cursive writing lessens]]> W.Va. schools' emphasis on cursive writing lessens
By The Associated Press
 
FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Cursive writing may be joining payphones in the dust bin of history.
Though cursive is still taught in schools, the West Virginia Department of Education places less emphasis teaching students how to do all those fancy loops and curves.
The Indiana Department of Education no longer requires public schools to teach cursive. Schools are free to teach cursive as a local standard, but they are equally free to stop teaching it altogether. The DOE wants students to become more proficient at keyboarding skills.
The West Virginia DOE mentions cursive writing through its Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives, but each county determines the level of emphasis placed on teaching the scribe, said Liz Cordeiro, WVDOE spokeswoman.
"The Next Generation standards focus more on the content and less on requiring certain scribe,'' she said.
Cordeiro said the intent of West Virginia's Next Generation standards is to guide students through fewer standards that are of higher cognitive demand.
There is a greater focus on understanding and applying the knowledge. The WVDOE is also cognizant of the tools students use to communicate. In other words, school systems must personalize learning to students and how they engage most effectively, she said.
Cursive is taught in grades 2-4 in Marion County Schools because it is required under the BOE's current content standards and objectives.
Randy Farley, administrative assistant for curriculum, technology and instruction for Marion County Schools, is a longtime educator with tours of duty as a teacher and administrator in various schools across the county. He believes cursive should remain part of the curriculum.

"Yes, if at the very least for the purposes of a legal signature,'' he said. "I know we use keyboarding more these days, but there are still requirements for a signature, which of course is in cursive.''

USA Today reports that handwriting was reinstated in Florida's school standards in 2006 after educators became concerned that it was slipping away from classrooms. According to state guidelines, third-graders must begin learning cursive, fourth-graders must have legible writing, and fifth-graders must be fluent in the script.

Cursive is still widely taught in U.S. public and private elementary schools, according to a 2007 nationwide study on handwriting instruction by Vanderbilt University. It surveyed a random sampling of about 200 teachers in grades one through three in all 50 states.

Richard Pellegrin, a veteran educator and administrator, has taught cursive in schools. He believes it is important to teach cursive, but realizes that times are changing because of an emphasis of writing using a keyboard.

"With keyboarding becoming more and more important, I don't know how long cursive will last, but I believe it should be taught,'' said Pellegrin, a former Blackshere Elementary School principal.

Pellegrin said when he was growing up in the 1950s and early '60s, there was more of an emphasis placed on writing than there is today. He can remember how the BOE used to have a writing specialist, but not anymore. Instead of writing, there is more focus on math and science.

"When I was coming up, there was more emphasis on writing,'' said Pellegrin, who serves as a member of the Marion County Board of Education. "Though I think there is more attention paid to math and science, writing is still very important.''
 
]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:07:02 GMT fb9d7b33-96ed-4fbb-bc29-fca00b03f4b7 <![CDATA[Mon truancy rate jumps]]> Mon truancy rate jumps
By Jason Howerton
The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
Sept. 04--Monongalia County Schools is continuing its crackdown on truancy by strictly enforcing a new attendance policy, which is causing a spike in the number of truancy charges.
Prior to the change, students were deemed truant after 10 unexcused absences. The new county guideline lowers that number to five. It went into effect at the start of the 2010-'11 school year.
Students are given five excused absences per semester.
Since November, 140 referrals have been filed to the probation office and about 125 warrants have been filed, said Danica Barrett, attendance director for the Monongalia County Board of Education (BOE).
Further, about 53 magistrate court hearings have been held involving teens ages 13-17.
Barrett, who became attendance director in late November, said the number of truancy complaints has doubled, maybe tripled compared to previous years.
"There is a coordinated, county-wide effort to enforce the truancy policy," she said. "Obviously anytime you make a policy change and get aggressive with it, there is going to be an influx of reported cases."
A parent found guilty of truancy can be fined $50-$100, given five to 20 days of jail time or ordered to accompany their child to school, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ami Schon said.
Schon handles cases of adult truancies, where the parent is held responsible for a student's absence.
Schon said changes in the state code force the county to act on truancy cases by including the verb "shall" in the law.
According to the state code, the attendance director or assistant must serve written notice to the parent or guardian of the student stating that the attendance of students is required. Within 10 days of receiving the notice, the parent or guardian must report in person to the school for a conference with the principal or other representatives.
Barrett said if attendance doesn't improve after the initial conference or if the parent doesn't schedule a conference, a "truancy tracking form" is sent to her at the county offices -- that is where the legal process begins.
"There is no going back from there," she added.
Previously parents would attempt to turn in doctor's notes to explain absences when the legal process was initiated but Barrett said those days are over.
"Parents will have five days after their child returns to school to turn in a doctor's note or parent's note," Barrett said.
While a parent's note is considered an excused absence and students are allotted five per semester, students can miss an unlimited amount of days so long as they have a note from a doctor, she added.
Dawna Hicks, assistant principal at Morgantown High, has sent out 10 truancy complaints since school began Aug. 18.
"We had more complaints sent out last year than any of the past six years when I arrived at Morgantown High," she added.
Hicks has become very involved in the process and regularly attends truancy hearings and speaks on student's behalf.
"I explain directly to the judge why the student is missing school and if there are any extenuating circumstances to consider," she said. "I never miss a hearing."
Hicks also said she has built an excellent rapport with the magistrate and circuit court system, as well as the city police.
 
]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:05:15 GMT bfa3ee55-8ad2-48c5-88ca-80e440299f54 <![CDATA[Education accountability bill is not working]]> Education accountability bill is not working
The Herald-Dispatch editorial
The federal No Child Left Behind initiative has been controversial since it was introduced in 2002.
The goal of the legislation was a noble one, that all American children would receive a good education and do better in school. That includes children with special needs and children from challenged backgrounds -- all our children.
But from the beginning, there were questions about how the progress would be measured and how school systems would drive the improvements needed in instruction and student achievement. At worst, it was an unrealistic goal with no real roadmap for success.
Unfortunately, as the program moves into its final three years, it is going to be a mess and may end up doing more harm than good.
Specifically, the original law set a goal of having all students testing as "proficient" by 2014. In 2002, that probably seemed like plenty of time, and the toughest benchmarks for "proficiency" would not kick in until the final years.
Over the course of the last decade, many area schools seemed to be doing pretty well, achieving their Average Yearly Progress benchmarks. There were growing concerns about "teaching to the test" and losing flexibility at the classroom level, but there seemed to be signs of progress, too.
Then last week, the West Virginia Department of Education released the most recent annual data that showed only 48 percent of the state's 692 schools met those AYP requirements this year. A few days later, Ohio released its numbers, and none of the Lawrence County school districts made those annual benchmarks.
Nationally, about 40 percent of schools missed the mark, and estimates are that could increase to 80 percent in the coming years.
Already, these numbers overwhelm the original intent of the law. Schools that failed to meet the standards were to eventually face interventions and staff replacements. But states cannot "take over" every school -- in many cases, they struggle to come up with adequate staffing as it is, especially for specialties such as math and science.
Earlier this month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan indicated he would waive the 2014 goal of 100 percent proficiency and basically let states "opt out" of the accountability provisions. That seems to be the only reasonable thing to do at this point.
Providing the best opportunities for every student is a great goal -- in some ways a uniquely American goal that many other countries do not consider. But a top-down federal program is not the answer, and hopefully, Congress will soon bring this one to an end
 
]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:30:54 GMT 15b2eef0-bcfb-42e7-bbbd-b03ab2e677c5 <![CDATA[Ohio district puts Facebook limits on teachers ]]> Ohio district puts Facebook limits on teachers
Associated Press
CINCINNATI (AP) — Teachers cannot become friendly with students on Facebook and other social networking sites and can't text or send them instant messages under a new policy in one of Ohio's largest school districts.
The Dayton Public Schools policy — which also prohibits teachers from responding to students' attempts at communicating through any personal or professional accounts not approved by the district — was adopted after reviewing other districts' policies and a model suggested by the Ohio School Boards Association, district spokeswoman Jill Moberley said Wednesday.
The Dayton district is one of many around Ohio that have contacted the association on the issue of teachers and social media, said Sara Clark, the association's deputy director of legal services.
"It's a hot topic for school districts right now, and we are getting more calls on it," Clark said.
Clark said there is no way of knowing how many districts have such policies. It is up to each district to decide whether to follow the association's suggested policy that includes barring fraternization between staff and students through electronic media.
"Obviously there are some risks associated with students and teachers having a relationship outside of school, and this is designed to keep those issues from occurring," Clark said.
Moberley says the district recognized that social media are growing and wanted "to develop a forward-thinking policy setting some parameters."
The head of the Dayton teachers union, who says students have been known to use social media against teachers, welcomes the new policy.
"I see it as a form of protection for teachers," said David Romick, president of the Dayton Education Association. ""We have cautioned members for years to be careful about the use of social media and about keeping their professional and private lives separate."
Teachers in Missouri have complained that a state ban there on teachers having private conversations with students over Internet sites will hamper their ability to keep in touch with students.
State lawmakers approved the ban after more than 80 Missouri teachers lost their licenses between 2001 and 2005 because of sexual misconduct. Some of those cases involved exchanging explicit online messages with students.
A judge, concerned about free speech rights, has temporarily blocked the law from taking effect.
A Cincinnati attorney who specializes in media and First Amendment issues said much of the concern in Missouri focuses on whether the law goes too far — especially in prohibiting contact between teachers and former students.
"There are sometimes good mentoring relations that couldn't continue if a student went on to college," attorney Jack Greiner said.
He said Missouri is the only state he knows of that has handled the issue through statute, but it may not matter whether prohibitions are made at the state or local level.
"I wouldn't be surprised if someone challenges this somewhere in Ohio," Greiner said.
Beavercreek City Schools Superintendent Nick Verhoff told the Dayton Daily News that his southwest Ohio district's policy authorizes teachers to access social media from the district's network, provided there is an educational purpose and they have the principal's approval. But it prohibits personal access and use of social media, blogs or chat rooms from the district's network.
The Warren City School District in northeast Ohio prohibits teachers from social media contact with students on the district's networks for non-educational purposes and is working on an update that could impose similar restrictions on teachers using personal computers, district spokesman Aaron Schwab said.
 
]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:52:12 GMT f8001a05-df8a-49cd-b6e2-ef4b0a4099f3 <![CDATA[Wisconsin Teacher Retirements Double]]> Wisconsin Teacher Retirements Double
By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - When students return Thursday for the first day of school across Wisconsin, many familiar faces will be gone, as teachers chose retirement over coming back in the wake of a new law that forces them to pay more for benefits while taking away most of their collective bargaining rights.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press under the state's open records law show that about twice as many public school teachers decided to hang it up in the first half of this year as in each of the past two full years, part of a mass exit of public employees.
Their departures came before the new law took effect, changes pushed by Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican Legislature that led to weeks of protests at the Capitol.
The ensuing exodus of teachers and other state employees has led to fears that the jobs might not be filled, and that classroom leadership by veteran teachers will be lost.
Ginny Fleck, a German teacher from Green Bay with 30 years of experience, is among nearly 5,000 teachers who retired.
"It wouldn't make sense for me to teach one more year and basically lose $8,000," she said. Fleck, 69, decided to retire in February, even before the bill became law, in part because of the hit she would take to her $60,000 annual salary, and because of other changes the district was making.
In the first six months of 2011, overall public employee retirements were double that in all of either 2009 or 2010, according to data provided to the AP by the Wisconsin Retirement System. That includes 4,935 Wisconsin school district employees who started receiving retirement benefits, up from 2,527 teacher retirements in all of 2010 and 2,417 in 2009.
Teachers weren't the only ones heading for the exits. State agency retirements were particularly dramatic, nearly tripling from 747 in all of 2010 to 1,966 through June. Retirements from the University of Wisconsin System more than doubled, up from 480 last year to 1,091 this year. All told, 9,933 public workers had retired by the end of June, a 93 percent increase from 5,133 in 2010. The year before, there were 4,876 retirements.
The state Department of Administration said no decision has been made on how many of the government jobs will be filled.
"Each agency is looking at the vacancies created by retirements - case by case - and making decisions based on the needs of the agency, as well as with an eye toward keeping costs down for taxpayers," said DOA spokeswoman Carla Vigue.
C.J. Peters, a sixth-grade social studies teacher in Green Bay with more than 24 years of experience, decided to retire about two months before Walker proposed the collective bargaining changes. The fight over that "put the icing on the cake that I had made the right decision," she said.
Peters said her position has been filled, but she worries what effect the loss of all the experience of those retiring will have on the students and educational system.
"You can't get experience through a book, you've got to teach," she said. "I think a lot of talent has been lost."
Roughly 10 percent of the teaching force in Beloit - 60 out of about 600 - retired this year, which means higher class sizes for both elementary and high school students, said superintendent Steve McNeal. The district filled 40 of the vacancies.
"It's a significant loss to our system, it's a significant loss to education," McNeal said. "We lost a whole bunch of talent and a whole bunch of talent all at the same time. It disrupted the normal cycle."
Many public workers feel under attack by the measure that required them to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits and took away most of their ability to collectively bargain.
Lawmakers pushed the changes as a way for schools and governments to deal with deep cuts necessitated by a state budget shortfall. Since the law took effect, Walker has repeatedly touted examples of schools like Fond du Lac, Hudson and Appleton that say they are saving money.
Some of the savings are due to the large number of retirements. In general, older teachers get paid more and so represent more of a savings for the schools when they leave. Beloit saved $920,000 through the retirements, McNeal said. But he said those decades of experience cannot be replaced with teachers fresh out of college.
It's unclear how many vacancies caused by teacher retirements are being filled statewide. A spokesman for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards said it was not tracking retirements. A website maintained by the state listed 244 public school openings as of Monday.
Most of the 29 retirements in the Eau Claire school district were filled, said superintendent Ron Heilmann. And that figure was actually down compared to the three-year average of 32 out of a staff of roughly 840.
Heilmann attributed that to the fact that teachers got some certainty by extending their contract for a year, though they took a salary freeze along with the higher pension and health care payments. But Heilmann said there already is chatter about a spike in retirements next year when that contract ends.
"In the back of my mind, that's always a concern of mine," he said. "As a state, Wisconsin is going to have to wake up and balance both sides of the equation. Is losing people on the higher end of the salary schedule good for our schools and children in the long term?"
In Green Bay, Fleck said about 140 out of 1,700 of the district's teachers retired this year. She said another 50 or so planned to retire in the middle of this school year.
"All of the leadership is gone," she said. "Some of these younger people who come in need help from the older teachers and they are gone. Plus, the morale is really down."
Fleck, who will not be reporting to school for the first time in three decades, is not having second thoughts.
"I made the right decision," she said. "I'm glad that I did."
 
]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:51:25 GMT a1789510-6e19-45f2-80a8-538fb645a6e7 <![CDATA[Mo. judge blocks Facebook limits for teachers]]>
Aug 26, 3:31 PM EDT
 
Mo. judge blocks Facebook limits for teachers
By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A new Missouri law prohibiting teachers from having private online conversations with students suffered a double setback Friday. First, a judge blocked it from taking effect because of free speech concerns. Then the governor called for its repeal.
The law limiting teacher-student conversations through social networking sites such as Facebook had been scheduled to take effect Sunday. But Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem issued a preliminary injunction blocking it until at least February, saying the restrictions "would have a chilling effect" on free speech rights.
A couple of hours later, Gov. Jay Nixon said he would ask lawmakers to repeal the restrictions during a previously scheduled special session that starts Sept. 6. Nixon's request goes even further than the judge's order, which was confined to private conversations on non-work-related websites. The governor also wants lawmakers to reverse new restrictions on work-related websites and abolish a requirement for schools to develop written policies by January on teacher-student communications.
Nixon, who signed the legislation last month, said Friday that the provisions about online communication are "causing substantial confusion and concern among teachers, students and families" and thus should be stricken.
"In a digital world, we must recognize that social media can be an important tool for teaching and learning," said Nixon, a Democrat.
Republican state Sen. Jane Cunningham, who sponsored the measure, said she already has been working with education groups on a potential compromise that would repeal the existing law and replace it with a less-specific requirement for local school districts to develop policies about teacher-student communications. Cunningham said it's important to make the change as soon as possible.
"There's no reason for us to punt on this thing and let it continue to simmer and draw attention from all over the world," said Cunningham, who represents a suburban St. Louis district.
The Missouri law would have barred teachers from using websites that give "exclusive access" to current students or former students who are 18 or younger. That would have meant that communication through Facebook or other social networking sites had to be done in public, rather than through private messages.
The limits on Internet communications were included in a broader education bill passed earlier this year with the overwhelming support of the Legislature and various schools groups, including the Missouri State Teachers Association, which later filed suit over the social networking provisions.
One of its main provisions, which was not challenged, requires schools to share information with other districts about teachers who have sexually abused students and allows lawsuits in cases where districts fail to disclose such information and teachers later abuse someone else. Nixon said he still supports those provisions and is not asking for them to be repealed.
A public backlash began to build against the social networking provisions over the summer, as some teachers preparing for the new school year began complaining that the law could hamper both their classroom activities and school-related conversations that occur afterhours.
"This particular issue took a national tone, and we started to hear from teachers not just in Missouri but from throughout the United States," said Todd Fuller, a spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association.
One third-grade teacher, for example, feared the law could prevent her class from communicating with one in Australia through a closed website. Others raised concerns about virtual classrooms in which students communicate with direct messages, Fuller said.
In its lawsuit, the teachers association said websites such as Facebook and Twitter have become a common part of modern interaction between teachers and students and argued that restricting them would violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The judge said the teachers' lawsuit had a good likelihood of success. His order noted that social networking sites are used extensively by teachers and that the law would have restricted online communications even between family members in which teachers are parents.
"The breadth of the prohibition is staggering," Beetem wrote in his order, which blocks the law until Feb. 20 so that a hearing on a permanent injunction can be held.
The judge's order specifically assures teachers that they cannot be disciplined for engaging in private online communications with students while the injunction is in effect - even if it is later overturned.
The attorney general's office, which defended the law in court, declined to comment Friday.
Fuller said that if lawmakers repeal the law, then the group's lawsuit would become moot. "But until that happens we wouldn't drop the suit," he added.
 
]]> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:35:12 GMT 4e432714-6e96-42d3-8ac3-6f60b14ae41a <![CDATA[Battle over Mercer County schools’ Valedictorian policy begins anew ]]> Battle over Mercer County schools’ Valedictorian policy begins anew
By MATT CHRISTIAN
Princeton Times
PRINCETON — It’s been three months since Mercer County’s Class of 2011 graduated, but the Board of Education has made little progress in finding a fair way to determine who goes to the head of the class.

The Mercer County Board of Education met in regular session at the Mercer County Technical Education Center (MCTEC) Seminar Center Tuesday, and the controversial valedictorian policy that ended in a court debate last spring dominated the discussion.

After the Pledge of Allegiance and approval of the Aug. 17 meeting minutes, the Board moved immediately into executive session to address legal matters.

Because the executive sessions are closed to the public, it was unclear what legal matters required the closed doors. The agenda included reference to Fredeking litigation that dealt with water runoff near Princeton Middle School, and board members made brief reference to possible litigation involving a PikeView Middle School contractor.

Forty minutes after the executive-session motion, the board returned to regular session, taking up proposed policies on high school grading and class rank.

Since the last time these policies were discussed, they were placed on the Board of Education website for public comment. Policy I-10, the grading policy, generated a total of two comments that were incorporated into the policy revisions.

Board member Mary Alice Kaufman expressed relief at the policy after asking about the use of standardized tests in classrooms as opposed to teacher created ones.

“I was approached about science teachers that were giving tests from the books,” Kaufman said. “Does this policy give the supervisory staff the right to approve the test?”

Kellan Sarles, the data/information specialist for Mercer County Schools, responded, “I am unaware of any teacher that gave a standardized test as a final exam.”

The board then approved the policy, 5-0.

Then, the Board moved into a discussion of the revisions to Policy I-28, which sets guidelines for determining class rank. According to a handout provided, the changes aim to provide clarity in the methodology used for class rank and clarifying the definition of grade point average (GPA).

The value the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) defines as GPA is actually identified as quality point average (QPA) by Mercer County Schools. The quality point method scales classes differently, according to the difficulty of the class, thereby offering students taking honors or advanced-placement classes additional points because they enroll in and complete more strenuous classes.

Gillespie started the policy discussion by asking, “What do you mean by rounding?”

“After 5, you move up to the next number,” Vice President Gilbert “Gene” Bailey responded, referring to the notion that after a decimal place has passed 5, then the next number to the left advances one digit.

Prudich and Board member Lynne White then resumed a debate from the last discussion of the policy. Again, White took the position that numerical grades were unreliable.

She said, “Numerical grades do not pass the reliability and validity tests.”

Prudich countered by arguing that “whether its mathematical rules or not, its still unfair.”

Prudich mentioned that under the QPA system a 93 was given the same weight as a 100 which would seem to undervalue the 100.

After a lengthy discussion between Prudich and White, Gillespie advocated the use of the state’s preferred methodology.

He said, “If that’s (QPA) what the state wants, then that’s what we need to do.”

Bailey seemed to be growing increasingly frustrated and said, “I don’t like it.”

He continued, “I don’t know why we could do that,” referring to the practice of adding points to honors and AP courses.

Since she was absent from the last discussion of the policy, Kaufman asked if the county is required to set a method for determining valedictorians.

“If we were to eliminate our policy, then the school could decide for itself,” she said. “If there was one student that stood above the rest then they could pick him. We would just designate honors students.”

Then, Kaufman moved to eliminate the 3.5.D policy item that broke the ties in the selection of valedictorian with GPA, or the basic numerical grades students earn through 28 high school credits.

White seconded the motion, but Gillespie, Prudich and Bailey all voted against the motion, defeating the proposal

Finally, Board members asked Assistant Superintendent Joe Turner, who is also former Bluefield High School principal, for his input.

“Consensus shows lack of leadership,” he said. “I have no problem awarding valedictorians and salutatorians.”

Bailey called for a vote.

Sarles then informed the board that one comment of the four offered on the valedictorian policy mentioned that “28 credits was an unfair advantage,” because some students would have to drop some credits, which would inflate their rank.

The motion to enact the policy failed 0-3-2, with Prudich, Gillespie and Bailey objecting and Kaufman and White abstaining.

Superintendent Deborah Akers then asked the board for “direction on this policy.”

Prudich said, “I just want the kids to get what they earned.”

Kaufman suggested that the panel seek input from high school principals.

Gillespie said, “They need to concentrate more on their ACT score, rather than who’s No. 1 or 2.”

The board moved into new business, starting with the approval of the lease of the Melrose Presbyterian Church’s parking lot for Melrose School. The board approved the lease, 4-0, with Bailey abstaining because he was a member of the church.

Next on the agenda was a matching-funds request for Princeton Middle School to buy new band uniforms. Every board member expressed concerns about this before voting for the purchase, 5-0.

White and Kaufman questioned the fairness of the move, and Prudich wondered “if they had tried to raise money themselves.”

The board also unanimously approved the purchase of a truck for snow removal from Stephens Auto Center in Danville. Bailey called the $30,003 price “excellent.”

The board also rejected Jenny Meadows’ request to transfer her son from Summers County High School to Princeton, on the basis that it would put too many students in the classrooms at Princeton.

Bailey voted against the rejection.

The board approved the transfer of Gretchen Meadows’ child to Summers County, some invoices for July and some prepaid expenses for August.

Akers also highlighted a statistical trick regarding adequate yearly progress, or AYP, which is used to determine a school’s progression toward meeting educational goals annually.

She said, “They used two different groups in the calculation that didn’t need to be there.”

One was the K-2 schools that were not tested and did not have AYP results that were counted in the 48 percent that did pass. The other was the inclusion of new schools in the 48 percent that did not have the base year necessary to meet the calculation
]]> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:33:59 GMT 5ece0344-4317-41bf-9639-7d81c730c3aa <![CDATA[WVEA-PAC endorses Tomblin for governor]]> WVEA-PAC endorses Tomblin for governor
The West Virginia Education Association-Political Action Committee (WVEA-PAC) met on Saturday, August 20th and endorsed Earl Ray Tomblin for governor in the special gubernatorial election to be held on October 4, 2011.
 
“WVEA-PAC’s recommendation of Earl Ray Tomblin for governor is based on his responses to our candidate questionnaire, a formal interview and his past record,” states WVEA-PAC Chair Dale Lee. “Tomblin is committed to moving teacher salaries to a level competitive with our surrounding states. He also intends to expand vocational education, address the student dropout rate and combat the drug problems plaguing our students.”
 
“In addition, acting governor Tomblin understands the need to resolve the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) problem that is financially handcuffing local boards of education. The acting governor realizes OPEB is a state responsibility and understands the need to remove the liability from the local budgets of county boards of education,” continued Lee.
 
In addition, as a senator, Tomblin supported measures designed to reduce the liability in the Teachers Retirement System (TRS). He supported plans to increase contributions to pay off the debt over a 40-year period and place the revenue from the tobacco settlement bonds into TRS. Tomblin also favored allowing participants in the Teachers Defined Contribution retirement plan (TDC) to return to the older TRS plan.
 
“Tomblin began his career as a substitute teacher and his wife is a lifelong educator. He understands the hard work and dedication of education employees to improving the lives of our students. He understands the difficulty in finding highly qualified educators to fill vacancies. It is his desire to make education a more attractive profession by improving the respect and salaries of those who make education their career. On those points we most certainly agree,” concluded Lee.
 
Republican nominee Bill Maloney was given the opportunity to participate in the endorsement process. His campaign choose not to return phone calls or complete the questionnaire.
]]> Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:32:54 GMT d6a6cfd4-f229-40ff-98b1-585926c68da6 <![CDATA[Judges to crack down on truancy]]> Judges to crack down on truancy

By BILL ARCHER Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD —  Truancy — un-excused absences from public school for students 17 years old or younger — is a growing problem in Mercer County and the circuit court judges of Mercer County hope to work with the county school system and other agencies to reverse the trend.

Judge Derek Swope, Judge William Sadler and Judge Omar Aboulhosn are scheduled to meet with members of the Mercer County Board of Education at noon on Sept. 15, to make a power point presentation that underscores the correlation between truancy, dropping out of school, drug abuse and ultimately, landing in the courts and going to prison and outlines the judges vision of how a truancy court could dovetail with existing programs.

“Compare the correlation,” Aboulhosn said as he spoke to members of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph’s editorial board on Wednesday. “Eighty percent of our jail population never finished high school.” He said that 16 percent of prison inmates are high school graduates who did not pursue college or vocational school, 3.5 percent went to college or vocational school, “but only one-half of 1 percent graduated with a college degree or received a vocational certificate. There is a direct correlation between school and jail population.”

Aboulhosn worked with the board of education to obtain some real statistics concerning the problem in Mercer County. During the 2010-2011 school year, 4,510 students out of the total 9,477 students in Mercer County (47.6 percent) were truant five or more days. He pointed out that the trend starts in elementary school and becomes a bigger problem in high school.

When he researched the problem, he learned that one Bluefield high school student had been absent 117 days. “A lot of them had been truant 30, 40 or 50 days,” he said. “With a truancy rate this bad, I can only imagine how bad the tardy rate must be.”

Aboulhosn said that the program the judges will propose will incorporate a collaborative effort that includes working together with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Mercer County Probation Department, the county truancy officer and the board of education. He said that the program has been successful in other counties where the county board of education has worked to obtain grant funding for a coordinator.

“The three judges are going to Nicholas County early in September to see how there program works out,” Aboulhosn said.

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is working to develop a statewide program aimed at addressing the state’s “truancy habit.” To that end, the high court has scheduled 14 regional meetings to discuss the initiation and expansion of truancy courts. The first such meeting is scheduled in Kanawha County on Sept. 13, with other meetings scheduled prior to Thanksgiving.

 

]]> Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:31:58 GMT a81ffeec-9aca-4ce1-af7a-20fef8abb567 <![CDATA[State superintendent says more students are 'making the grade']]> State superintendent says more students are ‘making the grade’
By Sarah Plummer
Most schools showed improvements in the 2010 - 2011 West Virginia Educational Standards Test (WESTEST2), according to the West Virginia Department of Education.

Results released that, of a total of 692 West Virginia schools accountable under No Child Left Behind, 329, or 48 percent, met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Of the 329 schools counted as reaching AYP, 30 automatically made the mark because they are either new, exempt or K-2 schools, said the release.

No Child Left Behind requires all students test proficient by 2014, meaning scores must increase each year.

Additionally, the scores students needed to attain to be considered proficient have increased. The state said third-graders needed to score 557 points in math to be considered proficient in 2009. In 2010, they needed 581 points.

“What we value in West Virginia is constant improvement and student academic growth,” said state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple in a press release. “Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind is a tough task for schools across the nation. Nonetheless, more West Virginia students are making the grade.”

Most schools that did not reach the AYP still improved, said Marple.

Fifty-five percent of schools showed improvement in mathematics, and 77 percent showed improvement in reading and language arts, reported the Department of Education.

“Even the schools that were not able to jump over the proficiency bar still showed improvement,” said Marple. “For example, more than 6 percent of the high schools that did not meet the AYP target showed improvement in reading/language arts. The increase is significant given the more difficult curriculum, the more difficult test and the higher expectation of performance.”

Some schools are held accountable as subgroups, schools with large numbers of students with disabilities, students from low socio-economic areas and African-American students.

Ninety-nine schools in the state were held accountable as a subgroup with students with disabilities. Of those 99, 22 met AYP.

In the subgroup containing students from low socio-economic areas, 202 of 506 schools held accountable met AYP.
 
]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:52:34 GMT b057d8f3-6245-4ec2-b204-8fb1f66a6f97 <![CDATA[Westest results send mixed message]]> Westest results send mixed message
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The number of West Virginia schools failing to make "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind act has risen significantly over the previous year.
The standard is measured by schools' performance on the 2011 West Virginia Educational Standards Test, or Westest 2.
A press release issued by the state Department of Education on Monday begins by saying, "West Virginia students are headed back to class with strong school improvement numbers."
It says the majority of schools showed improvement in the 2010-11 school year.
However, the release goes on to say that of the 692 schools affected by the 2001 law, only 329, or 48 percent, met the "adequate yearly progress" standard.
The other 363 schools, or 52 percent, did not make the cut.
This is down from 81 percent of schools meeting "adequate yearly progress" in 2009-10, according to Liza Cordeiro, a spokeswoman for the education department.
So how can test scores rise and the number of schools meeting the federal standard drop?
The standard is a rising target that becomes more difficult to hit each year. The ultimate goal of the federal law is for all
· tudents to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.
To meet "adequate yearly progress" this past year, schools had to increase the number of students in each grade level achieving proficiency-level scores on the Westest 2 by 16 percent in every subject area.
Students in grades 3-11 take the test.
The press release notes that a third-grader needed to score 557 on the math section of the test to be considered proficient in 2009-10. That jumped to 581 points in 2010.
The release says that 55 percent of schools showed some improvement in math scores and 77 percent had higher reading and language arts scores.
State Superintendent Jorea Marple says in the release that while a number of schools did not meet "adequate yearly progress," some gains were made.
"What we value in West Virginia is constant improvement and student academic growth," she said.  
She also noted that the current Westest 2 is more rigorous than its predecessor, and she mentioned a state education initiative as a way to boost educational advancement.

"As part of Global21, our goal is that students are ready to be successful whether they go to college or enter the workforce," Marple said.

"The good news is that a great percentage of schools that did not reach the 2011 AYP proficiency mark still showed improvement."

She noted that achieving "adequate yearly progress" is becoming more difficult as time goes on.

"Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind is a tough task for schools across the nation. Nonetheless, more West Virginia students are making the grade."

Earlier this month U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that because Congress had not approved changes to No Child Left Behind, a waiver process would be put into place to give states relief from the 2014 deadline.

West Virginia is one of many states hoping to take advantage of the waiver process.

It has been predicted if the law is not changed, 82 percent of public schools nationwide will not meet the goals set for this year.

However, even the waiver would require the state Department of Education to continue working on ways to measure student growth.

Marple says that philosophy has been needed from the beginning rather than the "flawed" system offered by No Child Left Behind.

"So what you see now is huge numbers of schools in different states not meeting AYP, and I think that's the wrong message to send to the community," Marple said in a phone interview last week.

To obtain a waiver, the state is developing a new system to demonstrate individual student growth.
More details on how much flexibility the federal government will provide states are to be released in September.
 
 
]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:37:50 GMT a9c112f7-ed50-46a4-ab9a-56d61cbdd798 <![CDATA[Meth residue major factor in bond vote, officials say]]>
Meth Residue Major Factor in Bond Vote, Officials Say
WV MetroNews
Officials with Boone County schools say a recent controversy surrounding meth residue found at the county's career and technical center likely played a major role in defeating a school bond measure over the weekend.
"There's no doubt that that did impact the outcome of the election," said Jeff Huffman, the county's schools assistant superintendent.
On Saturday, Boone County voters easily defeated the bond issue that would have put about $68 million toward improvements at several county schools.  A brand new school would have been built from the ground up.
Huffman says the bond issue faced a big hurdle after the county had to close the Boone County Career and Technical Center earlier this summer.  That school was shut down when investigators found meth residue in the building.
In May, state police arrested the Danville vocational school's principal, Keith Edward Phipps, and a teacher, Jack Turley, on charges they smoked meth in Phipps' office during the school year.
Since that time, residents have been clamoring for school officials to require drug testing for school workers.
"Until the school system looks at implementing policies that mandated drug testing for all employees, they were not ready to support a bond levy for the school system," Huffman said. 
The failed bond means the school system will forfeit $23 million the state School Building Authority had awarded to Boone County schools.  That funding was contingent on the bond issue passing.
"We are leaving $23 million on the table," Huffman said.  "Anytime you turn down $23 million of free money, that's a little disheartening."
Still, Huffman says there are major projects needed in Boone County.  He says they won't throw in the towel yet when it comes to state money.
"We will not give up on going back to the SBA in the future with projects and utilizing some of our local money toward projects, and trying to leverage School Building Authority money for help with those project," he said.
Had the bond passed, Madison would have received a brand new high school
 
]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:36:31 GMT 79301b12-328c-4363-9288-46cd96ad5ff1 <![CDATA[South Dakota schools cut costs with 4-day week]]> South Dakota schools cut costs with 4-day week
Associated Press
IRENE, S.D. (AP) — When the nearly 300 students of the Irene-Wakonda School District returned to school this week, they found a lot of old friends, teachers and familiar routines awaiting them. But one thing was missing: Friday classes.

This district in the rolling farmland of southeastern South Dakota is among the latest to adopt a four-day school week as the best option for reducing costs and dealing with state budget cuts to education.

“It got down to monetary reasons more than anything else,” Superintendent Larry Johnke said. The $50,000 savings will preserve a vocational education program that otherwise would have been scrapped.

The four-school week is an increasingly visible example of the impact of state budget problems on rural education. This fall, fully one-fourth of South Dakota’s districts will have moved to some form of the abbreviated schedule. Only Colorado and Wyoming have a larger proportion of schools using a shortened week. According to one study, more than 120 school districts in 20 states, most in the west, now use four-day weeks.

The schools insist that reducing class time is better than the alternatives and can be done without sacrificing academic performance.  Yet not all parents are convinced.

“The kids are going to suffer,” said Melissa Oien, who has four children in the school and serves as vice president of the parent-teacher organization. “Of course they will. They’re missing a whole day of school.”

The downsizing comes as schools in some larger cities are moving in the opposite direction. In Chicago, school officials hope to add school days so students will learn more and have better employment prospects.

Irene-Wakonda’s predicament, like those of many other rural districts in the Great Plains, is compounded by declines in population and enrollment. The two towns, which are eight miles apart, combined their school districts in 2007 to save money. Wakonda got the elementary school and Irene the middle and high schools. Farming is the largest share of their economies, though some people commute to jobs in Yankton or Vermillion.

Johnke, the superintendent, said the district will add 30 minutes to each day and shorten the lunch break to provide more class time Monday through Thursday. In elementary school, recess and physical education classes will be shortened.

The changes won’t entirely make up for losing Friday, Johnke said, but the district will still exceed the state’s minimum standard for class time and will teach all the required material.

“We feel they’ll get the same instruction. It’ll have to be done a little bit differently,” he said.

South Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature slashed aid to schools this spring by 6.6 percent to help close a $127 million budget gap. Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard said state revenue has not grown in three years while costs have risen for medical services for the poor.

He ruled out revenue increases. “I believe in shared sacrifice,” Daugaard said earlier this year. Education groups hope to put a tax proposal on the 2012 ballot.

Facing budget shortfalls in the sour economy, many other state Legislatures also cut public education spending this year — some, like Texas, sharply.

In South Dakota, the cut comes in a state that, according to recent census data, already ranked 44th in state spending per pupil. The Associated School Boards of South Dakota estimates another $233 million a year is needed to adequately fund schools.

Many districts reduced staff or eliminated programs to make up for the lost money. The number of districts going to four-day weeks has nearly doubled in just two years.

Wayne Lueders, the recently retired director of the Associated School Boards, said a four-day school week won’t actually save much because schools still must pay salaries and benefits, “but every dollar counts in this current situation.”  

Schools can save on busing, food and other operations.

South Dakota’s state education secretary, Melody Schopp, says schools that have switched to four days haven’t suffered in achievement tests.

In Deuel, a 500-student district that shortened its week four years ago, Superintendent Dean Christensen said as much as $100,000 a year has been saved and the failure rate has declined, which he attributed to more time for tutoring and teacher training.

“It’s not something to be scared of,” Christensen said.

Woonsocket, a tiny eastern South Dakota district of just 185 students, plans to drop one Friday per month as an experiment, saving about $4,000 annually.  

“I’d kind of like to put my feet in the water a little bit and see if this four-day week is as positive as everybody is talking about,” Superintendent Rod Weber said.

James Hansen, former head of the state Education Department, is among those who worry that less schooling will put students at a disadvantage in a global economy.

“I think the students should be in school more than they are now,” Hansen said. “The other countries are doing a far better job of making sure their students are prepared to meet the competition of the world.”

While studies have confirmed the value of extending classroom time, no substantial research yet exists on academic achievement when it’s shortened, said Michael Griffith, a senior policy analyst for the Education Commission of the States and author of a recent report on the four-day week.

In Irene-Wakonda, which had already dropped an arts teacher and several aides to cut costs, teachers and students said they’ll make the best of the situation.

“I think it’ll be fun for students because you’ll get an extra day to do whatever you want,” said Melissa Hessman, a 16-year-old junior. But, she added, “The longer the weekend, the more the brain’s going to slow down, I think.”

Farmer Don Logue said he accepts that there are few options.  

“Nobody wants change, but where there is, usually you adapt to it,” Logue said.
 
]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:09:50 GMT f55160ca-16b6-4db3-acea-6b62b971b598 <![CDATA[Most Kanawha high schools drop block schedules]]> Most Kanawha high schools drop block schedules
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Teachers, students and principals at most Kanawha County high schools have prepared to move into a traditional school-day schedule, and away from block scheduling.
The scheduling change will take effect when classes begin at most schools across the county Friday.
Calvin McKinney, the principal at Sissonville High School, said the new schedule will be an adjustment for students and teachers.

"It's taken a little bit of creativity, but we've managed," he said.    

Under the more traditional, seven-period school day, one 12th-grade student who wants to graduate next spring will take both Spanish I and Spanish II concurrently over the full school year.

With a block schedule, the student would have taken a more natural path to get those foreign language credits. He could have taken a 90-minute Spanish I course during the first semester and his Spanish II course the second semester.

Here's how the schedule will change at Sissonville: Last year, students took four 90-minute "block" courses each day. Each semester, they would earn one credit for passing one 90-minute course.
That allowed them to earn eight credits each year.

With the more traditional schedule, each class period is essentially cut in half, as Sissonville students will have seven periods each day instead of four.

Now, it will take students both semesters to earn one course credit.

That means they can now earn seven credits in one year, as opposed to eight, which gives students who struggle academically less margin for error on the road to graduation, McKinney said.

Teachers have prepared for the new schedule, but "the rubber meets the road when the kids get here, and it's going to be a change" for those returning to the high school, he said.

Trecia Peterson, the assistant principal for curriculum at South Charleston High School, said the move to a traditional, seven-period class schedule will give students up to 28 credits over four years. With block schedules, students could graduate with 32 credits.

"It was a challenge to take our courses from four to seven classes and still provide a quality schedule," she said, but added, "I'm kind of excited about it. I'm excited about the challenge of something new."
A common criticism of the block schedule is that it's more difficult to fully teach - or to keep students' attention -- over an entire 90-minute period.

Last year, Kanawha Superintendent Ron Duerring -- who favors a more traditional schedule -- announced his decision to do away with block schedules.

McKinney and Mike Kelley, the principal at Herbert Hoover High School, both talked about how teachers will need to readjust the way they pace their instruction.

The state-mandated content, standards and objectives that teachers must teach will now be spread out over a year's time, as opposed to one semester.
"Anytime that you do something new, there are going to be bumps in the road. I don't anticipate it being a problem for our teachers," Kelley said. "We have a strong staff and I'm sure that they will adjust very quickly and very effectively to the change."
This fall, George Washington High School will move away from its complex "flex schedule" to a more traditional school day. Staff at six of the other seven county high schools that were on block schedules are making changes, said Tom Williams, Kanawha County's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Still, many high schools like George Washington and St. Albans have other unique aspects to their schedules. St. Albans students, for instance, will go to school over three "trimesters."    
Capital High School has already been on a traditional schedule for years.      
Williams met with the high schools' assistant principals for curriculum (like Peterson) every month, and he discussed the scheduling process with them. At those meetings, "some of them had concerns or questions [and] we would discuss it with them," he said.  
High school administrators phone Williams with questions, and he thinks they've been doing a good job with the transition. 
When Duerring announced the county was moving away from block scheduling, the principals tackled his directive and got it done, Williams said. 
Still, some teachers and principals at schools with block schedules were initially displeased with the plans.
Many of the staff members at Sissonville have never taught under anything but a block schedule, McKinney said. Six teachers retired in the past school year. Some, perhaps, did not want to readjust at that point in their career, he said.
So did they retire because Sissonville is losing block scheduling?
"Not totally, but I think it had an emphasis on it," McKinney said. "I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm just saying change is tough on folks."
At Herbert Hoover, Kelley said the new schedule "has not given us the opportunity to offer a great deal more" in terms of new courses.
"It's about the same for us," he said.
Teachers at Hoover will still teach the same number of courses over the entire school year. The difference is that they'll now teach six classes over the full year, instead of three full classes the first semester and three the second semester.
Yet the bottom line, as Kelley sees it, is that a school's schedule really doesn't matter when it comes to student achievement.
"If the kids are motivated to learn and teachers are giving high quality instruction, then that's going to equal achievement," he said. 
]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:18:27 GMT b041d87d-784c-4863-b0f0-2efab16f575e <![CDATA[Educators wanted for marine Corps experience]]> Educators wanted for Marine Corps experience
The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON -- The Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Charleston is looking for more than 40 educators to visit Parris Island, S.C., to learn more about the base and its history during the annual Educators Workshop.
The four-day camp is scheduled from Tuesday, Oct. 18 through Friday, Oct. 21. During the week, superintendents, principals, counselors and teachers will be given an up-close look at how Marines are trained.
At the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to meet Marine recruits from the area, challenge themselves with various obstacles in the confidence course, challenge a Marine martial arts instructor in pugil sticks and fire the M-16A2 service rifle.
Transportation for the trip is arranged with local Marine recruiters. Attendees depart from Yeager Airport early in the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 18, and return in the late evening Friday, Oct. 21. Marines provide transportation to and from the airport. The Marine Corps pays for all lodging and meals at Parris Island.
Due to a limited number of vacancies, reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Staff Sgt. Edward Guevara to express interest or for more information. Guevara can be reached at 304-302-0537, option 6; 304-389-4633; or edward.guevara@marines.usmc.mil.
 
]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:17:07 GMT befa3bcf-51a3-478a-875b-351cdffc5089 <![CDATA[Rural schools make learning part of long bus rides]]> Rural Schools Make Learning Part Of Long Bus Rides
By Diette Courrege for Education Week
Rural children often face longer commutes than their urban peers, and the West Virginia Board of Education is hoping a pilot program will make that a more productive time for students.
The state is giving four rural schools iPod touches and access to electronic and audio books so students can read on the bus.
They're spending about $95,000 to buy the iPod touches and eBooks. Students who aren't part of the pilot will be able to use their personal iPods to download books, and library media specialists will help students pick books based on their reading abilities. Some money also will be used to train media specialists.
Liza Cordeiro, the education department's executive director of communications, said the money should cover about 180 books for each elementary and middle school and 360 titles for the high schools. Students also can download about 20,000 classic titles that are out of copyright and are free.
The Books on the Bus program is part of the education department's Read WV campaign to encourage reading. The state plans to apply for a $20,000 Title I School Improvement grant to provide equipment for one more pilot school.
Cordeiro said the idea for the program came from the state's executive director of transportation, Ben Shew, who saw a need for it. The schools picked had the longest commutes, a minimum of 30 minutes for the elementary school, 45 minutes for the middle school, and 60 minutes for the high school. Special education students will use the devices during the day for enrichment.
West Virginia isn't the first place where educators are trying to make better use of students' lengthy bus commutes. About 25 districts across the country, both rural and urban, have signed up to install internet routers on buses, according to an NPR story.
And one school bus in rural Pope County in Arkansas takes the cake. The bus in Hector School District has been transformed into a mobile classroom, complete with five computer screens, earphone jacks, wireless internet, video-conferencing capabilities, and a separate scanning device to record bus activity.
Providing an educational opportunity during a long commute seems like a good idea, but is the rural Arkansas district taking it too far? How much should schools be investing in these kinds of efforts? My bet is we'll be talking more about these issues in the future.
 
]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:15:34 GMT fbc48cae-4632-4fa0-8b86-dff918f7e984 <![CDATA[Fresh focus for a new school year]]> A FRESH FOCUS FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR
From the Governor's Desk: A Weekly Column by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin

West Virginia's students prepare for the first weeks of school with anticipation and excitement. It is a time for students to catch up with friends, settle into a routine and plan for the year ahead. This year, I encourage students, teachers, administrators, parents and community leaders to transform the way we look at student achievement and develop a new focus.

This past spring, several West Virginia students heard first-hand the dangers of dropping out of school. In an effort to present the real impact of the consequences of dropping out of school, a school bus retrofitted with a jail cell and a documentary video travelled the state informing our youth about the true cost such a decision could have on their lives. I, personally, spoke with students at Capital High School in Charleston and heard students' concerns about their classmates who they feared were headed down a dangerous path with no future. Then and now, I encourage all members of the education community to come together and develop a plan to keep youth in school. It is this local understanding that will make all the difference. My drop-out prevention program, supported earlier this year by the legislature, enables schools to seek funding from the West Virginia Department of Education for their tailor made action plans. It is my hope that this school year, administrators will take advantage of this opportunity, not only for the students, but for their families and the community as a whole.

In recent weeks, some of the largest companies operating in West Virginia have touted the benefits of living and working in our state. One of the most discussed benefits is our people. Our workforce is second to none and that outstanding reputation begins with a classroom education. At the same time, we need to increase the number of college graduates-again, this begins with a solid knowledge-base, developed in primary and secondary education classes. That is why this school year I encourage the business community to become involved with our young people. Often times, our students lack the self-confidence needed to achieve. One person, believing in one child can change that child's future.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of announcing that West Virginia is one of ten states to win a $1 million grant from Complete College America. This grant will further our state's policy innovations and reforms aimed at significantly increasing college completion. Among several objectives, the funding will specifically assist West Virginia in developing standard learning objectives for developmental math and English courses, and credit-bearing introductory math and English courses that will be available at any college in the state so that students in need of remediation can earn credits toward graduation right away.

We have the power to increase the number of college graduates and enhance our already strong reputation for a reliable and knowledgeable workforce. It will take the involvement of every one of us to make sure our students are reaching their highest potential. That is why I encourage every West Virginia parent, educator, administrator and community leader to join this effort as we begin this new school year.

]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:13:57 GMT 0ef401b0-014d-4089-873f-70af6613838a <![CDATA[State to seek waiver from No Child Left Behind]]>
State to seek waiver from No Child Left Behind
By The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia plans to seek a waiver from key aspects of the No Child Left Behind law, which could free hundreds of schools from federal sanctions.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 8 that waivers would be available under certain conditions.
State Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple says that West Virginia would "be in the same boat as a lot of other states'' in not meeting a 2014 deadline for standardized test scores. The law's provisions increase testing benchmarks.
State Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro says scores on the West Virginia Educational Standards Test would have to increase 20 percent each year if the state wants to meet the 2014 deadline.
 
 
]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:22:13 GMT b2c69e02-bf9f-4bb7-8597-baaec315292e <![CDATA[Judge stays library ruling, school board must continue funding]]> Judge stays library ruling, school board must continue funding
By Zac Taylor
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. has put on hold his recent ruling that would eliminate $2.8 million in annual funding that the Kanawha County Board of Education provides to the Kanawha County Public Library every year.

After ruling last month that the school system should not have to chip into the library's funding stream under a 1957 state law, Zakaib ordered school officials to continue to make $235,150 in monthly payments to the library while the parties await an appeal in the state Supreme Court.

The school board's funding stream accounts for nearly 40 percent of the library's total budget, lawyers for the library said in court Tuesday. Eliminating the monthly payments would force the library to immediately cut programs.
"What we're simply asking here is a preservation of the fiscal status quo," Chris Winton, one of the library's lawyers, told the judge.

Axing the funding stream would affect the library's children's literacy program, its participation in the West Virginia Book Festival, the hours of operations at the buildings and other areas, Winton said.

"These are all services that are performed and delivered to students, teachers and citizens of all forms and all kinds in Kanawha County," Winton said.

On July 29, Zakaib granted the school board's motion for injunctive relief, which halted the funding stream that provides a large portion of the library's budget. In 1957, state lawmakers created a special act that forces the school board, the county commission and the city of Charleston to contribute to the library's budget.
The city funds about 20 percent of the budget while the commission provides another 40 percent, lawyers for the library told the judge.

In his ruling last month, Zakaib said that the act created a "lack of uniformity" in the public education financing scheme. The Kanawha County Board of Education is one of eight other school boards in the state that must fund county library systems under the 1957 law
.
Al Sebok, lawyer for the school board, said in court that in 2003, when the board first sued over the perceived unfairness of the act, the school system paid the library $2.2 million
.
"That's $2.2 million that never went to the classroom," he said. "How long are we going to let this go on?"

Sebok said that if the judge stayed his ruling, the school board would have to continue to contribute to the funding stream while awaiting a potentially lengthy appeal process. He asked the judge to allow the board to give the money to the library as a bond that they would have to pay back if the appeal fails.

Larry Rowe, another lawyer for the library, said that the library was a subsidiary of the school board and is directly involved with numerous school programs. He chided the board's lawyers for acting as if the library was a "foreign entity" that took in less than 1 percent of the school system's $280 million budget
.
Rowe also pointed out that one county library is actually located inside of Riverside High School.

"The Kanawha County school board really ought to pay their fair share," he said.
]]> Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:12:53 GMT 0d0d3392-a545-4309-a2c9-7fe1c02ff3ac <![CDATA[Back to School]]> Back to School
MetroNews Talkline

The doors are open today at schools throughout West Virginia.
 
Summer vacation is coming to a close and the 2011-2012 is underway already in some areas, with more school openings to come later this week and next week in other parts of West Virginia.
 
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee says, when he was a teacher, the first day of school was always his favorite.
 
"I loved to see the kids come in and get to know them and figure out ways to reach them," Lee said on Tuesday's MetroNews Talkline.
 
He says many teachers started preparing for the new school year months ago.  "Teachers have been preparing all summer for this.  It's what they do," Lee said.
 
The new school year will continue into next June in parts of West Virginia.
 
 
]]> Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:01:07 GMT a4284037-da90-4dfc-8c3d-5d92b912eea7 <![CDATA[WVSU president faces no-confidence vote Tuesday]]> WVSU president to face no-confidence vote Tuesday
By Paul J. Nyden
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After a quarter-century at the helm of West Virginia State University, the school's president will be the subject of a no-confidence vote from faculty members on Tuesday.
West Virginia State University President Hazo Carter faces the vote during Tuesday's Faculty Senate meeting. Tim Ruhnke, the Faculty Senate's chairman and an associate professor of biology, said the vote will be open to all of the school's 121 faculty members.
"Over a period of the last few years, there has been an increasing level of frustration with the functioning of the administration," Ruhnke said Friday. "I don't want to paint with a broad brush. There are certainly some folks in the administration who work extremely hard."
Carter did not address the situation last week, but issued a statement that said, "Every year I start the school year with an address to the faculty, and I look forward to the upcoming meeting next week. This will be my 25th year of welcoming the faculty back to school."
Carter has been president of the university since 1987, an institution originally founded to provide college education to black students.
Ruhnke said Friday he hasn't had any contact with Carter's office over the situation.
"This is not something coming from me. If there is a resolution, it will come from the entire faculty," Ruhnke said. "I am simply the person who will preside over this meeting."
The vote would be a symbolic one; members of the WVSU Board of Directors would be the ones to fire Carter if it came to that.
Larry Rowe, a Charleston lawyer and former state senator, became chairman of the Board of Directors on July 1. He thinks "it is an overstatement to talk about 'stagnation' at West Virginia State."
Rowe believes the creation of a community and technical college, required by state legislation, is a major source of current financial problems faced by West Virginia State University and other colleges in the state.
Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College enrolls students interested in two-year degrees, isolating them from the rest of the students on West Virginia State University's campus.
In 2008, state lawmakers required four-year public colleges to spin off their two-year colleges into independent institutions. The measure, supported by then-Gov. Joe Manchin, was focused on preparing West Virginians to enter the workplace quickly with a two-year degree, rather than going down the traditional four-year college path.
Rowe noted that WVSU will have 200 fewer students this fall than last fall, along with "a deficit this year of $1.4 million, the result of having the amount the community college paid us reduced by $1.3 million.
"It is difficult for a university when you pull out a third of its student body," Rowe said. "Community college students cannot sit in the same English course as the four year students. We question that."
Rowe believes separate classes are a good idea in special areas like certified nursing.
"But with fundamental English or mathematics courses, why do classes have to be separated?" he asked. "The state Legislature is micromanaging higher education policy."
 State legislators, Rowe pointed out, have done more to help some universities than others.
"The Legislature provided a $5 million cushion for the [community college] problem at Fairmont State and Marshall University," Rowe said.

"We have not gotten that yet -- $1.25 million a year, over a four-year period, would help us absorb the impact."

Still, Rowe thinks things are improving on the Institute campus.

"There hasn't been any building on campus for a long time. But we have a new $50 million athletic facility ready to dig," he said. "Second, we are working on new housing, which will greatly energize the campus and increase the number of students living there."

While the new academic/athletic facility, with an arena seating 2,500, is being built, State's basketball team will play at Charleston's Civic Center, Rowe said.

Earlier this month, WVSU officials said they would sell bonds to pay for an $11 million media center in downtown Charleston. University officials announced plans for the center in 2006, and have tried for years to raise private donations for the center, with no success.

Ruhnke also worries about the impact of community and technical colleges on enrollment.

By the fall of 2012, he said, Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College will move to the old Dow Tech Center. "The state is also investing money in the renovation of those facilities."

At that point, West Virginia State will lose another $1.6 million a year in "financial service agreements" with the community college, Ruhnke said.

Tuesday's no-confidence vote could reflect disenchantment with that situation, and others affecting WVSU.

"It is unfortunate these discussions are public at this juncture. This is a sensitive situation," Ruhnke said. "No one is of the opinion that President Carter is a bad person. There have been accomplishments during his administration.

"But there is also a sense of stagnation, a feeling new leadership could take us in the direction we need to go."
]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:54:16 GMT 6314d4c4-a34b-443a-8fbb-d3297dc7fa54 <![CDATA[Crews clean meth residue at Boone school]]> Crews clean meth residue at Boone career, technical center
by Zack Harold
Daily Mail staff

CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- Workers dressed in hazardous material suits have been working to clean methamphetamine residue from Boone County's career and technical center.
The parking lot in front of the career center has been roped off and marked with "Keep Out" signs. A sign near Southern Community and Technical College's entrance told registering students to visit the Fountain of Life Worship Center, about a mile down the road.
On Friday, four filled-to-capacity Dumpsters sit on the lot. Desk chairs were piled high in one Dumpster along with waste baskets and U.S. Mail tubs. Other Dumpsters appeared to contain ductwork and other debris.
Workers refused to talk to members of the media and wouldn't confirm what company they worked for.
The Boone County Board of Education is paying $169,000 to have the methamphetamine residue cleaned out.
The career and technical center was shut down last month after state health officials found evidence of methamphetamine.
Last spring, Principal Keith Phipps and teacher Jack Turley both were arrested on meth-related charges. Both have been on administrative leave from the school since March.
Turley faces four counts connected to manufacturing methamphetamine and Phipps faces one charge relating to purchasing more cold medication than the law allows.
On Aug. 2 the Boone school board awarded a $169,000 bid to Idaho-based Meth Lab Cleanup, LLC.  
Crews started work at the career center last Monday. Boone Superintendent John Hudson said Meth Lab Cleanup had to submit its plans to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources for approval
Hudson said he expects cleanup efforts to wrap up this weekend. That doesn't mean the school is ready to reopen, however. School system maintenance staff will need time to put the rooms back together-replacing whatever cleanup crews threw away and rearranging furniture

The building will not be ready when Boone students start back to school on August 22. Hudson said the county has been working with state Department of Education  and career center staff to offer alternative classes, including "online options."

About 450 students are enrolled at the career center, coming from the Scott, Sherman and Van high schools.
Hudson said last week he didn't know what items are being thrown away.

"We leave that to the experts," he said. "They decide what goes and what does not go."
He said many items in the school can be cleaned and reused, however.

The DHHR recommended the career and technical center be closed but did not require it. School officials chose to err on the side of caution and close.
Only about a dozen adult students and five employees were in the building on a daily basis when the DHHR performed its investigation.

Jeff Huffman, assistant superintendent of Boone County schools, told the Daily Mail last month none of the methamphetamine residue could be seen or touched, though there were significant amounts that warranted additional environmental testing in other areas of the school, including walls, floors, classrooms and air ducts.
]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:50:21 GMT 9fef4675-1e37-4e90-9b51-8f43a0b82bee <![CDATA[Eight counties offering free meals to all students]]> Eight counties offering free meals to all students
By The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Students in eight West Virginia counties will get free meals regardless of family income under a one-year pilot program aimed at improving child nutrition.
The state Department of Education says participating schools will offer breakfast, lunch or both.
The schools are in Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Lincoln, Mason, McDowell and Mingo counties. West Side Elementary in Kanawha County also is participating.
The schools and counties that volunteered to participate have a high percentage of children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The schools have agreed to eliminate processed foods and increase school-made meals, offer more choices to students and offer breakfast after first period, in the classroom, or grab-and-go options.
 
]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:44:04 GMT 333585f7-040c-45c2-8db8-66ad6f039e3f <![CDATA[Technology, pay raises among top priorities for state BOE]]> Technology, pay raises among top priorities for state school board
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple will soon ask the Legislature to invest millions in new school technology, a mentoring program to retain young teachers and employee pay raises.
At their monthly meeting in Charleston Wednesday, state Board of Education members outlined five main legislative priorities.      
Marple said she would take the board's priorities to state Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who is acting as governor, and the Legislature, among others.
State Department of Education officials and state board members support a $23 million annual investment in technology tools (like computers) and infrastructure (like broadband access) over the next four years.   
They also want to move West Virginia from 48th in the nation in teacher pay to at least 25th within the next decade. 
Board members' priorities also include supporting counties who hope to resolve a debate over retired employees' health-care costs and opening up more dollars for Regional Education Service Agencies.
Last month, state board members filed a "friend of the court" brief supporting 50 county school systems that have sued the state over retired employees' health-care benefits. State law, they argue, imposes an unfunded mandate on county boards of education that "grossly interferes" with the state school board's ability to fund a thorough and efficient system of schools. The health-care benefits are called other post-employment benefits, or OPEBs.
Education officials want to remove a funding cap on RESAs that prevents them from offering the same amount of services, such as computer repair, they once did.      
Marple also expects to ask for about $930,500 to expand a mentoring program for new teachers and principals. State data show that 44 percent of West Virginia educators will be eligible to retire in the next five years, making it even more important to support and retain the new ones.    
Also Wednesday, Dwight Dials, the state-appointed superintendent in Fayette County, gave state board members a passionate and blunt description of some problems the county school system faces.
Fayette County had as many as 38 vacancies at one time within the past school year, and it's difficult to find enough certified or highly qualified teachers.
"The supply and demand problem is real," Dials said. "We need to work on that."
County school leaders have tried to recruit new employees from as far away as Alaska and even India, he said.
 One 11th-grade student at Valley High School grabbed everyone's attention at a meeting when he said, "I'm sorry to say I did not have a thorough and efficient education," according to Dials.
One of the student's math teachers had missed 40 days of school and the substitute could not teach geometry.
Some Fayette employees have problems with attendance, while others with years of experience or education don't believe they need to attend sessions for staff development, or curriculum training.
The county's pool of substitute teachers has been maxed out on some days, with all or most of them in classrooms at one time.
Also, many Fayette students get tested on higher-level learning concepts -- known as depth of knowledge -- than they learn in the classroom.     
"I'm telling you, we have needs," Dials said.
He spoke in response to a state board discussion earlier Wednesday about teacher evaluations. He said blanket evaluations that indicate a struggling or failing teacher is doing fine does no good, and he'd like to see "courageous discussions" about real problems with teachers.    
   
"Equal treatment of un-equals won't fix it," he said.
Fayette County is one of seven county school systems under state control. The others are Lincoln, Gilmer, Grant, McDowell, Mingo and Preston.
Also Wednesday, Deputy State Superintendent Chuck Heinlein said Harrison, Wyoming and Taylor counties, along with schools and offices in RESA VII, have been chosen for review as part of a statewide "education efficiency audit."
Private auditors, who contracted with the state, will visit each of the school districts by mid-September, Heinlein said. 
The $750,000 audit, spearheaded by Tomblin, will look for places to save money in various state offices, including the Department of Education, the School Building Authority and the Department of Education and the Arts.
 
 
 
 
]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:25:54 GMT 79b25f26-c4a7-4b6a-b578-5e6bbdca80a6 <![CDATA[State BOE proposes changes to athletic trainer's certificate]]>
State BOE Proposes Changes to Athletic Trainer's Certification
Staff
Statewide
A proposal from the West Virginia Board of Education would require a new certification process for athletic trainers hired by county boards of education.
On Wednesday, board members voted to put several policy changes regarding athletic trainers out for a 30-day public comment period.
The proposal includes requiring trainers to be registered with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy when they are hired.  Trainers would also have to be certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification.
However, the plan would also get rid of requirements for trainers to renew their athletic trainer student support certificate. 
Trainers who currently hold athletic trainer student support certificates and athletic trainer student support permits would be grandfathered in, under the new rules.
Parents, teachers and others interested in the policy can submit comments at the board's website at http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies.
 
 
]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:20:32 GMT 83c6e7d0-152b-4292-87ed-a11994a1562a <![CDATA[School board wants help from state legislature]]> School board wants help from state Legislature
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- The state school board wants the Legislature to help improve technology in classrooms, clarify debt associated with post-employment benefits for public employees and work to bring up teacher salaries.
State Board of Education members voted to support those priorities at a meeting Wednesday but did not specify how they should be reached.
Jorea Marple, the state superintendent of schools, and Betty Jo Jordan, her executive assistant, went over the five items they wish to bring before the Legislature.
Last year, the school board produced a similar list of goals, but Marple warned that they were produced too late in December, just before the Legislature went into session.
"They weren't so happy that they got such late notice on a lot of things, particularly the large concern of technology," Marple said.
State educators want to improve technology in the schools, but they emphasized the need for flexibility. They're proposing $22.9 million be spent on technology for classrooms over the course of four years.
"Last year technology had quite an amazing price tag on it to fund K-12," Jordan said. "This is one of those areas where we listened to our stakeholders and said 'perhaps there is a better way to approach technology.'"
Rather than trying to fund every grade level simultaneously, educators are proposing to alternate their emphasis on six different grades chosen by the school system, eventually improving the technology for all grades by 2020.
The state school board is also hoping the Legislature will tackle the enormous budgetary challenge known as other post employment benefits, or OPEB.
In July, the school board filed a brief in favor of a lawsuit being brought before the state Supreme Court by 50 county school boards over the unfunded liability of health care benefits promised to public employees in retirement.
The lawsuit primarily concerns OPEB and the way the Public Employees Insurance Agency now requires school systems to account for them. After 2006, county school boards had to start reflecting more liability on their books for the benefits.
Though the state school board isn't asking for any funding in regard to the OPEB debt, it is being requested that the matter be resolved so that 39 counties, including Kanawha, can avoid being thrown into the red next year.
The board is also not asking for any set amount of money for teacher and service personnel pay raises, but board members are asking for the issue to be addressed to make West Virginia more attractive to new teachers.
The average teacher salary in West Virginia ranks 48th in the nation, Jordan said. The board is asking that steps be taken to bump salaries up to at least 25th within the decade.
Tied into paying new teachers, state Department of Education data show that 44 percent of teachers here will be eligible to retire in the next five years. Twenty-eight percent are eligible now.
To prepare the new teachers to replace those who are retiring, the board would like to establish a more thorough educator mentoring program.  Most school systems have a single-year mentoring program in place, but the $1.7 million appropriation requested would expand it.
The board is also asking that the cap on funding for the state's Regional Education Service Agencies be removed at a cost of $1.5 million.
Jordan explained that if the cap isn't removed it will result in the termination of multiple positions within the state's eight RESA districts in the next two years. This includes several computer technicians, two technology integration specialists and seven support staff positions.
Capital improvements, technological assistance, staff development and psychological and audiological services will all also be reduced if the cap is not removed.
Though the board voted unanimously in support of the Legislative priorities for this year, board members have not yet signed a resolution reflecting the goals.
The resolution would be put out for support from county school boards and education organizations across the state.
Some state board members suggested some fine-tuning might be in order. The board will examine the resolution at its meeting in September.
"We collectively didn't do that great of a job dealing with the Legislature last year," said board member Michael Green.
"What's the problem with giving us the opportunity to review all of these things? I mean, the Legislature isn't even in right now; it's Aug. 10."
 
 
]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:17:11 GMT 881b818b-89db-4fb7-8bad-bab2d0cb336e <![CDATA[State receives grant to increase college completion rate]]>
 
State receives Grant to Increase College Completion Rates
A $1 million grant will help the state develop new programs.
By Whitney Burdette

West Virginia has been awarded a $1 million grant to further policy innovations and reforms to increase college completion rates, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced August 9.
West Virginia was chosen as one of ten states to receive the grant, which is provided by Complete College America as part of its national Completion Innovation Challenge grant competition. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided funding support for the program.
“This funding gives us an additional enhancement in the state’s overall effort to assist students in obtaining the education they need to prepare for the future they want,” Tomblin said. “The road to a college degree is not always easy and this grant should be encouraging to everyone who works hard to help young people achieve their goals.”
Governors from all 50 states were invited to submit proposals to win one of 10 $1 million grants for innovative, high-impact college completion initiatives designed to enhance student success and close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented students. As a winning state, West Virginia was determined to have one of the nation’s most promising strategies to make it easier for students to complete college.
“Gov. Tomblin gets it—doing more of the same will not boost student success or get West Virginia the additional college graduates it must have to be competitive,” said Stan Jones, president of Complete College America. “It’s long past time for bold innovation in higher education to remove unnecessary obstacles to success, fix broke policies that hold students back, speed achievement and redesign pathways to college graduation for the new majority of students who must balance work and school.”
With the grant money, West Virginia will:
Develop standard learning objectives for developmental math and English courses which will clearly identify what students need to know before entering college-level course work, set clear expectations for students and provide a common tool for faculty to use;
Develop modular developmental math and English classroom and online curricula that enable students to focus on skill development only in the areas where they are deficient;
Develop credit-bearing introductory stretch math and English courses that will be available to any college in West Virginia and serve those students in need of some remediation but enable them to earn credits toward graduation right away.
“West Virginia’s innovative plan to transform remediation promises to significantly increase college completion, saving students precious time and money and giving taxpayers more of what they expect from their hard-earned investments in higher education: College grads,” Jones said.
This is the first year for the Complete College America grant program.
 
]]> Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:41:40 GMT a126e684-f430-4ceb-bafe-9faf36e020cf <![CDATA[Teachers using history trunks for class projects]]> Teachers using history trunks for class projects
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- Teachers from the five counties comprising of the Regional Education Service Agency 2, which includes Cabell County, helped create the Teaching American History Project.
The project produced four trunks filled with items and books that represent different eras in American history.
Each trunk also includes a "Reading Strategies and Writing Strategies for Social Studies" book from teacher-created materials.
The first trunk is called Children and Civil War and contains books written by and for elementary children, lesson plans and several readers' theater plays complete with costumes. The trunk also contains artifacts, such as Confederate money and belt buckles.
There also are several other hands-on materials, including a Harriet Tubman doll with various Underground Railroad activities and a Civil War soldier set.
The second trunk, The Founding Four: Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Franklin, contains books on the four men in a variety of reading levels. This trunk also has readers' theater plays and costumes, artifacts that include a drum and fife, compasses and spy materials.
There also are CDs with period music, several DVDs and an animated DVD on Ben Franklin and his discovery of electricity.
The third trunk, The Ohio River: Its Place in American History, can be used by science and history teachers. It contains several books on the Ohio River and some on rivers in general. Some of the books have been written by local authors, signed and donated to the trunk.
Other books were obtained from the River Museum in Point Pleasant. There also are readers' theater plays with costumes and a binder full of lesson plans and games and suggested websites where a teacher may go to get more information or enjoy animation.
The fourth trunk, The Coal Industry: Its Past, Present, and Future, contains artifacts that include an antique mine phone, miner's hat and script. Several coal companies also donated materials including pictures, DVDs and brochures on the process of producing coal. Coal miners themselves also donated various items that they use in the mines to keep themselves safe. Each artifact includes a tag that explains the use of each item.
The trunks will be available for loan to teachers across the state and nation.
The participating teachers included Tina Cooper, Shannon Rayburn, Julie Cooley, Kim Burgess, Jennifer McComas, Bobbi Leslie and Sherry Jarrell, Cabell County; John Roy, Melissa Adkins, Aly White, and Nancie Perry, Lincoln County; Julie Bibbee, Linda Stanley, Roberta Hall, Margaret "Ann" Wilson, June Kessinger and Stacy Bissell, Mason County; Mariana Elkins, Krystal Logan, Deanna Maynard, Barbara Fields, Craig Parker, Sherry Copley and Emma Renn, Mingo County; and Rhonda Wellman, Deborah Fuller, Amy Bellomy, Crystal Akers and Beverly Shannon, Wayne County
 
]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:27:55 GMT fc105576-c9fe-4baa-9f68-84742cc20825 <![CDATA[Rise of for-profit colleges a concern to state higher ed chief]]> Rise of for-profit colleges a concern for state higher ed chief
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The rise of private, for-profit colleges in West Virginia -- a sector of schools that often costs a student more to attend than public or nonprofit colleges -- concerns state Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Brian Noland.
Nationwide, for-profit colleges enroll 10 percent of all U.S. students at higher education institutions, but account for 47 percent of student loan defaults, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
"As I look at what's happening in the proprietary sector, I'm extremely concerned that we are seeing institutions [that] are more interested in their bottom-line profit margins than they are learning outcomes of students," Noland said.
Proprietary institutions exist to make money for stockholders. Public colleges with a budget surplus often reinvest in campus facilities, programs or other infrastructure.
Often, though, proprietary schools conform to the hectic schedules of working parents and other older, nontraditional students who want to further their education.
"My big concern here is that if I'm a first-generation West Virginia college student from a rural county, I may not know the difference between the University of Phoenix, DeVry, Alderson-Broaddus and Glenville [State College]," Noland said. "It's all a college."
For instance, if a student from War in McDowell County goes to college, has a miserable experience and ends up defaulting on his student loans, it hurts that student and his community -- no matter where he went to school, Noland said.
Even with the higher loan default rates, students enrolled at for-profit schools across the country receive 25 percent of all Pell grants, which are federal needs-based awards, Noland said.
"Something's clearly in need of revision," he said.
This year, state legislators passed a measure (SB375) that requires the Higher Education Policy Commission to make "consumer information" materials available to potential students after institutions trigger warning signs.
The ultimate goal is consumer protection, Noland said, and he hopes it provides a "layer of accountability."
Lawmakers are still working out new rules related to the legislation, he said.
'For-profit sector ... small but growing exponentially'
For-profit schools are not as prevalent in West Virginia as they are in states like Florida, Arizona or California.
"Our for-profit sector's rather small but it's growing exponentially," Noland said.
Two new campuses for National College have popped up in Princeton and Parkersburg, while a new Strayer University campus is in Putnam County.
Both schools must follow revised state guidelines that give the Higher Education Policy Commission some authority to make sure that new schools have proper accreditation, qualified faculty, justifiable tuition costs, adequate library resources and more.
The new rules went into effect March 29, and apply only to new schools and colleges.    
Among the largest for-profit institutions in the state is Everest Institute in Cross Lanes. According to a trial, three-year cohort default rate for the 2008 fiscal year, 41 percent of former Everest students in Cross Lanes defaulted on their loans.
This accounts for borrowers who were supposed to start repaying their loans between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, but defaulted on their loans by Sept. 30, 2010.
The Everest campus in Cross Lanes offers programs such as medical billing and coding, massage therapy and electronics, computer and communications technology.
Kent Jenkins, vice president of public affairs communications for Corinthian Colleges -- which owns Everest Institute, Heald College and WyoTech -- said the company's schools were hit hard by the economic downturn.
"Like a lot of other organizations, the recession had a tremendous effect on us," Jenkins said. "It really hit us hard. We definitely had a cohort default rate problem."

But within the past couple of years, Corinthian Colleges invested more than $10 million annually on programs to reduce the default rate, he said. The programs involve a lot of individual outreach and keeping in touch with graduates after they leave school.

Across Corinthian's 120 campuses in the United States and Canada -- and its more than 100,000 students -- company officials estimate that this year they'll report between a 9 percent and 12 percent cohort default rate, Jenkins said.

The most recent default rate they reported exceeded 21 percent.    

    
"It's something that we're addressing and we are getting very significant results," he said. "No question that we've done a lot about it." 

But Jenkins said a lot of Corinthian's students are non-traditional, minority and low-income students who benefit from career education, and are traditionally more likely to default on their loans, he said.

Noland said he recognizes that the country is coming out of one of the most difficult economic downturns in its history. Jobs and career opportunities have become scarcer.

Still, when you start to compare one institution with a 41 percent default rate against a second with a much lower default rate, it raises questions, he said.

'It's a national issue'
Noland said there are some outstanding for-profit institutions in the state. One of them, he believes, is the American Public University System based in Charles Town.

"I'm deeply impressed by what they do," he said. "Their president, Wally Boston, is a very knowledgeable, a very thoughtful, and I think a very skilled leader. So I'm not speaking of the for-profit institutions with a very broad brush."

The institution has a three-year cohort default rate of 11 percent.

But Noland worries about the amount that students will borrow to pay at a private, for-profit school for a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree when compared to public schools.

According to the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 97 percent of students in the U.S. who earned a bachelor's degree from a for-profit school borrowed money and had an average debt of $33,046. Graduates with debt from public schools borrowed less frequently, at 62 percent, and borrowed $13,000 less, on average.

Of the graduates who earned an associate's degree from a for-profit, 99 percent borrowed and carried an average debt of $19,750. Less than two in five public school graduates borrowed money, and the average borrower carried a debt of $10,577.   

        
"What a lot of these institutions do is, they maximize tuition," Noland said.

For instance, one for-profit might charge students $16,000 for the same degree in public safety that the student could receive at Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College for much less money, he said.

"To cover that, you've got to go out and borrow," he said. "And everybody borrows."

Starting this fall, required tuition and fees at Kanawha Valley CTC, a public school, will be $3,082. 
Noland also has concerns about aggressive recruiting strategies, one of the problems that Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has focused on. Harkin is chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"Sen. Harkin of Iowa has focused a great deal of his committee's time and attention to this," Noland said. "This is not a West Virginia issue. It's a national issue."

 
]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:23:03 GMT c1e04349-8327-4758-9c62-744a9d251dd3 <![CDATA[Missouri teachers protest social media crackdown]]> Missouri teachers protest social media crackdown
Alan Scher Zagier
Associated Press
 
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- As they prepare lesson plans for fall, teachers across Missouri have an extra chore before the new school year begins: purging their Facebook friend lists to comply with a new state law that limits their contact with students on social networks.
The law was proposed after an Associated Press investigation found 87 Missouri teachers had lost their licenses between 2001 and 2005 because of sexual misconduct, some of which involved exchanging explicit online messages with students.
But many teachers are protesting the new restrictions, complaining the law will hurt their ability to keep in touch with students, whether for classroom purposes, personal problems or even emergencies.
The new law forbids teachers from having "exclusive access" online with current students or former students who remain minors, meaning any contact on Facebook or other sites must be done in public rather than through private messages.
Lucinda Lawson, an English teacher at Hartville High School in southern Missouri, expects to purge nearly 80 current and former students from her Facebook account, and she worries that doing so could leave some students vulnerable.
Private messages give "truly supportive teachers the chance to get help for them when they're in dangerous or compromising situations," Lawson said.
Lawson once called a state child-abuse hotline after a private online conversation revealed dangerous drug use by a student's adult family member. She encouraged a pregnant teen to remain in school and helped the girl tell her parents. Another student confided that his attendance woes and classroom struggles were caused by the financial and emotional stress of caring for a mentally ill parent.
Lawson has no qualms with other provisions in the law to monitor teachers accused of sexual misconduct, such as conducting annual criminal background checks and requiring districts to share information about employees who are fired or resign in sex-abuse cases.
Still, she says, teachers often use Facebook and other online forums for legitimate educational purposes - and to help students with personal troubles they might not be willing to discuss in more public settings.
In Joplin, where 160 people died and hundreds more were injured by a historic tornado in May, several teachers relied on Facebook to track down missing students in the storm's immediate aftermath.
"I am not a pervert and don't wish to be treated as one," Joplin middle school teacher Alana Maddock wrote in an email to Gov. Jay Nixon in June, not long before he signed the legislation. "I am very responsible with my Facebook pages and don't appreciate being assumed to be a danger to my students."
The law, which takes effect Aug. 28, does not outright prohibit teachers from interacting with students on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other sites. Instead, it requires local school districts to create written policies by January that outline "appropriate use of electronic media such as text messaging and Internet sites for both instructional and personal purposes."
It will be up to individual districts to define "exclusive access," but in general the law holds that any contact must be made in the public sphere rather than through private messages. So teachers can set up public Facebook pages or Twitter accounts but can't reach out to their students as friends or followers, or vice versa.
State Sen. Jane Cunningham, who sponsored the proposal, said many educators who have spoken against the new rules misunderstand them. The legislation had backing from education lobbyists and organized teacher groups and enjoyed unanimous support from lawmakers.
"Any teacher who is really working hard with a student privately would want to have a parent or administrator know how hard they're working," said Cunningham, a Republican from suburban St. Louis. "The only problem is if there's something they want to hide."
Despite its earlier support for the measure, the Missouri State Teachers Association now says it plans to seek changes when legislators return to the Capitol in January.
"The problem is the bill is so vague," said Todd Fuller, a spokesman for the statewide teachers' group. "There is a lot of interpretation left up to a local school district."
Many school districts already have such policies in place, and individual teachers have their own internal guidelines, Fuller added.
Nate Smith, a debate coach and history teacher at Lee's Summit High School near Kansas City, said he already declines students' Facebook friend requests to maintain personal and professional distance. He worries that some overzealous districts will go even further than the limits spelled out in the new law
.
"You'll have a lot of school districts that will ban all forms of social media communication with students," he said. "There could be some really good educational opportunities lost."
In Hartville, Lawson isn't the only member of her household who needs to amend her Facebook settings. Her husband is also a teacher, and their 14-year-old daughter, Olivia, relied on Facebook to communicate with her English teacher to discuss school projects.
Olivia Lawson said she spends several hours a day on Facebook. And like her mother, she recalls examples of friends and classmates who shared concerns with teachers online that they would not dare discuss in person.
"In person, there's always the chance of someone else hearing you," she said. "Sometimes you don't really want your friends to know what you're talking about with a teacher."
 
]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:18:10 GMT 5f6d3345-c6b6-4668-8053-dab26789e944 <![CDATA[Speaker says relationships key in education]]> Speaker says relationships key in education
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
If you ask Shelley Stewart if he knows one thing about education, it's that relationships work.
Stewart, Wednesday's keynote speaker for an education summit in Charleston, talked of his own tragic experience as a child, and a subsequent relationship with a loving teacher that put him on a path to success.
When he was just 5 years old, Stewart watched his illiterate father murder his equally uneducated mother with an ax in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala.
That was exactly 72 years ago today.
Stewart is now the president and CEO of o2ideas, Inc. and the founder of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, named for his late mother.
He says it all comes back to a single moment between him and his first-grade teacher at Rosedale Colored School.
"She didn't point at me and say how I would never amount to anything; she pulled me to her, and she hugged me and said, 'Shelley, if you learn to read, if you get a good education, you can become anything you want to be,' " Stewart told a room full of educators at the last day of the Student Success Summit.
The state Department of Education and the Higher Education Policy Commission sponsored the three-day summit.
Stewart described his climb from homeless 7-year-old to successful radio personality in the 1950s and '60s and then to prosperous businessman as an example of how an education can save a person in the direst of situations from a life on the street or in prison.
The relationship between him and his teacher made that education possible.
"I'm telling you, the problem is lack of relationships. Programs do not work; relationships do," Stewart said.
This is not the first time Stewart has been to West Virginia to talk about dropout prevention. In March, he worked with acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to bring a documentary on the topic to schools throughout the state via a Verizon Wireless sponsorship.
The film, "InsideOut," features interviews Stewart conducted with male and female prisoners who did not complete their education.
"I failed my generation," one inmate says.
"What kind of impact could I have had on society if I had gotten the education encouraged by my parents?" asks another.
The film has reached 8 million students in 45 states since 2007, Stewart said.
In his travels as a businessman and philanthropist, he recognized a disconnect between students and those involved with delivering their education.
"It is everyone's problem," he said.
"I'm discovering throughout this country the lack of relationships in people. I'm discovering too much politics in education. If you put politics and education on the same table, education is going to lose."
In Wednesday's audience was Joanne Tomblin, the state's first lady and president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. She spoke at the summit on Tuesday.
She cited the need to address the dropout problem by developing support systems for middle school students before they consider quitting school.
"We've got to be able to reach them starting in middle school so that they can see what careers they might want to be guided into," she said.
"Most are more than capable of getting through high school, but they lack that support at home and are uninformed on what they can be doing to obtain a job later."
She cited a Georgetown University study that found West Virginia must produce an additional 20,000 college graduates by 2018 to sustain the state economy.
For Stewart, the way to ultimately discourage dropout rates comes back to relationships like the one he had with his first-grade teacher.
At the end of his address, he called on the educators to follow her example.
"If it is in your heart to do the right thing, go back to your communities and form those relationships one at a time," he said.
 
]]> Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:29:26 GMT e180ff3f-1284-4560-a5c7-0e8f9c947161 <![CDATA[Standardized testing leaving some kids behind]]> Diane Mufson: Standardized testing leaving some kids behind
August 02, 2011 @ 10:25 PM
The Herald-Dispatch
Early this summer a major story broke that 178 teachers and principals in the Atlanta public school system were reported to be cheating on scoring their students' standardized tests.
Following this revelation a variety of comments were heard. A sampling included, "How could such a thing happen?" "Well, it wouldn't occur where my children attend school." "It doesn't make sense for teachers to cheat in this way."
Let's be realistic. There is a reason for what transpired. Test scores were not rising the way they were expected to do. "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) was passed by Congress in 2001 in an effort to ensure that all children do well academically. Here's the problem. Standardized testing, which is part of NCLB, is leaving some children behind.
It isn't politically correct to say that it is impossible to bring all students up to grade level. But even with the best teachers and most modern educational tools this is true.
As a psychologist who has tested children for over 30 years and as a school board member in Illinois decades ago, I know that all children cannot be made equal. The real world is not Lake Wobegon.
This reality means that despite some wonderful programs, excellent teachers, good intentions and top of the line technology, our school systems cannot take all children who are functioning below average and bring them up to the expected class mean.
This is not an excuse for the behaviors of professionals entrusted with educating America's young people. Changing answers and fixing test responses so they show the desired results are wrong. No ifs, ands or buts about that.
But the fact that seasoned school personnel would stoop to cheating on test results and therefore cheat their students means something is drastically wrong with the system of evaluating children's academic progress.
Children from deprived backgrounds or lacking motivation to succeed in school should receive every effort to let their true potential be realized. But getting back to reality, one has to accept the fact that you cannot cause all children to improve to the degree that is desired.
When teachers crawl under desks to erase standardized test answers, education is sinking to a new low. Some of the teachers indicated they didn't want to participate in the answer changing scheme but feared losing their jobs if they did not. Accolades and rewards offered to schools showing great improvement were just too tempting for some educators.
Teachers with many students in their classrooms who lack the ability to make significant academic advances often are judged as inferior instructors. When their students don't reach the desired goals, even good teachers may be penalized with transfers to different teaching assignments or other schools. Non-tenured teachers are apt to be let go.
The cheating scandal in the Atlanta public schools is pathetic but is likely to be happening in other places as well. The stakes are so high to prove that all children are making good, if not amazing, progress that the teachers end up failing their students.
The NCLB law has good intentions but major flaws. The theory that all children can be brought up to par with their peers doesn't work. One of the good things that can come out of the Atlanta school scandal is the realization that the way the standardized test program and incentives are now arranged almost guarantees that some children will be left behind.
Diane W. Mufson is a licensed psychologist. She is a former citizen member of the Herald-Dispatch editorial board and a regular contributor to the Herald-Dispatch editorial page. Her email is dwmufson@comcast.net.
 
]]> Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:26:07 GMT d394fc9f-b15c-48f6-ab0c-866e9ad8a4fb <![CDATA[Education summit focuses on dropout prevention]]> Education summit focuses on dropout prevention
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Ranjit Sidhu, of ACT education assessment, compared the success of a student's seamless transition from pre-kindergarten through college to a relay race in track.
Sidhu, who spoke Tuesday at the West Virginia Student Success Summit at Charleston Embassy Suites, explained how educators and others in the community need to stay in the same lane, hand off the baton and reach back for it to make an educational transition work.
The summit brought together teachers, principals and other educators in the pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade system with West Virginia college-level educators and officials. Military and health officials, among others, also attended the conference, which focused largely on dropout prevention and successful transitions through school and into a career.
The summit is co-sponsored by the state Department of Education and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The sessions continue Wednesday morning.
Numerous small-group sessions include school-based mental health, grant writing, dropout prevention efforts in Putnam County, graduation coaches at South Charleston High School and even personalized education plans at Piedmont Elementary.
Sidhu, senior vice president of strategic initiatives in ACT's Education Division, used the relay analogy as he pointed out weaknesses and strengths in countrywide efforts to get key people on the same page with educational goals.
Too often, high school teachers and college professors have different opinions about how well prepared students are for college, he said.
He cited a few survey results that showed a wide gap in beliefs. For instance, across the U.S., 71 percent of high school teachers surveyed believe their state's education standards prepare students for college, while only 28 percent of college professors agreed.
But he mentioned how New Mexico's Career Clusters program is matching students and workers up with careers that align with their interests. It also outlines the types of courses and pathways available in New Mexico that matches up with a student's interests.
"It's a massive state campaign to not only help the individual, but to transform the state," Sidhu said.
Also Tuesday, Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, talked about the need to improve high school and college graduation rates.
"All education stakeholders must work together to make sure our children are ready to succeed," said Tomblin, wife of Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin.
Joanne Tomblin has participated in the Education Alliance's eMentoring program, where she is a mentor who reflects on her experiences to offer advice. Tomblin has seen "firsthand evidence" how mentoring helps prepare students for high school, college or trade school, she said.
Students who want to quit school can remember a teacher who made them feel small and unimportant, Tomblin said.
She asked the educators in the audience to think about the impact their influence has on children.
"Your involvement makes all the difference," she said. "Too many talented young people are slipping through the cracks."
Also, she said it's important to know that whether a young person goes on to become a plumber, electrician, coal miner, doctor or lawyer (among several other professions), the careers are equally important.
Still, too many people in West Virginia who go to college never finish.
"As a society, we have ignored this issue for far too long," she said of college graduation rates.
At one breakout session after lunch Tuesday, military servicemen and one guidance counselor talked about some aspects of the state's new "Common Ground: Education and the Military" partnership.
Penny Rinker, a counselor at Moorefield High School, in Hardy County, said she has a good working relationship with military recruiters. Some recruiters have called her to be a helping hand after former students completed their military service. She helps some find a two-year community and technical college, a four-year college or another postsecondary option that fits their needs.
"Once one of my students, always one of my students," she said.
Tommy Baker, an education services specialist for the U.S. Army at the Beckley Recruiting Battalion, said former soldiers can use military service for college credit and usually have at least $39,000 to use toward school.
Baker joined U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force representatives at the session, which included a discussion about dropout prevention.
Some educators in the audience were shocked to hear Baker say that even one criminal charge at a young age (for throwing a rock through a principal's window, for instance) could disqualify a student from military service for life.
 
 
 
]]> Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:23:04 GMT 04c3ff0d-9964-4225-a6d8-0fa4c1908d0d <![CDATA[School to require more of teachers]]> School to require more of teachers
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
Teachers hoping to work at the yet-to-be-built elementary school on Charleston's West Side hill will have to meet more qualifications than in the past.
Kanawha County school board members voted 5-0 at a special session Monday to approve job descriptions for teachers at the school, which is planned for a wooded site off Edgewood Drive.
In addition to having a valid teaching certificate and recommendations, teachers at the new school will also have to be technology-proficient and be able to incorporate technology into the curriculum, said Jane Roberts, assistant superintendent for elementary education.
Applicants also must familiarize themselves with Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."
This is a relatively new practice in Kanawha County Schools. It is being implemented at the school because, in board President Pete Thaw's words, "it's a school of the future."
Covey's management system lists seven habits to live by:
* Be proactive.
* Begin with the end in mind.
* Put first things first.
* Think win/win.
* Seek first to understand, then be understood.
* Sharpen the saw.
The school isn't expected to open for at least two years. In the meantime, training on the Covey management system will be held for prospective teachers, Roberts said.
Familiarity with the state Department of Education's 21st Century instructional strategies also will be required.
Board member Bill Raglin said Covey's seven habits were "adopted with lots of bells and whistles and fanfare 15 to 20 years ago" but might dwindle when a new method comes available.
"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't use it. I just wonder if there is any evidence of people using the Stephen Covey method and how effective it is," Raglin said.
"When you make a commitment to something like this, you've got to make that commitment to put it in place, instill the training and then track and monitor it to see if it's achieving the results to justify the effort you put into implementing it."
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:59:55 GMT 2ad578d1-8f79-4807-a881-bec93e366d19 <![CDATA[Is Mountain State U. West Virginia's dropout factory?]]> Is Mountain State U. West Virginia's 'dropout factory'?
Private school benefits from taxpayers as problems grow
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Between 2005 and 2010, students who attended Mountain State University received nearly $43 million in taxpayer-subsidized grants and scholarships, even though very few undergraduates at the Beckley-based private school finish their degree within six years.
Students at Mountain State also are far more likely to default on their loans than students at other private, not-for-profit colleges in West Virginia. And the school has been ordered to show by next summer why it should not lose its accreditation.
The millions of dollars in federal student loan money awarded to Mountain State students far eclipse the scholarships and grant money they receive. During the 2009-10 school year, 3,376 undergraduate students at Mountain State -- 64 percent of the school's students -- received federal student loans for a total of more than $35.2 million -- an average of $10,452 per borrower. The numbers come from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System at the National Center for Education Statistics. 
In February, Patrick Crane, a research and planning analyst at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, reported that Mountain State graduates defaulted more on their student loans than graduates of all the state's other private, not-for-profit schools combined. Those schools include Appalachian Bible College, Davis & Elkins College, the University of Charleston and Wheeling Jesuit University.
Of the first-time, full-time undergraduate students who started as freshmen at any Mountain State University campus in 2003, only 4 percent graduated within six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Washington Monthly magazine recently ranked Mountain State as the nation's 23rd-worst "dropout factory" for 2010, citing a 13 percent graduation rate. (Besides Beckley, Charleston and Martinsburg, Mountain State has two campuses in North Carolina and one each in Pennsylvania, Florida and Washington, D.C.)
West Virginia Higher Education Chancellor Brian Noland is worried about several aspects of Mountain State: the low graduation rate, the high loan-default rate, and the amount of money invested in students who don't get anything to show for it.
"I am concerned about what I have read and observed with respect to schools such as Mountain State, where the state has invested significant funds in students who've attended this institution," Noland said. "The fact that the actions that have ensued in certain academic programs at the institution, such as nursing, have placed recipients of state financial aid in a jeopardized position is troubling to me and troubling to the [Higher Education Policy] commission."
MSU students received more than $7.5 million between 2005 and 2010 from the Promise Scholarship program, a merit-based scholarship available to all West Virginia students; the West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program, a need-based scholarship; and the Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student Program, a state scholarship for working adults who attend college part-time, according to the policy commission.
Over the same five-year period, MSU students received $35.4 million in federal Pell grants, according to the U.S. Department of Education. MSU students received nearly $12 million in Pell grant money for just the 2009-10 school year.
Meanwhile, Mountain State President and CEO Charles Polk received more than $1.8 million in compensation in 2009, according to a Form 990 filed with the Internal Revenue Service. That is more than three times West Virginia University President Jim Clements' $550,000 salary for 2011-12.
'We are addressing . . . the issues' 
The Higher Learning Commission, a Chicago-based organization, provides Mountain State University with its primary accreditation. On June 23, the group's Board of Trustees determined that Mountain State might not meet one or more criteria for accreditation, and issued a "show-cause order."
Now, Mountain State officials have one year to prove to the commission that MSU meets the criteria for accreditation and has corrected problems raised in the order, which concentrates largely on serious problems with the nursing program at Mountain State.
The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission notified MSU officials by at least March that it had withdrawn accreditation for the School of Nursing. Officials with the NLNAC notified the Higher Learning Commission of their decision, as did administrators with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (commonly referred to as the West Virginia RN Board), who placed Mountain State on provisional accreditation status last fall.
A team with the Higher Learning Commission visited the Beckley campus in February to review the school, and also conducted conference calls with the executive directors of the NLNAC and the state RN Board.
In its show-cause order, the Higher Learning Commission's Board of Trustees cited issues with information provided to MSU students, the university's administrative structures, the loss of nursing accreditation, faculty resources, library resources and more.
Last September, several nursing students told the Sunday Gazette-Mail that Mountain State officials had been tight-lipped about rumored accreditation problems. That left them wondering whether to leave the Beckley program, transfer or stick it out.
Jon Reed, general counsel for Mountain State, said he would not go into specifics about the steps MSU officials are taking to address the show-cause order.
"The heart of it is related to nursing, but there are also some other issues," Reed said. "We are addressing each of the issues."
MSU officials already had been aware of several issues that came up in the show-cause order because the NLNAC and the state RN board had raised them, according to Reed.  
Nursing student Deanna Cernuto sued the school in March in Raleigh Circuit Court, alleging that Mountain State's accreditation problems could keep her from pursuing a successful nursing career.
Early this month, a student who graduated last year with a nurse anesthesia degree from Mountain State sued the school in U.S. Southern District Court in Beckley. Christy Brewer details several complaints against two former nurse anesthesia program directors, and said a grading error that was MSU's fault cost her a job opportunity at the University of Tennessee and enrolling in a Ph.D. program there.
   
Reed would not comment on Brewer's lawsuit, but noted that it is not related to issues raised in the show-cause order.  
   
Mountain State intends to close its nurse anesthesia program on Oct. 16.
Angela Gilkerson, an MSU nursing student who teaches at Meadow Bridge Elementary School in Fayette County, still hopes to graduate in October and take her board exam to become a registered nurse sometime after graduation.
In April, West Virginia RN Board Executive Director Laura S. Rhodes said that because of MSU's provisional approval status with the board, current students could still take the state board exam if they meet other requirements.
Gilkerson said Friday she has not heard of any change to that status.
Students face 'academic uncertainty' 
Earlier this year, West Virginia lawmakers required the state Higher Education Policy Commission to develop "consumer information materials" that will allow students to have a better understanding of college opportunities and outcomes, Noland said.
The chancellor ultimately wants to develop a series of indicators so that when an institution "trips a warning switch, then that would put in place some type of review from our office, with the ultimate outcome being consumer protection," he said.
With the heavy investment the state makes in West Virginia students through its grant program, Noland believes the state has a responsibility to examine "the return on its investment."
Reed, Mountain State's general counsel, noted that most Mountain State students don't fit the traditional model of students going directly into college from high school.
A higher number of MSU students "may have started school, then stopped, and life interfered," Reed said. Then, they reach a point in their lives where the importance of education is reaffirmed, and they come back to school.   
"Many of the students are taking advantage of the chance to come back and complete their education," he said.
Many Mountain State students also work full-time jobs and have families, so it takes them a little longer to graduate, Reed said.
Real-world experiences give the students a maturity that benefits them in the classroom, and "these folks understand the world around them," he said.
   
However, the Higher Learning Commission has identified several hundred students at Mountain State who are in a position of "academic uncertainty," Noland said.
"These are West Virginia residents who've placed their hopes and dreams in the pursuit of a nursing degree so that they can have a better future for themselves and their family," Noland said. "I hope that there's a positive outcome."
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:55:39 GMT dc106774-d8e1-4798-861e-15ef70160b01 <![CDATA[Kanawha BOE wins lawsuit on library funds]]> Kanawha school board wins lawsuit on library funds
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. agreed with the Kanawha school board in its lawsuit over funding the Kanawha County Public Library -- a move that library board President Mike Albert says has badly hurt employee morale.
In an order filed Thursday, Zakaib declared null and void a funding stream -- set by a 1957 special act of the Legislature -- that requires the school board to provide about one third of the library's annual budget.
In the fiscal year that began July 1, annual library funding was expected to be $2.82 million, up nearly $37,000 from the previous fiscal year.
Albert, a Charleston attorney and president of the library's board of directors, said the risk of losing one third of its funding is negatively impacting library employees, who worry about job security.
"We're really having a tough time with employee morale," he said Friday.
Library officials are "extremely disappointed by the court's ruling," Albert said, but he wanted to review Zakaib's order before he commented further.
Pete Thaw, president of the Kanawha school board, has for many years opposed the school board's annual funding for the library.
"Justice has prevailed, and we'll await further developments," Thaw said. "We're very encouraged by this."
He expects the library board to appeal the ruling to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
Along with the library board, the state Board of Education and former state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine are defendants in the lawsuit. The Kanawha school board initially filed the lawsuit in October 2008 against the state board and Paine.
In January 2009, the library board sought permission to intervene and join as a party defendant, which later was approved.  
Thaw said the annual allotment to the library has "been a longstanding outrage, and every penny came right out of the children's pocket. Every penny."
In his order, Zakaib ruled that the 1957 Kanawha special act and a related section of state code clearly create "a lack of uniformity in the public education financing scheme as there is unequal treatment of the Kanawha Board as compared to [46] other county boards of education."
Zakaib also ruled that the lack of uniformity and unequal treatment created by the special act and the section of state code is "subject to strict scrutiny review and is unconstitutional," unless it's justified by some compelling state interest.
He later concluded that he could find no compelling state interest. Zakaib also prohibited the state Board of Education and the library board from enforcing the special act or the related section of state code.
Based on Zakaib's order, the Kanawha County school system no longer owes the library the annual funding.
"That's a broad ruling," Albert said. "I think [Zakaib] went a lot further than he needed to."
The interested parties have awaited Zakaib's ruling for nearly a year.
Last August, lawyers for the Kanawha school board argued that nine county school systems that pay for public libraries are denied equal protection under the law, while Christopher Winton, an attorney for the library, said the Legislature has the authority to make them pay.
At the time, Winton argued that county school boards are "creatures of statute" created by the Legislature, and, therefore, state lawmakers can tell them how to spend their money.
Winton did not want to comment Friday, as he had not seen the ruling. Jim Withrow, the school board's general counsel, was not available for comment. 
Kanawha school board members first sued over the issue in 2003, saying the 1957 special act is unfair.
 
They argued that the state counted money dedicated to the library as part of the school board's funds, qualifying Kanawha County schools for less money under the state school aid formula.
A circuit judge ruled against the school board, but the state Supreme Court overturned that decision in December 2006 and told lawmakers to fix the problem with the school aid formula.
The state determines how much money a county school board can spend on education from its local property tax collections.
Until 2007, counties passed 98 percent of their regular levies along to the state for redistribution. In March 2007, the state reset that amount, called "local share," at 94 percent of a school board's expected tax collections. A year later, the state freed up more in local share, as it set the bar at 90 percent of expected taxes.
As a result, state aid was based on that 90 percent -- at least as of 2010. In counties with a library levy, such as Kanawha, the public libraries' share of tax collections came out of the other 10 percent.
It was not clear Friday if those state aid percentages have changed within the past year.
 
 
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:50:34 GMT 80a92942-82a1-4486-ab9b-0667fc173879 <![CDATA[BOE owed $254K for meals]]> BOE owed $254K for meals

by The Associated Press


It seems that some Monongalia County students -- and staff members -- have been skipping the bill for their school-provided meals.

According to Karen Ghiardi, coordinator of nutritional services, Mon County Schools has an outstanding balance of about $254,000 in unpaid meals from the 2010-'11 school year alone.

Roughly $11,000 is attributable to staff members who didn't pay for their food.

The announcement of the total amount owed was met with shock from some Monongalia County Board of Education (BOE) members during Tuesday's meeting.

Some of the cost came as a result of Monongalia County Schools' refusal to deny children meals when they hadn't paid for them, although the state has instructed the district to turn them down, Superintendent Frank Devono said.

"We have been ridiculed at state meetings for not turning down students," he added. "But how can we turn these kids down when the look in their eyes shows they are hungry as anything?"

According to the Mon BOE website, officials are not just defying state policy by feeding children with delinquent meal bills but their own policy as well.

"If meal bills are more than two months delinquent, meals can no longer be charged. At this point, you will be notified to send money on a daily basis or send a packed lunch from home," the website reads.

Devono said the BOE does not want to punish kids for the actions of adults, who aren't paying for their children to eat, and make them go hungry throughout the day. There are roughly 10,000 enrolled students in Monongalia County, officials said."The ultimate goal is to make sure our students are provided a meal," he said. "There has been research that shows hunger affects a child's ability to learn."

Mon County students pay $1.10 for breakfast and $1.75 for lunch; a rate the BOE decided not to raise for the 2011-'12 school year.

BOE President Barbara Parsons said Mon County will "never turn away a student who wants food."

Officials are encouraging parents who can't afford to pay for meals to apply for "free and reduced" meals, which can be done online. Devono said about 35 percent of all Mon County students use the program.

The free and reduced meals program is a federally-funded initiative designed to provide exactly that: Free and reducedpriced meals to those who meet income eligibility guidelines.

Parents with outstanding delinquent balances will be sent notices and urged to make payment, Devono said. If they are unresponsive, the debt will be passed along to a collection agency.

But for parents who make no effort to make payments and rack up $1,000 or more in unpaid meals, there may be more serious consequences. Devono said large balances will be handled through magistrate court and the prosecuting attorney's office.

Parsons said they will work with parents to come up with a payment plan that will work for them, but parents have to be responsible and make an effort.

"We hate turning these things over to a collection agency or taking people to court; it is rare but it does and will happen," she said. "When we get to that point they usually always pay; we've never had to incarcerate anyone."

Board members were not very sympathetic to staff members who have been treating themselves to free meals; they were asked to pay $2.75 for breakfast and $3.75 for lunch last year. The BOE voted to increase adult lunches to $4 for the 2011-'12 school year Tuesday.

"Why are we allowing staff members to continue to eat if they won't pay?" board member Joe Statler asked.

Unlike students, employees who have not paid for their meals will not be able to continue charging food. Staff members who owe money will be notified and will be expected to make payment, Devono added.

In hopes of reducing the amount of uncollected meal fees, the BOE unanimously approved a new online meal payment by credit card option Tuesday. However, the new payment method will include a 5 percent "convenience fee."

It costs the board about $5,000 a month to print, send and receive payments for school provided meals, Ghiardi said.

Unpaid meal balances for previous years were not available in time for this report.

 

 

]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT 70ea895a-07d9-4c86-a9fc-972cfbe6d19a <![CDATA[Second Boone County school closed because of meth residue]]>

ANOTHER SCHOOL CLOSES
Second Boone County School Closes As Result Of Meth Residue

Reported by: Leslie Rubin

   
 
 

Just days after news broke that meth residue forced the Boone County Career and Technical Center to close it's doors, another school does the same.

The Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College announced Wednesday that it would also be closing.

Now, they're working to make sure students have a place to go come the start of fall classes.

"I think that the whole county has been a victim," says Bill Cook, Director of Boone Operations.

Principal Keith Phipps and teacher Jack Turley are accused of smoking meth in the principal's office at the Boone County Career and Technical Center. It closed on Monday after the building tested positive for meth residue, but just next door is the community college. Now, their doors are closed as well.

"We just want to let our students know that we're still there in Madison and Boone County to serve them," says VP of Communications, Cindy Crigger.

The two schools are separated by a firewall, but officials say the closure is a precautionary measure.

The college leases space at the career center.

"We do have a separate heating and cooling system, but there still are some testing that is going on at this point, and until those findings are reported to us, we've decided to take this measure," explains Crigger.

College officials say they're looking at several options of where to move the classes. One option is the Danville Community Center.

"We're going out in the community, we're looking for spaces that we can offer classes for our students," says Cook.

The college has about 200 students, and 10 staff members. Employees have the option to temporarily work at the Logan Campus or their Lincoln County site.

College officials say they're trying to make the best out of an unfortunate situation.
"It's a tough time to be excited but we have to be the leaders in this matter and I think we're going to be," says Cook.

The college is working on setting up a phone number that students can call with any questions.

Results of the entire building's tests should be back by Friday.

The Boone County Board of Education will be remediating the entire facility which may take several weeks or longer.

 

]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT 030a31d2-6d4b-4ac7-92f6-07144071dce2 <![CDATA[Justice speaks out against student truancy]]> Justice speaks out against student truancy
By Amber Marra
Charleston Daily Mail

Official travels state to help counties find way to combat excess absences

 

State Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis is taking a stand against student truancy.

Davis says she’s inspired by other West Virginia judges who are doing the same.


“All of these judges have realized and seen firsthand that the students that are truants end up dropping out of school, and where do they end up? In our juvenile court system, or worse than that, they end up being lifelong criminals in our jail system,” Davis said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.


Today, during a gathering in Preston County, Davis will speak to a group of teachers about how to get their students back into the classroom.


Davis will address 200 to 300 members of the American Federation of Teachers about a systematic effort to solve the problem of truancy.


The justice has been working closely with Alan D. Moats, a circuit judge for Taylor and Barbour counties. Moats has said half the students in the counties he serves miss 10 or more days of school every year.


Last month, Moats addressed the state Board of Education on the issue of truancy, drawing from experiences in his courtroom to illustrate the problems his counties and the state are facing with children missing school. That, in turn, leads to higher dropout rates, he believes.


He said 31 of the 41 indictments he had recently handed down were to offenders who did not have a high school diploma. One of the defendants could not read, he said.

Davis plans to travel around the state with Moats this fall to help communities develop ways to combat truancy.


“This is not going to be a cookie-cutter type of program, but I hope that it starts some initiative for judges that do not have such a thing to develop a tailored program for themselves,” Davis said.

Davis said other judges who have initiated ways to fight truancy are Putnam Circuit Judge Phillip Stowers, Wayne Circuit Judge James Young and Nicholas Circuit Judge Gary Johnson.

Besides directly encouraging unmotivated students to go to school, Johnson has gone straight to those responsible for passing out official excuses: the doctor.

If a student comes before Johnson due to missing too many days and he notices a pattern of medical excuses coming from the same physician, he will bring the doctor to court for questioning.

“That is just one perfect example of what I would like to see,” Davis said.


At today’s gathering in Kingwood, Davis will explain how all of these efforts begin at the judicial level, but how teachers can help.


Davis, who is also the designee to the judiciary’s initiative on truancy, also noted how cracking down on truancy can help students who don’t miss so much school.


“If there are a large percentage of students missing days, what does a teach have to do? In many instances they have to go back and reteach those same principles over and over and over again so that the students get it,” Davis said.


“I see this as a positive thing for the students that need help, but think of all the positive aspects for the good students who want to learn. It’s going to propel their educational process because they’ll be able to be taught more quickly.”


Davis has also worked with state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple on this effort, as well as with individual county superintendents and the state Department of Health and Human Resources.

All of those stakeholders are set to meet in August on the issue of truancy, according to Davis, though she will not be there due to a scheduling conflict.

]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT ef6e1113-74da-4e13-9712-5f12405cb5ae <![CDATA[Counties scramble for teachers]]> Counties scramble for teachers

As deadlines near for transfers, school boards rush to plug vacancies

by Zack Harold

Charleston Daily Mail

Just as they did in previous years, hordes of teachers around the state are hopping from position to position this summer, trying to beat their county's transfer deadline.

According to state law, teachers and principals can seek transfers to another school until five working days before students return. After that, they must wait until the end of the school year before switching schools.

That still leaves about two months for the employees to move from school to school and job to job, however. And it throws the counties' hiring chiefs into a tizzy.

The old jobs must be filled once the employees move on, causing a whole new round of transfers and openings. 

Carol Hamric, human resources director for the Kanawha County school system, said she's processed about 80 professional personnel transfers since the school year ended.

And it ain't over yet.

"We have another month of hiring until school starts," she said.

School starts on Aug. 19 in Kanawha County, so teachers' last day to move is Aug. 12.

Hamric said the number of job jumps seems to have increased this year. She usually sees between 45 and 70 transfers during the summer.

"We are probably hit a little harder because we're large and we have more of a labor pool for teachers to transfer to," she said. "There's going to be more vacancies and more transferring."

Kanawha County has 71 schools and about 2,000 teachers.

Hamric said the transfers are coming from "just all over the place," and no schools have been particularly hard hit. Some vacancies are more difficult to fill than others, however.

"Math teachers are very hard to find. Somebody transfers to another school and leaves the other school with a vacancy just before school starts, you're not going to find certain types of teachers," Hamric said.

She said many employees also turn in their resignations right before school starts. The Kanawha County school board will vote on five resignations at a Thursday meeting.

Hamric said the county offers employees an incentive to announce their retirements by Dec. 1. Employees who meet that deadline receive $500 cash bonuses and extra time on the county's dental insurance plan.

"It's perfect. It works out nicely," she said.

Still, many employees quit just before school begins, Hamric said. Some have medical problems, others have spouses who switch jobs, some are recruited by other school districts and some get a sudden urge to retire.

"It's the nature of the beast. This is not uncommon at all," said Barbara Brazeau, personnel director for Putnam County Schools. 

"Teachers are moving two or three times, and they haven't even hit a classroom yet," she said. "I know of one teacher who has already moved three times and has not settled yet."

Putnam schools start on Aug. 18, so teachers cannot switch jobs after Aug. 11.

Brazeau said she's not sure how many Putnam teachers have changed jobs since the school year ended in June, but she said the job-jumping process began almost a year prior. The county employs about 800 professional personnel - teachers, principals and other administrators.

State law prevents teachers from switching schools during the middle of the school year but does not forbid them from bidding on new jobs. Some teachers bid on and win new jobs as early as August or September, Brazeau said, but those employees must wait until June to make the switch.

Brazeau said her school system tries to cut down on job transfers by not posting teacher openings right away. If a teacher bids on and wins a new job in October, their old job will not be posted until the spring.

Even then, teachers still can hop between jobs during the summer.

"They get out of that one and have since moved on to another one," she said.

Brazeau said teachers sometimes will follow a principal from school to school if they like working for that administrator. Gas prices also have become a consideration, with educators moving to schools closer to their homes.

"We may be filling administrative positions up until the start of school also."

Sonya Shue, Rock Branch Elementary's former principal, was originally supposed to move to Winfield Elementary School but decided to take a principal job at Mountainview Elementary when that school's principal moved to another position. That switch was approved at Monday night's Putnam school board meeting, Brazeau said.

Lisa Lewis, who served as Winfield Elementary's acting principal last year, has signed up to take Shue's old job at Rock Branch Elementary. Brazeau said Lewis may choose to stay on as Winfield's principal but the position is currently unfilled.

She said the summer moves can be difficult on principals: they've spent all summer preparing for the school year, and a new crop of teachers, unfamiliar with the school's rules and procedures, might require some big changes.

However, Brazeau said she has faith in the county's principals.

"They'll have a smooth transition," she said.

Brazeau said the state Legislature has discussed changing the deadline to an earlier date in the summer. She said lawmakers proposed making the drop-dead date July 15, but even that wouldn't help much as school years start earlier and earlier. 

"If they establish something, they need to say 20 days before school starts, rather than a specific date, she said.

 

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT fcaaef17-a0e6-46e2-9369-4452ccdf28c0 <![CDATA[Only 10 counties hit 180-day attendance goal]]> W.Va. schools: Only 10 counties hit 180-day attendance goal

Students in Fayette missed more days than any other county

By Davin White

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Students in just 10 of West Virginia's 55 county school systems met the state goal of 180 instructional days during the 2010-11 school year -- a detail that could come into play when Kanawha County school board members debate future school calendars this week.

According to recent figures that counties submitted to the state Department of Education, Kanawha students attended school for 177 days this year. Kanawha students missed eight days because of snow and other bad weather, and made up five of those eight days.

Students in Fayette County missed more days than any other county, as they fell eight days short of the 180-day mark.

The 10 counties that met the 180-day goal were Berkeley, Doddridge, Hancock, Harrison, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Putnam and Wetzel, according to the state.

Kanawha school board member Becky Jordon has pushed to start school earlier in August. That way, students can complete their first semester of classes before the holiday break in December, and have seven more instructional days available before they take the WESTEST 2, the state's annual standardized test, in the spring.

Students' first day for the 2011-12 school year is Aug. 19. The proposed 2012-13 calendar has students starting school on Aug. 9.

Board members are expected to vote on the 2012-13 calendar at a meeting Thursday evening.

Jordon said the earlier start is what Superintendent Ron Duerring believes is the best option, academically speaking, for Kanawha County students. 

"Our job is to get the best times in for our kids," she said.

Board President Pete Thaw, however, worries about the early August heat, citing several aging and faulty air-conditioning units across the Kanawha County school system. 

"We're working on them, and we'll continue to work on them, [but] they won't be addressed by next year," Thaw said. "I'm not going to vote for August the 9th because of the air-conditioning."

He believes students would probably miss some days in early August because of high temperatures.

"We're going to lose days to heat," Thaw said. "Do you want to lose them to heat in August or to snow in January? Take your pick."

Jordon argued that "a couple hot weeks in August should not destroy this better calendar."

Thaw and Jordon share concerns, though, about the days following the WESTEST 2 in May, when students and teachers breathe a sigh of relief. In those weeks before school lets out, many people argue that instruction generally gets more relaxed.

"We go to grand-slam baseball days and all that stuff," Thaw said. "We've got to not do that. We've got to keep going and . . .  keep full instructional days.

"After the WESTEST," he said, "we're going to go full bore up until the last day."

Jordon said she believes that, with an earlier start and school ending shortly after the WESTEST 2, there will be fewer "wasted" school days.

 

]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT edc74dc0-f6a1-4264-8afe-3d923e97d770 <![CDATA[Attendance Director says truancy is still an issue]]> Attendance Director says truancy is still an issue

Cases being sent to magistrate court

By Suzanne Stewart, sastewart@pocahontastimes.com

In attendance director Susan Borror’s end of the year report to the board of education Monday night, she reported attendance and truancy cases were up compared to prior years.

Although attendance rates for all county schools were far above 95 percent – Hillsboro Elementary School 99.4 percent, Green Bank Elementary-Middle School 98.42 percent, Marlinton Elementary School 97.16 percent, Marlinton Middle School 96.52 percent and Pocahontas County High School 96.8 percent – Borror said she is still having an issue with truancy cases.

“Truancy cases were up compared to last year,” she said. “Criminal complaints were filed, and certified letters were sent for meetings with parents. I held 132 meetings with parents.”

When a student has more than five unexcused absences, Borror files a complaint against the child’s parents with magistrate court. Board members asked if taking the cases to magistrate court helps discourage truancy.

“It’s not working as well as it should be,” Borror said. “There have been a lot of continuances and cases just dismissed which is not good, because it sends the message to our kids that if you skip school, nothing is going to happen to you.”

Borror said out of the 132 cases, four or five ended with sentencing.

Board members asked Superintendent C.C. Lester to invite the magistrates and Prosecuting Attorney Donna Meadows Price to attend the next board meeting to discuss the matter further.

Borror is also the McKinney-Vento liaison for the schools. The McKinney-Vento Act recognizes homeless students and provides grants to schools with homeless students. According to the act, “homeless” includes a household with more than one family in residence, living in a shelter, campground or camper or children living in a household without their legal guardians.

“When I first became the attendance director, during the school year 2008-2009, we had a total of 17 students who qualified for being homeless,” Borror said. “By the end of the year, it had increased to 27. In 2009-2010, it was a total of 77 students and this year we had a total of 122 students. The reasons for this being a lot of families have lost their homes, a lot of families have lost jobs and this has caused the homeless rate to go up.”

The board thanked Borror for her report and her continued support of the students.

 

]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT 2bc17a3a-7bba-45b0-b1e3-7540f542f1b7 <![CDATA[Board approves evaluation test program]]> Board approves evaluation test program

New system to gauge teachers, counselor, principal performance will be in 25 state schools

by Amber Marra

Daily Mail
 

New methods of evaluating teachers, guidance counselors and principals will be tested in 25 schools across the state in the coming year.

The state Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to allow the pilot evaluation program in the schools. Only five of the schools are participating voluntarily.

The rest were selected due to low performance rates and the amount the schools have received in federal School Improvement Grant funding, said Lori Wiggins, executive director of the Office of Professional Preparation.

"There are several converging forces that spurred these changes to the evaluation process, including the new professional teaching standards adopted in 2009, which defined in a much more robust manner what teachers needed to do," Wiggins said.

The current evaluation system doesn't provide adequate feedback to teachers, principals and guidance counselors on how to improve their work, Wiggins said.

"Now it's just sort of something that is looked at as something that had to get done, rather than looking at how it can be helpful within these schools," she said.

Federal pressure also motivated Wiggins and Assistant Superintendent Amelia Courts to start looking into the evaluation practices last year, she said.

Six Kanawha County schools will participate in the program. That's more than any other county in the state.

Those schools are Riverside High School, Cedar Grove, East Bank and Stonewall Jackson middle schools, and Malden and Watts elementaries.

Teachers at participating schools will start by setting two student learning goals. A team of evaluators will have to approve each teacher's plans.

Evaluators also will conduct onsite observations of teachers. The number of evaluations will be based on the teacher's years of experience.

For example, a teacher who has been working for less than three years will have four observations. Two of the observations will be announced ahead of time, and the other two will be unannounced.

Teachers who have worked for six years or more will be required only to complete a self-assessment based on 14 critical standard elements.

Initial and intermediate teachers will make observations on their progress and provide evidence of the progress to evaluators.

Teachers at the advanced level must provide additional evidence to evaluators, who can ask for more based on any critical needs within the school at that level, if necessary.

The beginner teachers will also meet in conferences with evaluators every 10 days to review progress. More experienced teachers will not be required to attend the conferences.

Board members had questions about how involved students would be in the process and whether the evaluations would involve student achievement.  

"Can you assure me that when we're looking at any student evidence it's not just going to be test scores, but also what these students can actually do?" board member Gayle Manchin said.

Wiggins explained that while evidence of learning progression is required in the pilot process, student surveys are not, but they can be encouraged.

A final conference is conducted at the end of the year prior to a final evaluation that summarizes findings on all levels of experience.

Courts also talked about the guidance counselor evaluation program, which is broken down into four steps of self assessment, initial goal setting, midyear progress monitoring and end-of-the- year evaluation.

Like Manchin, board member Lowell Johnson hoped the program would help steer counselors away from spending so much time on tests and test scores.

"Will we be able through this process to make it understood that counselors are not testing coordinators? They should be spending time with potential dropouts and students in need. I hope the answer is 'yes,' "  he said.

Like counselors, school leaders also would begin with a self reflection period but then would move on to a meeting with their county superintendent. That could be followed by another, mid-year evaluation by the superintendent.

Principals will be required to survey students, parents and teachers regarding their overall effectiveness. Principals then will prepare for a final conference based on those surveys and data collected throughout the year that was deemed necessary in the initial meeting.

In the last step, superintendents meet with principals to discuss needs and how to improve the next school year.

Participating schools will receive individual results in September 2012.

 

]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT 5b37e15f-8a03-4b52-8543-0cce00eb4d19 <![CDATA[Atlanta works to root out cheating educators]]> Atlanta works to root out cheating educators

 By DORIE TURNER
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - Just a month before classes start, Atlanta schools officials are trying to determine how many of the 178 teachers and principals accused of cheating are still on the job following a scathing state investigation that found some educators held "changing parties" to correct answers.

The yearlong probe revealed the nation's largest cheating scandal yet on standardized tests, with nearly half of the city's 100 schools involved, and highlighted the immense pressure put on educators to produce better scores. Criminal charges are likely for some of the 82 educators who confessed and the rest who were implicated by colleagues.

Officials have pledged that the educators still working in the district will be removed from their jobs, but that process could take days as staffers trudge through the 800-page report the state made public Tuesday evening.

"We're used to having to change some staff during the summer," district spokesman Keith Bromery said. "In an organization this big and as transient, you do have a turnover. We're perfectly capable of addressing that."

The accused are just a fraction of the district's 6,000 employees, half of which are teachers.

All educators in the report also will be referred to the state Professional Standards Commission, which licenses Georgia teachers, to see whether they should have their certification suspended or revoked. Criminal charges could range from tampering with state documents to lying to investigators.

Educators who admitted to helping students with tests or changing the answers once exams were handed in said they were pressured by administrators to improve test scores, and they would have done anything to meet the unreasonable expectations.

Test scores were linked to evaluations at some schools, and some teachers were promised bonuses if they improved student performance. One principal told teachers that "Walmart is hiring" and "the door swings both ways."

Another teacher told investigators that the Atlanta school district is "run like the mob." Another said her school was ruled by fear.

"Teachers are afraid of losing their jobs and teachers compel themselves to do whatever they need to do to make sure that they don't lose their jobs because their students meet or don't exceed on the CRCT," the teacher told investigators. "Everybody was in fear. It is not that the teachers are bad people and want to do it. It is that they are scared."

The investigators found the cheating dated as far back as 2001 but became rampant beginning in 2005 as then-Superintendent Beverly Hall placed more emphasis on test scores. She quickly drew national attention for improving a district where roughly three-fourths of students live at or below the poverty line, even winning the national Superintendent of the Year award in 2009 for the rising test scores.

Hall either knew or should have known that cheating was widespread, they investigators said, thought her attorney has denied all allegations against her. Hall retired less than a week ago.

"Not one of the 82 persons who allegedly confessed to cheating told the investigators that Dr. Hall at any time instructed, encouraged or condoned cheating," Hall's attorney, Richard Deane, wrote in a statement.

The testing problems first came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable. The state launched audits of test results after the newspaper published its analysis of the scores.

The conclusion of the state's investigation has parents worried about the coming school year.

Stacey Whitney's son, now 14, spent seventh and eighth grade at Parks Middle School, where 12 teachers and the principal were singled out for cheating. She was surprised that her son never seemed to have homework, but was reassured because his test scores seemed high.

"Now he's heading into high school and he may not be prepared at all," she said.

She was also concerned he will be associated with one of the "cheating schools."

"I just feel terrible for the students that are still there," she said.

A number of other large urban school districts have been caught up in cheating scandals in the last several years, including Baltimore, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston and Dallas, said Bob Schaeffer with the National Center for Fair & Open Testing. But testing experts say this is the largest test cheating scandal in the country in terms of scope and the number of confessions.

In Baltimore, CEO Andrés Alonso announced last month that there had been testing altering at two schools. A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation revealed in May that teachers at a middle school there likely cheated to produce impressive - and sometimes impossible - test results.

In Washington, D.C., test scores in three classrooms were tossed out in May after a probe revealed cheating by educators.

Schaeffer said he began tracking cheating in the early 1990s, when he'd see two or three stories a year about educators breaking the rules on tests.

"Now we're seeing a couple or three a week in big, big places," he said. "The pressure is so high to boost test scores by any means possible that more and more educators break and cross the ethical line."

 

]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT 41c8589c-5c12-4433-aa87-45526ac5c714 <![CDATA[State workers pass on PEIA discounts]]>

State Workers Pass On PEIA Discounts

WV Metronews

Less than half of state workers eligible to get a discount on their health insurance beginning Friday have chosen to do so.

The Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board passed a health insurance plan last year that takes effect July 1. It includes a $14 dollar increase in monthly premiums for active state workers, but the workers can wipe out the total increase by getting a wellness check and providing proof of a living will.

PEIA spokesperson Diane Holley-Brown says so far 46 percent of state workers have gotten the wellness check while 36 percent have done the living will.

"We expect those numbers to go up substantially once the new premiums go into effect," Holley-Brown said.

The wellness check requirement includes a cholesterol check, blood sugar measurement, blood pressure check and waist circumference measurement.

"The whole key is to know your numbers," Holley-Brown said.

State workers appear more reluctant to participate in the living will discount program. Holley-Brown says the state doesn't want to see the details of a person's living will; they just want to see proof that they have one.

The opportunity to get the discounts will continue past July 1. Forms can be printed out from the PEIA website

PEIA had a number of worksite wellness to help workers.

]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:00:04 GMT ee67690f-36cc-4df2-97b6-11c59da7c39d <![CDATA[Simmons drops claim to Gilmer super job]]> Simmons drops claim to Gilmer superintendent job

By JEFFREY SAULTON, Parkersburg News and Sentinel

 

GLENVILLE - After days of questions as to whom would be superintendent of schools in Gilmer County, the situation has been resolved by a letter.

On June 8 the West Virginia Board of Education voted to take over supervision of Gilmer County Schools. Superintendent John Bennett, who was to retire June 30, was replaced by an interim superintendent that day.

A month earlier the Gilmer County Board of Education hired William K. Simmons as the new superintendent.

Simmons said he believed his appointment was valid since he had not been informed in writing he was no longer to take the job.

"I was not notified of the change and I wanted that to be cleared up," he said Wednesday. "I told them in my years as an administrator in higher education, any changes were put in writing and I wanted it in writing."

Simmons said he received the notice on Wednesday and he will not take the job as superintendent of schools.

After voting to take control, the state board named Ron Blankenship as superintendent. Blankenship retired as superintendent of Calhoun County Schools at the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

Simmons said he was hired May 9, the same day the district was made the subject of an unannounced audit.

"Some members of the board were encouraged to not vote for me," he said. "They knew what the people wanted and I was more qualified than any candidate."

Simmons said he sat in on the exit interview by state auditors in May. He said he did not hear anything to make him think the district was on the verge of an intervention.

"They had some concerns about finances, facilities and personnel issues, nothing that does not show up in an audit," he said.

Simmons said he has suspicions about the timing of the state's audit.

"They said they had concerns about the finances of the schools, but the interim superintendent said the finances are in good shape," he said. "I do not know of a county that was not allowed to make corrections over time."

Simmons said one deficiency the state noted was insufficient wiring for computers on the second floor of Glenville Elementary School.

"They mentioned that, but there is no second floor at Glenville Elementary," he said. "The whole thing has a smell of politics."

Simmons said the board and district faced several challenges, but they could have been addressed.

"They had no long-range plan and it was overdue and they had non-certified employees," he said. "They were told these employees were certified and they took it on good faith they were. The board members do not have the time to go through every personnel file."

A call to Blankenship on Wednesday was not returned.

Simmons, 72, was president of Glenville State College from 1976 to 1998. While he retired as the college president, he did not retire from teaching.

After his retirement he taught as the Mountain Studies professor at the Marshall University Nicholas County Center and taught at least one graduate class a semester at the Marshall University Graduate College.

]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:00:03 GMT 423af2f0-b85c-42b9-9c96-5fcc99a6fa3c <![CDATA[Educators don't understand common standards, boards told]]> Educators Don't Understand Common Standards, Boards Told

By Catherine Gewertz  for Education Week

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Southern state boards of education are gathered at a resort here in West Virginia to compare notes and get advice on implementing the common standards. Day One of the conference yielded a sobering mix of both.

Among the advice-givers was Susan Tave Zelman, who was Ohio's superintendent of instruction before becoming a consultant. She urged the gathered board members to approach common-core implementation as a system, integrating them with policy and practice in curriculum, assessment, human resources, and fiscal management. "The real power of this work is the power of alignment," she said.

But she urged the board members to do potent communications work around the new standards, for a reason that might be alarming to those who have been immersed in the work for two years now: Most folks, she said, just don't understand how the new standards are different than the one's they've already got. This is the message she has received over and over as she travels around to states and districts, talking with educators and administrators about the common standards.

"You've got to make sure to make clear what is different between your current standards and the common core standards," Zelman said. "Because I'm telling you, out there people don't see the differences."

Shall we pause here to allow great, deep sighs of frustration from those who have been working tirelessly to let everyone they can think of know what the common standards are? It's a humbling reminder of what a huge job remains in bringing everyone on board who will be involved in implementing these things.

Indeed: Patty Yoo, common core project director for the National Association of State Boards of Education, which is sponsoring this meeting as part of a series of regional implementation conferences, said the biggest challenge right now is one of communications. It's about explaining the new standards and implementing them with full involvement of teachers, principals, district leaders and others "so people feel it isn't being done to them."

Elizabeth Ross, who is working with Yoo on common standards for NASBE, told the group that one of the partners in the common-standards effort, the James B. Hunt Institute, which has been working on communications for the initiative, has brought on the public-relations consultant GMMB to shape a new message states can use in building support for the common core. The message? "That common core is the next generation of your state's standards."

This would be consistent with the theme that common-core advocates have been reiterating as often as possible for a year: that the standards movement was led by the states, and the standards themselves were drafted by the states (in conjunction with panels of experts). This is aimed at tamping down the drumbeat sounded by those who think the standards are a federally driven project, fueled in no small part by the Race to the Top incentives attached to them, and to the federal funding of common assessments for the standards.

State boards didn't come here just to sit and listen and talk. They actually had homework. They had to fill out action plans for implementing common standards. They had to give themselves green, yellow or red lights (think traffic lights) to rate how far along they were in adopting the standards in math and English/language arts, shaping curriculum for them, and adapting things like graduation requirements, professional development, and higher education partnerships for the new learning goals. Curiously, when the plans were posted on the walls of the conference room, it was a sea of green and yellow. Few red dots were in the mix.

The wonders of self-assessment? Or amazing implementation progress?

A recent study by the Center on Education Policy found that states had far to go in tackling all the things necessary for common standards implementation.

Stay tuned, please, as this project unfolds. If you think developing common standards and getting them adopted was a heavy lift, wait until you watch states and districts try to get them into classrooms and assess the results.

]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:00:01 GMT 7686dbfd-bd25-434c-941e-1ecd10449f40 <![CDATA[NJ gov signs bill reining in employee benefits]]> NJ gov signs bill reining in employee benefits

By The Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday signed landmark employee benefits legislation that increases pension and health contributions paid by a half-million teachers, police and other public workers and removes the issue from collective bargaining for four years.

Christie said the benefits have been more generous than the state can afford and need to be scaled back. The latest actuary figures show the pension and health care systems $110 billion short of their eventual liabilities.

The Republican governor said the legislation achieves two main goals: helping New Jersey taxpayers and ensuring that health and retirement benefits are still secure for public workers in future years.

"New Jersey has become a model for America," he said.

The law evokes sweeping changes affecting current and future workers and retirees. Current workers will be assessed a portion of their health care premiums based on how much they earn and will see their pension contributions rise by at least 1 percent immediately. Future hires will have to work until they are 65, not 62, to retire and will have to pay for health care in retirement, unlike retirees now. Workers already collecting a pension will see a suspension in their cost-of-living adjustments.

Employees who earn $60,000 and now pays $900 (1.5 percent of salary) toward health insurance will see their yearly costs more than double to $2,056 (3.4 percent of salary) for single coverage or more than triple $3,230 (5.4 percent of salary) for a family plan, after a four-year phase-in.

That comes closer to the amount private-sector workers pay but is still significantly less.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey last year found that workers with employer-sponsored health plans paid 19 percent of the premium on average for single coverage and 30 percent for family coverage. State and local government workers paid the lowest percentage of their premiums - an average of 9 percent for single coverage and 25 percent for a family plan, according to the survey.

Public worker unions fought the changes and lost. A majority of Democrats in both houses of the Legislature bucked party leaders and opposed the plan. But it was muscled through with support from minority Republicans and a few Democrats after Christie struck a deal with legislative leaders of both parties.

Other states have been seeking to force public employees to pay more for benefits and limit collective bargaining rights. A GOP-led effort in Wisconsin calls for public workers to pay more for health and pension benefits beginning in late August unless a lawsuit by a coalition of unions is successful.

In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich in March signed a law limiting bargaining rights, which has yet to go into effect. In Michigan, the Republican state Senate has passed measures to require most public employees to cover at least 20 percent of the cost of buying their health insurance coverage, with some flexibility for local bargaining units.

The Massachusetts House passed a bill in late April stripping public-sector unions of the right to bargain over health care.

]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT e3b80d03-13ba-4679-b7d9-cdffe21174d2 <![CDATA[Gilmer County Schools has 2 superintendents?]]>

Gilmer County Schools has 2 superintendents?

1, hired by local board of education, plans to show up for work Friday; a 2nd has been hired by the state

By Davin White

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- On Friday morning, it could get a little crowded at Gilmer County Schools' central office in Glenville.

Earlier this month, West Virginia Board of Education members took over the county school system. They have since hired Ron Blankenship of Calhoun County as Gilmer's superintendent.

However, William K. Simmons, a former Glenville State College president whom Gilmer school board members hired as superintendent before the state takeover, plans to report for his first day of work Friday. His contract is set to begin that day.

State school board members took control of Gilmer County's school system after auditors said county board members' operations were dysfunctional, and board members had created a flawed system of hiring, transfers and work-force reductions.

"In our eyes, Mr. Blankenship is the state-appointed superintendent," West Virginia Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said.

Tuesday morning, Simmons asked that Gilmer County Circuit Clerk Karen Lee Elkins administer the oath of office to him.

"I know that, if I didn't take the oath of office and I showed up on July 1, I would not be able to do the job," Simmons said. "I would not be legitimate."

Elkins typed up an oath of office and administered it to Simmons, she said. She also gave him a copy.

Elkins said that if someone comes into her office and asks to take an oath of office, she would administer it to them. A circuit clerk, county clerk or a notary public can give an oath of office, she said.

However, Elkins doesn't know if the oath she gave Simmons is proper, or worth anything.

"I didn't go out looking for him. I don't know who the superintendent is," she said. "I don't have a dog in that fight."

Simmons said he has received legal advice that he still has a valid contract and that he should be willing to do his duties as of Friday. He would not name the lawyers he had consulted, and said he has not hired any.

He's received no written notification that his contract with the Gilmer County Board of Education is not valid.

"If someone sends me notification, then that's one thing," Simmons said. "I'm not trying to be difficult, [but] I'm not trying to be negligent in my duties. I'm sure, on July 1, we'll get it all sorted out."

Cordeiro, though, said state school board members, at a June 8 meeting, passed a motion that immediately voided any existing contract with a "subsequent superintendent" in Gilmer County.

At that meeting, state board members hired former state superintendent Ted Mattern as interim Gilmer County superintendent, then replaced him with Blankenship on June 24. Blankenship retired as superintendent of Calhoun County in 2007. 

Also, a clause exists in every county superintendent's contract that says if the state intervenes in the county school system, the county superintendent's contract can be declared null and void, Cordeiro said.

Simmons said people in Gilmer County have "spoken loudly and clearly" about what they want -- someone who understands the county, the needs of the county and education. He said several parents and other Gilmer County residents asked him to apply for the superintendent's job.

Gilmer County school board members voted 3-2 to hire Simmons.

"I did it because I was asked to by a lot of people I respect," Simmons said. "They said, 'You are above politics and we want someone who is above playing political games.'"

Simmons is an adjunct English professor who teaches at Marshall University's Graduate College in Nicholas County. He said he's taught everyone from "seventh grade to doctoral students" in college, high school and junior high school.

"I love to teach Chaucer, history of the English language," he said. "I'm an old-time teacher. I like to write on the board, get chalk dust on my sleeves."

Simmons had a tumultuous 21-year tenure as president of Glenville State College, where he resigned in 1999 for what he said were health reasons.

He helped orchestrate the firing of state higher education chancellor Leon Ginsberg in the mid-1980s, and later became chancellor himself while remaining in the Glenville State post.

In 1994, 74 percent of the faculty cast no-confidence votes against him. Four professors later sued him, saying they were denied promotions or stripped of their department chairmanships because they opposed him. Taxpayers paid more than $600,000 to settle those lawsuits in 1998.

"If you work long enough," Simmons said, "you develop a few enemies, certainly."

He's sure there are people who don't like him very much, but he doesn't believe that should overshadow the needs of children or the educational direction in Gilmer County.

Kenna Seal, the outgoing director of the Office of Education Performance Audits, said earlier this month: "Delaying the intervention for any period of time would not be in the best interest of the students."

Education auditors conducted an unannounced visit in Gilmer County from May 2 to 4.

"Based on the entirety of the problems in the county and the decisions, or lack thereof, there is scant hope that the school system can be improved with the current county board," Seal said.

Further, state auditors said a review of the county's school board minutes show board members are trying to "micro-manage, essentially replacing their administrators' and county superintendent's recommendations with their own."

]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT 964122a5-179c-4d10-9d62-153365f25fc4 <![CDATA[3 WV teachers earn $10,000 grants]]> 3 W.Va. teachers earn $10,000 grants

The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Three West Virginia teachers have been selected to receive $10,000 grants for innovative science classroom projects.

The state Department of Education announced Monday that Julia Colaw of Petersburg Elementary School in Grant County, Carolyn Thomas of Wildwood Middle School in Jefferson County and Carol Muniz of Morgantown High School were among 50 teachers chosen from across the country.

The grants are being awarded through the Toyota Tapestry program. The program has awarded more than $9.2 million to teachers since 1991.

Colaw's project teams students with ecologists and other experts to manage an invasive species of garlic mustard.

Thomas' project allows students to study brook trout.

Muniz's project focuses on a stream contaminated by acid mine drainage.

]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:04 GMT cf1f74d7-e21e-43f6-b39d-36dddc76eee2 <![CDATA[SBA distributes additional funds]]> SBA meets to distribute additional funds

Putnam gets money for Winfield Elementary work

By Kate White

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Putnam County Schools were awarded $4.5 million from the state School Building Authority on Monday, Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said.

The money will be used to replace portable classrooms and make other renovations at Winfield Elementary School, he said. SBA members also agreed to let Putnam school officials keep $1.7 million left over from a previous project and apply it to the Winfield Elementary project, he said.

"We're really excited," said Hatfield. "This is a worthwhile project, it's very needed and it will continue our efforts to get rid of the portable classrooms."

In all, the SBA spent about $21 million on Monday and another $75 million at a meeting in April, Manchin said.   

At the meeting at University High School in Morgantown, Hatfield arranged for money that was leftover from a project at Winfield Middle School to be allocated to the elementary school.

"They gave us $4.5 million today, and we're capturing $1.7 million from the existing Winfield Middle School project that ended up being under budget," he said. "When all is said and done the SBA will be contributing $6.2 million to Winfield Elementary."

The county school board will spend $2.8 million of its money on the project, Hatfield said.

Putnam's school board originally applied for the funds in March, but their proposal was denied. The meeting Monday was to appropriate $21.4 million of leftover money from Upshur and Harrison counties, which failed to pass their school bond levies.

The School Building Authority, which hands out state money for county school projects, often makes the money contingent on a county passing a bond.

At the meeting, SBA members also gave Jackson County money to build a new Kenna Elementary School.

Mingo County school officials received money to build an addition and renovate Riverside Elementary School, while Mercer County received funding for a new Oakvale School, SBA Executive Director Mark Manchin said.

As for the Winfield Elementary project, Brad Hodges, assistant superintendent for Putnam County Schools, said the money is a big help. He said the county was forced to use portables due to a growing student population.

"There are three portable classrooms at the school now, and some older classrooms within the building that will be made into office space, " said Hodges. "Over the last couple of years we've slowly phased out portables -- we're doing everything in our power to eliminate them."

Manchin said the SBA has made a commitment to get rid of portables statewide over the next several years.

"It just comes down to safety," he said. "Portables require children to leave the safety of their classroom. It's simply not as safe." 

Hatfield said the money would also be used to build a new gymnasium at the school.

"They're currently using the multipurpose room as a gymnasium. For a school with over 500 students, that's inadequate," he said. "The whole school will basically be redone."

Also Monday, SBA members decided to collect $16 million from a "bond anticipation note" to use to help build new schools next year. The Legislature has already allowed the move, and the SBA will have $16 million less to spend from debt service proceeds in 2014.

Even with the $16 million, SBA officials expect next year's budget to be especially lean, with only about $30 million available to spend.  

But Manchin said that missing a year's worth of new school funding is not only detrimental to children, but also contractors, electricians, architects and others who build new schools.

]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT 8d1b4399-25ea-43ad-9755-f70df7e97730 <![CDATA[Panel re-inserts teacher pay in OH budget]]> Panel re-inserts teacher pay in Ohio budget

The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Teachers’ future pay in Ohio would be based on a new state-developed evaluation system tied closely to students’ academic performance under language inserted Monday into the state budget bill.

A six-member bipartisan committee, with Democrats objecting, agreed to a change to the nearly $56 billion spending blueprint that instructs the state Education Department to develop the new standards by year’s end. Evaluations would be based on student test scores, academic improvement and classroom observations.

The House inserted language in the budget bill it approved in May that were similar to sections of a collective bargaining overhaul that opponents are seeking to repeal.

Critics said the move thwarted the ability of Ohioans to cast their votes on the new law. The merit pay provisions were then stripped from the Senate version.

]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT b21771c2-1bdb-42eb-b448-299be414db9b <![CDATA[Putnam school board settles suit with ex-coach]]>

Putnam school board settles suit with ex-coach

By Kate White

The Charleston Gazette

WINFIELD, W.Va. -- Putnam County Board of Education members agreed Monday night to pay former Winfield High School girls basketball coach Paul Sutherland $4,000 to settle his lawsuit.

Board members said it was a "best interest" settlement to save the county money in fighting the lawsuit, likely all the way to the Supreme Court.

Sutherland sued after he lost his job in 2009. He sued over a state law that forces a county board of education to give hiring preference to a certified teacher for coaching positions, "without regard for the non-teacher's current position, qualifications, seniority, success or tenure."

The board noted it has expressly denied liability for Sutherland's claim.

In other business, the board voted to resubmit an application to the state School Building Authority to secure $6 million for Winfield Elementary School.

Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said if the grant is approved, the county would allocate an additional $3 million to the project.

]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT 920eabd4-6019-4865-8e5d-c96e9fe32af5 <![CDATA[Myers to serve as superintendent]]> Myers to serve as superintendent

By Nicole Lemal Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — The Marion County Board of Education has appointed a new superintendent.

After a brief 10-minute discussion behind closed doors on Friday afternoon, the board voted 4-1 for former Marion County Superintendent of Schools John Myers. Board member Mary “Sis” Murray voted against the recommendation.

Myers served as superintendent in the county for several years before the state board recommended Myers to take over in Logan County at a very crucial time. Later he returned to Marion County as superintendent, a position from which he eventually retired.

He will officially start on July 1 and will be offered a one-year contract that will expire on June 30, 2012. However, the board will be starting a formal search in the near future for a superintendent. By law the county can’t name an interim superintendent.

]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT cfff4f91-6e90-43f9-9576-edae3aa284d1 <![CDATA[10 of 169 eligible VA schools seek merit pay $]]>

10 of 169 eligible Va schools seek for merit-pay $

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's new teacher merit-pay plan for 2011-12 doesn't have many takers.

The Department of Education says 10 schools applied for $3 million in state performance-pay funding, about 6 percent of 169 eligible schools. Those that applied by the June 15 deadline are in Accomack, Caroline, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Greensville and Patrick counties and the city of Roanoke.

Spokesman Charles Pyle said Friday a committee will review the schools' applications next week to select grant recipients.

Gov. Bob McDonnell pushed for the plan, which would award bonuses of up to $5,000 for teachers in so-called hard-to-staff schools. The Board of Education adopted revised metrics to help schools evaluate teachers' performance.

Critics question how fairly such evaluations can be administered, given that it's difficult to link a student's success directly to individual teachers.

]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT dfc1dc73-44e3-49ce-bbc8-b5f2244ce7ef <![CDATA[Ex-Nicholas chief hired as state schools auditor]]> Ex-Nicholas chief hired as state schools auditor

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Board of Education on Friday hired Gus Penix -- a former Nicholas County schools superintendent and the current director of one of the state's RESA agencies -- to succeed Kenna Seal as the state's lead auditor of public schools.

Penix will begin as director of the Office of Education Performance Audits on July 1 and draw an annual salary of $100,000.

He began teaching at Nicholas County High School in 1971, and also has served as a principal, assistant principal, county treasurer and assistant RESA director.

State education auditors look for warning signs and investigate problems at individual schools and county-level school systems. In the worst cases, their reports can lead to the state taking over a county school system. Currently seven counties are under state control: Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Lincoln, McDowell, Mingo and Preston.

In response to legal challenges, lawmakers created the OEPA in 1998 when they were asked to comply with a court ruling meant to bring more equity to West Virginia public schools.

Seal has been the only leader of the OEPA in its 13-year history.

Also Friday, state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple announced that Ron Blankenship, a former Calhoun County superintendent, would take over as superintendent in Gilmer County.

This month, state board members intervened in Gilmer County after OEPA auditors found that county board operations "were dysfunctional" and "meetings were unproductive," making the local school board incapable of following state law or state Board of Education policy, according to a state Department of Education news release.

Gilmer school board members have been blamed for trying to micromanage personnel decisions -- replacing administrators' recommendations with their own about who should be hired -- which has led to a flawed system of hiring, transfers and reductions in force.

"Numerous questionable and irregular decisions were being made by the county board prompting distrust and suspicion," auditors wrote.

]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT 9b1b939c-ab71-425e-87b0-6453e189f3b8 <![CDATA[Blankenship named Gilmer schools superintendent]]> Blankenship named Gilmer schools superintendent

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Ron Blankenship has been named superintendent of Gilmer County's school system.

The state Board of Education voted earlier this month to take over supervision of the county's schools. A performance audit cited issues with leadership, technology, facilities, personnel and finances in the county.

Blankenship retired as superintendent of Calhoun County schools in 2007.

He'll work with the Gilmer County Board of Education and the state Department of Education on a plan to help the county regain control of the school system.

School systems in Grant, Fayette, Lincoln, Mingo and Preston counties also currently are under state intervention.

]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:00:00 GMT 3914df40-9e1f-407f-88f9-6f6b03ac44ac <![CDATA[West Virginians earned more in 2010]]>

West Virginians Earned More In 2010

WV Metronews Staff

A worker in West Virginia had an average salary $37,702 in 2010.

WorkForce West Virginia released the latest statistics Thursday and they show the average wage in the state rose by 2.2 percent or about $800 from 2009.

The information shows securities and commodity contracts brokerage firms paid the highest annual wage in the state at nearly $106,000. Salaries topping or near $80,000 were in the manufacturing, power generation and pharmacy fields.

Boone County continues to have the highest annual wage among West Virginia's 55 counties at $52,651 followed by Mingo ($46,834), Marshall ($43,710), Putnam ($43,313), and Monongalia ($42,191).

Monongalia showed the  large growth in average employment at more than 2,000 jobs.

WorkForce West Virginia says workers in the state earned a total of $26 billion in wages in 2010 up $527 million from the previous year.  

]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 869625fc-ac8b-4488-86e9-df625770d7d2 <![CDATA[Lawmakers want to fix public retiree health costs]]> Lawmakers want to fix public retiree health costs

By Phil Kabler

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After defeating legislation earlier this year to pay down the state's $8 billion unfunded liability for future health-care costs for retired state and public school employees, some lawmakers said Tuesday they hope to have another plan ready to submit to the governor's office by next month.

Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, co-chairman of the Finance interim subcommittee, said Tuesday he would like to see the "other post-employment benefits" liability issue on the agenda for a planned special session on legislative redistricting, tentatively scheduled for August.

"We ought to be as aggressive as we can, and shoot for August," McCabe said. "It's clearly something we have the opportunity to deal with in special session this year."

During the 2011 regular session, McCabe was the lead architect of a bill to pay down the massive debt over time.

The bill died on the last day of the session, over disagreements on how to fund the pay-down. The House of Delegates wanted to use $250 million of state Rainy Day funds to help reduce the deficit. The Senate and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, objected to tapping into those funds, set aside in the event of natural or economic disasters.

McCabe said Tuesday one alternative could be to use half of the projected 2010-11 budget surplus.

Based on the most recent estimates, the state will finish the budget year June 30 with as much as $300 million of revenue surplus. By law, half of any surplus must go into the Rainy Day A fund, but any unappropriated revenue could go into the OPEB fund.

Delegate Steven Kominar, D-Mingo, said he believes there is consensus for setting up a funding mechanism to pay down the OPEB deficit.

"I think the majority of stakeholders are in support," he said. "I don't see a lot of fighting among the stakeholders."

Currently, the state is using a pay-as-you-go method to fund retiree health benefits, but McCabe has said the "pay-go" method is unsustainable, with the annual payments growing from the current $110 million to more than $600 million by 2021.

McCabe said he would like to see the subcommittee approve recommended OPEB legislation during the July interim meetings.

"If we could have broad support in our subcommittee, that would be a good indication to the governor, the acting [Senate] president, and the [House] speaker that we could get this done," he said.

Kominar said he is confident the Legislature is ready to act on OPEB legislation.

"We've been dealing with this for five years. Everybody around here has been on either a select committee or a subcommittee dealing with this, one way or another," he said. "When we first started, we had no idea where we were going with it. It was just overwhelming."

In a statement Tuesday, the governor's office said Tomblin wants to keep discussions open on OPEB, but said it's premature to commit surplus revenue before the budget year has ended, particularly since the Legislature has already allocated nearly $50 million of the surplus through supplemental appropriations.

"Finding a long-term solution for OPEB must also be weighed against other immediate funding needs that will no doubt arise this year," Tomblin said. "I am committed to finding a solution to our OPEB problem, and I will continue a dialogue with the Legislature to find a long-term solution."

The interim panel is also looking at incentives to encourage state and public school employees who are eligible to retire as early as age 55 to continue working to age 65. The early retirees are a major factor in the OPEB deficit.

]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:00:00 GMT 3c1d6f2e-131b-4746-8da2-4f807e2a14fe <![CDATA[Proposed Buckhannon mines draw fire]]>

Proposed Buckhannon mines draw fire

Upshur board says mines under school sites could damage facilities, endanger students, staff

by The Associated Press

MORGANTOWN — The Upshur County Board of Education is fighting plans for a new 1,800-acre underground coal mine that would run below Buckhannon-Upshur High School and the proposed site of a new middle school.

The board is worried about potential subsidence jeopardizing significant financial investments in its facilities and about the possibility of explosive methane gas leaking into its buildings.

International Coal Group Inc. and subsidiary Wolf Run Mining Co. are seeking permits for the Hampton Deep Mine in Buckhannon, targeting the 52-inch thick Middle Kittanning coal seam. ICG's application documents show the company expects the 500- to 600-feet deep seam to produce about 1 million tons of coal a year for eight years.

ICG spokesman Ross Mazza declined to answer questions about the mine or comment on the dispute with the school board but acknowledged in an email that "discussions are ongoing with legal counsel involved."

Upshur County Superintendent Scott Lampinen, several board members and the board's attorney, Hunter Mullens, all failed to respond to telephone and e-mail messages.

In a 22-page objection to the Department of Environmental Protection, however, the board says ICG had long promised that its operation would not undermine or otherwise affect the district's facilities.

The board says it learned otherwise through a legal advertisement outlining the mining plan — after it had spent $600,000 acquiring 114 acres next to the high school for a new $32 million middle school.

It contends ICG has failed to evaluate the potential for methane seepage from either its own operations or the old workings above the proposed Hampton Mine in the overlying Upper Freeport coal seam.

Subsidence and seepage are "a very real possibility" that the board claims would at best render the school inoperable and at worst endanger students and staff.

"In fact, it could become a disaster of unprecedented proportions," the board argues. That possibility "should be enough for everyone involved in the process to stop and really assess allowing mining underneath the one area in Upshur County where, in the future, most of Upshur County's children will be on any given weekday."

When the board first objected publicly in March, ICG General Counsel Roger Nicholson told a local newspaper that Wolf Run has mined near a school for years without incident.

"We will by definition have to mine under the school," he told The Record Delta of Buckhannon, "but we have designed it so there are no ill effects on the surface."

But subsidence has caused problems for schools before.

Sand Hill Elementary sits about 4 feet lower today than it did before Pennsylvania-based Consol Energy mined under the tiny Marshall County complex last year, said Assistant Superintendent Wayne Simms.

In that case, however, Consol and the board collaborated on a mutually beneficial agreement that allowed the coal company to stick with its mining plan while paying the district for its inconvenience.

Consol provided daily maps showing what panel its crews were mining, Simms said. Knowing what panel the school sat over, officials were able to track Consol's progress. About two weeks before mining reached Sand Hill, they moved the 70 children and their teachers to another facility.

"Blocks could fall out of the ceiling, lights could fall, whatever, and we didn't want to deal with that hassle," Simms said. "We wanted to be sure the kids were safe."

For about six weeks after mining ended, the district waited while the settling continued, watching as walls cracked and doors became stuck.

Consol — which had signed a contract to replace the entire school if it was damaged beyond repair — then hired a contractor to repair everything, and the children moved back in.

"We had a really good relationship, a really good understanding," Simms said. "And really good documents."

DEP spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said several permits for the Buckhannon project are pending, and a public hearing will be scheduled once the applications are deemed technically complete.

The Hampton Mine would come close to the reserves at ICG's ill-fated Sago Mine, which was closed after 12 men died after an explosion and prolonged entrapment in January 2006.

But the Buckhannon River stands between the two operations, and DEP senior engineer Clarence Wright said it would remain an impediment to reaching the Sago reserves even at that depth.

Reaching them is not part of ICG's current proposal, he said.

So far, the DEP says, the school board is the only party to object to the project to ICG's plan.

ICG, based in Scott Depot, is currently the target of a $3.4 billion buyout by St. Louis-based Arch Coal, a deal that's designed to meet growing demand for high-priced coal used to manufacture steel.

Arch didn't immediately comment on the Hampton project.

]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:00:00 GMT 7559b6cd-6d81-4832-bb1a-195857fba6bf <![CDATA[State revenues continue to top expectations]]>

State revenues continue to top expectations

With the finish line of the 2010-11 budget year just days away, the state's economy continues to chug along, with only two types of state taxes coming in under projections, according to a report presented to the Council of Finance and Administration Tuesday.

By Phil Kabler

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- With the finish line of the 2010-11 budget year just days away, the state's economy continues to chug along, with only two types of state taxes coming in under projections, according to a report presented to the Council of Finance and Administration Tuesday.

Revenue Secretary Charles Lorensen said state tax collections have been "extraordinarily strong" this budget year, running 108 percent ahead of estimates through May 31.

With $3.69 billion in tax collections through May, revenue collections are running $273 million ahead of estimates, and the surplus could approach $300 million when the budget year ends on June 30.

Lorensen noted that is in sharp contrast to his first go-round as revenue secretary in 1989-1990, when the state's finances were so poor, it was unable to pay income tax refunds on a timely basis.

"The restraint and fiscal responsibility of the Legislature for the past couple of decades has been astounding," Lorensen said. "The transformation in the fiscal position of the state is incredible."

Only two categories of taxes are falling below projections for the budget year, according to the report: tobacco taxes, falling $1.79 million, or 2 percent below projections; and the state's share of property taxes, falling $103,000, or also 2 percent below estimates.

Mark Muchow, deputy revenue secretary, said tobacco taxes are down because of a faster than projected decline in cigarette smoking statewide.

"Tobacco consumption is off a little more than we thought it would be," he said.

He said the state's share of property tax collections are down because of a drop in property values in parts of the state, as well as a drop in natural gas prices, which affects the valuation of gas-producing properties.

He said that, because of declines in county property tax collections, the local share contribution to the state School Aid Formula will decline in the 2011-12 budget, the first such downturn in recent years.

Also Tuesday, Lorensen said the Tomblin administration is considering legislation to raise the cap on the Rainy Day A fund from 10 percent of one year's general revenue budget to a 12 to 15 percent cap.

Currently, Rainy Day A contains $341 million, and with a expected transfer of up to $150 million of revenue surplus after the current budget year ends June 30, it will reach the 10 percent cap, currently at $401 million.

"We're going to be adding to that balance significantly," Lorensen said of the transfer of surplus funds into Rainy Day A, which will take place in August.

Maintaining the fund at higher levels helps the state receive higher bond ratings. The fund, along with the $316 million Rainy Day B account, are set aside for use in the event of major natural disasters or fiscal emergencies.

]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:00:00 GMT 60fdc38c-9645-42c7-92b6-4a0f91151880 <![CDATA[WV teacher retirements topping 1,800 this year]]>

W.Va. teacher retirements topping 1,800 this year

By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia has seen more than 1,800 of its public school teachers retire this budget year, and another 896 have applied to follow them out the door.

State officials told lawmakers Monday that the numbers are in line with those of previous years.

The figures reflect retirements in the state's traditional pension plan for teachers. It saw 1,623 retire during the prior budget year.

The 896 have applied to retire on July 1, when the new budget year begins. Around 1,200 retired on July 1 of last year.

The Teachers Retirement System began this budget year with more than 35,600 active members. Another 5,000 educators belong to a 401(k)-style plan that the Legislature closed in 2008. Teachers in that plan can expect additional investment options starting June 23.

]]> Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT 6fb50467-1679-4dc5-8230-b3a4cf489cfc <![CDATA[Justices decline to hear Pledge of Allegiance challenge]]> Justices Decline to Hear Pledge of Allegiance Challenge

By Mark Walsh, Education Week

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up another challenge to school-led recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The justices declined without comment to consider a federal appeals court decision that upheld a New Hampshire law requiring schools to set aside time daily for students to voluntarily recite the Pledge.

The case was one of two in which the lawyer and activist Michael A. Newdow has challenged school recitations of the Pledge because of the inclusion of the words "under God."

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, in Boston, had ruled in November that the New Hampshire requirement does not violate the First Amendment's prohibition against government establishment of religion or other provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

"The New Hampshire School Patriot Act's primary effect is not the advancement of religion, but the advancement of patriotism through a pledge to the flag as a symbol of the nation," said the unanimous opinion, by 1st Circuit Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch.

The challenge was brought by plaintiffs identified in court papers as the Doe family. The mother and father describe themselves as atheist and agnostic, respectively, with three children in the Hanover, N.H., school district who also question the existence of God. (The school district is a joint one with Dresden, Vt.)

Under the New Hampshire law passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, schools must set aside time for teachers to lead the pledge, but students are not required to recite it. (That would be in keeping with the U.S. Supreme Court's 1943 decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette.)

The Doe family's suit alleged that the statute violates the establishment clause, as well as the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion. The family was being represented by Newdow, a California lawyer and atheist who has carried out his own longtime campaign against the inclusion of "under God" in the pledge and school-led recitations of the pledge.

The statute was defended not only by the state of New Hampshire, but also by intervening students and parents, the Knights of Columbus, and the U.S. Department of Justice, which sought to defend acts of Congress that added "under God" to the pledge in 1954 and reaffirmed that version of the pledge in 2002.

In his appeal to the Supreme Court in Freedom From Religion Foundation v. United States (Case No. 10-1214), Newdow argued, among other things, that atheists are the nation's "most disenfranchised religious minority" and were deserving of the high court's protection.

The state of New Hampshire, the federal government, and other supporters of the state law all declined to file responses to Newdow's appeal, and the Supreme Court did not request any responses.

Newdow has one other pending case involving the Pledge that has not yet reached the high court.

In March 2010, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in San Francisco, ruled against Newdow and a group of California atheist parents who challenged school-led recitations of the pledge as an unconstitutional establishment of religion. That court also held that the pledge was predominantly a patriotic exercise.

Newdow's request for review by a larger panel of 9th Circuit judges in the case involving the Rio Linda Independent School District in northern California still appears to be pending more than a year after the panel issued its decision.

Newdow also was behind an earlier case challenging the pledge in his own daughter's school. The U.S. Supreme Court weighed that case, Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, in 2004 but disposed of it on procedural grounds.

]]> Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT 6ef00c78-4fac-487d-886f-1547ff91bd55 <![CDATA[11 WV schools get funding for playgrounds]]> 11 W.Va. Schools Get Funding for Playgrounds
Each school will get about $50,000.
State Journal

Eleven schools around West Virginia will share almost $527,000 in grants to fix up their playgrounds. The improvements are aimed at fighting childhood obesity.
Each school could get up to $50,000. The money can be used to buy new playground equipment and/or renovate current playgrounds.

“The purpose of this project is to increase the availability of safe, durable and inviting physical activity spaces for schools and the communities – and children -- they serve,” said state Superintendent Jorea Marple. “The bottom line is healthy students have a greater capacity to learn and are ultimately more successful in school and life so we have to do all we can to support healthy living.”

The schools that were chosen are : Valley Elementary in Preston County ($50,000); Nitro Elementary in Kanawha County($49,960); George Ward Elementary in Randolph County ($50,000); Valley Head Elementary in Randolph County ($50,000); Mill Creek Intermediate in Berkeley County ($48,630); Mountain View Elementary and Middle School in Monroe County ($50,000); Midway Elementary in Lincoln County ($49,500); Junior Elementary in Barbour County ($49,295); Martin Elementary in Wood County ($49,000); Culloden Elementary in Cabell County ($50,000) and Gilbert Elementary in Mingo County ($30,700).

The project is a collaboration of the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Public Health.
 ]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT cbd5e256-9f4c-4923-b10d-f7ffe64a4854 <![CDATA[Combating truancy requires work of all government branches]]>

Editorial: Combating truancy requires work of all government branches

The Herald-Dispatch

Two officials, one a state senator and the other a judge, made a convincing case to the West Virginia Board of Education this week about how truancy requires a full-scale commitment if it is going to be reduced.

One of the ways to do that, they argued, was to have judges in the state more involved in the issue.

Carrying the message were Sen. Robert Plymale, a Democrat from Wayne County who also is chairman of the Senate's Education Committee, and Circuit Judge Alan D. Moats, who serves in Taylor and Barbour counties.

Both offered their takes on the problem and its impact on children. As a judge, Moats recounted how what he has seen in his courtroom over the years clearly shows how serious the consequences are for children who miss large numbers of school days, according to a report in the Charleston Daily Mail. He recalled how 31 of the 41 indictments he handed down recently were to offenders who did not have a high school diploma. The judge also told of children in kindergarten and first grade missing 40 or 50 days of school in a year.

Under such circumstances, children have little to no chance of succeeding in school.

Plymale pointed out correctly that high truancy rates signal a problem in the home.

The state's judges already have a hand in handling truancy cases, and they can play a key role in working to make parents more responsible in ensuring their children attend school regularly. But another aspect stressed by Moats -- that all levels of government need to be aggressive in fighting this problem -- is also on point.

That may mean tougher penalties for parents who fail to get their kids to class, requiring counties to file the necessary complaints sooner rather than later when a pattern of truancy emerges, and have sufficient courts resources to handle the cases.

Otherwise, Moats and other judges are likely to continue seeing a high number of dropouts in their courtrooms for law violations beyond truancy.

]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT 27808767-8792-4ccb-8364-e0763859138c <![CDATA[Focus should be more on education, not administration]]> Focus should be more on education, not administration

Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — There probably isn’t one single business out there that doesn’t want to reward faithful, dedicated employees with raises.

We’re coming out of a recession, all the while facing inflation in the cost of goods and services and skyrocketing prices at the pumps. And many, many dedicated employees have had to face cutbacks, doing more with less, and no cost of living adjustments. Wanting to reward those employees is natural.

But the truth is, sometimes that’s just not feasible. Or financially responsible. Or fair.

We appreciate the work that current Assistant Superintendent Gary Price and Administrative Assistant Randall Farley have done for the Marion?County School System, but we also have to give credit to the Marion?County Board of Education for not agreeing to promotions and raises for the positions earlier this week.

Last week, the items appeared on the BOE’s agenda that, if approved, would have promoted Price to associate superintendent and Farley to assistant superintendent. Superintendent Tom Deadrick’s request, he explained last week, was to reward the top administrators for their level of dedication and results.

“The change in title is recognition of the outstanding job that Mr. Price and Mr. Farley have done over the past several years,” Deadrick told the Times West Virginian. “On a daily basis, they go above and beyond what is expected in their areas of responsibility to make sure the school system operates in an efficient and effective manner.”

That is a statement we all can agree to.

It is also a statement that applies to many teachers, aides, administrators and service personnel members in each of the county’s schools.

In April, the BOE agreed to a three-year contract for Deadrick, which would increase his salary by $30,000 over the life of the contract. That starts out as a 4.35 percent raise in 2011 and a 13 percent raise over the life of the contract. What Deadrick asked for, with this most recent proposal, were contracts for his top administrators that would coincide with his own. A package deal, if you will.

And in April, the Times West Virginian expressed our concerns that Deadrick’s contract represented a sharp increase, one that was not equivalent to other educators within the school system. Teachers in the state will receive a $1,488 increase to their base salary effective July 1, which represents about a 2 percent increase on average. And that raise is a one-time boost and is not guaranteed in the coming years.

Though Deadrick was not specific about a pay increase for Price and Farley, he did say the promotions would come with an increase according to the pay schedule approved by the BOE in the past. Though he wasn’t specific, we assume Deadrick intended the pay increases to be in addition to what Price and Farley will receive on July 1 when all teachers and state employees get the 2 percent boost in pay.

And he didn’t have to get specific. The BOE turned down Deadrick’s request to give promotions to two top administrators at its Monday meeting. BOE member Mary “Sis” Murray made a motion to discuss the matter, but it died for lack of a second. It’s a method governing bodies use to deny a measure without having to act on it at all.

While we commend the work Price and Farley have done this far, we also have to commend the BOE for not supporting a measure that would have made this school system’s administration any more top heavy than it already is.

We wish we lived in less lean times, when all educators could get the pay increases they deserve based on merit and results. Until we do, we have to move forward and focus more on education than administration.

]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:00:00 GMT 058c42e0-75a1-4ebf-a194-85f4fc53d8d4 <![CDATA[Coal-industry-provided learning materials a concern]]> Coal-industry-provided learning materials a concern

School board president questions fairness of coal industry's curriculum

by Amber Marra

Daily Mail

State School Board President Priscilla Haden has asked for an inquiry into a program that offers grant money to teachers for learning materials about the coal industry.

During the second day of a two-part Board of Education meeting, Haden brought up Coal Education Development and Resource, or CEDAR.

She had some questions about the program, which started in Kentucky in 1992 and came to West Virginia about 10 years ago. It is also available in Virginia.

"I want to make sure there are two sides to the story. I'm asking that we look at it and make sure that the other side is told and that this is a truly fair thing," Haden said.

The education program offers funding to teachers who want to educate students at all levels about coal and the coal industry. Teachers write grant proposals outlining what they intend to teach and what materials they need.

Haden says she is interested in how they are teaching and if the material conveys all sides of the coal industry, including environmental issues.

"I was a social studies teacher, and so many controversial subjects arise in those classes. We want students to discuss those issues in a civil manner, but we also want them to draw conclusions of their own," she said.

Last year, some schools in Mingo, Logan, Boone, McDowell and Wyoming counties used a curriculum paid for by the southern West Virginia chapter of CEDAR, according to the division's president, Georgene Robertson.

Teachers receive an average of $800 per grant to spend on classroom materials and lesson plans. The program also offers an annual coal fair, where students can present artwork and projects, including some that focus on the reclamation side of mountaintop mining.

"Some teachers already have so much in their plate that they don't want to pick anything else up, but other teachers appreciate getting money they are able to utilize in the classroom when money is so tight," Robertson said in a phone interview after Thursday's meeting.

Many teachers who receive the grant money focus on the history of coal mining and how it brought immigrants into the state.

Robertson, who is also a human resources representative for Arch Coal, said the program helps students overcome the humiliation of seeing how their home state is portrayed on a national level.

"We have seen students that, because of all the ugly publicity a lot of people aim at West Virginia, they're embarrassed about being from here, but then they start talking about it in a positive light when they learn about the history and they start taking pride in it," Robertson said.

She said much of what students hear about the coal industry from other sources misinterprets information about the business and its workers.

"Some portray the image of a coal miner as dumb and toothless, but here they are some of our smartest people; they're your church leaders, your Boy Scout leaders, they are good people in your community," she said.

Haden also wondered how teachers explain the non-historical parts of the coal industry without bias. Robertson said CEDAR guides teachers only during the writing of the initial grant request.

To learn more about the resource and what lessons students are being taught, Haden asked state Superintendent Jorea Marple to investigate. Haden also wondered if the material was aligned with the state's mandated curriculum standards.

"In civics, we have to be so careful about that because there are so many national issues out there, and teachers can sometimes teach it with a touch of bias, so you have to make sure both sides are taught with every story," Haden said.

]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:00:00 GMT cf21d7d6-95f1-4543-858f-9397e9bf9315 <![CDATA[Schools to begin new student assessment]]> Schools to begin new student assessment

By Megan Fisher - Journal Staff Writer

 

CHARLES TOWN - The West Virginia Department of Education is looking to establish a new assessment for students, saying standardized testing is not enough.

The state is a founding member of the SMARTER Balance Assessment Consortium, which received a four-year $176 million Race to the Top assessment grant last year from the U.S. Department of Education.

The 31 states in the consortium create a common, innovative assessment system for mathematics and English language arts that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards, an initiative to create a consistent and clear set of learning standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics, according to the SBAC website.

The SBAC intends to create state-of-the-art adaptive online exams as part of a system that will provide accurate assessment information on the progress of all students, including those with disabilities, English language learners and low- and high-performing students.

Henry Brzycki, dean of American Public University in Charles Town, expects the assessment to be implemented by the end of this year.

"I think many K-to-12 schools aren't aware of what the Department of Education is trying to do. They're trying to do what's best for the schools and the children," he said. "This way, teachers can focus on the students. They're not teaching to the test."

Brzycki added that West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Jorea M. Marple is introducing an idea to every classroom: serving the personal learning needs of each student.

"Right now, the way which teachers have to teach is, 'Here are the standards - take it or leave it.' We're assuming these standards are appropriate for each student," Brzycki said. "Through personalized learning, students are able to go further and be more. ... They don't fall through the cracks."

More information is available at www.k12.wa.us/smarter.

]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:00:00 GMT 1d48f455-7604-4e04-8649-fc4aa7f07330 <![CDATA[State takes over Gilmer County Schools]]> State takes over Gilmer County Schools

By MICHAEL ERB  Parkersburg News and Sentinel

GLENVILLE - The West Virginia Board of Education Wednesday declared a state of emergency in Gilmer County Schools, assuming control of all finances and administration of the school system.

A press release issued late Wednesday by the West Virginia Department of Education said Gilmer County Schools was placed on "nonapproval status" Wednesday by a unanimous vote of the board.

The board in its decision cited an Office of Education Performance Audit report that detailed "significant leadership, technology, facility, personnel and finance issues in the county."

An unannounced OEPA visit of the Gilmer County School District was conducted May 2-4. Auditors found "county board members were in discord, the county board operations were dysfunctional and meetings were unproductive and resulted in the board being incapable of following State Code and West Virginia Board of Education policies."

"It is further recommended that delaying the intervention for any period of time would not be in the best interest of the students," said Kenna Seal, OEPA executive director. "Based on the entirety of the problems in the county and the decisions, or lack thereof, there is scant hope that the school system can be improved with the current county board."

According to the release, the OEPA report said the county school board meeting minutes indicated the school board was trying to micromanage, essentially replacing their administrators' and county superintendent's recommendations with their own, leading to a flawed hiring, transferring and reduction in force system. Numerous questionable and irregular decisions are being made by the board prompting distrust and suspicion.

The report also cited a lack of technology infrastructure, financial irregularities due to decentralized accounting procedures, and the school systems facilities were lacking proper maintenance.

Ted Mattern was appointed as interim superintendent until a replacement can be hired. The school system's board has been directed to work with the WVDE to jointly develop and present a strategic plan for the school board to regain control of the school system.

]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT a8a70b9d-7e68-48db-8e01-75c5774a7ffd <![CDATA[Teachers honored for receiving national award]]>

Teachers Honored for Receiving National Award

MetroNews Staff

Dozens of state teachers were honored Wednesday night in Charleston for receiving the National Board Certification last year, the highest credential in the teaching profession.

A total of 86 teachers won the award for their work.

Ali Stevenson teaches at West Side Elementary School in Charleston.  She says she was elated when she found out she won the honor.

"I'm over the moon," Stevenson said.  "I was so nervous in November when all the results were coming back, because I knew it was so difficult to get.  Then you open the envelope, and you realize you passed."

Christina Rollins teaches preschool in Monongalia County.  She says she scrutinized her work to ensure it met the rigorous standards set by the national board.

"You take a little bit more time and think is it working or is it not working," Rollins said.  "You think, am I meeting the families needs as well."

West Virginia officials have been hungry to acquire more teachers.  However, one of the lowest pay scales in the nation has prompted many to leave the state.

Still, Rollins says events like Wednesday's award ceremony show there are many talented teachers in the Mountain State.

"I think that there are just more coming out of the wood work," Rollins said.  "We're not doing it for the money.  We're doing it because we want to help, and we love children."

Stevenson says teachers are also getting more opportunities to implement new technology in the classroom.

"Twenty-first century learning skills are very important," Stevenson said.  "We use a smart board and a smart table."

Assessments of teacher for 2011 will come later this year.

]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT cadf88c3-2e44-4a29-bf3e-3d79c8d39bd4 <![CDATA[US Department of Education may look into school closure in Fayette]]>

U.S. Department of Education may look into school closure in Fayette

by The Associated Press

The Associated Press

The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.

June 08--A Fayette County school may be the target of a federal discrimination investigation, a letter from the U.S. Department of Education states.

Dan Matheny, a Mount Hope resident who has been arguing that the decision to close Mount Hope High School unfairly discriminated against African-American students on the basis of race, said he received the letter a few days ago. The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights responded in a letter to Matheny that the OCR will investigate his allegations of discrimination.

"I was pretty much ecstatic," Matheny said. "I felt a great sense of accomplishment because it took a lot of diligence on my part."

The decision to investigate was based on a determination that OCR has jurisdiction to follow up on Matheny's complaint and it was filed timely. The decision does necessarily mean discrimination has occurred.

"Please note that investigating allegations in no way implies that OCR has decided their merits," wrote Joseph Mahoney, team leader for the OCR investigation in response to the complaint. "During the investigation, OCR is a neutral fact-finder, collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from the complainant, the recipient and other sources."

Matheny said he routinely sent information to the OCR, waiting for a response from them. Matheny said he was "disappointed" some others who fought against the closure were not still working against the decision.

Mount Hope has one of the highest proportions of African-American students in the Mountain State.

"I saw the injustice between black and white," Matheny said. "To me, all the documents I've gathered clearly paints a picture of the past and current injustices directed at the Mount Hope school system."

The letter, addressed June 2, specifically addresses two of Matheny's allegations, originally filed in October.

One is that the reassignment of students to other schools due to closure will result in a disproportionately high number of African-American students at those schools. The other is that the closure of Mount Hope High School will result in a disparate proportion of African-American students attending schools "inferior in terms of academic achievement and graduation rates."

The final decision on closure of the school came in January. Reasons provided for closure varied and included poor test scores and a "weak and thin" curriculum.

"I told them at the board meetings that I was going to do everything possible to see that Mount Hope is treated fairly," Matheny said. "That's my intent from day one and that's my intent until it's finalized."

The OCR declined to investigate at least four other complaints Matheny submitted, based on timeliness of the filing or insufficient information to infer discrimination may have occurred.

The OCR will attempt to resolve the complaint before completing the investigation through an agreement called an Early Complaint Resolution or through a voluntary resolution agreement.

Officials from the Fayette County Board of Education could not be reached Tuesday evening for comment.

Matheny said his efforts are not about saving Mount Hope High School, and added he had no problem if the school were to be "closed fairly."

"I just wanted to see Mount Hope treated fairly," Matheny said. "We have not been treated fairly."

Matheny said he is also currently in the process of filing an injunction to halt the closure of the school based on what he sees as evidence that the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan for Fayette County was done inappropriately. 

]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT e67e07fa-139e-4442-8028-43eeeba1318c <![CDATA[Tuition increase for WVU students]]>

Tuition Increase For WVU Students

MetroNews Staff

The WVU Board of Governors has approved a tuition and fee increase package for WVU students.

Tuition will go up nearly five percent beginning in the fall semester. That will result in about $134 more for in-state students and $421 for those undergraduates from outside the state. The increases also impact graduate students by about the same amounts.

The BOG approved the package during its meeting Friday in Charleston.

WVU Provost Michele Wheatly says the increases are conservative but they will allow the university to move ahead and become "a leading land grant university for the 21st Century."

Wheatly told the BOG the money raised from the increases will help fund a pay raise for WVU workers, the university's strategic plan and the normal cost of doing business.

The provost says the package also increases housing fees by 3.5 percent while more significantly increasing the tuition at the medical school by 9 percent and dentistry and nursing tuitions by 11 percent.

]]> Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:00:00 GMT d1cae140-9c5b-485c-aca4-fd922c21432e <![CDATA[WV revenue up 9 percent]]> W.Va. revenue up 9 percent

Figures show state has $273 million surplus for last month of fiscal year

by Jared Hunt

Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Despite a worsening national economy, the state of West Virginia is on track to close the fiscal year with a healthy bump in tax collections.

Revenue figures released Wednesday show the state is running a $273 million surplus going into June, which is the last month of the fiscal year.

So far this year, the state has collected nearly $3.7 billion in revenue -- a bump of about 9 percent over the $3.4 billion it had collected at this point last year.

Officials said it's a sign of an improving economy, and one that stands in contrast to other states facing looming deficits and debt crises.

"I don't think there's many states out there that can boast revenue growth of 9 percent," said deputy revenue secretary Mark Muchow.

For the month of May, the state collected $339.7 million in revenue, about 2 percent higher than expectations and 6 percent higher than the $320.2 million collected last May.  

The increase comes even as national data for the economy is showing a slowdown.

On Wednesday morning, national payroll processor ADP reported that the private sector added a meager 38,000 jobs last month (versus expectations of about 160,000 new jobs) and the Institute for Supply Management reported that the American manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace since September 2009.

The tepid growth comes as economic stimulus programs, such as the Federal Reserve's so-called quantitative easing program, are coming to an end.  

"There's definitely a lot of signs out there that the economy is slowing down a bit," Muchow said.

The rising cost of energy is partly to blame.

But those higher energy costs provide a boost for the state's coal industry; as that sector grows, so do other surrounding industries, which leads to higher revenues collected by the state.

More than 86 percent of the state's $273 million surplus can be attributed to higher severance and income tax collections, Muchow said.

"The state of West Virginia continues to benefit from strong exports - particularly manufacturing and mining goods," he said.

"As long as China and Brazil produce steel and experience economic growth, the metallurgical coal industry should thrive."

Corporate income tax collections are running 37 percent higher this year, and personal income taxes are up 9.5 percent.

Muchow said some of the gains in personal income tax collections could be due to uncertainty in federal tax laws that happened as a result of Congress debating whether to extend the George W. Bush era tax cuts.

It appears some people recorded some capital gains taxes last year because they were unsure if they would have to pay a higher rate this year, he said.

Consumer sales taxes are also running ahead of expectations, a sign that at least some state consumers are spending more.

For the month, the state logged more than $102.5 million in sales taxes compared to estimates of $97.1 million. That's also about $10 million higher than sales tax collections from last year.

For the fiscal year, consumer sales tax receipts are running about 5 percent over last year.

Muchow said that could be partially due to the recently enacted one-year reduction in the Social Security payroll tax from 6.2 to 4.2 percent.

"Overall collections are being helped out with everyone who works for a living receiving about 2 percent more in pay this year over last year due to the 2 percent reduction in the Social Security tax," he said.

That also may be a factor in the 17 percent jump in vehicle sales taxes collected this year versus last year.

The state took in $16 million from vehicle sales in May, adding up to $156.3 million in collections so far this fiscal year.

Those collections, which go into the State Road Fund, have helped boost revenues for that fund by around 10 percent.

And while fuel prices climbed to new highs throughout April and May, the higher prices didn't do much to dampen consumption.

Muchow said that fuel tax collections for the combined period of April and May were virtually flat compared to last years' levels.

For the fiscal year, fuel tax collections are 8 percent higher than last year.

With one month to go in the fiscal year, Muchow said he felt confident that the $273 million general revenue fund surplus should hold through next month.  

"I think we're on pace to end there or even higher," he said.

Corporate income taxes, which can be volatile from month to month, and severance tax collections are two unknowns that could affect the final fiscal year figure.

But Muchow is confident that severance tax collections will come in higher than expected next month as energy prices and mining activity remain high.

]]> Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:00:00 GMT 9611b8ab-a504-4dbb-873f-066d050076de <![CDATA[The audit starts Wednesday]]>

The Audit Starts Wednesday

MetroNews

Officials with two outside companies will start looking closely at West Virginia's public education system on Wednesday as part of a comprehensive audit.

The state will pay Public Works/MGT a total of $750,000 for the audit.  Rob Alsop, Chief of Staff for Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's Administration, says that cost will be worth it in the end.

"These are folks who look at education systems all the way around the country," Alsop said on Tuesday's MetroNews Talkline.

"They're going to go and look at what we're doing and say, 'Are these best practices for today?  Are there other states which are using technology in a different manner that benefits kids in the classroom?'"

Next year, West Virginia will spend $1.5 billion in state money on education.  That total does not include federal money, nor the $380 million local counties provide.

The audit will include a thorough review of state public education statutes and the school aid formula along with state and local policies, practices and procedures.

The following agencies will be part of that review:

- West Virginia Department of Education

- West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts

- Center for Professional Development

- West Virginia Office of Education Performance Audits

- West Virginia School Building Authority

- West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind 

In addition, officials with Public Works/MGT will look at one Regional Service Education Area (RESA) and three school districts of varying sizes.

Preliminary findings from the audit, along with recommendations for improvements, will be in to state officials by this Fall.

]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT 2815e415-57c2-4a38-a543-e455d657f9cc <![CDATA[WV education efficiency audit grows]]> W.Va. education efficiency audit grows

$750,000 price tag stirs concern

By Davin White

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A statewide "education efficiency audit" will begin June 1, cost $750,000 and is expected to cover more state agencies than was initially planned.

Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, is now spearheading the audit. It was in the planning stages while freshman U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin was still governor.

The audit will look for places to save money in various state offices, including the Department of Education, the School Building Authority and the Department of Education and the Arts, according to a purchase order filed with the Department of Administration.

Tomblin administration spokeswoman Diane Holley-Brown said a $750,000 contract with Public Works LLC of West Chester, Pa., has been approved. The purchase order was dated May 24.

MGT of America, a research and consulting firm with six offices around the country, is working with Public Works. MGT has experience auditing kindergarten through 12th-grade school systems. 

State Board of Education member Lowell Johnson says he's not against auditing the Department of Education, but he's been left with more questions than answers about the process -- including the cost.

"We have legislative auditors. Why can't the state do it?" Johnson said. "If we want to be efficient, we ought to look at using our own resources."

He has said he wanted to see what exactly the audit would include, and wondered if state agency leaders had received any documents that told them that.

"So far, I haven't been impressed with the process," Johnson said last week. "It just seems to me that the communications relative to this is not very good."

Earlier this week, Center for Professional Development spokeswoman Christy Day said agency chief executive officer Dixie Billheimer had not been notified of the audit.

The center is part of the audit, as are the state Office of Education Performance Audits and the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

Mark Manchin, executive director of the School Building Authority, said Friday afternoon that, "as of today, I've not received anything.

"If we're a party to it, that's fine," he said.

A Department of Education spokeswoman did not say whether state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple had received notice of the audit.

Johnson has posed questions about the uncommon process used to find a vendor. The "expression of interest" is different from the normal bidding process and often is used for architectural and engineering projects.

Patrick Crane, former education policy adviser to Joe Manchin, now represents Tomblin on a six-member panel that selected Public Works and MGT of America.

Last year, Crane explained an expression of interest, which differs from the traditional "request for proposal" [RFP] bidding process. State officials have about eight "groups," or vendors, in mind who appear to be qualified. From those eight, they'll choose three groups with experience in the field and with team members who are specifically qualified to handle the audit, he said.

The three with the highest scores will give presentations to state officials until one is picked. A discussion about price does not take place until after the panel selects a vendor.

The panelists could not negotiate "a satisfactory scope of service and price" with the highest-ranked vendor, Alvarez & Marsal, according to a letter to the state Purchasing Division dated May 6. 

Last week, Crane referred comment to Tomblin's office. Kimberly Osborne, Tomblin's press secretary, said the audit would be paid for using money from the Governor's Contingency Fund.

Johnson wants to make sure the audit doesn't trample on court cases that guide public school funding. State education officials must adhere to court cases, he said, that are tied to the 1982 Recht decision, a landmark school-funding case decided by Ohio County Circuit Judge Arthur Recht and upheld by the West Virginia Supreme Court.

The Recht decision was meant to ensure that students across the state receive adequate funding for education.

Wade Linger, a state Board of Education member who also sits on the panel that selected Public Works and MGT, said the vendors have been made aware of the court case's impact on school funding.

Since 2005, Public Works has received $1,172,585 from the state for consulting work its done in West Virginia, according to the state auditor's website. That does not include the new contract.

Linger believes all the members of the Board of Education want the same thing: "to use the taxpayers' money responsibly."

"I think we're all in agreement on that," he said.

Linger said the panel's only charge was to select a vendor. He did not want to discuss why the negotiations with Alvarez & Marsal failed, but said, "[I] listened to who I thought would be the best vendor for the best price, and it's not really any more complicated than that." 

He doesn't believe anyone should jump to the conclusion that "this audit is going to be done wrong or improper or with an agenda."

In a statement, Tomblin said preliminary findings and recommendations would be presented within 90 to 120 days of the start of the review.

The audit also will review one of the West Virginia's eight Regional Education Service Agencies, but it is not clear yet which one.

Three county-level school systems also will be audited, according to Public Works' three-page description of its scope of work: one small county (with fewer than 2,000 students), one medium-sized county (with between 4,000 and 6,000 students) and one large county (with 10,000 or more students).

Johnson questioned how one RESA and three county school systems could be representative of other counties or RESAs. He says he's skeptical about whether it might tell auditors anything of value about the rest of the state.

]]> Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT f8e3ed32-8f9d-47ef-99b8-4121bc19b396 <![CDATA[Preston schools offer snow day alternative]]> Preston schools offer snow day alternative

by The Associated Press

May 31--KINGWOOD -- Many businesses have found ways of carrying on in inclement weather, offering employees the option to telecommute rather than drive to the office.

That is not yet an option for schools.

In Preston County, where winter often calls for more snow days than school days, students are offered "inclement weather packages" that they can access by computer.

"We already do some things online," said Larry Parsons, Preston County superintendent of schools. But there's a major obstacle to moving much further beyond that.

"We're a long way from home base" when it comes to technology, he said. "There are bandwidth limitations. We're far removed from getting that. And we lack the financial capacity to support technology."

And then there are the nontechnological obstacles.

"There's also the culture and environment. It's not the optimum environment to utilize technology to be successful," he said.

Parsons said the number of parents in the county without postsecondary education is a factor.

"There's not a lot of advancement in the parents' education to motivate modern technology," he said.

In Marion County, Superintendent Tom Deadrick said he didn't know the number of students with access to the Internet at home, but the schools do provide online assignments.

"Our teachers have the capability of posting lessons to the Edline accounts for each of their classes. Many regularly post to Edline regardless of weather conditions."

Parsons said that goes on in Preston County as well, as it does in Monongalia County, according to Superintendent Frank Devono. As to the idea of teachers reporting to school on snow days and teaching live online, Devono said we're not there yet.

"It's an issue of infrastructure, not schools," he said.

While the schools have the technology to provide lessons via computer, there are still students who don't have the computers or Internet access to receive them.

Digital textbooks

Meanwhile, the West Virginia Department of Education has put new textbooks on hold.

According to Carla Williamson, executive director of the WVDOE's Office of Instruction, they've "delayed the adoption of instructional materials for a period of two years."

"During this time we have requested that all county school systems divert funds normally spent on the purchase of instructional materials to the necessary infrastructure to support digital instructional materials."

Among the technology suggested for elementary school classrooms are: Computers with camera card reader; interactive white boards; document cameras; data projectors; speakers; digital video and still cameras, wireless and wired microphones, laser printers, scanners.

There's a software list on top of that.

Phyllis McMillion, director of secondary education for Preston County Schools, told the board of education recently that more than $830,000 has been set aside for "Textbooks to Technology." That money will be used to transition from traditional school books to online books.

"It's an evolving issue and we're just at the beginning of it," she said. "We're a very rural county, so we don't know how it's going to affect our students."

]]> Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT 98effc79-5b9e-4f19-a06c-0713e65f0e30 <![CDATA[Educators debate letting children sleep later]]> Educators debate letting children sleep later

Administrators, health experts say student performance could benefit

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - If you take a walk around schools in Preston County next year, you might find some students with brighter eyes and a little more spring in their steps.

This is not because these students are any more eager to head to school in the morning, nor is it because their educational drive is any more honed than the average student.

They might just be a bit more rested.

This is because the Preston County school board unanimously decided at its April 19 meeting to start school a half hour later starting this fall.

The push for giving kids another half hour of sleep came to Preston Superintendent Larry Parsons from an unexpected source.

"Bus operators generated the thoughts to me. My indication is that nationally it's bus operators who oppose a change like this, but in this case they seem very considerate of kids standing out along the road and the loss of sleep," Parsons said.

The superintendent said the long, cold winters in North Central West Virginia are hard on little ones waiting for the bus at 6 a.m. Early morning weather also is an issue for older students who often find themselves driving to school in poor conditions.

"We have a large number of students that drive, so we're adding another half hour of potential daylight and road preparation. That goes for employees as well," he said.

The situation in Preston County is not unique.

Many students who have groaned at the thought of getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. on a snowy day can relate to what Dr. George Zaldivar, a sleep specialist with Charleston Area Medical Center, had to say about child and adolescent sleep cycles.

"They need nine hours, and they're not getting anywhere near it. Teens as a whole are sleep-deprived. That's why on weekends they try to catch up," Zaldivar said.

He sees Preston County's move as a positive step and noted that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine favors moving school start times up by an hour.

Zaldivar said it might not be a student's fault if he or she doesn't get enough sleep. Hormonal changes often cause teens to have trouble falling asleep before midnight and waking at dawn.

Children tend to need even more sleep, at least 10 or 11 hours for those as young as 5, and Zaldivar said parents sometimes deprive their children by keeping them up late.

He sees many cases of parents feeling guilty about not spending enough time with their children after long days at work. They compensate by keeping the kids up later than they should.

Regardless of the reason for deprivation, Zaldivar said it has an effect on learning ability.

"Anyone who is severely sleep-deprived will not be able to retain what is being told to them because the brain is so sleepy, it will be shorting out info.

"They hear it, but it will not register. This is why short memory is so bad in people who are sleep deprived to the point they think they are becoming demented."

But he admitted starting the school day later presents problems with organizing evening extracurricular activities.

Capital High Principal Clinton Giles is all too familiar with these complications. His school got the go-ahead three years ago to start school an hour later because so many students were showing up tired from working late night jobs.

The change was blocked, however, due to the presence of the East Academy Alternative School.

Giles said his school has one of the longest school days east of the Mississippi.

The first bus arrives at 6:38 a.m. and school starts at 7:30 a.m.

"There is enough research to show that high school students perform better with a later start, and we had enough support to change our start times," Giles said.

Starting later would have allowed faculty and staff to engage in common planning, which would Giles says would have led to better assessment of achievement levels among students and curriculum delivery, among other improvement areas.

He also noted that had Capital been able to start its day at 8:30 or 9 a.m., the middle of the school day would have been right when the alternative school students began arriving around 2:30 p.m.

The inability to change up the school's schedule is one of many reasons that Giles, students, faculty, and staff all wish to see the East Academy moved to a building separated from Capital High.

"We recognized that it would have displaced our teachers from our classrooms at a time that would be inopportune," he said.

]]> Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT 4bb32052-2716-44d6-8cf8-f5f8f65354d2 <![CDATA[Educators debate letting children sleep later]]> Educators debate letting children sleep later

Administrators, health experts say student performance could benefit

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - If you take a walk around schools in Preston County next year, you might find some students with brighter eyes and a little more spring in their steps.

This is not because these students are any more eager to head to school in the morning, nor is it because their educational drive is any more honed than the average student.

They might just be a bit more rested.

This is because the Preston County school board unanimously decided at its April 19 meeting to start school a half hour later starting this fall.

The push for giving kids another half hour of sleep came to Preston Superintendent Larry Parsons from an unexpected source.

"Bus operators generated the thoughts to me. My indication is that nationally it's bus operators who oppose a change like this, but in this case they seem very considerate of kids standing out along the road and the loss of sleep," Parsons said.

The superintendent said the long, cold winters in North Central West Virginia are hard on little ones waiting for the bus at 6 a.m. Early morning weather also is an issue for older students who often find themselves driving to school in poor conditions.

"We have a large number of students that drive, so we're adding another half hour of potential daylight and road preparation. That goes for employees as well," he said.

The situation in Preston County is not unique.

Many students who have groaned at the thought of getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. on a snowy day can relate to what Dr. George Zaldivar, a sleep specialist with Charleston Area Medical Center, had to say about child and adolescent sleep cycles.

"They need nine hours, and they're not getting anywhere near it. Teens as a whole are sleep-deprived. That's why on weekends they try to catch up," Zaldivar said.

He sees Preston County's move as a positive step and noted that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine favors moving school start times up by an hour.

Zaldivar said it might not be a student's fault if he or she doesn't get enough sleep. Hormonal changes often cause teens to have trouble falling asleep before midnight and waking at dawn.

Children tend to need even more sleep, at least 10 or 11 hours for those as young as 5, and Zaldivar said parents sometimes deprive their children by keeping them up late.

He sees many cases of parents feeling guilty about not spending enough time with their children after long days at work. They compensate by keeping the kids up later than they should.

Regardless of the reason for deprivation, Zaldivar said it has an effect on learning ability.

"Anyone who is severely sleep-deprived will not be able to retain what is being told to them because the brain is so sleepy, it will be shorting out info.

"They hear it, but it will not register. This is why short memory is so bad in people who are sleep deprived to the point they think they are becoming demented."

But he admitted starting the school day later presents problems with organizing evening extracurricular activities.

Capital High Principal Clinton Giles is all too familiar with these complications. His school got the go-ahead three years ago to start school an hour later because so many students were showing up tired from working late night jobs.

The change was blocked, however, due to the presence of the East Academy Alternative School.

Giles said his school has one of the longest school days east of the Mississippi.

The first bus arrives at 6:38 a.m. and school starts at 7:30 a.m.

"There is enough research to show that high school students perform better with a later start, and we had enough support to change our start times," Giles said.

Starting later would have allowed faculty and staff to engage in common planning, which would Giles says would have led to better assessment of achievement levels among students and curriculum delivery, among other improvement areas.

He also noted that had Capital been able to start its day at 8:30 or 9 a.m., the middle of the school day would have been right when the alternative school students began arriving around 2:30 p.m.

The inability to change up the school's schedule is one of many reasons that Giles, students, faculty, and staff all wish to see the East Academy moved to a building separated from Capital High.

"We recognized that it would have displaced our teachers from our classrooms at a time that would be inopportune," he said.

]]> Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT f10ad77c-41a4-42e7-8feb-d8bde918e751 <![CDATA[Bond Defeated]]> BOND DEFEATED

Amanda Hayes/Senior Staff Writer

Upshur County voters gave a resounding no to the proposed $35 million bond that would have gone towards construction of a new middle school and improvements at all other county schools.

The final tally was 1,445 votes for the bond and 3,573 against the bond with a 37.2 percent voter turnout.

Superintendent Scott Lampinen said the result was disappointing.

The Upshur County Board of Education will be analyzing the results of the election and start looking at the future, he added.

What will not be included in that future is the $13.2 million grant the School Building Authority awarded to Upshur County Schools for construction of the proposed Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School.

“That will be returned to them,” Lampinen said of the grant which was contingent on passage of the bond call.

It has been reported that there will be no funding available next year from the School Building Authority, according to Lampinen.

The proposed middle school was part of the county’s Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan that was approved by the county board of education and then approved at the state level. Because a new middle school was included in that plan, there were no items in that CEFP to renovate, remodel or make any changes to the current facility.

With the older portion constructed in 1925 and subsequent additions built later on, the main part of the middle school is about 85 years old.

Also included in the bond call were updates and improvements to all county schools including heating and air conditioning upgrades, roofing, sewer stations, electrical upgrades and more.

“We will have to look and see what we can do to maintain the buildings we have,” Lampinen said.

“We will certainly have to look at our maintenance budget.”

Regarding the middle school, Lampinen said it would continue to be maintained as it had. “We will maintain a safe building for our kids,” he said.

County Clerk Debbie Thacker Wilfong said that voter turnout was “really great” for a special election. Saturday’s election was a special gubernatorial primary election and Upshur County Schools was able to move its bond call election to the same date, which saved the school system money.

For governor, Earl Ray Tomblin won both the county and state vote for the Democratic ticket, while Bill Maloney took both the county and state on the Republican side.

]]> Thu, 19 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT 1db55e38-9ae7-4d8b-9459-978861ebab35 <![CDATA[Rainy Day Fund may be tapped for Kenova school]]> Rainy Day Fund may be tapped for Kenova school

by Ry Rivard

Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--Two top lawmakers are suggesting tapping the state's Rainy Day Fund to help Kenova students, while the head of the state school system says more money needs to be set aside for emergency school construction.

State school Superintendent Jorea Marple told lawmakers Monday the School Building Authority needs to have more money set aside for emergency situations.

"Our concern is that there is very little emergency money within the SBA," she said.

Members of the Legislature were in town for two days of interim meetings.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, told Marple to come up with a list of schools that could soon face emergencies.

During the same meeting, Senate Majority Leader John Unger, D-Berkeley, asked if the state should draw money from it's own Rainy Day Fund to help build a new school.

"I think that's one of the things we had in mind," Plymale said.

West Virginia now has at least two groups of elementary children set to attend a school without a proper schoolhouse.

Kenova was closed to students last week after a sinkhole emerged beneath the building and the walls began to crack.

Now, the school's 380 students are set to join the 110 students from Gilmer County's Normantown Elementary in the unfortunate distinction of attending school entirely in modular classrooms.

Officials closed Normantown two years ago for irreparable structural problems.

During the same discussion, Delegate David Walker, D-Clay, said something needs to be done about Normantown. He said Plymale's suggestion of a Top 10 list might be inadequate.

"There's other schools," Walker said. "You ask for a Top 10? We could probably give you a Top 100."

But the School Building Authority may be limited in what it can do in the short term without changes to the law, Executive Director Mark Manchin said.

The authority is already planning to give Kenova between $300,000 and $500,000 to install mobile classrooms, known as modulars, so kids can be back in the classroom next fall. But there's no easy way to get them a new, permanent schoolhouse.

Manchin said the state requires the SBA to set aside 2 percent of its overall budget for emergency projects but that the fund only had about $3 million in it, about $6 million short of what it would take to build a new school the size of Kenova. The authority's own rules also put a $2-million limit on the amount of emergency funding it can give to each project.

Any such project would take at least three years.

"If we started tomorrow to build the one school it would take nearly one year of planning and 16, 18 months of actual construction," he said.

The authority has an unexpected $22 million sitting around after voters in both Harrison and Upshur counties rejected school bond issues on Saturday. The SBA promised to help those counties build schools only if there were local matching funds.

Wayne County Superintendent Gary Adkins, who came to Charleston to appear before lawmakers, said he was looking at that money as one way to help the dire situation in Kenova.

"It's certainly something that would be advantageous to us," he said.

But Manchin said the Kenova project wasn't part of the authority's current funding cycle, which is a lengthy vetting process to pick what schools to build or renovate. Because of that, he said state law might not allow the authority to build a new school at Kenova without any changes.

"There's no mechanism for us to really address the Kenova situation with these funds," Manchin said.

He said without more money from the Legislature, there also wasn't a clear way to set aside enough emergency money to build a new school in a pinch.

"If there's a catastrophic event, we're not going to have enough money," Manchin said.

Manchin, who was doing other business Monday and not present for Marple and Plymale's exchange, said he wasn't sure how he would draw up a Top 10 list of schools that could face emergencies.

"We can't foresee an act of God," Manchin said.

Superintendent Adkins said Wayne County was preparing to find a way for children to learn from home while the modulars are installed over the summer.

Manchin said the modulars themselves might be better than other modular classrooms students have used in the past. 

"These children, simply because of this event, should not have any less education than they had before," Manchin said.

]]> Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT 0d332c9e-ca80-4d4b-b3b5-3073177b2f2d <![CDATA[Mercer judge tosses valedictorian lawsuit]]>

Mercer judge tosses valedictorian lawsuit

By The Associated Press

PRINCETON, W.Va. -- A judge has dismissed a Princeton Senior High School student's lawsuit challenging the Mercer County Board of Education's guidelines for choosing valedictorians.

Mercer County Circuit Court Judge William J. Sadler said that while the policy needs clarification, he found no evidence that the county's interpretation of its policy was "arbitrary, capricious or a violation of law."

According to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, the case began when parents and students claimed the board's current method of choosing valedictorians and salutatorians is flawed based on the grade-point-average calculations done by a computerized system used by schools statewide. The board argued that state law leaves it to individual school systems to create and enforce their own valedictorian policies.

]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 09076852-f0f5-4635-9486-639da3cd2efe <![CDATA[Schools chief lays out vision to lawmakers]]> Schools chief lays out vision to lawmakers

by Lawrence Messina

The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's public education system has boiled down its goals to what it wants children to learn, how they should behave and what they need to achieve by the time they graduate from high school, the state's new schools chief told lawmakers Monday.

Superintendent Jorea Marple also highlighted the state's highly ranked pre-Kindergarten program, touted evolving federal policy and announced a review of home schooling standards during her first presentation to the Joint Standing Committee on Education since taking up her new post Feb. 28.

Lawmakers were told as well of efforts to land a $75 million federal grant to improve literacy. Marple said her department also hopes to complete a wide-ranging request by August for the computers, high-capacity Internet access, teacher training and specialized staff she called crucial for meeting the streamlined goals.

"It's essential that they have ongoing access to technology," Marple told the House-Senate committee. "If we want to personalize learning, if we want assessments with immediate feedback, if we want to prepare our children, we have to provide this comprehensive package of technology."

Sen. Richard Browning, D-Wyoming, noted that Marple had said that her department previously sought some of these resources in an earlier request.

"There's never anything like this ever in the governor's budget when it's presented to us," Browning said. "It seems like we're always trying to play catch-up on funding for what you've just outlined."

Marple said pursing the three main goals of education will require considering the needs of each of the 282,000 children in West Virginia's public schools. That means recognizing the stress on lower-income children, who make up about 60 percent of that total, she said. Schools can help these children focus more on learning through a curriculum "rich in music, arts and physical activity," along with improved use of technology Marple said.

The state must also "elevate the respect and admiration for our teachers," Marple continued. She noted how some surveys rank West Virginia 47th for teacher pay. Educators won a $1,488 pay raise during this year's legislative session. Marple also cited how a huge swath of the state's 30,000 teachers is eligible to retire.

"This may not be something you want to hear, but in West Virginia we're close to a crisis," she told lawmakers. "Almost 50 percent of our teachers can walk out of the door today, with no one to follow behind them."

Public school also must involve their communities more, Marple said. She cited how such problems as poverty, obesity and drug abuse happen outside of schools but affect their success. And just as the department has simplified its goals, it hopes to do the same with red tape overall, Marple said. She singled out time requirements for instruction as one area her office seeks to phase out.

"We have 167 policies -- way too many," she said. "So, we're looking at ways that we can take away the restrictions, take away the unneeded requirements."

Marple's good news included a shift by the U.S. Department of Education toward a standard of "continuous yearly improvement." This marks a departure from the "adequate yearly progress" mandate that has been a chief criticism of the sweeping No Child Left Behind legislation enacted last decade.

"We as a state need to move away from that type of system to a system that values adequate growth, and defines what adequate growth is," Marple said.

A national study, meanwhile, recently ranked West Virginia 3rd nation for the percentage of 4-year-old enrolled in pre-K, Marple said. The report also included the state in the Top Ten for pre-K spending per child, and found its soon-to-be-mandatory program met eight of 10 quality standard benchmarks.

Marple said her department is also reviewing the rules governing the 8,000 children who are home-schooled outside of public schools. She later explained to lawmakers that this move responds to county officials who report cases where under-performing students quit school amid vows they will instead pursue home schooling.

"We value home-school education, when you can see the results," she said. "We just have to make sure the accountability is there for delivering a quality education. This is a difficult issue, and we're going to proceed with all due caution."

]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 4d4dfdd8-a815-4b0b-b6f4-1888ea7a9e01 <![CDATA[Labor unions, Republicans trade barbs]]> Labor unions, Republicans trade barbs

GOP chairman says groups did little to boost Thompson's campaign

by Ry Rivard

Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--The West Virginia Republican Party is calling the state labor unions a "paper tiger" following the loss in the Democratic Primary of House Speaker Rick Thompson, who had the backing of nearly all of the major unions.

That's prompted the head of the state AFL-CIO to call Republican Party Chairman Mike Stuart an "idiot."

Minutes after it became apparent acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin would win the Democratic Party's gubernatorial primary Saturday night, Stuart fired off an email to the media questioning the clout of labor unions. 

The large unions, including the state AFL-CIO family and the West Virginia Education Association, had backed Thompson, who came in second in the Democratic Party's primary despite their help.

"The big union bosses suffered a staggering defeat of historic proportion," Stuart said in the email. "They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to buy the office of governor and, even in a low turnout Democrat primary, they have been proven to be a paper tiger and limp when it comes to backing up big talk with actual votes."

AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue, in turn, had harsh words for Stuart in a Sunday afternoon telephone call.

"I think Mike Stuart is an idiot," Perdue said. "For him to consider himself a leader — and the only way that he can lead is to trash talk about people — it doesn't prove anything other than he's probably just a coward and he's afraid to get out there and do the hard work, which means him and others are going to have to make this state better.

"I just challenge him to make things better rather than calling people names," Perdue said.

Stuart replied in a Sunday telephone call, "Kenny Perdue's comment says much more about Kenny Perdue and organized labor than it does about Mike Stuart."

Thompson's loss, however, may be seen as the second major setback for union-backed candidates in just over a year.

In May 2010, the unions teamed up to try to defeat state Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha, who had very publicly accused teachers unions of spending more time looking out for themselves than for students. A TV commercial tied Wells' little-noticed vote in 2008 against a whistleblower protection bill to the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, which had happened just a few weeks earlier.

Wells won a decisive 50 percent of the vote in a three-way race.

He predicted at the time that if the unions couldn't topple him, it would demonstrate a loss of influence.

However, not 10 months later, the state's two largest teachers unions were able to push through across-the-board raises for school employees, a testament to their clout in the Legislature.

But that clout didn't translate into victory for Thompson. Instead, Chamber of Commerce-backed acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin won the Democratic primary, taking 40 percent of the vote in a six-way race. Thompson beat Tomblin in just three counties, according to election data compiled by MetroNews.

Thompson campaign manager Mike Plante said labor did help, even if Thompson didn't win.

"I think labor was instrumental in helping someone who started this campaign at the bottom of the pack and in single digits and was third in the polling only a couple weeks ago, according to the poll released by the Tomblin campaign," Plante said. "Labor played a huge role in catapulting Rick Thompson to a credible second-place finish."

He suggested the six-candidate field, which included Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and labor-friendly Treasurer John Perdue, also had played a role.

"People should be careful not to draw the wrong inferences from a multi-candidate primary like this, and those that do will end up being surprised if they underestimate the impact of labor in a campaign context," Plante said.

The AFL-CIO attacked Tomblin in a TV ad for being against working families. Although union officials initially said they would take the "high road" during the primary, they seem to have jumped into the race, in part because Tomblin had pitched himself as labor friendly and even took credit in ads for a teacher pay raise that he had initially suggested he might veto because of its nearly $70-million-a-year price tag.

State Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts said the numbers speak for themselves but avoided commenting on labor's relative power.

"Tomblin didn't really give Democratic voters a reason to leave him," Roberts said. "Add to that he has competence, ability and hard work and it looks to me like Democrats counted that more than they counted the recommendations of some of the traditional Democratic Party allies."

Roberts' group backed Tomblin in the Democratic race and both Bill Maloney, who won, and Betty Ireland, in the Republican primary.

Stuart said while he supports the right of "every person to be a member of a union," the unions have been "led astray by union bosses."

"It is now time for union leadership to engage in an actual conversation with the business community about the long-term growth of West Virginia without trying to strong-arm the discussion," Stuart said in his email. "I am willing to extend my hand, if the union bosses will meet me half-way. A stronger economy will result in a stronger union."

Perdue suggested the Republican chairman should look at his party in the mirror first when talking about relative political power.

The GOP hasn't controlled the Legislature in some 80 years and hasn't elected a Republican to the Governor's Office in a decade.

"They don't have very much of a majority from within," Perdue said. "They've got six in the Senate and 35 in the House, that's not much of a majority of 134 of them."

WVEA President Dale Lee said Stuart's words reminded him of a line from the movie "The American President" where the fictional Democratic president, fending off attacks from a Republican challenger, says his opponent's election strategy is finding something and "making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it."

"It's easy to take shots at labor unions," Lee said. "The politicians are doing that across the nation, but labor unions helped create the middle class in America and are a necessary component to keeping this middle class."

Plante said he wasn't sure what Stuart's strategic goal was and suggested Republican attacks on unions might actually help unify Democrats.

"The Republican Party chair is doing what he does and that is doing everything he can to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory," Plante said. "As he's demonstrated many times in the past, he doesn't understand the real issues of concern to working families in West Virginia, and by focusing his ideologically extreme ire onto labor instead of the Republicans' opponent in the fall, he only serves to help unify the broader Democratic coalition."

Roberts, Perdue and Lee all said their organizations had not yet begun formal discussions about who to endorse in the general election.

]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 55ae7600-a408-4805-9168-86110a6ae7dc <![CDATA[Gilmer County is divided]]> Gilmer County is divided

Last fall, county voters rejected a bond that would have replaced four elementary schools with two. Last week, auditors from the State Department of Education made a surprise visit to Glenville because the county can't get together on a plan for its future school sites.

By Dawn Miller

The Charleston Gazette

Last fall, county voters rejected a bond that would have replaced four elementary schools with two. Last week, auditors from the State Department of Education made a surprise visit to Glenville because the county can't get together on a plan for its future school sites.

On Monday, the Gilmer County Board of Education hired William K. Simmons to take over as superintendent. The vote was 3-2.

Longtime readers will remember Simmons, president of Glenville State College from 1976 to 1998. During that time he helped oust a state higher education chancellor, then held the position himself, while keeping his job at Glenville.

In 1994, relations with his faculty became so strained and unproductive that the Faculty Senate, a relatively new feature at the college, voted that they had no confidence in him. He fired or demoted several department heads. The resulting lawsuits were eventually settled, and Simmons eventually resigned. He remained a professor, then retired, and has for several years taught graduate English classes part-time at various sites through the Marshall University Graduate College.

You can imagine the wave of anxiety that went through the county as residents learned that on July 1, Simmons will take over the $80,000-a-year job leading Gilmer County schools.

Simmons says he will not be a divisive presence. This is his home county, he said, where he got his start. People asked him to apply for the job, and he wants to help.

"Someone has to bring the situation together," Simmons said. "This stage of my life, I'm above politics. I'm looking at what needs to be done."

First thing on the list, where to put new elementary schools?

The state Office of Education Performance Audits dropped in on Gilmer County schools last week because of that very question.

"What attracted us there was there was no approved comprehensive educational facilities plan," said Kenna Seal, director of the office.

The community and the board are divided, he said.

"It was a county office review." They did visit schools, but not to evaluate instruction.

"We examined the facilities themselves. We're looking at leadership issues, certification issues," Seal said.

Hundreds of communities across the state can feel Gilmer's pain, because they've been there.

At last count, Gilmer had 943 students in preschool through 12th grade, about 100 fewer than in 2003-04. They attend four elementary schools in pre-K through sixth grade and one high school with grades seven to 12. Enrollment has dropped steadily.

As enrollment falls, so does a county's share of state funding, and often, local tax collections. Yet, the cost of serving 1,000 students scattered over 342 square miles does not drop, unless you operate fewer schools.

There are other reasons to replace schools. Normantown Elementary has mold problems. Troy Elementary has structural problems. Then there is distance and the length of bus rides to consider and what any changes would do to existing communities.

Last year, Gilmer residents debated, one new consolidated school or two? Everyone who has been down this road knows you have to show a united front and put up some local money to get any help from the state School Building Authority. Gilmer put a plan on the ballot to replace their four old elementary schools with two new ones -- Gilmer East and Gilmer West.

It was a $20.7 million proposal. It counted on $8.77 million from the SBA. County residents would contribute $11.92 million and raise their property taxes by an average of $130 a year to pay off the bond. It failed with 37 percent of the vote, in a county that generally supports education and regularly renews its school excess levy, said school board member Thomas R. Ratliff.

"What the board has to do is come up with a plan," Simmons says. "You have to have a plan before you can talk to people about it. You may say, 'This is the ideal, this is the next best and this is what we do if we have to.'

"Once we come up with a plan people find acceptable, it is up to us to explain to residents, who are going to have to pay for it, to give a good, honest, straightforward explanation what we're trying to do and the need for it."

He sees several possibilities. A West Virginia University engineer found that Normantown could be put in "tip-top shape" for $400,000. Gilmer and Lewis counties might cooperate on a regional school that would serve students from Troy and Alum Bridge on either side of the county line. A one-school option wouldn't work, he said. The county may be able to have three, or even four.

Ratliff, who voted against Simmons' appointment, says he had several misgivings.

First, he is not convinced that decades of experience in higher education prepares someone to run a county school system, with its different and demanding laws.

Second, the county school system works well with Glenville State College, so ambitious high school students are able to start college classes before they graduate. Ratliff doesn't want any old tensions to disturb a good system that serves students well.

Finally, he thought the vote was premature. The surprise visit from Kenna Seal's office happened just before Monday's meeting. Seal's report is expected in June. Ratliff thought anyone going into the job should have the opportunity to see that report first and know what is ahead.

"Even though it was a 3-2 vote, after he was hired, I congratulated him," Ratliff said. "I'll work with him as much as I can. The superintendent's job is very difficult."

Ratliff, whose children are grown and who retired after 39 years with Allegheny Power, 20 as a district manager, said he ran for school board because he wanted to give back to his community.

"I've got to believe Mr. Simmons probably felt the same way," Ratliff said.

]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 64bc4c99-2fb6-4fac-b7c9-49ed381f1484 <![CDATA[Teacher salaries remain top goal of re-elected WVEA chief ]]> Teacher salaries remain top goal of re-elected WVEA chief

By Mannix Porterfield, Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — Wasting no time in his second term as president of the West Virginia Education Association, Dale Lee is planning another strong push to improve the lot of teachers — especially in their pay envelopes.

Lee said he planed to be quite visible in this summer’s interims, laying the groundwork for the 2012 legislative session.

“Certainly, my main goal is to empower teachers,” Lee said Thursday, “and to get the respect back in the profession.”

Topping Lee’s list of things to do at the Capitol is convincing legislators that teacher salaries need to be elevated to the point that West Virginia no longer sees its talent lured away by neighboring states that pay bigger salaries.

At one point, West Virginia teachers ranked 30th in the nation in pay, but that ranking has since plummeted to 47th.

This past winter, the Legislature approved a $1,488 hike in a bill that was eclipsed by huge pay increases in the judicial community. The House of Delegates had proposed, but lost, a $900 teacher pay boost for each of the next two years.

“The bad part is we continue to fall farther and farther behind in the contiguous states,” Lee said.

“The national average is something that’s nice. But if we fall behind our border states and continue to lag behind them, we’re just going to lose people across the border, and we have to stop it.”

Lee was recently re-elected to a second, three-year term, while Wayne Spangler won another term as vice president of the 14,000-plus group. Spangler teaches second grade in a Monroe County school.

Re-elected to three-year terms in the WVEA Executive Committee were Kathy Wright, of Berkeley County, and Alice Ann Guyon, of Grant County. Elected to his first three-year term was Greenbrier County teacher Richard Dulee.

“I want to continue to work on student accountability with absenteeism and tardiness,” said Lee, a special education teacher at Princeton High School.

“We put in a lot of work on the teacher evaluation task force, and I’d like to see that come to fruition.”

Lee said he sees a number of means for elevating the teaching profession.

“One is teachers standing up and being recognized as experts in the classroom,” the WVEA president said in a telephone interview.

Giving teachers more say-so in the classroom is “a good first start,” he said.

“We have to continue to look at the amount of testing we’re doing and value teacher input more than just continue testing,” Lee said.

But most of all, he said, the salary levels need to be upgraded so that more are attracted and retained in the profession.

“When you have more than 2,000 classrooms without a qualified, certified teacher in them, that to me is just unacceptable for the students of West Virginia,” Lee added.

]]> Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT c181bf5d-26a8-498d-9e09-7b366e8e70db <![CDATA[Sinkholes end year at Kenova Elem.]]> Sinkholes end year at Kenova Elem.

BILL ROSENBERGER

The Herald-Dispatch

KENOVA -- Kenova Elementary, a school that's been in existence for nearly 100 years, abruptly closed Thursday because of sinkholes that have developed throughout the property.

The school, with its oldest section built in 1914, will likely close for good, said Wayne County Schools Superintendent Gary Adkins. He blamed the near-record levels of rainfall and saturated grounds for the sinkholes.

Adkins said structural engineers and architects felt the facility would be safe enough to last through the end of the school year in early June. But West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple and Adkins both agreed it was better not to put students and staff at risk.

"There's sinkholes, so we were told to get them out and close that school and come up with an alternative plan for next year," Adkins said.

He said Kenova Elementary students have been exempted from taking the WESTEST 2, but there are much bigger problems to worry about than that. First and foremost, where will students attend next year?

Adkins said that will be the major item on the agenda at the Wayne County Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at Spring Valley High School. One option he doesn't endorse is dispersing students to different elementary schools.

"Our plan is to have them all in one place, under one roof and all together (next year)," Adkins said. "But with 400 kids, the options are very limited."

He said the situation was too new to discuss what those options may be, as Adkins himself found out about the severity of the sinkholes just after 8 a.m. Thursday. But he expected some in-depth discussions to take place at the board meeting.

He also said he will discuss emergency funding Friday morning with Mark Manchin, the executive director of the state's School Building Authority.

Third-grade teacher Lesley Shumaker, whose son also is in kindergarten there, said staff members were reassured at a meeting Thursday afternoon that Kenova Elementary would stay together until a new school can be built. But more than anything, Shumaker said she is grateful with the precautions taken by the county and state department.

"I'm glad they are putting safety first," she said. "We're taking a temporary situation and making it a positive situation. We'll do whatever we need to do."

The hardest thing about the situation is the nostalgia that many people will feel. Shumaker teaches there with her mother, and both attended elementary school there as children.

"Your school is not your building," Shumaker said. "Kenova is a community that stays together. We'll come together as a staff, school and community."

Kenova Elementary's staff will meet Friday to gather belongings and discuss an end-of-year gathering that Adkins said will be held at Ceredo-Kenova Middle School in the coming weeks. He said it is important for there to be closure for students and give everyone a proper chance to say good-bye.

That was certainly not the case Thursday, as students were handed sealed envelopes at the end of the day, while teachers were told in a meeting after students had departed.

]]> Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 378a4027-b2a4-48ce-b254-d09201f0d1a6 <![CDATA[Superintendent wants year-round schools]]> Superintendent wants year-round schools

by Amber Marra

Daily Mail

 

.

State Superintendent Jorea Marple wants more West Virginia schools to adopt a year-round calendar.

"We know when children are off for extended periods of time, they lose ground," she said in a recent interview

Marple, who was named state superintendent earlier this year, was the Kanawha County superintendent when Piedmont, Chandler and Glenwood elementaries made the transition to year-round schedules.

Marple said children can fall behind during summer break. She said students can forget much of what they learned the previous school year and also fall behind in other ways.

"I am also extremely concerned about their nutrition and wellness when they are off for that long span of time. When they're at school, they get a balanced breakfast and a lunch, but in the summer some homes can't provide that," she said.

"As the community has changed and different dynamics come in, it becomes difficult to provide adequate supervision."

Many school systems have struggled during recent snowy, icy winters. She said students could benefit from 24/7 learning via the Internet and through portable technology.

To accomplish these changes, Marple wants resources like the Learn21 online learning website expanded to include more instructional mathematics videos.

"We've got to approach this process with the idea that we need to get the community involved and obtain a certain level of consensus by outlining the specifics to the teachers and service personnel, because they'll want a lot of information, so it's very important that we answer all of their questions," Marple said.

Such changes are a long way off and would be implemented in stages if they come to fruition, Marple said.

Year-round school has been debated for years. Back in 1987, a special commission set up to solve school financing problems recommended that the state Department of Education study the issue.

Piedmont Elementary Principal Steve Knighton campaigned for transitioning to year-round school in 1992, an effort that initially was rejected.

The school got approval for year-round classes in 1995. Glenwood and Chandler elementaries followed in 1996.

Now Knighton is working with Marple to promote the year-round calendar, both of which spoke to members of the Regional Education Service Agencies and superintendents from around the state recently.

"They all realized there will be a lot of hurdles to go through, but then you have a state with 60 percent of the children in poverty that leave for the summer and aren't fed because some of the parents depend on the schools for that breakfast and lunch," Marple said.

In RESA VI's Marshall County there has been a recent push for a year-round calendar that Knighton is trying to help facilitate.

Wendy Clutter, the principal at Cameron Elementary in Marshall County, has been working closely with Knighton on transitioning the elementary school as well as Cameron High School to the year-round format.

Unlike Knighton, Clutter's work was made a bit easier with a $49,000 Innovation Zone grant from the state Legislature that allowed her to research other schools that had already made changes from a traditional calendar.

"That funding allowed us to visit other schools, bring in faculties to come talk with us, and do research regarding the changes we were making," Clutter said.

The calendar changes at Cameron Elementary and High School are set to begin this August and address the times of the year when Clutter says attendance seems to drop. For example, students will now have a week off at the end of the first nine weeks when hunting season begins, as well as the week of the county fair when many students are busy showing 4-H projects.

In 2008, then-Gov. Joe Manchin prominently touted year-round schooling.

After visiting Piedmont that year, Manchin commented, "It's something that I think has a lot of promise and shows great results. If our main goal is to provide children with skill sets for the 21st century workforce, we've got to make sure they've got that opportunity. If it gives them a better platform to learn and compete, it's something we should be serious about changing."

One of the issues Knighton says he has had to work though with year-round scheduling involves childcare during the breaks between grading periods. Marple says the bigger concern is providing care for students during long breaks in the summer.

At Piedmont, Knighton calls the traditional summer break "the season for forgetting."

"When you're away from school for 11 weeks and have been in front of a TV set or at the mall and if parents don't make an effort to provide education opportunities, then you do regress, especially the underprivileged that don't have the resources," Knighton said.

His students get a three-week break at the end of each grading period and a four- or five-week break in the summer.

Likewise, Clutter's teachers will now have the chance at the end of each nine weeks to assess what students might have forgotten or need help with.

"We allowed for a week at the end of each nine weeks to give teachers the time to do evaluation so they know if they need to re-teach anything or provide intervention when the students return," she said.

]]> Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT 563e7b78-4ac4-42aa-abba-1d695556c419 <![CDATA[Lee, Spangler re-elected to WVEA top posts]]>

Lee, Spangler re-elected to WVEA top posts

Kym Randolph, WVEA Communications

WVEA President Dale Lee and Vice President Wayne Spangler were re-elected to a second term at the annual WVEA Delegate Assembly held in Charleston on May 5-7, 2011.

 

Dale Lee, a special education teacher at Princeton Senior High School in Mercer County, has served as WVEA president for the past 3 years. He was re-elected to another three-year term. Lee hails from a family of educators. His father, brothers, and daughter are all teachers. Lee is on a leave of absence from his teaching position to serve as WVEA President.

 

Wayne Spangler is a second grade teacher in Monroe County. In addition to serving as the current vice president of WVEA, he has held a number of local leadership positions in Monroe County and at the state level. Spangler was also re-elected for a second three-year term.

 

Delegates to the Assembly also elected three members to serve on the WVEA Executive Committee. Re-elected to three year terms were: Kathy Wright, Berkeley County and Alice Ann Guyon, Grant County. Richard Dulee, Greenbrier County, was also elected. It is Dulee’s first term on the WVEA Executive

Committee.

]]> Thu, 12 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT 119c9b8b-01e2-4311-9b39-d9880a92e3ed <![CDATA[Audits find problems with Boone, Logan schools]]> Auditors also called for more rigor and relevance in English and math classes.

Van Elementary was audited due to a 30 percent drop in math scores last year. Tests also indicated only 20 percent of its students were proficient in reading.

The audit found a lack of rigor in several classes at that school as well.

Teachers were unaware of goals in the school's strategic plan and did not tend to heed the principal's advice about lesson plans.

A third Boone County school, Madison Middle, was reviewed because its students had failed to display adequate progress on standardized tests.

Auditors noted classroom control issues and students who were off-task. Science and social studies were not always taught on a daily basis, and lesson plans were irregular.

Boone Superintendent John Hudson told the board a graduation coach is in place at Van Junior/Senior High, and teacher training will be held in the summer and right before school starts.

Seal also described an audit of two schools in Wyoming County. At that point board member Lowell Johnson voiced disappointment in not only the findings of the audits, but also the vague nature of the plans of action.

"This in my mind is not a strategic plan. This, to me, is someone putting something down on paper to satisfy the OEPA," Johnson said, referring to Seal's office.

"This is not an action plan; this is a bunch of garbage put on paper."

State Superintendent Jorea Marple pointed out that some specific goals are included in the strategic plans, but they tend to be towards the end of the document.

"It's in here; it's just buried," she said.

Lowell also said he wished budgetary concerns were included in the strategic plans so officials could see how much the changes recommended in the audits would cost.

Chuck Heinlein, executive director of the Office of Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership, said he would start working on a new template for strategic plans.

"I will assure you that we have already worked on the budget issue, and we will work on the specificity so you can be assured about the actions these schools are taking," Heinlein said.

The board voted unanimously to change the template of strategic plans and for each of the schools to pursue the changes recommended by the audit office.  

]]> Thu, 12 May 2011 08:00:00 GMT d0da078a-6f57-4e29-b903-365c2213a6ba <![CDATA[High carbon dioxide, mold found at Kanawha school]]> High carbon dioxide, mold found at Kanawha school

By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- High levels of carbon dioxide and traces of mold have been found in four portable classrooms at a Kanawha County elementary school.

The school system conducted initial tests at Andrews Heights Elementary School after teachers reported students with sinus and ear infections, chest congestion, headaches and lethargy.

Pinnacle Environmental Consultants was hired to do further testing. The firm says air quality samples it took on April 14 showed carbon dioxide levels in one classroom at 2,125 parts per million. Another classroom registered at 1,850 parts per million. A day earlier, air samples registered at 1,169 parts per million.

Industry standards for carbon dioxide are less than 1,000 parts per million.

]]> Wed, 11 May 2011 08:00:00 GMT cbda490a-a467-4bab-aa9a-57b25c3b3888 <![CDATA[Don't blame schools for bad economy]]> Bobbi Nicholson: Don't blame schools for bad economy

Schools don't make trade agreements. So who are you blaming for this mess?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Back in 2008, when the country was holding its collective breath and teetering on the brink of financial catastrophe, it was greedy lenders; clueless borrowers who signed up for more debt than they could handle; big banks; and Wall Street executives who were faulted. Temporarily. Having averted that disaster and returned to plain ol' recession recovery mode, we're back to blaming the usual suspects: schools.

It's schools, we're told -- and specifically teachers -- that are to blame for the country's poor economic performance -- for unemployment, the trade imbalance, stagnant wages, dwindling pensions, you name it.

Here's the claim: the reason America's economy is as unsteady as a hippo on roller blades is that graduates of the country's public institutions are too stupid to work for American corporations.

Here's the fact: schools don't make economic policy. 

Schools don't make trade agreements. Schools didn't send American jobs to Mexico or Asia or the Pacific Rim. Schools didn't fiddle with the tax code to allow businesses that moved their operations overseas to avoid paying corporate taxes as long as they reinvest their profits in the same foreign country where they relocated their manufacturing facilities.

If you've lost your job because the factory was moved to Bangalore, it isn't because the third grade teacher down the street isn't doing her job. It's because the company you worked for can hire an Indian worker for a fraction of what it was paying you. Then your former CEO can take the remainder of what used to be your salary (and the salaries of your former co-workers) and give himself a big fat bonus.

And lest you think it's only manufacturing jobs that are being outsourced, white-collar jobs are also fleeing the country. GE, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Citigroup are among the high finance companies who've exported jobs, as have high tech firms such as Apple, IBM, Microsoft and Hewlett Packard.

The Gazette-Mail ran a commentary recently by the former state superintendent of schools that repeated the myth that America's economy continues to lag because the country's graduates are dumber than rocks. It's an easy way to score points with both the public, whose media-fueled worries about schools are already in overdrive, and the corporate sector, that loves anything that distracts from congressionally approved trade agreements that are really at the heart of America's economic problems. It just isn't true.

See, a trade agreement isn't really a trade agreement. It's a wage-depressing, benefits-withholding, race-to-the-bottom license for your company to dump you and what they were paying for your health care and retirement in favor of hiring somebody cheaper who'll work with no benefits. Despite what you may have heard about globalization, this is not a win-win.

Former Superintendent Steven Paine's piece described a study conducted for The Manufacturing Institute reporting that more than 50 percent of respondents said they face a shortage of skilled production workers. He left out that 43 percent of those surveyed -- the largest single group responding -- were from the industrial products industry. This might be useful to know since a survey conducted by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association showed a majority of teens (52 percent) have little or no interest in a manufacturing career.

When asked why, a whopping 61 percent said they'd prefer a professional career. Even teenagers know where the money is.

Consider carefully for a moment the assertion of American graduates' inferiority. Think, for example, like a bright international student looking for the best possible university education in a technical field. If you were to consult the Institute for International Education, you'd find that the United States sported a record high number of international students in 2010.

In fact, you'd find that the top three countries sending their best and brightest to be educated here were China, India and South Korea. And you'd find that the top fields of study for all those Chinese, Indian and South Korean students were, in order, business and management, engineering, physical and life sciences, and math and computer science.

But what if you were to think like a CEO? On the one hand, you have a set of potential employees here at home who are smart, skilled, well-educated and ready for their share of the American Dream. On the other, you have a set of potential employees in a developing country who are either less well-educated or skilled, or equally well-educated and skilled but who will work for less given the economic circumstances in their home countries.

If profit is your motive, you'd be a fool not to hire the latter. If it turns out you need to provide more training or hire more workers to get the job done, your overhead remains low and it's still a smart business decision.

So the story that American corporations have no alternative but to shift their operations offshore and employ workers in Mexico or the Pacific Rim because they can't find enough smart Americans to hire? Great read, but it's fiction.

The economy wasn't brought to its knees because of anything schools did. We remain mired in the worst recession in decades because policymakers in Congress and state legislatures continue to cater to the whims of the people who got them elected.

The consequences of reducing taxes for those with the highest incomes, cutting corporate taxes, facilitating American businesses' fleeing the country and rewriting the tax code in their favor, bailing out banks that initiated the collapse, and then spending even more to "stimulate" the economy were easily foreseeable. But when tax-cutting tea partiers are what passes for grown-up thought, well, there you go. 

Cannier politicians, however, saw that the blame could be easily transferred -- to firefighters and police officers. To the people who plow your snow and make sure your food is safe to eat and pave your street. To public employees and union workers. To teachers.

Do American kids' score lower than kids from Finland on international tests? Yes, they do, but Finland is a country of five million homogenous people. Here we call that Colorado.

Can American schools do better? Sure. There are lots of things we can do better, most of them falling into the category of Things-We've-Known-For-Decades-But-Refuse-To-Do, like insisting on small classes in grades K-3. The benefits from that one change pay off for decades to come in increased rates of high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment and completion.

But end the recession? Rescue the economy? Increase jobs? That isn't within schools' ability to accomplish, so for Pete's sake stop blaming them. If you want to defame, deride or otherwise denounce somebody, try the people who actually make economic policy. Write your representatives.

Nicholson is a professor at the Marshall University Graduate College in South Charleston. Graduate student Melissa Rhodes contributed to this commentary.

]]> Mon, 09 May 2011 09:00:00 GMT 6ebd0193-2192-4a2a-bdf8-9e6a24212580 <![CDATA[Former WVEA Executive Director Dennis Giordano dies]]> Dennis Giordano; led N.J. teachers union

Friday, May 6, 2011

BY JAY LEVIN

The Record

Dennis N. Giordano, a North Jersey educator who in the 1980s headed the state's largest teachers union, died Monday. He was 66 and lived in Mount Arlington, Morris County.

He had a lengthy illness, said his wife, Susan.

The former West Milford resident ascended the ranks of the New Jersey Education Association while teaching English at Wayne Hills High School. He left the classroom in 1985 after becoming president of NJEA, which had 118,000 members at the time. In 1987, he was overwhelmingly reelected to another two-year term.

At 39, Mr. Giordano was considered young for the job when he took the NJEA's helm. But he had a deep résumé. During 13 years in Wayne, he had been a building representative, chief negotiator for district teachers and president of the Passaic County Education Association.

"I have this real sense of urgency that pushes and prods me," he said in a 1985 interview with The Record.

Under Mr. Giordano, the NJEA pushed for a minimum teacher's salary of $18,500. "Dennis was instrumental in having the legislation proposed and passed," the NJEA's current president, Barbara Keshishian, said Thursday. The bill was signed by Gov. Thomas H. Kean.

"One of the things Dennis was best known for was his work with the Urban Challenge," Keshishian said. "It was a document that more or less highlighted the difficulties some of our urban schools were having. Dennis worked vigorously to make certain our urban schools were not shortchanged."

In 1987, Mr. Giordano declined an invitation to speak at the Governor's Convocation on Excellence in Teaching at Princeton University, and did not attend the event, to protest the appearance of U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett, the keynote speaker. An NJEA spokeswoman said the union strongly opposed a $5.5 billion reduction in the 1987 education budget proposed by Bennett, a member of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet.

When Reagan's vice president, George H.W. Bush, ran for president the following year, Mr. Giordano described the Republican candidate as "a man who actively participated in tearing up the education budget."

Mr. Giordano left New Jersey in 1989 to lead the West Virginia Education Association. The following year, public school teachers staged a statewide strike, fueled by mounting frustrations over West Virginia having among the lowest teacher salaries. The 11-day action resulted in a special legislative session on education. West Virginia teachers secured significant pay increases over the next three years.

Mr. Giordano moved on to head the state teachers union in Rhode Island. He returned to New Jersey in 2000 to become a principal at Elizabeth High School. He retired in 2005.

Dennis Giordano attended public schools in Orange and West Orange and earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in educational administration from William Paterson University. He helped pay his tuition by working nights for the U.S. Postal Service.

He began his teaching career in the Orange schools.

"Dennis was a tremendous supporter of public education and over the years of my leadership our relationship certainly grew," the NJEA's Keshishian said. "He'll be greatly missed."

In addition to his wife, a former special education teacher at West Milford's Maple Road School, Mr. Giordano is survived by his children, Greg Giordano of Boonton and Nicole Lemoine of Cliffside Park; a brother, Vincent Giordano of Jersey City, who is currently executive director of the NJEA, and three grandchildren.

]]> Mon, 09 May 2011 09:00:00 GMT 97bce8f3-c2e3-4ae9-b910-680e8422ef33 <![CDATA[Spending freeze hits Nicholas schools]]> Spending freeze hits Nicholas schools

Freeze could last until end of next school year; Mason, Preston counties also face fiscal troubles

by Amber Marra

Daily Mail

Rising expenses are forcing Nicholas County schools officials to place a freeze on spending that could last through the end of next school year.

At least two other county school systems are scaling back spending to cope with budget deficits.

While they have not gone as far as Nicholas County, Mason and Preston counties ended last fiscal year with budget deficits, said Assistant State Superintendent Joe Panetta.

As a result, Mason County is trying to control spending as much as possible by monitoring overtime and cutting professional development and conferences, said Linda Rollins, administrative assistant to the county superintendent.

But unlike Nicholas County Superintendent Beverly Kingery, Mason County did not have to send out a distressing email to administrators outlining a spending freeze for the remainder of the school year, the summer and possibly all of next year.

The school system already was in the midst of a partial freeze.

"I'm just asking that we use a little common sense to help with the budget situation," Kingery said.

In the email, which is typed in large red and blue font, Kingery said the freeze applies to all non-essential expenditures, including supplies, travel, professional development, maintenance, transportation, overtime and extracurricular activities.

The county used to pay for professional development conferences outside the county, but that might have to be done via webcasts to save on travel costs, Kingery said in a phone interview Monday.

Similar to Mason County, Nicholas is approving overtime only in emergency situations. It is also scaling back use of substitute teachers significantly.

A red banner across the Nicholas school system's website Tuesday said, "Attention: The Nicholas County Board of Education will not be accepting RESA substitute teacher applications at this time."

Teachers who need substitutes instead must cover their absence internally, Kingery wrote in her email.

"We're not asking anyone to give up their planning period, but there are some teachers in some schools that have more than one planning period," Kingery said.

Another drag on the budget is Other Post-Employment Benefits, or OPEB, which Kingery says is "holding schools hostage all over the state."

"For next year we had to budget $730,000 for OPEB, and in a county like Nicholas, that's quite an expense in the budget," she said.

"I just wish the Legislature would get this settled so we can move on and we're not sitting around wondering what we will or won't have to work with next year. I've referred to it as the elephant in the room with the budget."

State Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, agrees with Kingery. He is the head of a Senate panel working on the OPEB problem - a huge unfunded liability for health benefits promised to teachers and other public employees in retirement.

He was fully behind a Senate bill addressing the issue that died during the recent legislative session.

"Everyone needs to understand that this is a huge issue that we need to deal with now. By not dealing with it now, we're dramatically complicating county school boards' lives and letting the situation get worse every month," McCabe said.

Kanawha County Schools has not had to enter into a spending freeze in a decade or more, according to Harry Reustle, the school system's treasurer.

The economic forecast is constantly watched, however, and Reustle says like most other counties in the state, Kanawha struggles with OPEB liabilities.

Nicholas County also is in the middle of a $10 million effort to consolidate two elementary schools. The state School Building Authority granted the county $8.4 million to pursue the consolidation, but Kingery says the pressure to cover the remaining construction costs isn't helping matters.

Rising gas prices also aren't making things any easier.

The county has had to double its $300,000 fuel budget. Kingery says the county has to spend more on fuel due to its terrain.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am hoping it stays like it is today, because if it does (go up), that cost is going to skyrocket," Kingery said.

According to Greg Beheler, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average price for diesel fuel in West Virginia is $4.22 per gallon. That's $1.07 higher than this time last year.

Regardless of whether fuel prices increase, Kingery believes layoffs lie ahead.

"We're going to continue to operate our system and give our kids a good quality education, but we may not have all of the icing on the cake for next year," she said.

]]> Wed, 04 May 2011 09:00:00 GMT 1ae42555-ab11-495d-8abe-95688dc7fcf4 <![CDATA[With age, education as factors, state employees earn less than in private sector]]> With age, education as factors, state employees earn less than in private sector

By Alison Knezevich

The Charleston Gazette

Click here to read the report. 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Public workers in West Virginia earn less than their private-sector counterparts when factors such as education and age are considered, a new report says.

The typical public-sector worker makes about 9 percent less in wages than someone in private industry when those traits are factored in, according to research by the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, a liberal think tank. The group also found that employees in both sectors have seen their wages fall over the past three decades.

When benefits are included, public employees earn only 0.7 percent less in total compensation than private-sector workers when factors such as age and education are considered.

Average wages for state and local workers are slightly lower than those of private-sector workers -- $40,605 compared to $41,073. The average public employee makes $62,189 in total compensation, compared to $59,239 for someone in the private sector.

Ted Boettner, the policy center's director, called that an "apples to oranges" comparison. Public workers are, on average, better educated and older than those in the private sector.

"If you just look at average wages and compensation, it distorts the differences between the two groups," he said. "The big factors are average age and education."

About 47 percent of full-time West Virginia public-sector workers have at least a bachelor's degree, compared to less than 18 percent of full-time private-sector employees.

"When benefits are included in total compensation, public employees with less than a high school degree or some college are slightly better off than their private sector counterparts," the report states. "However, all other public employees are compensated less than private sector employees with the same degree."

On average, state and local government employees with a bachelor's degree earn nearly $20,000 less in compensation than people in the private sector with the same education.

The report's authors also controlled for race, hours worked annually, sex and disability.

George Hammond, associate director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, said he didn't have enough information to comment on the center's methodology for the research, but said these are standard factors considered when economists study earnings.

"All those factors are reasonable variables that would influence relative wage level," Hammond said.

About 116,000 people work for state and local governments in West Virginia, according to Census data cited in the report, compared to 552,000 in the private sector.

The center did not include federal workers in its analysis, Boettner said.

The national debate over public employee unions and wages helped inspire the report, he said. 

"If people are going to go around and say that public-sector workers have it so good, our goal is to look at the facts and data," Boettner said.

The center also found that West Virginia workers in both the private and public sectors earn 4 percent less than they did in 1979. And in 2009, the typical West Virginia worker made about 7 percent less than the national average.

"Our other goal was to show that it's not just a war between public and private sector workers -- that everybody's wages have declined in West Virginia," Boettner said.

All but the state's top earners have seen their wages drop in that period, according to the report.

People who earn the least -- those in the bottom 10th percentile, earning $7.46 per hour on average -- have seen their wages decline by 8.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the top 10 percent of wage earners had an increase of 10.8 percent.

Earlier this year, West Virginia lawmakers voted to give pay raises to state employees and teachers. Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, signed off on the raises in March.

The Legislature is considering capping how much the state contributes to retiree health care.

]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:00 GMT 3edea2e7-ea5d-410f-8d34-b10b23f403f2 <![CDATA[HEPC approves tuition increse across state]]> HEPC approves tuition increases across state
By Vicki Smith, Associated Press

SOUTH CHARLESTON — Students at most colleges and universities across West Virginia will pay more in tuition and fees this coming school year.

The Higher Education Policy Commission approved a long list of increases Friday in South Charleston.

They range from as little as 1.8 percent to as much as 19.2 percent, depending on whether they’re for residents or non-residents, and undergraduate or graduate students. The smallest increase is for nonresident undergraduates at Bluefield State College, while the highest is for residents in West Liberty University’s nursing and dental hygiene programs.

Ed Magee, the commission’s director of finance, said the schools need the increases because state appropriations are flat, while both enrollment and costs are rising.

The need for affordable education, he said, must be balanced against the need to fund improvements.

West Virginia colleges have the lowest salaries among the 16 member states in the Southern Regional Education Board, a nonprofit body that works to improve public pre-K-12 and higher education, Magee said. That makes it difficult for the schools to attract and retain faculty.

“This is an issue of maintaining academic quality,” he said.

Thirteen SREB states have higher tuition and fees than West Virginia, and many of those states are also raising their tuitions for the coming year, Magee said — 15 percent at most Florida schools, 7.9 percent at Virginia schools and 6 percent in Kentucky, to name a few. The University of Georgia, he noted, raised tuition 35 percent last year and is planning another 16 percent increase.

Commissioner Kay Goodwin, who is also secretary of the West Virginia Department of Education, voted against the increases after rhetorically questioning whether they would improve graduation and dropout rates, reduce student loan debts or cut the number of adjunct faculty the schools rely on.

She also argued that taxpayers are funding higher education twice, first through state budget appropriations that come from their tax dollars, then again when they pay tuition and fees.

“I know the institutions need our help,” she said, “but so do the citizens of West Virginia.”

Commission Chairman David Hendrickson also indicated displeasure with the increases, urging school presidents in the audience to a fresh look at how they’re budgeting. There must be a way, he said, “to fund higher education not on the backs of our students and their families.”

Chancellor Brian Noland defended the increases. West Virginia schools are “operating in a lean manner,” he said, with far less funding per student than other SREB schools.

For resident undergraduates, the new increases will range from as little as 3 percent at Fairmont State University to as high as 9.5 percent at Concord University and Glenville State College.

In the middle are: Shepherd University, 6.1 percent; Bluefield State College, 6.8 percent; West Liberty University, 7.9 percent; and West Virginia State University, 8 percent.

Marshall University is raising tuition 6.9 percent for resident undergraduates but doesn’t need commission approval.

Figures for WVU tuition increases, which also do not currently require the commission’s approval, were not included in the commission’s chart.

WVU’s Board of Governors will set those rates in June, but Vice President for Administration and Finance Narvel Weese has said the 2012 budget anticipates a tuition increase of about 4.9 percent. He said financial aid and scholarships would keep pace with the increases.]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:00 GMT 6d7d548a-6fbc-4167-82a4-916f1beb61b2 <![CDATA[State recognized for pre-k coverage]]> State Recognized For Pre-K Coverage
MetroNews

The West Virginia Dept. of Education continues to be recognized for the state's pre-K program. A new study released Tuesday ranks the state third nationally in the percentage of four-year-olds in preschool.

State School Superintendent Jorea Marple says state leaders including lawmakers and education officials made it a priority of few years ago to have universal access to pre-K by 2012-2013 and the state is well on its way.

"This (study) acknowledges the work being done in this state and we're really thrilled," Marple said Wednesday. "We are doing the right things for children."

The study also ranks the state 10th in spending per child in a pre-K program. Marple says every dollar spent now will save the state $12 down the road.

"We know that when children are enrolled in pre-K programs they are more likely to graduate from high school and actually even go on to higher education," Marple said. "And less likely to require special education services or to repeat a grade or become teenage parents."

More than half of the pre-K programs in West Virginia, which include a growing number of K-3 programs, are collaborative efforts with the private sector and higher education. Marple says the partnerships have worked tremendously.

There are pre-K offerings in all 55 counties, but the growth in one area is hard to keep up with.

"There is difficulty particularly in the eastern panhandle," Marple said. "We've had a lot of growth and its difficult to find places to even put pre-K programs, but we're working on it."]]> Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT e50cc189-6c0f-4f09-be74-a1519d32f13a <![CDATA[The arts must be part of 21st century learning]]> Jorea M. Marple: The arts must be part of 21st century learning
"What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children."

That is a statement made not by an educator or a musician but Norman Schwarzkopf, a rugged man who rose to the ranks of general in the U.S. Army, a man who often has said that during the first Gulf War, it was music that brought him great peace of mind.

Like Schwarzkopf, we, too, believe it would be a tragedy if music and other arts were not taught in West Virginia schools. Our children must study the arts to become well-rounded adults and successful in the 21st century.

Today's competitive global economy demands imaginative, resilient thinkers who can design and produce new ideas, new services and products. Well-taught arts courses are where creativity, flexibility, innovation, understanding and empathy are consistently required and refined.

In West Virginia, our 21st century learning plan called "Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it.," allows students to enhance their creativity through problem-solving, critical-thinking, technology literacy, and other performance skills.

Global21 is one way we are working to make sure every student across West Virginia has access to arts-rich educational opportunities. Dance, music, visual art and theater all involve skills that are essential to the education of the whole child. Research clearly tells us that an arts-rich education is closely aligned to gains in math and reading, and improves cognitive ability, critical thinking and verbal skills.

More than 50 percent of West Virginia students live in poverty and a large percentage of those students suffer from chronic stress that interferes with concentration. Arts learning can improve not only concentration, but also motivation, confidence and teamwork. Through expansion of a strong arts program in each and every school in West Virginia, we will be better able to close the achievement gap that has left many children behind.

As we work together in this complex world to develop good kids who do great work, we must make sure the arts are valued and supported.

You can exercise your support on Friday, April 29, by attending the West Virginia Department of Education's Fifth Annual Arts Alive celebration at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston. Our schools are full of talented students who will showcase the benefits of their arts education.

The lobby showcase begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the main stage performance at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available from the Clay Center at 304-561-3500.
 
The signature event will feature performances and the visual arts as well as instrumental and vocal music, dance and theater from students statewide.

Ernest Boyer, former president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching said, "The arts are, above all, the special language of children, who, even before they learn to speak, respond intuitively to dance, music and color."

I hope you will share in this special language by joining me and others in support of West Virginia's student artists and attend Arts Alive on April 29.

Marple is West Virginia superintendent of schools]]> Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:00:00 GMT 61fde85e-1234-4490-a456-89c4eb4406f8 <![CDATA[Teachers skeptical of plan to end bonus for degree]]>
Teachers skeptical of plan to end bonus for degree
The Associated Press

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Among the drastic changes planned for Nevada's K-12 education system - ranked at the bottom of the nation for high school graduation - few strike a nerve like a plan to stop paying higher salaries to teachers with advanced degrees and switch to a pay-for-performance model.

The bill reflects a growing nationwide movement toward performance pay; it's based on research that shows an advanced degree seldom leads to increased student achievement at the elementary school level, and only sometimes increases it in high school classrooms.

"We're 50th in the nation," said Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks. "We need radical surgery."

But others - including teachers who say their post-baccalaureate education dramatically enhanced their skills - describe the measure as part of a ploy to replace more expensive teachers with cheaper ones, and say the proposed change discredits the value of lifelong learning.

"This sends the message that education is extremely valuable to all people - except educators," said Gary Peck, executive director of the Nevada State Education Association teachers union. "Someone would have to have a pinched view to think school doesn't have importance."
 
Nevada's teacher pay scales, like most in the nation, place a premium on higher education. In Clark County School District, which enrolls 90 percent of Nevada students, a first-year teacher with a master's degree starts out with a base salary of about $40,700.

By comparison, a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree alone gets $35,000. The gap in salary between someone with a bachelor's degree and someone with a master's degree who has earned 32 additional credits for college courses taken for specialty certificates begins at about $10,000 each year and widens with more experience.

Pay schedules based on years of experience and educational attainment appeared in 1921 as a way to equalize pay between men and women, according to the federally funded Center for Educator Compensation Reform. A study from 2007 showed 96 percent of school districts use the traditional model.

But starting with No Child Left Behind, and continuing with federal stimulus and Race to the Top programs, schools are keeping better data of student achievement. Pilot programs for performance pay - many using that student achievement data - were in place in 33 states as of 2010, according to the Center for Educator Compensation Reform. Nevada was not one of them.

The U.S. Department of Education says 12 states already have enacted the type of legislation Nevada is pursuing, requiring student achievement data be used in teacher evaluation or tenure decisions. Those states are Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Louisiana, Delaware, Tennessee, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Arizona, Ohio, and Michigan.

Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval has proposed doing away with advanced degree increases, and establishing a pay scale entirely based on performance. Evaluations would be based 50 percent on how effective a teacher was in improving student achievement; the other would be based on teacher performance factors, such as a principal's evaluation or completion of training.

Sponsors of the governor's bill have not presented an exact method for determining student achievement, but it would be determined by an advisory council and the state Board of Education and would likely include standardized test scores along with other student achievement metrics.

The bill is just one of a battery of school changes working their way through the Nevada Legislature this session. Most are based on the work of an Education Reform Blue Ribbon Task Force, a group assigned to develop Nevada's application for Race to the Top federal education funds. Nevada's 2010 bid for nearly $200 million failed, but bills to make the state's system more competitive in future grant rounds are in the works.

So far, Republicans are supportive, and more than half of Assembly Democrats have voted in favor of the bills to implement the task force recommendations.

But the efforts - which include basing teacher evaluations on student achievement data and making it easier to fire teachers - are meeting resistance, and proposals such as cutting the advanced degree bonus are raising eyebrows even among Democrats co-sponsoring other educational reforms.

"You want the most educated person available," said Assemblywoman April Mastroluca, D-Henderson. "It shows teachers are taking the time to invest in themselves."

Representatives from the teachers' union are concerned the all-important student evaluations could be overly based on test scores, and the performance pay would not intangible benefits of a teacher getting a degree.

"There are variables in the system which you can't measure on growth and performance," Peck said. An advanced degree, he said, may not have an immediate effect, "but you learn to think critically. You learn to interact."

Schools that use data extensively are able to pinpoint both problems and teacher strengths, according to Aimee Rogstad Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign, which works with lawmakers across the country to promote recordkeeping systems that measure students' performance over the long term. But teachers in the past have been burned by evaluations based on isolated test scores, and skepticism lingers.

"With educators, it's not something that's trusted. It's been used to hurt people," Guidera said. "We need to realize that data is not a hammer, it's a flashlight. And we can use it to help inform decision-making." Teachers describe the governor's advanced degree idea as a devaluation of higher education.

One Las Vegas social studies teacher told lawmakers that his master's degree taught him how to better incorporate technology in the classroom. Others said they invested in advanced training that helps them better serve English language learners.

Joyce Haldeman of Clark County School District, which supports the performance pay program, said she believes an advanced degree will help a teacher improve, and that would ultimately influence their performance and pay. But with a less-direct connection, fewer teachers might take the costly, time-intensive leap to get the extra education.
 
"It might impact the number of people getting a degree," she said.

The advanced degree proposal is couched in a bill with other measures many teachers describe as anti-educator. A proposal to put teachers on a year-to-year contract and have them reapply for their jobs each year has been labeled too harsh. Members of the union say broader efforts making it easier to fire teachers are based on the false premise that Nevada has an epidemic of ineffective teachers - a message they say that districts want to advance as a way to get rid of expensive teachers in favor of cheaper ones.

While they say a performance-based pay system could work as long as unions at the school district level are involved in decision-making, union representatives say the degree bonuses are effective and need to stay.

"We want teachers to be lifelong learners," said Craig Stevens of the Nevada State Education Association. "We're rewarding them for what we want them to be."]]> Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:00:00 GMT 02f73e28-be0c-404d-beea-eac2feabb961 <![CDATA[Flunking Civics: Why America’s Kids Know So Little]]>
Parents traditionally worry about what their children are learning in school, but it’s what those students are not learning that’s even more unsettling. Only one state deserved a rating of A when it came to teaching its students American history, according to a recent study. Most states fall in the category of “mediocre to awful.”

The study ranked history standards in 49 states and the District of Columbia (Rhode Island has no mandatory history standards, only suggested guidelines) for “content and rigor” and “clarity and specificity” on a scale of A to F. Only South Carolina got straight A’s.
See other article features:
 
Nine states’ standards earned a grade of A- or B. But a majority of states—28 in all—had standards ratings of D or F, the study found.

The findings confirm what the study’s authors have long suspected, says Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the Washington, D.C.-based educational think tank that conducted the study.

“No wonder so many Americans know so little about our nation’s past,” he says. And Americans’ lack of civic knowledge disturbs some of the most respected figures in government and politics.

“When I went to school, we had all kinds of courses on civics and government,” says retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who is pushing to revive civic education. “Today, at least half of the states don’t even require high school students to take civics; only three states require it in middle school.”

Teaching government, civics and history is becoming a more pressing need than before. With school cutbacks, the Internet distracting students, and the disappearance of traditional newspapers and TV news shows that objectively report information, youngsters have become increasingly disengaged from civic and political life, experts say.
 
YOUNG NONVOTERS CITED

Those under the age of 25 are less likely to vote than were their elders or younger people in previous decades, according to a 2003 report by the Silver Spring, Md.-based Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, a coalition of about 40 organizations, including the American Bar Association. According to the report, students also are less interested in public or political issues than were previous generations, and they exhibit gaps in their knowledge of fundamental democratic principles and processes.

“As a result,” the report said, “many young Americans are not prepared to participate fully in our democracy now and when they become adults.”

The report also found that schools in many ways are uniquely suited to addressing the situation because they reach virtually every young person in the country, they represent a community of different views and opinions, and they are well-equipped to deal with the cognitive aspects of good citizenship, such as critical thinking and deliberation.

Other studies have also documented the need for improvement and reform in civic education. The Denver-based National Center for Learning and Citizenship maintains a database on citizenship education, which shows that while 49 states have standards that address citizenship, fewer than half have any testing or assessment programs in place.

And the National Center for Education Statistics in Washington, D.C.—which issues periodic progress reports on what students know in various subject areas, known informally as the Nation’s Report Card—found that only 27 percent of 12th graders in 2006 were proficient in civics and government. (The center reassessed students’ knowledge of civics and government in 2010; the results are due later this year.)

The problem is exacerbated by evidence of what researchers describe as a growing “civic achievement gap” between white, wealthy, native-born youths—who demonstrate consistently higher levels of civic and political knowledge, skills, attitudes and participation—and poor, nonwhite and immigrant youths, who are thus at a disadvantage politically.

Since the late 1990s, when American students tested poorly in reading, science and math against students from 20 other Western nations, federal educational policy has focused strongly on those three subjects at the expense of history, social studies, government and civics.

That trend began in 2001 with the Bush administration’s landmark No Child Left Behind Act, which gives priority to federal funding for efforts to improve student performance in reading and math, skills that are considered fundamental to student success in the workplace. The program continues under the Obama administration’s support for so-called STEM programs, which reward student achievement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Educators fear that this long-range focus on a few limited subjects that are considered fundamental to student success is squeezing out the amount of time and effort devoted to subjects considered nonfundamental, such as history, social science, government and civics.

And they say the evidence of that continues to mount—both empirically and anecdotally.

In 2006, the Center on Education Policy, an independent advocate for public education, conducted a survey on the effects of No Child Left Behind on elementary school instruction. Of the school districts surveyed, 71 percent said they were spending less time on subjects like social studies, music and art to devote more time to reading and math, the two subjects tested under NCLB.

A 2007 survey of 350 school districts nationwide by the Center on Education Policy found that instructional time for subjects not tested by the NCLB had fallen by one-third since the law was passed.

NOT JUST KIDS

Adults, perhaps unsurprisingly, don’t appear to have a better grasp of law, history or government—all of which could be considered essential to civic responsibilities—than students do.

A 2005 survey by the ABA, for example, found that nearly half of all Americans were unable to correctly identify the three branches of government. A FindLaw survey that same year found that only 57 percent of Americans could name any Supreme Court justice.

Some public figures seem to know as little about history—and geography—as many private citizens. In a speech in March, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a possible Republican candidate for president in 2012, identified New Hampshire—instead of Massachusetts—as the “state where the shot was heard around the world.” And in 2008 when he was the Democratic candidate for vice president, Joe Biden declared that Franklin D. Roosevelt had educated the nation about the 1929 stock market crash—on television.

At least one expert says that the picture is not as bleak as others say.

While it’s true that most young Americans don’t know all that much about politics and government, they know as much as their parents did and more than their peers in other countries, says Peter Levine, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, and one of the leading researchers in the field.

Young people also vote, Levine says. Though voter turnout among younger voters was down in 2010 from 2008, there is no evidence of a systematic decline in youth voting compared with the 1980s and 1990s, he says. And volunteering is at record levels.

Levine says that schools are still teaching civics as much as or more than ever before. The amount of time devoted to social studies in elementary and middle school has remained pretty constant over the years, he says, and the amount of time devoted to social studies in high school is up substantially, although the mix of courses has changed appreciably since the 1950s. Civics and problem- or discussion-oriented classes are less common today than they were in the 1950s, he says, but political science, economics and social studies classes are more common.

That’s not to suggest that all is rosy, Levine cautions. Teaching civics is only partly the job of the schools. Other providers of such teaching—newspapers, unions, membership organizations and community groups— aren’t taking up the slack. People are sorting themselves into more politically and ideologically homogenous communities than they used to, he says. And the gap between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to opportunities for civic engagement is bad and getting worse.

“Democracy depends on citizens who are motivated and able to participate effectively in the process,” Levine says. “Otherwise, we run the risk of replicating an unjust democracy in the future.”

Advocates of better civic learning aren’t waiting around for that to happen. They say the cause is too important to ignore and the consequences of not acting too grave to contemplate.

HIGH-LEVEL HELP ABA

President Stephen N. Zack, for one, has made the improvement of civic education in this country one of his top priorities.

Zack has lobbied U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to make civic education a national priority. He also persuaded the ABA Board of Governors to create a Commission on Civic Education in the Nation’s Schools to serve as both an advocate for and a provider of effective, high-quality civic education programs.
 
Zack says our country’s future as a democracy depends on the integrity of our legal institutions, our commitment to justice and our understanding of constitutional self-government. But he says that future is now being threatened by a basic lack of understanding among Americans about what a democracy is and how it’s supposed to work.

He cites figures showing that two-thirds of all Americans can’t correctly identify the three branches of government, and that three out of four people don’t know that the Bill of Rights protects religious freedom.

“It would be amusing if it weren’t so tragic,” he says. “But the sad fact is this is a pervasive problem that starts in the schools and permeates our entire society.”

Zack also notes the outrage many people feel when the U.S. Supreme Court issues a controversial First Amendment ruling, as it did in early March, when it upheld the right of hate groups to protest at military funerals; and in 1989, when it affirmed the right of an anti-war protester to burn the American flag.

“People don’t realize that while the executive and legislative branches are based on majority opinion, the judiciary is beholden only to the Constitution,” he says.

For Zack, who fled Cuba as a 14-year-old boy during the revolution there in 1961, the cause is personal. He still keeps a copy of the old Cuban constitution, which he says was nearly identical to ours, on his desk to remind him that words alone will not protect our rights.

“We all need to do our part to ensure that the words in the Constitution are not just words,” Zack says.

The ABA commission created by the board at Zack’s urging is sponsoring a series of civics and law academies at various locations around the country where lawyers, judges, teachers and other community leaders can teach students in middle and high school about the law and the Constitution, as well as the importance of civic engagement.

The first such academy, co-sponsored by Florida International University’s College of Law, took place on the school’s Miami campus over the President’s Day weekend. A second—co-sponsored by Close Up, a Washington, D.C.-based citizenship education organization—was scheduled for the last week of April. Other academies are in the works.
 
The commission has also created a resource guide and a website where bar associations, law schools, courts, civic organizations, young lawyer affiliates and others interested in sponsoring such a program can find suggested curricula, formats, lesson plans, strategies and other information.
 
In addition, the commission has conducted an online survey of bar associations and other organizations to compile a comprehensive and up-to-date database of existing civic education activities and to help identify what types of programs work best.

SUPREME ASSISTANCE

Retired Justice O’Connor, a longtime champion of civic education, serves as a special adviser to the commission. She describes her duties in the role of special adviser as “putting my two cents’ worth in” and encouraging lawyers and others to do whatever they can to help. But she is also a tireless crusader and forceful advocate for the cause.

O’Connor says she first began to realize how little people know about the way government works during her years as a judge, when she became increasingly alarmed by the efforts of lawmakers and others to politicize the judiciary and “punish” judges for their decisions.

That led her—along with Justice Stephen G. Breyer—to convene a conference on the state of the judiciary in 2006 to try to get to the root of the problem. The overwhelming consensus of the attendees was that public education is the key to preserving the independence of the judiciary and sustaining our constitutional democracy.

O’Connor thinks the evidence is pretty convincing. “There are all kinds of polls out there showing that barely one out of three Americans can name the three branches of government, let alone describe what they do,” she says.

To help fill that gap, O’Connor joined forces with experts at Georgetown University law school, Arizona State University and others to develop an interactive, Web-based educational project aimed at teaching students about civics and inspiring them to become active participants in our nation’s democracy.

The website—at iCivics.org—features lesson plans, Web quests, discussion forums and games designed to teach students about the Constitution, the three branches of government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

The project, which has been up and running for six years, is now being used in all 50 states, O’Connor says, though admittedly more so in some states than in others. But her goal is to get it into every school in America.

The only thing standing in the way, she says, is bureaucracy. “It’s free, it’s teacher-friendly and it’s a lot of fun for the kids.”

Sorely needed, too, as O’Connor is quick to point out.

Because an understanding of and appreciation for democracy is not an inherited trait that is passed along through the gene pool, she says.
 
“It has to be taught anew to each generation.”
]]> Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT 25e7a76e-5a3a-4bc4-a3c0-ff9a677779ab <![CDATA[WV schools to showcase the arts at Arts Alive]]> West Virginia schools to showcase the arts at Arts Alive

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Student artists and musicians from across the state will be featured at the West Virginia Department of Education's fifth annual Arts Alive event on April 29.

The event, celebrating the arts achievement of public schoolchildren, begins with a lobby showcase at 6:30 p.m., followed by the main performance at 7 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. The event is free and open to the public.

The signature event, which includes elementary students for the first time, will feature the visual arts, as well as instrumental and vocal music, dance and theater.

Artwork to be displayed was chosen by the West Virginia Art Education Association. Music performers were selected through regional solo and ensemble festivals. Other groups were included by invitation or through of other contests around the state.

Performers include: the Horace Mann Middle School String Orchestra and the Capital High School Dance Company, Kanawha County; student board members of the West Virginia Thespians from across the state; Danielle Grays and Taylor Rouse from Parkersburg High School and theater students from Parkersburg South High School, Wood County; music students from New Haven Elementary School, Mason County; Marien Stark from Woodrow Wilson High School, Raleigh County; visual art students from Tyler Consolidated High School, Tyler County; the Jefferson High School Jazz Band, Jefferson County; Emily Hopkins from Hurricane High School, Putnam County; the Cabell Midland High School Collegium Musicum, Cabell County; and the Wheeling Park High School Saxophone Quartet, Ohio County.

Audriana Fritz, a 2010 graduate of Parkersburg High School and the winner of the Best Actor Award at the 2010 West Virginia Thespian Festival, will be co-emcee.

Tickets are available from the Clay Center at 304-561-3500.

 

]]> Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT 0b1580b4-548a-417c-9ba6-b5566b4aff6d <![CDATA[Common Grounds discussed at W.Va. education meeting]]> Common Grounds discussed at W.Va. education meeting
BILL ROSENBERGER
The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- A statewide committee consisting of members of the West Virginia Board of Education, the branches of the military, the West Virginia Department of Education and the state's parent-teacher association president met Thursday afternoon at Marshall University to discuss new agreements to benefit students in military families.
 
The meeting came one day after the state school board approved a memorandum of understanding for an education and military partnership known as Common Ground.

The Common Ground Partnership will increase the capacity of districts and schools to support and engage students who may otherwise drop out, help students attain 21st century skills and ensure that communities have a productive, civically active, well-educated work force.
 
A second focus of the partnership is to create networks of people, organizations and other resources to help support military children by increasing community awareness of the impact of the deployment cycle on soldiers, families, kids and the community as a whole.

It is also is tied to House Bill 2550, which is a bill that eases the transition of students into new school as their military parents are transferred throughout the country.

Priscilla Haden, the president of the West Virginia Board of Education, said the Mountain State has taken important steps in helping children in military families ease between school systems without making them repeat classes or entire grade levels.

She also said it encourages schools to be more military friendly, noting that all three of Wayne County's high schools -- where the state board meeting was held Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning -- have Junior ROTC programs.

The hope, she said, is that the presence of such programs will encourage students to strive for higher standards. West Virginia has always had a high number of students going into the armed forces. But the state's rise in childhood obesity have cut those figures, Haden said.

"The committee is working with the military to look at what they have to offer our school students," Haden said]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT 2fb7a737-7e89-42f4-9528-7af9e0939bf5 <![CDATA[Race for WV governor; Democrats differ on tobacco taxes, abortion]]> Race for W.Va. governor: Democrats differ on tobacco taxes, abortion
By Alison Knezevich
The Charleston Gazette
Read the candidates' answers to all 10 questions here.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Democrats in the special primary election for governor agree that West Virginia needs to do more to attract teachers and diversify its economy, but they differ on issues such as abortion and whether the state should raise its tobacco tax.

Five out of six candidates in the May 14 Democratic primary responded to the Gazette-Mail's candidate questionnaire, which asks about issues including education, health care and the economy.

Democratic candidates who responded to the questionnaire were: acting Senate president Jeff Kessler; state Treasurer John Perdue; Secretary of State Natalie Tennant; House Speaker Rick Thompson; and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who is acting as governor.

South Charleston landlord Arne Moltis did not participate.

Republican candidates' responses to the questionnaire will be published in the April 24 edition of the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

Education

Asked how they would attract and retain teachers, Kessler, Perdue and Thompson said they would work to raise teacher salaries.

Perdue said the state should create a long-term plan to raise pay, and that it also could recruit teachers for underserved areas by having the state help them pay back student loans.

Thompson, who was endorsed by state teachers' unions, said he would develop a multi-year salary plan to make compensation more competitive with other states in the region. He also said he would "work to end paperwork burdens on teachers and create a climate in which teachers are respected as the professionals they are."

Kessler wants to raise pay for entry-level teachers, and change hiring practices to reduce anxiety and uncertainty related to educators getting transferred from school to school.

Tomblin wants West Virginia to offer incentives for teachers, especially for those who teach math and science. He said he would push for programs he's previously proposed to help math and science teachers repay portions of their student loans.

Tennant said she would focus on improving teacher training and encourage the development of "professional learning communities," where teachers and school staff work together to improve schools.

Energy and the economy

The Gazette-Mail asked candidates whether they would try to diversify the state's economy so that it isn't so dependent on the coal industry.

Kessler said the state should focus on developing its natural gas industry. He wants to create a trust fund where 25 percent of gas severance taxes would be deposited for education, tax relief and economic development.

Perdue wants to create a Small Business Bank, paid for with surplus funds, to give small businesses loans to expand.

Tennant said she would create a long-term economic plan that includes the manufacturing, energy, research and development sectors. The state should work to help small businesses, too, she said.

Thompson said West Virginia should improve its education system. He wants the state to offer incentives to small- and medium-size business, with the incentives tied to job creation.

Tomblin said he would focus on developing "all sectors of our economy, including continued growth in our vital energy sectors."

In another energy industry-related issue, all candidates agreed that the state should develop new regulations for Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

Environmentalists and advocates for surface owners criticized Tomblin when he refused to call a special legislative session on the issue. In his questionnaire response, Tomblin said he supports "reasonable regulations" for Marcellus development, and pointed to his recent move to fund additional state inspectors for drilling sites.

Health care

West Virginia has the nation's highest smoking rate. In the past few years, some state lawmakers unsuccessfully pushed to raise the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products in an effort to decrease tobacco usage.

Kessler and Perdue were the only candidates to say they would raise the tobacco tax, which is one of the lowest in the United States.

Kessler said he would use tobacco-tax revenues for health and anti-drug initiatives. Those would include community-based substance abuse programs, expansion of drug courts and day-report centers with random drug testing, and primary health-care centers.

With the state Medicaid rolls set to grow because of federal health-care reform, Perdue said he likely would use the money for that program, which provides health coverage for the poor and disabled.

Other candidates said they would not raise taxes at this time.

The Gazette-Mail also asked candidates whether they would sign legislation limiting access to abortion, if passed by the Legislature. Most said they would, but some added caveats. Tomblin said he believes "in the sanctity of life and will do all I can to protect that."

"With all legislation, however, I will examine each bill individually before committing to signing it," Tomblin said.
 
Kessler said he opposes abortion because of his Catholic faith, but added "neither I or any of my opponents have the ability as governor to overturn" the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion.
 
Perdue and Thompson said they would approve measures limiting abortion access, with Thompson saying he is particularly concerned about late-term abortions.

Perdue added, "I believe that life is a precious gift from God."

Only Tennant indicated that she would not sign such legislation. "When a woman faces a difficult health decision, I trust her to make that decision with her doctor, not the government," she said. "It might not be the decision I would make, but I trust her to do a better job for her health and her family than some politician."

Anti-discrimination bill

The Gazette-Mail asked candidates whether they would support adding sexual orientation to the state's civil rights laws, which are meant to protect people from getting fired or denied housing. Current laws cover characteristics such as gender, race and religion.

The state Senate has passed legislation twice to add sexual orientation to the laws, but the House of Delegates has never voted on the issue.

Kessler said he would push for protections for gays and lesbians.

"All men and women are entitled to equal protection under our Constitution," he said.

Other candidates did not answer "yes" or "no" in their responses. Perdue simply said, "I don't believe in discrimination against anyone."

Tennant said she believes discrimination is "bad for our economy and it's bad for our community. "We can no longer afford to have the biases of the past dictate our future," she said.

Thompson said he is "against discrimination against anyone. "If legislation could pass both houses, and pass constitutional muster," he said, "I could support it."

Tomblin said he believes "current laws do an adequate job of ensuring protection of all of our citizens."]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT c200c46f-a8bd-49bf-96bc-e5f098ed5043 <![CDATA[Randolph schools back in local control]]> Randolph schools back in local control
WV Metronews
Nearly two and a half years after placing the district in a state of emergency, the state Board of Education voted Wednesday give the Randolph County School district complete control of local schools.

The decision comes after a process of numerous education performance audits that started when the state declared a state of emergency in December 2008.

Since that time, the district has made remarkable progress, according to the state Director of the Office of Education Performance Audits Dr. Kenna Seal.

"This calls for celebration," Seal said. "Randolph looked pretty bleak in 2008."

A December 2009 audit showed significant improvement in the district, but several deficiencies still needed to be addressed.

The latest review came this past February. Seal says the results of that report clearly indicated the district was ready to resume control of schools.

"It was a very good report," Seal said. "They've corrected everything we've every found there and have done a good job."

Among other things, Randolph County had trouble with facilities, personnel and finances. Seal says hiring new Superintendent Jim Phares has been one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround.

"Leadership can be the crucial issue in a school system sometimes," Seal said. "In this case, it was very critical."

Seal says voters' decision to pass a recent school levy will also help the district deal with maintenance repairs, instructional materials and other costs.]]> Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:00:00 GMT dd02e45f-f6ea-4e45-8e74-823129982d2f <![CDATA[Investigation of program fraud worth investment ]]> Investigation of program fraud worth investment

FAIRMONT — More than 11,600 people who have insurance through a state-subsidized program are not eligible for it. Getting them off the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency’s rolls will save an estimated $22 million a year.

That should be done immediately. Then, state officials should investigate other government programs to learn whether mistakes — and perhaps outright fraud — are costing Mountain State taxpayers millions of dollars a year.

PEIA officials have suspected for some time that many people who have health and life insurance through the agency are not eligible for it. So the agency agreed last year to pay nearly $720,000 to a Pennsylvania firm to analyze insurance rolls and identify freeloaders.

Healthcare Data Management Inc. determined 9,632 people are receiving PEIA health insurance improperly. Another 2,001 have PEIA health insurance for which they are not eligible.

A variety of reasons, ranging from children who do not qualify for dependent coverage to former spouses covered after divorces were finalized, were identified for the problem. No doubt some of the ineligible people on the PEIA’s rolls were there through mistakes or oversights. Still, the numbers involved raise the distinct possibility of fraud. If it occurred, state officials should prosecute those responsible.

State government operates several insurance programs, including Medicaid. Hundreds of thousands of people are covered.

If $22 million can be saved by removing ineligible people from a single program, PEIA, what might the savings be by analyzing other types of subsidized insurance coverage? They could be enormous.

State officials should consider such investigations. Reducing the burden on taxpayers by even a small percentage of the total — hundreds of millions of dollars a year — would make such an examination an excellent idea.

How excellent? Consider this: When PEIA officials commissioned their study, they hoped as much as $5 million could be saved. It turns out the actual savings will be more than four times that.

Certainly, the PEIA analysis was expensive. Clearly, however, it was money well spent.

— The (Elkins) Inter-Mountain]]> Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT fd689ba9-4bdf-43de-bf17-b5b6b0e0ea79 <![CDATA[Some schools closing the book on laptops]]> Some schools closing the book on laptops
Introduced with great fanfare, high tech initiatives fizzle in obsolescence, lack of training
by Amber Marra
Daily Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A decade-old initiative to bring more laptops into the hands of students across the state has fizzled out in some of the areas where it began.

In 2000, every student and teacher in Wetzel County's 175-student Hundred High School was handed a laptop thanks to the Netschools Corp. laptop program.

At the time, educators from around the state welcomed additional technology in their schools with open arms.
One of those teachers, Brenda Whitecotton, who is now the superintendent in Hardy County, was disappointed to hear that Hundred is no longer able to provide a laptop to each student. Whitecotton was principal of Moorefield Middle School when the initiative brought laptops to an entire fifth grade class shortly after Hundred received its laptops.

Integrating technology "doesn't just happen, you have to stay on top of it. A high school is a little more difficult, but sometimes it is harder for secondary teachers to take that change and put it in their instructional practices," Whitecotton said.
 
When the laptops were initially distributed at Hundred, students and teachers used them for research purposes. Entire classrooms were able to simultaneously take a test or quiz electronically.
Aside from Hundred High School, middle school classes in Hardy, McDowell, Nicholas and Calhoun counties all received laptops 10 years ago.

But as the years passed, the laptops became obsolete and the wear and tear from being handled everyday by adolescents led to the school discontinuing their use. The current technology director at Hundred, Sean Snedden, says charging the computers became a problem, though they were "pretty indestructible."

Hundred's technology director in 2000, Bernard Shackleford, has since retired, but has had the most experience working with laptops in the classroom. He says the addition of technology was helpful and that they were sturdy enough to be handled by students.

They did overturn a certain level of distraction, however.

"Some things were easier, some things were not. If an instructor was trying to get a point across and students were trying to work ahead with the laptops, then they missed quite a bit," Shackleford said.

Hundred is not the only school from the original effort to make technology more accessible to students that no longer can provide laptops to entire classrooms or student bodies.

Summersville Junior High School was another one of the schools that received laptops a decade ago, but Principal Ernie Jarvis says the student body of 568 overwhelms the schools 330 computers in two stationary labs and a mobile lab.

Calhoun Middle School, another recipient of laptops 10 years ago, is currently going strong in terms of laptops and iPad use in classrooms thanks to various grants and Tools for Schools funding, said Principal Karen Kirby.

It is the shortage of bandwidth that is bogging down technology in classrooms when 500 students are trying to use the Internet simultaneously, Kirby said.

Whitecotton also says her school system has maintained laptop usage, including Moorefield Middle, which has replaced the original laptops that were given to the school 10 years ago.

"You really have to train, have ongoing professional development and you've got to have good leadership in your schools that encourages the use of the computers," Whitecotton said.

Not every school in Hardy County has a one-to-one ratio, however.

That was the dream of Brenda Williams, executive director of the education department's Office of Instructional Technology when she brought a plan before the state school board in December to give laptops and mobile devices to every student and teacher in the state.

The plan to spend $271 million over the course of four years stemmed from the need to upgrade social studies textbooks throughout the state. Williams says that none of the texts brought forward met the state's curriculum requirements, leaving online texts as the answer.

"We need to make sure students have access to what meets our standards and that they're not asking 'why do we have to learn this?' and that's rigorous, but it also keeps things relevant," Williams said.

Unfortunately, state legislatures turned down the request that would have spent $54.3 million in the first year to begin furnishing more students with laptops and mobile devices.

Now it just comes down to finding social studies textbooks that are up to date with the state's curriculum requirements.

"We hope to get some direction coming up soon. Technically they're still up to date, but the new (textbook) adoption cycle would have usually started now," Williams said.]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT c77f46eb-954c-410d-905a-bc6e8df66c14 <![CDATA[Boone school project wins funds, but bond vote looms]]> Boone school project wins funds, but bond vote looms
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Boone County and eight other West Virginia school systems received millions of dollars in state funding Monday for new schools and major renovation projects.

The state School Building Authority considered requests from 28 counties.

On Monday, Boone County received $6 million from the SBA to build additions and make renovations. County voters must approve a $45 million bond issue in August for the school system to receive the state money.

Boone County Superintendent John Hudson hopes the $15.7 million project at Sherman Junior/Senior High School is just one piece of a four-part countywide plan that could run through 2014.

The plans call for a 6,500-square-foot science addition and a main entrance for the high school, a commons/cafeteria space for both junior and high school students and three general classrooms and a gymnasium for students at the junior high school.
 
A new bus loop and upgraded parking spaces would allow more space for buses, which now have to back into the schools off W.Va. 3, Hudson said.

In all, Hudson hopes to pair a successful bond issue with up to $23 million in School Building Authority funding by 2014.

SBA members did not approve Kanawha County's bid to build a $23 million consolidated elementary school in eastern Kanawha County. The school would close Midland Trail, Belle, Malden and Mary Ingles elementary schools.

Kanawha school officials had said they would not be surprised if they didn't get the money, but wanted to get the project on the SBA's radar for the future. "We are not interested in pursuing a bond at this time and the School Building Authority understood that," said Kanawha school board President Pete Thaw. "This is no time for bond issues."

Thaw said he has not received any phone calls from parents in eastern Kanawha County who want the new elementary school.

"The West Side people for 20 years beat down the door, and we accommodated them," Thaw said, referring to two new elementary schools in the works on Charleston's West Side.

Still, Kanawha Superintendent Ron Duerring believes the board will take up the project again. The eastern Kanawha school was a high priority on a 10-year facilities plan -- "and it's a good project," Duerring said.

Putnam school officials unsuccessfully asked for $7.2 million to expand and renovate Winfield Elementary School. SBA member Tom Lange said he reluctantly voted for projects in counties that have already passed or hope to pass a bond this year, even though needs might be greater elsewhere.

Many counties have serious health and safety needs in their schools, Lange said. Other counties, like those in the Eastern Panhandle, where he lives, are growing rapidly and too many students end up in portable buildings.

"We have to prepare for the future," Lange said.

But SBA Executive Director Mark Manchin stressed that the SBA continues to favor counties that are willing to put up local funding.

Lange, who lives in Charles Town, and SBA member Eric J. Lewis, who lives in Shepherdstown, supported projects in Berkeley County and Jefferson County. Both of those received funding, but less than they requested because the SBA was running short on money early Monday afternoon.

Berkeley received $10 million for a new Gerrardstown Area Middle School, and Jefferson received more than $4 million for additions and renovations to Harpers Ferry Middle School.

Berkeley County had asked for more than $13.5 million, but Lange said the county's Spring Mills High School project could end up nearly $4 million under budget, giving the county more money to build the middle school.

Also Monday, SBA members approved $12.9 million for a new St. Marys High School in Pleasants County. County voters passed a bond and school board members pledged a matching amount.

The SBA pledged nearly $5.6 million to Calhoun County, where voters passed a bond for a new Arnoldsburg Elementary School. Of that, $2 million is emergency SBA money used to help close the current flood-prone school.

Wyoming County received nearly $9.4 million for a new Pineville Elementary, which includes $2 million in emergency funding because the existing school is in the flood plain. The SBA approved money for Preston, Upshur and Harrison counties -- but the projects in Upshur and Harrison are contingent on local bond issues.

If those fail, or the bond in Boone County fails, more money could be available for county projects at an SBA meeting on June 27. A new Kenna Elementary School in Jackson County could be high on that list.]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT a88baa20-9ca1-4d16-bd25-606dfa866cad <![CDATA[Rule change targets school lunches]]> Rule change targets school lunches
Proposal would force states to reduce calories, saturated fat, sodium
by Amber Marra
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state Department of Education already is struggling with finding food to meet strict dietary guidelines placed on school lunch programs, and a proposed federal mandate could make the job even more difficult.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule that would limit sodium intake, cap the amount of calories, reduce saturated fat and eliminate trans fat in school meals.

Richard Goff and his team of nutritionists at the state education department's Office of Child Nutrition already have been called the "ketchup police."

"But it's all about controlling the sodium content of the meals," said Goff, the executive director of the office.

The nickname came from parents who voiced complaints about the lack of ketchup on chicken nuggets days at schools across the state.

The lack of ketchup actually stems from the state's own regulation regarding sodium intake, which limits it to 1,100 milligrams at lunch and 500 milligrams at breakfast.

Those numbers could be tightened further if the USDA pushes through even tougher guidelines based on findings from a 2009 report by the National Academies' Institute of Medicine.

The USDA proposed the rule, "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs," on Jan. 13. It has since entered into a 90-day comment period that ends Wednesday.

Should the rule pass, Goff's office would have to modify the way schools prepare food and find sources of lower-sodium items.

The state has had problems finding food that meets its already strict dietary guidelines. With the new rule nearing the end of its comment period, Goff hopes that the market will react to serve more health-driven interests.

"Part of West Virginia's problem has been securing the food to meet the standard. What you're having is a scrambling with all of these food vendors," he said. "It's sort of a you-build-it-they-will-come thing."

Over the next 10 years, the new guidelines would push sodium intake for high school students down to 740 milligrams for lunch and 500 milligrams for breakfast.

Middle school students could be served up to 710 milligrams for lunch and 470 for breakfast. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students would be given no more than 640 milligrams for lunch and 430 for breakfast.

With roughly 170 milligrams of sodium per packet of ketchup, those numbers tend to add up pretty fast.

Goff's nutritionists are dealing with this difficulty already. One of them, Linda St. Clair, says that this is largely because sodium tends to hide in places where you wouldn't expect it.

"One vendor has frozen biscuits that contain 440 milligrams of sodium alone. Then milk might have naturally occurring sodium somewhere. So it doesn't take long to add up to 750, but primarily right now they are getting most of their sodium in entrees," St. Clair said.

"It won't take long to add up to some pretty high numbers."

Sodium isn't the only target.

For the first time, the USDA will cap caloric intake, limiting it to no more than 850 calories for a high school lunch. Meals would have to contain at least 750 calories, however.

The guidelines also would require saturated fat to account for less than 10 percent of total calories served and trans fat to be eliminated altogether.

However, even before President Barack Obama signed The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, West Virginia had eliminated trans fats from school menus.

"At first it was more about hunger and it was about making sure kids in low-income households had enough to eat," St. Clair said. "There wasn't as much concern with going over (caloric intake) because they were afraid kids weren't going to get enough. Now that has changed completely."

The state also requires that no more than 30 percent of the total calories from a single meal can come from fat, Goff said. All 2 percent and whole milk was removed from cafeterias three years ago.

To further comply with the multiple other standards that could be set by the USDA guidelines, should they pass, there might be an aggressive transition to more from-scratch cooking in schools.

Tamara Walker, a registered dietician and nutrition coordinator for Kanawha County Schools, says from-scratch wheat rolls, cornbread, spaghetti and meat sauce and chili all have been well-received by students, but the amount of time it takes to cook those from-scratch meals for hundreds of students can be less cost efficient than serving heat-and-eat pizza.

"If the USDA passes these regulations, then there will have to be more products made available, especially as more states come into line to follow them," Walker said.

"You can't have hot dogs every day. The sodium level is way too high, even if it's a favorite with kids."

To view and comment on the upcoming USDA guidelines, go to www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch.]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT 1533a98f-87d3-4075-87da-8225dc5426ca <![CDATA[Colleges, Universities facing 4 percent tuition hikes]]> Colleges, Universities facing 4 percent tuition hikes
Higher costs for fuel, personnel and health care are behind expected tuition increases.
By Walt Williams

CHARLESTON -- Students heading to many of West Virginia’s two-year and four-year colleges and universities this fall may face tuition and fee increases of at least 4 or 5 percent, according to higher education officials.

The state’s four-year institutions will spend the remainder of the month drafting their tuition proposals, which will be presented to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission during its April 29 meeting. So far only the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine has submitted its proposal, which calls for holding the line on tuition, HEPC Chancellor Brian Noland said.

It’s doubtful many of the other intuitions would be able to do the same, he said. They are facing higher costs for fuel, personnel and health care.

“I anticipate there will be some increase in tuition and fees just for our institutions to sustain current levels of academic quality,” he said.

Students heading to one of the state’s many community and technical colleges are likely looking at tuition increases of at least 5 percent, according to Community and Technical College System Chancellor James Skidmore.

Two exceptions are Bridgemont Community and Technical College, which is raising its tuition by only about $24 a semester, and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, which is holding the line on tuition.

The possible increase also would end a one-year freeze on raising tuition implemented by former Gov. Joe Manchin. Tuition at all the state’s public colleges have been steadily trickling upwards for at least a decade, in part because state funding has not kept pace with the cost of sending a student to college.

“The requests we received I am sure are based upon the fact they didn’t raise tuition last year,” Skidmore said.

The possible tuition hikes are far smaller than those proposed in many states where budget problems are starving academic institutions. Still, a 4 percent increase in tuition at West Virginia University —which has the highest tuition of the state’s public institutions — would result in in-state undergraduate students spending $216 more a year than they do now.

Noland noted that even if the proposed increases go into effect, West Virginia would still have some of the most affordable tuition rates in the region.

However, West Virginia also has some of the poorest families in the nation. The proposed increases in tuition come at a time when Congress and the White House are considering trimming back the Pell Grant program, the federal government’s main vehicle to help low-income families afford college.

Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed cutting back the maximum grants awarded in the program to 2008 levels, which would result in a reduction of $845 a year per student. Democrats have voiced opposition to the cuts, but President Barack Obama has suggested a cut of his own by not allowing summer school students to qualify for additional grants.

At least 40 percent of West Virginia students qualify for Pell grants. Partly responding to the threat of cuts in the program, state lawmakers set aside an additional $4 million a year for need-based aid in the state budget drafted in March.

Federal lawmakers argue something needs to be done to rein in the growing cost of the Pell program. Noland believes a better way to cut costs would be to prevent many for-profit colleges from receiving Pell money, saying many of them accomplish little more than leaving students facing huge debts. “Where are those Pell grants ending up? In the pockets of stockholders,” he said.

Most colleges and universities must get the approval of the HEPC or the CTCS Council before raising rates, but that will change later this year thanks to a new law that allows institutions to raise their tuitions without approval as long as the increase is not more than 5 percent.]]> Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT 7e3e9a13-d2fd-4fc4-adc8-1357d292b28f <![CDATA[Civil War Trust offers teachers 2-week curriculum]]> Civil War Trust offers teachers 2-week curriculum
By The Associated Press
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- There's renewed interest in the Civil War this year as the country marks the 150th anniversary, and an organization that preserves battlefields is offering a new curriculum designed to show the importance of preserving this slice of American history.

Since it began in 1987, the Civil War Trust has helped preserve more than 30,000 acres at 110 battlefields in 20 states, and the trust hopes to continue its work by offering teachers a two-week curriculum on the war.

"We're really creating the next generation of historians," said Mary Koik, deputy communications director. "We're creating the next generation of history teachers and preservationists and people that are going to safeguard these places that our generation has worked to protect."

Moorefield High School English teacher Jeremy Simmons plans to use some of the curriculum in a few weeks when his 11th-grade students read literature from the Civil War era

"Just to let them know what's going on, what issues are involved, why did these authors like Mary Chestnut, Frederick Douglas, Abe Lincoln, Steven Crane, Walt Whitman, what was going on in their lives that would make them write the things that they write," Simmons said.

Simmons has been interested in the War since he was a child. He said learning more about the time period not only helps his students analyze the literature they're reading, but it also helps them learn more about history.

"I've always said that the best way to study history is through the literature that was written during that time," Simmons said. "It focuses less on dates and battles and things like that but more toward what the real people were really thinking and what was going on in society, the thoughts and actions of specific people and cultures."

Simmons said his students particularly enjoy seeing 3D images taken during the Civil War that are available on the trust's website. Seventy percent of the photos taken during the war were shot in 3D so they could be viewed in a device called a stereoscope.

"And that's something that blows most students' minds," Koik said. "They went and they saw 'Avatar' and they thought that was amazing. Well, in the 1860s, that's how these pictures were designed to be viewed."

Koik said the trust has been working with the Center for Civil War Photography to make the 3D pictures available online as slide shows.

"And we work with teachers to help them get 3D glasses so they can show these kids how sometimes the past isn't all that different from the present," Koik said.

The curriculum offers two weeks' worth of lessons for students in elementary, middle and high school. It's available online or schools can purchase a hard copy from the Civil War Trust.]]> Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT f0cf87a4-70da-478e-9c01-27542801e683 <![CDATA[NYC schools chancellor Cathie Black quits ]]> NYC schools chancellor Cathie Black quits
Rocky 3-month stint proves embarrassment for Mayor Bloomberg
 
NEW YORK — Schools Chancellor Cathie Black resigned Thursday after a rocky three months that included parents heckling her at board meetings, plummeting poll numbers and the departures of several deputy chancellors.

Black and Mayor Michael Bloomberg met Thursday morning and "mutually agreed that it is in the city's best interest if she steps down as chancellor," Bloomberg said.

"We both agreed that the story had become her and it should be about the students," the mayor said at a City Hall news conference. Black did not attend.

The mayor appointed Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott as the new schools chancellor.

The mayor's appointment of the former Hearst Magazines chairwoman has proven to be one of the deepest embarrassments of his administration.

Black had no previous experience in education, and her appointment was a surprise even to some officials within the administration. There was no formal search announced.

When faced by heckling from hostile parents at one community meeting, she heckled them back. And she joked that school overcrowding could be fixed with birth control.

A Marist College/NY1 poll released this week found that 17 percent of New York City adults approved of the job she was doing, down from 21 percent in early February.

Several department officials left after Black became chancellor in January, including the resignation this week of deputy schools chancellor John White to head a school district in New Orleans.

"I will take full responsibility for the fact that this has not worked out as either of us had hoped or expected," said the mayor, known as a fierce defender of his administration's top appointments.

With no credentials as an educator, Black needed the waiver from state education Commissioner David Steiner, and an advisory panel recommended that he deny it. But Steiner indicated he would give the green light if Bloomberg elevated a deputy chancellor with an education background.

The mayor eventually agreed to create the position of chief academic officer as a no. 2 to Black.

In her resignation letter to Bloomberg, Black blamed "outside forces" opposed to school reform.

Black wrote: "In the interest of New York City's 1.1 million school children, it has become increasingly apparent that my ability to serve successfully as the Chancellor of New York City Schools is not possible.

"The outside forces have become so intense that education reform is potentially jeopardized and that will have an impact on the future opportunities for our school children.

"The outside forces have become so intense that education reform is potentially jeopardized and that will have an impact on the future opportunities for our school children.

"While this is not the outcome I anticipated when you asked me to become Chancellor, it has been a privilege to serve you and the city of New York."]]> Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT 1b293651-3a6e-4267-8c92-8c0b04d2964e <![CDATA['Sexting' gets Va. teacher prison term]]> 'Sexting' gets Va. teacher prison term

Associated Press

LEBANON, VA. (AP) - A former eighth-grade teacher from southwestern Virginia has been sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for sending sexually explicit images and messages to a teenage student.

The Bristol Herald Courier reports that 39-year-old Connie Beth Klewer was sentenced Wednesday by Russell County Circuit Judge Michael Moore. He reduced a jury's recommended 32.5 year sentence by 10 years.

Klewer was a science teacher at Lebanon Middle School when she was accused in July 2009 of "sexting" the student.

Jurors convicted her in January of taking indecent liberties with a child, using a communications device to solicit a minor, and other charges.]]> Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT 335487f7-7cc6-4ad5-9a7d-ce23bc407f85 <![CDATA[Ohio Legislature passes collective bargain limits]]> Ohio Legislature passes collective bargain limits
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Ohio Legislature voted Wednesday to severely limit the collective bargaining rights of 350,000 public workers, sending a bill that sparked weeks of pro-labor protests to Republican Gov. John Kasich, who is expected to sign it by the end of the week.

The full House had passed the measure on a 53-44 vote Wednesday after it cleared committee, and the Senate followed with a 17-16 vote of approval.

The measure affects safety workers, teachers, nurses and a host of other government personnel. It allows unions to negotiate wages but not health care, sick time or pension benefits. It gets rid of automatic pay increases and replaces them with merit raises or performance pay. Workers would also be banned from striking.

Kasich has said his $55.5 billion, two-year state budget counts on unspecified savings from lifting union protections to fill an $8 billion hole. The first-term governor and his GOP colleagues argue the bill would help city officials and superintendents better control their costs at a time when they too are feeling budget woes.

Pickerington teacher Patricia Kuhn-Morgan said she is confused by connections being drawn between the bill and job creation.

"As teachers, the best way we can have to job creation is to educate the public."

She said she believes Wednesday's vote will hurt the GOP with voters.

"I've spoken to a lot of educators who are typically straight-ticket Republicans that have said to me that they won't ever vote for another Republican because of how this bill's been pushed through and the democratic process has been abused," she said as she awaited the Senate's vote.

Contentious debates over restricting collective bargaining have popped up in statehouses across the country, most notably in Wisconsin, where the governor signed into law this month a bill eliminating most of state workers' collective bargaining rights. That measure exempts police officers and firefighters; Ohio's does not.

The Ohio bill has drawn thousands of demonstrators, prompted a visit from the Rev. Jesse Jackson and packed hearing rooms in the weeks before the Senate passed the measure. Its reception in the House has been quieter, though Wednesday's vote drew several hundred demonstrators to the Statehouse.

But the overall response by protesters in the Rust Belt state, despite its long union tradition among steel and auto workers, paled in comparison to Wisconsin, where protests peaked at more than 70,000 people. Ohio's largest Statehouse demonstrations on the measure drew about 8,500 people.

Democrats oppose the measure but have offered no amendments to it. Instead, they delivered boxes containing more than 65,000 opponent signatures to the House labor committee's chairman.

Many Democrats, along with other opponents, have vowed to lead a ballot-repeal effort if the measure passes.

The vote in the House comes after the committee added GOP-backed revisions Tuesday that would make it more difficult for unions to collect certain fees.

The committee changed the bill to ban automatic deductions from employee paychecks that would go the unions' political arm. They also altered the measure to prevent nonunion employees affected by contracts from paying so-called "fair share" fees to union organizations.

Unions argue that their contracts cover those nonunion workers and that letting them not pay unfairly spreads the costs to dues-paying members.]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2011 20:00:00 GMT 7d13c189-c5a6-48f4-aae0-b6ca8c905526 <![CDATA[Policy panel wants colleges to reduce credit-hour requirement]]> Policy panel wants colleges to reduce credit-hour requirement
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Hoping to boost the number of college graduates in West Virginia, officials with the state Higher Education Policy Commission want more public colleges and universities to mirror Shepherd University and reduce the credit hours a student needs to graduate.

Kathy Butler, senior director of academic affairs at the policy commission, said many students finish their college years with lots of debt, and the financial burden lasts for years. That's one reason for the new approach, she said.

It's also a way to decrease the amount of time it takes a student to finish a degree.

Last month, Shepherd President Suzanne Shipley announced that students who start at the university this fall must complete 120 credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree -- eight hours less than the traditional 128.

Marshall University already has changed the graduation requirements for most programs from 128 hours to 120, said Gayle Ormiston, Marshall's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Butler wants to see more schools willingly move in the same direction as Shepherd and Marshall, and not be required to do so.

"We want [students] to be successful and to complete college," Butler said. "We will not compromise the quality of education. We're just looking at a new way to do it."

For instance, all colleges have general studies courses as part of a bachelor's degree program. Schools might want to reduce the number of those courses, she said.

The idea is not to lower the quality but to "embed" content from multiple courses into one.

Students might earn English composition credit as part of a U.S. history course, for example. Or a student in a skills-based carpentry course also could learn and use applied mathematics concepts in the same course, Butler said.

The strategy is already common in kindergarten through 12th grade. Elementary and secondary students work on reading, writing and math skills in classes that range from health to physical education. These days, students and teachers are held most accountable for reading and math.

Freshmen who started in most undergraduate programs at Marshall University this fall can graduate with 120 credits because the university has streamlined some of the courses students take early in college.

In part, the change is meant to cut back on duplication of efforts, Ormiston said.

Some of Marshall's new courses focus more on critical thinking and writing skills.

For instance, faculty members across the university teach the "first-year seminar," which is the first course required for all freshmen. According to a Marshall course description, students in the seminar learn "critical thinking skills integral to life-long learning through discussion, interaction, discovery, problem-solving, writing, research, reflection, and examination of multicultural/international issues."

Marshall's administrators have asked all departments to reduce their graduation requirements to 120 credits. Many have done so, while others have moved closer to the mark without reaching it, Ormiston said.

'Nothing magical about 128'

With the move to 120 credits, college students could take 15 credit hours every semester and graduate in exactly four years.

"It's just much more student-friendly," the policy commission's Butler said.

Ormiston said Marshall is not watering down a student's education by reducing the total credits and updating its courses.

"The idea is to take all of our programs under critical review," he said. "That's hardly trying to water down the curriculum.

"There's nothing magical about 128, you know," he said.

Peter Ewell, vice president at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, agrees.

The NCHEMS is a research and development center based in Boulder, Colo. It was founded to improve the management effectiveness of colleges and universities, according to its website.

"I mean, a credit hour's a fiction. It doesn't mean a whole lot," Ewell said. "I'm not a big fan of the credit hour. I'm an outcomes guy."

Ewell was involved in a restructuring of colleges in Virginia in the 1990s, at a time when students often graduated with 145 credits or more.

"The idea of doing this periodically is something that's quite popular," he said.

West Virginia has a useful tool -- the Collegiate Learning Assessment -- that eventually could help college officials measure the success of its new courses, Ewell said.

Students who participate take a "CLA" test twice during college. It measures their levels of learning from freshman year to senior year. A majority of the state's colleges and universities participate, said Higher Education Policy Commission spokeswoman Ashley Schumaker.

Dewayne Matthews, vice president of policy and strategy at the Lumina Foundation, said researchers at the private Indianapolis foundation have taken an interest in streamlined paths to graduation.

The "big goal" that drives Lumina is to increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality, two- or four-year college degrees and credentials from 39 percent to 60 percent by 2025. That's an increase of 23 million graduates above current rates.

"The time has come for us to take the issue more seriously," he said. "To help students get in, get out."

Matthews, like Ormiston, believes this direction isn't just a question about the number of credits, but offers a "window into a deeper issue" about what students really need to learn while they're in college.

An important question, he believes, is asking what sequence of courses a student actually needs in college. "That's the way people really need to be thinking about it," he said.

Matthews has listened to Dave Spence, president of the Southern Regional Education Board, "speak very passionately about this." West Virginia is one of the SREB's 16 member states.

In September, the SREB released a report titled "No Time To Waste." It directly called for bachelor's degrees that students can complete in 120 credits.

At the time, then-Gov. Joe Manchin was SREB chairman.

The report's authors, including Spence, noted that if a state and its colleges create "more efficient paths for students to complete college, the results will benefit all. More students should earn degrees in fewer credit hours and less time, and states should see the numbers of degrees rise at the same or lower costs."

In the future, most jobs will require much higher skill levels than people needed a generation ago. That's a central tenet of Lumina's "big goal." More people will need to graduate with two- and four-year degrees, and in a shorter period of time, Matthews said.

"When higher ed was all about self discovery, sort of an experience people had, maybe it wasn't so important to think about how long it was taking," he said.

But to reach the 60-percent goal by 2025, the newest graduates must overwhelmingly be made up of first-generation college students, Matthews said.

He expects many future students will be nontraditional, and will work while they're in school. Time becomes more precious, and the students need a clear understanding of what it would take to graduate, he said.

"The research on this is very, very clear. Those kinds of [working] students need to have . . . a clear pathway which is very understandable," he said. "If it's not clear how you actually get through the system, they're much more likely to say, 'I don't get this.' . . . They may make a very rational decision to check out."

Many private and online colleges have adapted to nontraditional students, offering classes when and where students need them and during times they can access them.

"Some of them have done, frankly, a better job [than public colleges] at responding to the needs of those types of students," Matthews said.

Other state universities

Currently, West Virginia University has little interest in the credit changes.

"We're aware of it," said WVU spokesman John Bolt, "but we're not doing anything with it right now."

Staff members in Provost Michele Wheatly's office did not want to comment any further, Bolt said.

Ewell is not surprised that a flagship research institution does not have plans to decrease the credits needed to graduate. It would disrupt the university's number of teaching-assistant positions and cause other issues, he said.

"The most prestigious and established institutions typically don't want to change anything," he said.

Administrators at West Virginia State University have considered lowering the number of credits to graduate. WVSU spokeswoman Pat Dickinson spoke with Charles Byers, vice president for academic affairs, about the matter.

"He says that we are considering it," Dickinson wrote in an email to the Gazette-Mail. "He did not indicate as to 'when' or 'if' it might happen."

In Montgomery, school leaders at the WVU Institute of Technology have explored lowering the total credits for some programs, but not others, spokeswoman Adrienne King said. For instance, some engineering programs might not be considered because Tech would not risk its ABET accreditation, she said.]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2011 20:00:00 GMT 3df43b24-160b-41fa-9da0-8e1c3a6782ce <![CDATA[Tomblin set to approve autism bill]]> Tomblin set to approve autism bill
by From staff reports
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is set to give final approval of a bill extending insurance coverage to children suffering from autism spectrum disorders.

Tomblin announced Thursday afternoon that he intends to sign House Bill 2693 during a Friday morning ceremony at the governor's office.

The bill requires the Public Employees Insurance Agency, Children's Health Insurance Program and most private insurers to cover applied behavioral analysis therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders beginning July 1, 2011.

The intensive, one-on-one therapy has been shown to be the most effective way to treat autism in children. But the therapy is also very expensive, so insurance companies have not been covering this form of treatment.

Under the new bill, coverage would apply to children as young as 18 months with benefits capped at $30,000 annually for the first three years, and then $2,000 annually until the child turns 18.

Insurance companies lobbied against the bill saying that, by forcing them to cover the treatment, it would result in higher insurance premiums.

But supporters argued that the upfront costs are mitigated by savings down the road as the child's condition improves and they become less dependent on the system.

They say that the earlier a child can receive treatment, the greater chances that child has of becoming a productive member of society.

"I fully recognize the importance of this piece of legislation and the positive impact it will have for children with Autism and the relief it gives their parents," Tomblin said in a statement.

"I am so pleased that West Virginia will be the 25th state to require autism related services be a part of insurance coverage available for families."

Tomblin will sign the autism bill, as well as six other bills, during a 10 a.m. ceremony in the governor's reception room at the Capitol.]]> Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 GMT fd8ca689-ff2d-4334-8e57-d9243845f140 <![CDATA[California teacher pension shortfall grows to $56B]]> California teacher pension shortfall grows to $56B

By ADAM WEINTRAUB Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The pension system for California's teachers has $56 billion less than it needs to cover the benefits promised to its 852,000 members and their families, the fund reported Thursday, as big investment losses in 2008 continue to reverberate.

The drop in value was enough to trigger an automatic increase in the amount the state must pay into the California State Teachers' Retirement System, which is the nation's second largest public pension fund. That will boost the payment from California's already strained general fund by 20 percent - from $573 million to $688 million - in the fiscal year starting July 1.

The pension shortfall as of June 30, 2010, was $15.5 billion greater than it had been a year earlier, CalSTRS officials said. The fund had expected the shortfall to be even greater, but educators received smaller raises than projected, reducing the ultimate amount of their retirement benefits, and the fund's investments performed better than expected in the 2009-10 fiscal year.

The pension fund's assets at the end of June were enough to cover 71 percent of its accrued liabilities over the next 30 years, down from 78 percent a year earlier.

The number itself isn't cause for alarm but is headed in the wrong direction, said Ed Derman, CalSTRS' deputy CEO, who discussed the latest projections from the fund's accountants in a conference call with reporters.

At this rate, he said, the system will run out of money to pay benefits in 2042 unless workers, school districts and the state work out a long-term plan to fix the funding problems. The report will be presented next week to the CalSTRS board, but any fix would require action by the state Legislature.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday announced a package of 12 proposals for pension changes. One that is still "under development" addresses the shortfall at CalSTRS, but Brown provided no details.

The funding shortfall results from numerous factors, especially from steep investment losses during the Great Recession, and hits just as a wave of baby boomers begins entering retirement. Longer life expectancies than planners projected when they set up the system also are increasing costs.

"CalSTRS needs a significant increase in revenue to make progress toward its funding target," the actuarial report said.

That could come through higher contributions from workers, school districts or the state, as well as higher returns on investments than currently projected.

"This once again shows how much pension reform is needed because the taxpayer is on the hook," said Assemblyman Allan Mansoor, R-Costa Mesa, who is vice chairman of a committee that would review any bill asking for increased contributions.

Unlike the California Public Employees' Retirement System, the teachers' fund cannot set the amounts that employers and the state must pay toward retirement benefits. Labor contracts typically set the amount that workers pay toward their own pensions.

Contributions to the teachers fund are set by statute, while the trigger for the increased state payment was written into law more than a decade ago. The $688 million payment from the state's general fund required under the trigger already has been factored into the governor's budget calculations for 2011-12, even as California faces a multibillion dollar deficit.

As recently as 2000, CalSTRS had more than enough assets to cover the retirement promises it had made to teachers and school administrators. The fallout from the dot-com bust that started at the end of the 1990s began eroding investment returns, which plunged during the most recent recession.

News of the shortfall comes amid a national debate over pensions for public employees and as conservatives in California seek changes to the lifetime defined benefit plans offered state workers, perhaps through a future ballot initiative.

Critics contend the plans - which guarantee certain benefits based on workers' salaries and how long they worked - provide richer benefits than those offered to private sector workers and underestimate costs, leaving taxpayers on the hook for the unfunded liabilities. Several proposals have been floated in California to reduce pension benefits for current or future workers, but they face significant legal or political hurdles.

Most of the jump in the teachers fund shortfall came because of the way the number is calculated, the fund's accountants said. The fund took an enormous hit to its stock portfolio when the market plunged during the heart of the recession, losing nearly $43 billion - roughly 25 percent of its value - from June 2008 to June 2009.

The teachers fund spreads that loss over three years when it calculates its long-term obligations. Even though the stock portfolio has been posting annual gains close to 13 percent over the past 18 months, the gains are being buried in the calculation by the much larger 2008 losses.

The teachers fund portfolio was worth $146.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2010. CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund, covers 1.6 million retirees and government workers and their families, and had a portfolio worth $225.7 billion on Dec. 31.

CalSTRS members who retired during the 2009-10 fiscal year received a median individual benefit of about $49,000 a year, meaning half received less and half received more. Its members are not covered by Social Security.

About 2.2 percent of the 220,000 members receiving benefits are paid more than $100,000 a year, including spousal and survivor benefits.]]> Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT 2a08c9df-1847-4251-ba44-7fd4e9c1e31f <![CDATA[Lincoln County selects superintendent]]> Lincoln schools system selects superintendent
The Herald-Dispatch
LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. -- The Lincoln County Schools system has independently hired a new superintendent for the first time since control of the system was taken over by the West Virginia Department of Education in 2000.

Patricia Lucas was selected Wednesday afternoon as the new superintendent. She will replace current Superintendent David Roach on July 1.

Lucas will be the first superintendent to take the helm when the Lincoln County Board of Education regains full control of the district. The state board voted to give control back to the district in 2009, but that motion was not set to go into effect until this year.

At that time the state board issued a Memorandum of Understanding that the school board could begin searching for a replacement for Roach, who was installed under state control, within one year.

Lucas, a native of Harts, W.Va., earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Marshall University, and she currently serves as assistant superintendent of Lincoln County Schools]]> Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:00:00 GMT 86f3e35b-82e2-4b01-9fad-c68faea1cc8b <![CDATA[Preston BOE expels five students]]> Preston BOE expels five students
The Associated Press
March 30--KINGWOOD -- The Preston County Board of Education expelled five students Monday, including one for assault on an employee.

Preston Superintendent of Schools Larry Parsons would not say which middle school the 12-year-old boy who committed the assault attends.

The other four students attended Preston High -- two ninthgrade females, and sophomore and junior males. They were expelled for a school year for Level III infractions. According to the board's student code of conduct, Level III infractions include possession, distribution and use of alcohol, defacing school property, profane language, hazing and theft.

Parsons said assault on an employee is a Level IV violation requiring a mandatory 365-day expulsion.]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT bb99b6e1-ad90-4fb6-806d-c1be626be7db <![CDATA[W.Va. writing project sites to lose federal funding]]> W.Va. writing project sites to lose federal funding
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A national program that helps teachers become better writers -- and is shown to improve their students' writing skills -- has lost its federal funding, a development that could impact thousands of students across West Virginia and millions across the country.

Earlier this month, a compromise between Congress and the Obama administration kept the federal government running, but cut $4 billion in funding and slashed the budgets of several programs, including the National Writing Project.

The program, which includes a network of 70,000 teachers at 200 university-based sites, has received federal funding for the past 20 years.

It received $25 million in 2010. Universities and local school districts often match the federal funds.

At this point, West Virginia's writing project sites are funded through June 2012, said Paul Epstein, a Title I reading teacher at Charleston's Ruffner Elementary School who's closely involved with the Central West Virginia Writing Project.

Four writing project sites across the state are affiliated with the National Writing Project, he said. The Central West Virginia Writing Project is based at Marshall University's Graduate School of Education and Professional Development in South Charleston. The other sites are in Morgantown, Huntington and Logan.

"We immerse teachers in becoming writers, because if a teacher is going to teach writing, then they need to become a writer," said Barbara Holmes, director of the CWVWP.

Too often people today do not spend much time writing, and many teachers do not teach writing, sometimes because they feel inadequately prepared to teach it, Holmes said.

Summer institutes and other writing project efforts are largely driven by the idea of "teachers teaching teachers," Epstein said.

The four sites in West Virginia impact hundreds of teachers across the state each year, he said.

"And therefore thousands of students might miss out on the improved teaching results," he said.

Research studies consistently show that students whose teachers participate in National Writing Project programs make greater gains in writing than students in comparable classrooms, according to a National Writing Project news release.

Holmes' own doctoral dissertation detailed the growth of students whose teachers took part in National Writing Project programs.

"I followed [teachers and students] for two years and collected data on what they were doing," she said.

Last July, about 25 teachers took part in a summer institute that Epstein helped lead at Marshall's graduate college in South Charleston. At least one day of that summer institute took place at the University of Charleston as well.

The summer institutes involve three weeks of intensive training -- from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. -- where teachers have the freedom to choose what to work on and "everyone has their own outcome based on what they need as a teacher," Holmes said.

Teachers who commit to the three-week sessions receive a $1,000 stipend, an attractive draw for many at first. After attending a summer institute, however, many teachers say they were "amazed with the experience," Holmes said.

Beyond the summer institutes, many teachers who return from them get paid to teach colleagues at their schools or across their counties.

The CWVWP also helps teach writing skills at individual schools, like Diana Elementary School in Webster County, where researchers are studying the influences of professional development on student writing scores and the impact on teachers' writing instruction.

The team of researchers is expected to complete their fieldwork for the $60,000, three-year project in May and issue a report to the National Writing Project in California by August, Holmes said.

The CWVWP also has worked with and received funding from Kanawha County schools when teachers there benefited from training. Local writing project officials also hope to partner with Putnam County schools, Holmes said.

Before there was federal funding available, many writing project sites found grants and funding from other sources. Leaders with the National Writing Project hope to restore federal funding or find alternative funding to support the work being done across the country, according to a CWVWP news release.

"So there's a chance to get the funding back in some other way," Epstein of Ruffner Elementary said. "That's certainly a hope."

Still, Holmes has found it "very difficult" for groups like the CWVWP to raise their own money to support the summer institutes and other programs.]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT c5fbc43f-ad4d-4337-b471-cb013fd37d2e <![CDATA[Former victim discusses solutions to bullying]]> Former victim discusses solutions to bullying
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Bullying survivor and author Jodee Blanco returned to Charleston on Tuesday to help hundreds of educators, mental-health professionals and parents better understand how to help bullied children and teenagers -- and their tormentors.

Organizers held the conference in the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater and hosted more than 650 people. The West Virginia Council for the Prevention of Suicide and ASPEN co-sponsored the conference.

Blanco, who also attended a smaller Charleston workshop in October, explained some common misconceptions about how to help bullied students.

You should never tell a child to ignore the bully, she said.

"'Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone' is the single most insensitive thing you can say to a bullied child," Blanco said.

Parents and teachers also should not assume that children think like adults, she said, joking about how often kids worry about the performance of their 401(k) funds.

Many bullied children seem like "old souls" with mature vocabularies who relate better to adults than their classmates. Still, they are "just as desperate as the next child to fit in," Blanco said.

"To a kid, the future is after school," she said. "The distant future is what they're going to do on Saturday night."

It's also important for adults to understand how they speak to a bullied child, and even the child's parents, she said. Semantics are important. For instance, using the word "solution" is better than "problem."

"The minute you use the word 'I,' you shift the dynamic of the conversation to you," she added. "If they ask about your childhood, share the information. If they don't, don't."

Children should be part of the solution if they're being bullied, she said. Forcing a resolution on a child who's being bullied can make the problem worse.

Bullying itself does not cause bullied children to commit suicide, Blanco said, but a desperate loneliness and feeling of invisibility do.

Children who deal with constant bullying often need a "fresh social start" and might need to get involved at a library or in theater, music, sports or other activities two or three towns away from home, Blanco said. The idea is to meet new people away from the bullies.

The bullied child is bleeding, she said, and "you have to perform triage on that bleeding child."

Likewise, the students who bully their classmates are also "bleeding," she said.

Years later, she discovered that one boy's cruel behavior was tied to his hunger after his father lost his job.

Today, Blanco has regular meals with many of the people who bullied her as a child. One was even her bridesmaid, she said.

Educators, advocates and parents need curiosity to ask the right questions and dig deep into a bully's problems. Once they recognize the problem it's easier to show compassion, she said.

Amanda White, a campus advocate for CONTACT Rape Crisis Center in Huntington, found Blanco's message to be "very powerful and also very motivating."

Ivan Swanson works with students at the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University who often deal with bullying themselves.

He could personally relate to Blanco's past and her message about being compassionate and forgiving her tormentors.

"I experienced bullying and I became a rebellious type" at a young age, he said.

Bob Musick, director of the West Virginia Council for the Prevention of Suicide, said bullying has definitely "reared its ugly head" in his field of work, and contributes to homicides and suicides both.

Staff with the suicide prevention council conduct their own workshops across the state and also get invited to present at other seminars and conferences, Musick said.

Also this year, Musick had hoped a suicide prevention bill would pass the Legislature, but it failed for a second time in the Senate Finance Committee.

The bill, known as the Flatt Act, would require in-service training for all teachers and principals and include at least two hours of suicide prevention education every school year, according to The Jason Foundation, a nonprofit suicide prevention organization.]]> Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 99ea5e37-dac5-4701-a9c7-aed311dc75e8 <![CDATA[Tomblin signs $67M public pay raise bill]]> Tomblin signs $67M public pay raise bill
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia teachers, judicial officers and state employees will gain limited ground against counterparts around the country under legislation boosting their annual pay.

But the raises recently approved by Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who is acting as governor, arrive amid high-profile targeting of public worker pay, benefits and rights in such states as Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

West Virginia's starting teachers, for instance, will see their salary ranking rise from 47th to 43rd, according to the latest figure from the American Federation of Teachers. The group's West Virginia chapter lobbied for the increases, but is urging lawmaker to revisit the pay issue next year.

"I don't think it is going to move us much in terms of average salaries, because that's more of a moving target and it depends on what other states do," WVFT President Judy Hale said Monday. "But we're appreciative of the Legislature and the governor for providing us with this pay raise given the tough economic times."

Census figures of government employment and payroll, meanwhile, suggest that full-time worker pay now ranks 48th among states. While their raises equal around 2 percent, Gordon Simmons of the West Virginia Public Workers Union cited how other states automatically increase pay to keep pace with living costs.

"I'm afraid that it's going to be eaten up by [health insurance premium] and benefits costs," Simmons said.

Signed by Tomblin last week, the pay hikes will begin July 1 with the new budget year and range from $500 for the lower-paid school workers and state employees to $32,500 for the adjutant general. The judicial salary increases run between $7,500 for county magistrates and $15,000 for the five Supreme Court justices.

While meant to equal 2 percent for most rank-and-file workers, lawmakers capped the raises for state employees at $1,200. Other amounts include $1,488 for teachers, $970 for state troopers and $835 for Division of Natural Resources police officers.

"This $1,488 across the board will ensure that we don't drop in the rankings, but it probably won't see us move up very far," said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia teachers, judicial officers and state employees will gain limited ground against counterparts around the country under legislation boosting their annual pay.

But the raises recently approved by Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who is acting as governor, arrive amid high-profile targeting of public worker pay, benefits and rights in such states as Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

West Virginia's starting teachers, for instance, will see their salary ranking rise from 47th to 43rd, according to the latest figure from the American Federation of Teachers. The group's West Virginia chapter lobbied for the increases, but is urging lawmaker to revisit the pay issue next year.

"I don't think it is going to move us much in terms of average salaries, because that's more of a moving target and it depends on what other states do," WVFT President Judy Hale said Monday. "But we're appreciative of the Legislature and the governor for providing us with this pay raise given the tough economic times."

Census figures of government employment and payroll, meanwhile, suggest that full-time worker pay now ranks 48th among states. While their raises equal around 2 percent, Gordon Simmons of the West Virginia Public Workers Union cited how other states automatically increase pay to keep pace with living costs.

"I'm afraid that it's going to be eaten up by [health insurance premium] and benefits costs," Simmons said.

Signed by Tomblin last week, the pay hikes will begin July 1 with the new budget year and range from $500 for the lower-paid school workers and state employees to $32,500 for the adjutant general. The judicial salary increases run between $7,500 for county magistrates and $15,000 for the five Supreme Court justices.

While meant to equal 2 percent for most rank-and-file workers, lawmakers capped the raises for state employees at $1,200. Other amounts include $1,488 for teachers, $970 for state troopers and $835 for Division of Natural Resources police officers.

"This $1,488 across the board will ensure that we don't drop in the rankings, but it probably won't see us move up very far," said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.

Lee's group, like Simmons' and the WVFT, advocate for public employees, but West Virginia does not grant collective bargaining rights to state workers.

Roughly 70,000 public employees will benefit from the pay raise bill, to a tune of $67 million annually in general tax and revenue spending. Tomblin had proposed onetime, bonus-like payments supported by unspent surplus. Lawmakers converted that offer into permanent pay raises.

"Most people I talk to in the union are grateful that the Legislature didn't go along with the idea of a bonus," Simmons said. "That would have disappeared after just one year."

The Legislature also increased the new state budget accordingly except for that of the judicial branch. It will absorb its $2.5 million share of the raises within its original, $102.4 million spending request next year.

The justices' new salaries will rank 39th among their counterparts in other states, up from 46th, according to 2010 figures from the National Center for State Courts. The ranking for circuit court judges will rise from 44th to 34th. But family court judges will continue to lag behind nearly all of their peers in other states, the NCSC figures suggest, with their salaries increasing by $12,000 to $94,500.

Other states seeing pay increases this year include Wyoming, which like West Virginia has been buoyed by coal revenues. Governors in Tennessee and Montana have proposed raises this year, though lawmakers in Montana have balked at the measure there. Officials in Arkansas have shelved the idea of pay hikes in favor of tax cuts, while raises approved in Virginia are meant to offset increased pension contributions.

Delaware's governor has proposed future pay raises in exchange for limited pension and health care concessions. But with no raises on the table, Florida and Alabama may increase what their employees pay toward pensions or health care. Iowa's new governor is weighing layoffs after inheriting a new contract with workers there that will increase costs by $100 million in its first year.

West Virginia's pay raises will likely become an issue in this year's court-ordered special election for governor. The Democratic candidates include Tomblin and two key lawmakers who supported permanent raises, House Speaker Rick Thompson and acting Senate President Jeff Kessler. All six Senate Republicans opposed the bill, which divided the House's 32 GOP delegates. The race's Republican candidates include Sen. Clark Barnes and Delegate Mitch Carmichael, who was among the raises' House foes.

Lee's group, like Simmons' and the WVFT, advocate for public employees, but West Virginia does not grant collective bargaining rights to state workers.

Roughly 70,000 public employees will benefit from the pay raise bill, to a tune of $67 million annually in general tax and revenue spending. Tomblin had proposed onetime, bonus-like payments supported by unspent surplus. Lawmakers converted that offer into permanent pay raises.

"Most people I talk to in the union are grateful that the Legislature didn't go along with the idea of a bonus," Simmons said. "That would have disappeared after just one year."

The Legislature also increased the new state budget accordingly except for that of the judicial branch. It will absorb its $2.5 million share of the raises within its original, $102.4 million spending request next year.

The justices' new salaries will rank 39th among their counterparts in other states, up from 46th, according to 2010 figures from the National Center for State Courts. The ranking for circuit court judges will rise from 44th to 34th. But family court judges will continue to lag behind nearly all of their peers in other states, the NCSC figures suggest, with their salaries increasing by $12,000 to $94,500.

Other states seeing pay increases this year include Wyoming, which like West Virginia has been buoyed by coal revenues. Governors in Tennessee and Montana have proposed raises this year, though lawmakers in Montana have balked at the measure there. Officials in Arkansas have shelved the idea of pay hikes in favor of tax cuts, while raises approved in Virginia are meant to offset increased pension contributions.

Delaware's governor has proposed future pay raises in exchange for limited pension and health care concessions. But with no raises on the table, Florida and Alabama may increase what their employees pay toward pensions or health care. Iowa's new governor is weighing layoffs after inheriting a new contract with workers there that will increase costs by $100 million in its first year.

West Virginia's pay raises will likely become an issue in this year's court-ordered special election for governor. The Democratic candidates include Tomblin and two key lawmakers who supported permanent raises, House Speaker Rick Thompson and acting Senate President Jeff Kessler. All six Senate Republicans opposed the bill, which divided the House's 32 GOP delegates. The race's Republican candidates include Sen. Clark Barnes and Delegate Mitch Carmichael, who was among the raises' House foes.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia teachers, judicial officers and state employees will gain limited ground against counterparts around the country under legislation boosting their annual pay.

But the raises recently approved by Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who is acting as governor, arrive amid high-profile targeting of public worker pay, benefits and rights in such states as Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

West Virginia's starting teachers, for instance, will see their salary ranking rise from 47th to 43rd, according to the latest figure from the American Federation of Teachers. The group's West Virginia chapter lobbied for the increases, but is urging lawmaker to revisit the pay issue next year.

"I don't think it is going to move us much in terms of average salaries, because that's more of a moving target and it depends on what other states do," WVFT President Judy Hale said Monday. "But we're appreciative of the Legislature and the governor for providing us with this pay raise given the tough economic times."

Census figures of government employment and payroll, meanwhile, suggest that full-time worker pay now ranks 48th among states. While their raises equal around 2 percent, Gordon Simmons of the West Virginia Public Workers Union cited how other states automatically increase pay to keep pace with living costs.

"I'm afraid that it's going to be eaten up by [health insurance premium] and benefits costs," Simmons said.

Signed by Tomblin last week, the pay hikes will begin July 1 with the new budget year and range from $500 for the lower-paid school workers and state employees to $32,500 for the adjutant general. The judicial salary increases run between $7,500 for county magistrates and $15,000 for the five Supreme Court justices.

While meant to equal 2 percent for most rank-and-file workers, lawmakers capped the raises for state employees at $1,200. Other amounts include $1,488 for teachers, $970 for state troopers and $835 for Division of Natural Resources police officers.

"This $1,488 across the board will ensure that we don't drop in the rankings, but it probably won't see us move up very far," said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.

Lee's group, like Simmons' and the WVFT, advocate for public employees, but West Virginia does not grant collective bargaining rights to state workers.

Roughly 70,000 public employees will benefit from the pay raise bill, to a tune of $67 million annually in general tax and revenue spending. Tomblin had proposed onetime, bonus-like payments supported by unspent surplus. Lawmakers converted that offer into permanent pay raises.

"Most people I talk to in the union are grateful that the Legislature didn't go along with the idea of a bonus," Simmons said. "That would have disappeared after just one year."

The Legislature also increased the new state budget accordingly except for that of the judicial branch. It will absorb its $2.5 million share of the raises within its original, $102.4 million spending request next year.

The justices' new salaries will rank 39th among their counterparts in other states, up from 46th, according to 2010 figures from the National Center for State Courts. The ranking for circuit court judges will rise from 44th to 34th. But family court judges will continue to lag behind nearly all of their peers in other states, the NCSC figures suggest, with their salaries increasing by $12,000 to $94,500.

Other states seeing pay increases this year include Wyoming, which like West Virginia has been buoyed by coal revenues. Governors in Tennessee and Montana have proposed raises this year, though lawmakers in Montana have balked at the measure there. Officials in Arkansas have shelved the idea of pay hikes in favor of tax cuts, while raises approved in Virginia are meant to offset increased pension contributions.

Delaware's governor has proposed future pay raises in exchange for limited pension and health care concessions. But with no raises on the table, Florida and Alabama may increase what their employees pay toward pensions or health care. Iowa's new governor is weighing layoffs after inheriting a new contract with workers there that will increase costs by $100 million in its first year.

West Virginia's pay raises will likely become an issue in this year's court-ordered special election for governor. The Democratic candidates include Tomblin and two key lawmakers who supported permanent raises, House Speaker Rick Thompson and acting Senate President Jeff Kessler. All six Senate Republicans opposed the bill, which divided the House's 32 GOP delegates. The race's Republican candidates include Sen. Clark Barnes and Delegate Mitch Carmichael, who was among the raises' House foes.]]> Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 500fba9a-583f-41df-8457-89a0ca8498f1 <![CDATA[Ousted principals quickly find new education jobs ]]> Ousted principals quickly find new education jobs
Associated Press

After Red Lake High School was labeled one of Minnesota's worst schools, its board moved quickly to dismiss the principal. It didn't take long for Ev Arnold to land on his feet, though: The same district now pays him the identical salary to oversee the school's turnaround.

Arnold's situation is typical for principals in several states who were removed last summer under the federal School Improvement Grant program, intended to reform the nation's worst schools. The most popular way for schools to qualify for a slice of the $3 billion available was pick a reform plan that called for replacing what was considered failed leadership _ but many of those principals are still running schools.

"The musical chairs game is being played," said Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "School districts, because they want the money, are finding creative ways to meet the requirements of the law."

Tirozzi's group had predicted that urban districts would simply shuffle their principals while rural districts would struggle to find replacements.

A review by The Associated Press of 19 Minnesota schools in 12 districts that were awarded more than $24 million found that only a handful of principals have left education administration. The AP interviewed nearly a dozen school leaders, reviewed school board minutes and media reports and sought out displaced principals by phone and through web searches.

In West Virginia, where 15 schools applied for the grants, eight principals got waivers to stay, two were hired to oversee the turnaround of their former schools, four were reassigned to other jobs in the district and one retired, according to the West Virginia Department of Education. Similarly, four of the seven Nebraska principals affected were hired as turnaround officers for their former schools, said Randy McIntyre of the Nebraska Department of Education.

When asked about the principal shuffle, U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman Sandra Abrevaya said hiring decisions were "best handled at the local level."

The federal government had radically increased the amount of money for the SIG program last year. To qualify, districts had to choose one of four options: close the school, convert it to a charter, replace the principal and at least half the teachers, or replace just the principal and change the curriculum. It also required districts to use the grant money to hire a turnaround manager and a manager with duties similar to an assistant principal, freeing the principal to focus on academics.

More than 730 chronically low-scoring schools in 44 states received money, and more than 90 percent chose an option that required removing their principal although the Department of Education let many principals stay if they were hired in the past three years as part of previous turnaround plans.

Leaders of Minnesota schools who got money from the program say it has helped. They say they spent it on more training for teachers, more classroom time for students and on assistant principals who handle discipline. While some said blaming the principals wasn't fair, all the school leaders who spoke to the AP agreed that pushing them out made it clear to the students that things had to change.

Ogilvie Public Schools Superintendent Dave Endicott said he could already see the change in the high school brought about by the first installment of $1.22 million in grant money. Teachers are more organized, he said, and the new assistant principal has made sure there's less cutting up in the hallways. "I think there's a lack of chaos," Endicott said.

Many rural districts worried that the replace-the-principal approach wouldn't work for them, and education officials in 13 farm states wrote to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan last spring expressing concern about finding new administrators.

Lee Warne, executive director of the Minnesota Rural Education Association, said rural superintendents have had trouble for years recruiting principals, let alone for the toughest schools. Urban and suburban districts pay better. Rural areas often don't provide a second job for two-career couples. The rural lifestyle often doesn't appeal to urbanites. And with the housing market downturn, top candidates often don't want to sell at a loss and buy new homes in small towns.

One Arizona district overcame that by using grant money to make their positions among the top-paying principal jobs in the state. The Whiteriver schools on the White Mountain Apache Reservation removed two principals and a third resigned. Superintendent Jeffrey Fuller said the new blood has meant "a whole new academic atmosphere," particularly in the high school.

In Minnesota, only four principals removed by schools entering the program couldn't be found in other school administration jobs by January. Four others were permitted to stay in their schools because they were recent enough hires.

So 11 moved but were back in education by January. Many were principals again, some were assistant principals and one, Arnold, was hired to oversee the turnaround of his old school. Two who were principals/superintendents stayed on as just superintendents.

The churn is evident at the Red Lake and Cass Lake-Bena districts in northwest Minnesota. Principal John Klinke was ushered out by Ponemah Elementary in Red Lake _ a school that got grant money _ and landed as principal at Cass Lake-Bena High School, which also got money after easing out its own principal _ who moved on to become principal at the district's middle school.

Arnold, 62, came out of retirement to run Red Lake High School after a 2005 shooting attack by a student traumatized the school, which lies on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. He said he "got the short end of the stick" in being dismissed, and yet he generally agrees with the idea. "Good principals run good schools," he said.

Cass Lake-Bena got $1.06 million, while Red Lake got $2.32 million _ money Arnold said is making a difference.

"There is a culture shift as you walk in the building," Arnold said. "The students understand that everyone is busting their butt to boost their academic performance."]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT 7e215e20-5ce1-427a-a24e-69e7d506d2ab <![CDATA[White House unveils college completion kit]]> White House unveils college completion kit
Politico.com
The Obama administration is rolling out an effort to give governors the tools they need to boost college completion rates in line with the president’s goal of getting the United States to lead the world in proportion of college graduates by 2020.

At a summit in Washington on Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden will release a “College Completion Tool Kit,” a 23-page document that offers governors ideas on how to boost college graduation rates, including using data to make decisions and simplifying the process for students transferring from one college to another.

The toolkit is part of the administration’s push “to help make every governor an education governor,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said on a press call Monday. “If governors dramatically boost college completion rates in their states to all-time highs, it will be good for them and good for the country.”

The toolkit proposes strategies for ratcheting up college completion but comes with no new money, and its recommendations are described by the Education Department as “low-cost” or “no-cost” ideas. Among them: supporting performance-based funding, targeting adults with some college but no degree, and accelerating learning and reducing costs.

State contributions to public colleges and universities were already small, and have become even smaller as state budgets have gotten tighter in the last few years. In some states, public institutions get less than 10 percent of their funding from their states. Money to introduce new initiatives is scarce and, at the institutional level, often comes from hikes in tuition — something that deters students from accessing colleges.

In early 2009, President Barack Obama laid out a vision for the United States to be first in the world in the percentage of adults who are college graduates by 2020, and said his administration would fund students and colleges to help reach that goal.

The United States is in a four-way tie for ninth in the world on college completion, with an overall rate of 42 percent among 25-to-34-year-olds. South Korea is ranked first, with 58 percent of adults in that age range holding college degrees, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. To reach first in the world, the Education Department projects that the nation’s colleges would need to produce an additional 8 million graduates by 2020.

Improving the college completion rate is a means for boosting economic competitiveness – something that states badly need. “We all know that the best jobs and fastest-growing firms will gravitate to countries, communities and states with a highly qualified work force,” Duncan said.

The density of college graduates varies greatly around the country, from a low of 28 percent of adults in Arkansas to 65 percent of residents of the District of Columbia. Two-dozen states have joined the Complete College America alliance and set goals to improve post-secondary educational attainment.

Last summer, the National Governors Association launched its own college completion initiative aimed at engaging governors. “This is an area where we governors can have an impact,” said then-Gov. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who was NGA chairman until he was elected to the Senate in November, and chose the effort as his initiative. It has since been continued by his successor, Gov. Christine Gregoire (D-Wash.).

At public college and universities, Manchin said in an interview at the time, governors already have a role that ought to be expanded. “We pick their board members,” he said. “We’re very much involved in their budgets. We’re talking to their presidents continuously. It’s an area where we’re already engaged.”]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT 4f493d6e-232e-448a-9eb6-60e313af3ef5 <![CDATA[Education Officials Look for Solutions to Teacher Shortage ]]> Education Officials Look for Solutions to Teacher Shortage
MetroNews Staff
Charleston

West Virginia officials are hoping the legislature's decision to give teachers a $1,488 pay raise next year will help solve the state's teacher shortage problem.

But education leaders say still more is needed to address the issue.

"There are several things that can be done," American Federation of Teacher West Virginia President Judy Hale said. "We can do more to encourage our beginning education majors to go into theses fields. I mean, there are a lot of things that can be done, and I think we've got to be serious about it."

West Virginia currently ranks 47th in the nation in teacher pay.

That's caused serious problems in the number of teachers at public schools.

For example, in McDowell County 32 classrooms did not have teachers at the start of this year. That number has grown to 39, according to West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee.

Many of those classrooms are math and science where the most problems have been seen, but Lee says all subjects need help.

"Until we address the problem of critical need in all areas, not just math and science, then we're just doing window dressing," Lee said.

Another problem the shortage has caused is putting teachers in subjects in which they are not certified.

Wayne County Senator Bob Plymale says there are no easy solutions to the problem, but he says something needs to be done.

He says lawmakers should look at paying teachers different amounts based on criteria like performance.

"Obviously, deferential pay is a tough issue in this state," Plymale said. "But, I'll be honest with you, I'm a proponent of it, and I think we have to come up with creative ways to do it."

Lee and Hale both say something needs to be done, but there is no easy fix. Hale wants education leaders to get together to meet and discuss the issues, but several similar committees and events have yielded no results.

Lee says that's just part of the process. He says the issue will take a long time to solve.

"The only solution to me is a multi-year strategy," Lee said.]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 870cc1a7-bf8a-49ea-b407-1b268d163c25 <![CDATA[19,000 educators get pink slips in CA]]> Union: 19,000 educators get pink slips in Calif.
By The Associated Press
SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - California school districts have issued at least 19,000 layoff notices to teachers and other school employees amid heightened uncertainty over the state budget, the teachers union said Tuesday.

The California Teachers Association announced its estimate of preliminary notices on the day school districts must let employees know they could lose their jobs. It comes as Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers negotiate over how to close the state's nearly $27 billion budget shortfall.

Many districts have not reported how many pink slips they have issued as they prepare for worst-case budget scenarios, said CTA President David Sanchez. He expects the number to surpass 20,000 when the union has a more complete count by week's end.

"The numbers speak loudly about this crisis," Sanchez said at a news conference at Portola Elementary School in San Bruno. "Pink slips are causing chaos for teachers and parents who worry about their children's education and future."

The union's early estimate includes almost 500 school employees in San Francisco, 540 in Oakland, nearly 900 in San Diego and about 5,000 in Los Angeles, Sanchez said.

Vivian Arciniega-Aanenson, a music teacher at Parkside Intermediate School in San Bruno, was among the pink-slipped educators.

"It is very demoralizing," she said. "It's one of the worst feelings in the world not knowing what's going to happen next year."

The situation is not unique to California. School districts throughout the country are warning of cutbacks involving teacher and other employees, as state legislatures seek to close massive budget shortfalls by cutting education spending.

Not all of the estimated layoffs will be carried out in California. Schools have until May 15 to issue final layoff notices.

At this point last year, the CTA reported that districts had issued about 22,000 pink slips. Two years ago, districts handed out layoff notices to a record 26,500 teachers, but only 60 percent of them ended up losing their jobs.

Meanwhile, teachers and parents rallied around the state Tuesday to drum up support for Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal.

Brown's plan for closing the state's nearly $27 billion budget deficit seeks to maintain current K-12 spending levels by asking voters to extend temporary increases in the sales, personal income and vehicle taxes for five years.

The leaders of both legislative houses on Tuesday scheduled votes on Brown's budget proposal on Wednesday afternoon, even though no Republicans have come forward to promise the votes necessary for approval.

Without the tax extensions, school districts would face another round of deep budget cuts that education officials warn would prompt widespread layoffs and campus closures.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged state lawmakers to allow the state's voters to decide the tax question.

"It is only fair to allow the people of California to have this great debate," Torlakson said at the news conference in San Bruno.

In Union City, between San Jose and Oakland, kindergarten teacher Quyen Tran was one of about 60 school employees in her small school district to get a layoff notice. She started teaching in New Haven Unified School District in 2006.

Quyen, 30, said she was laid off last spring but hired in August right before the school year began. She is expecting her first child in June.

She said she's not only worried about her own finances but also the impact of state budget cuts on her students.

"With all these layoffs of teachers, they will have no choice but to stuff more kids into these classrooms," she said. "They're going to be cheated out of their education just because there are not going to be enough teachers around."]]> Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT 1ad82579-3f21-45bf-a238-bd159738614e <![CDATA[Teachers unions support House speaker]]> Teachers unions support House speaker
by Jared Hunt
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- House Speaker Rick Thompson scored the endorsements of the state's two teachers unions on Tuesday.

Such key endorsements may have a heightened effect this year, with a crowded field of candidates vying for nominations in the May 14 special primary. The victors may be determined by narrow margins.

The West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers and the West Virginia Education Association made a joint announcement at a press conference at Thompson's campaign headquarters on MacCorkle Avenue in Kanawha City.

Union leaders said it was the first time their groups had agreed on a primary candidate for governor.

"This is the first time we've ever stood together and made an endorsement together," WVEA President Dale Lee said.

Lee described Thompson as having a "proven, pro-education record."

AFT-WV President Judy Hale said Thompson's record shows that he has "100 percent of the time voted for the working men and women of West Virginia."

Several candidates had been vying for the endorsements. The two unions combined represent about 30,000 teachers and school service personnel across the state.

The WVEA held a gubernatorial candidate forum during its annual winter meeting Feb. 19.

Democrats Thompson, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, state Treasurer John Perdue and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, along with Republican candidate Betty Ireland, all made pitches to union members during the event.

Lee said the group's steering committee, which handles the formal endorsement, was "near unanimous" in making its decision.

Hale said her organization's 40-member executive board sent questionnaires to the candidates and used their responses to make their selection. She said they picked Thompson in a "screamingly unanimous" decision.

Thompson has been criticized for appointing many educators or other delegates with ties to the public school system to the House Education Committee. Many, including former Gov. Joe Manchin, have faulted the committee for blocking education reform.

Thompson argues that teachers have the greatest insight into the needs of the education system because they are on the front lines in the classroom every day.

"If you truly want to reform education, it starts with respecting our teachers," he said Tuesday.

Gubernatorial campaigns have been picking up steam with the end of the 60-day regular legislative session over the weekend.

The Tomblin campaign started the week by announcing a campaign steering committee, which is co-chaired by prominent Morgantown businessman Parry Petropolus and former Caperton chief-of-staff Tom Heywood.

Former Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey also is on the acting governor's committee.

Perdue has garnered the support of the Teamsters' Union and the West Virginia Farm Political Action Committee. Tennant is backed by a national pro-choice organization known as EMILY's List.

But the teachers unions were the first major statewide organizations to formally endorse a candidate. Their support could be significant.

If last year's special primary election for Robert Byrd's U.S. Senate seat is any indication, turnout for the special gubernatorial primary could be light.

About 12 percent - 149,000 - of the state's 1.2 million registered voters showed up to vote on that Saturday last August.

If the same number were to vote in the May 14 primary, one of the six Democratic candidates could win with just 16,000 votes. A Republican might need only 7,000 votes to win that party's nomination.

That could make support from the 30,000-member teachers unions a key factor.

Hale said Tuesday that not since Gaston Caperton's first primary election in 1988 has a candidate won the Democratic nomination without the support of the AFT.

Robert Rupp, a political science professor at West Virginia Wesleyan University, said, "Endorsements that carry with them the ability to get votes on Election Day is always important, but it's especially important now.

"In a short campaign window with low turnout, endorsements prove key because they can provide the important 'M' word, and that's mobilization," he said.

However, he said their importance has declined in recent years.

"That's because of the electorate," he said.

"Over the last 10 years we have seen a rise of independent voters, if not in registration at least in action."

He said the impact of an endorsement over the years has been less about organizational leaders voicing support for the candidate and more about the infusion of campaign cash that can be used for advertising.

"Money raised and money used is becoming more important," Rupp said.

The state's largest labor organization could be next in naming a preferred candidate.

The state AFL-CIO will interview candidates in Charleston Saturday.

Hale, whose AFT union falls under the AFL-CIO umbrella, said two-thirds of the 47 representatives at the AFL-CIO meeting must reach a consensus.

Meanwhile, the leader of the state's largest business organization said it might not make any endorsement prior to the May primary.

State Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts said he couldn't decide which candidates to support without consulting with his membership.

"We're not able to, two days after the legislative session, pay back our friends," Roberts said.

"We're in the process of determining if the employer community has a favorite and whether we should make a statement to that," he said.

"Business people tend to be pretty independent - they think less about politics and are more focused on running their businesses."

While Roberts didn't say so directly, it appears unlikely Thompson would be the state Chamber's choice.

Roberts said he had spoken to many Chamber members and even some Democratic legislators who expressed disappointment in the legislative session.

The Chamber criticized the House of Delegates in the final week of the session, mainly because it did not pass a Senate bill aimed at creating an intermediate appellate court.

Thompson said he did not believe the appeals court proposal had support among House leaders, and he had concerns about what automatic rights to appeal for convicted criminals would mean to victims and their families.

Roberts said he also has heard complaints about the Legislature's failure to address the state's $8 billion unfunded liability for health care benefits promised to public employees in retirement; its failure to take up serious education reform; and its failure to pass regulations for Marcellus Shale natural gas development.

"One can't help but look at this last session as being one where opportunities for real change were turned down and the status quo was maintained," he said.

Roberts said he and many Chamber members believed the state Senate addressed most of those issues only to see them die because of a lack of leadership in the House.

"The Senate proposed what we thought was more of a responsible OPEB fix and passed an OPEB fix," he said.

"The Senate also passed an intermediate appellate court bill, and most of the conversation about education reform that I would say would lead to our children learning better happened in the Senate, not the House.

"The House needed to provide some leadership on these issues and seemed to have that attitude that if you don't do anything, you make fewer people angry than if you do something."]]> Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 06621517-0f6e-45c8-a860-6c08df1d906c <![CDATA[ Teachers take Thompson]]>

Teachers Take Thompson
WV Metronews Staff
Charleston

The state's teachers unions are joining forces to support House of Delegates Speaker Rick Thompson in his run for governor.

Representatives of the American Federation Teachers of West Virginia and West Virginia Education Association stood with Thompson Tuesday at what they called an "unprecedented" endorsement.

There are six Democrats seeking the party's nomination in the May 14 special gubernatorial primary.

WVEA President Dale Lee says Thompson has a "passion for public education." Lee says after the interview process with other candidates Thompson was the clear choice.

"He has a proven pro-education record," Lee said.

AFT-WV President Judy Hale says Thompson has a 100 percent voting record with working people.

"He's a person of the people," Hale said.

A number of AFT-WV county groups have already backed Thompson.

Thompson says the endorsements give his campaign a big momentum boost.

"I think it will really start the beginning of driving our campaign forward," Thompson said.

He's been busy with the legislative session for the last two months, but now Thompson says he's ready to spend time fundraising and meeting West Virginians.

Thompson says he supports collective bargaining for teachers, he wants to hold monthly on-line town hall meetings with teachers as governor and he believes teachers need to be given the freedom from Washington to teach.

Thompson says he believes both groups will work hard on his behalf. He says his campaign also has business support.

"I've been a friend of business also. I've done a lot of things for business, I've just never done it at the expense of working families," Thompson said. "Never have, never will.”]]> Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT e4aeb9a5-d78e-42e7-8b65-fd73e73f4a4b <![CDATA[WVEA-PAC Endorses Thompson for Governor]]> WVEA-PAC Endorses Thompson for Governor
Kym Randolph, WVEA Communications

The West Virginia Education Association’s Political Action Committee (WVEA-PAC) announces the endorsement of House Speaker Rick Thompson for governor. WVEA-PAC is an independent political arm of the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA).

“I am pleased to announce our endorsement of Rick Thompson for governor,” states WVEA-PAC President Dale Lee. “Our endorsement process is a very democratic one. It involves an extensive examination of the positions of each of the candidates. After reviewing the candidate questionnaires and interviewing several candidates, Thompson received the unanimous support of the steering committee and far more than the required two-thirds vote of the full WVEA-PAC.”

“Speaker Thompson has a clear vision of the West Virginia he wants to see in the future. Education plays a major role in his vision. He believes education reform begins with the advice of the experts – our education employees,” adds Lee.

“During his interview, Rick Thompson spoke passionately of the important role education and education employees played in his life after the death of his father,” continued Lee. “The Speaker credits his teachers for helping him to become the person he is today. He remembers those educators who believed in him, pushed him to achieve and nurtured him. He is a great supporter of education employees and of public education.”

“Rick Thompson wants to do all he can to ensure a quality educational experience for our students. WVEA shares that goal with him. He respects those who have chosen education as their career choice. He will stop the political teacher bashing and work to promote respect for the teaching profession.”

“Not only was Speaker Thompson impressive with his interview and questionnaire responses, but during his time in the House of Delegates he has always been a friend of education. He understands our issues. He values our input and is a true believer in the importance of public education to the future of our state. I am proud to announce the WVEA-PAC endorsement of Rick Thompson for governor,” concluded Lee.

WVEA-PAC by-laws state only candidates who complete a questionnaire and interview are eligible to be considered for endorsement. A 13-member elected steering committee conducts the candidate interviews. In order for a recommendation to be made, two-thirds of the steering committee must agree on the recommendation. The recommendation of the steering committee is then taken to the full WVEA-PAC. WVEA-PAC is comprised of the political action chairs of each of the local county affiliates of the WVEA. They may reject or concur with the recommendation of the steering committee. It also takes a two-thirds vote of the full WVEA PAC in order for an endorsement to be made.

WVEA-PAC is the independent, political arm of the WVEA, the largest teachers’ organization in the state.]]> Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT bd369f04-26b6-4b1d-b61d-679e415f06d6 <![CDATA[Dropout prevention packets sent to schools]]> Dropout prevention packets sent to schools
By Sarah Plummer
Register-Herald Reporter

Continuing his commitment to high school dropout prevention, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced that new preventive resources are on their way to every school in the state.

Through a $20,000 donation from Verizon Wireless, each school will receive a Teacher’s Guide, student pledge cards and a documentary, InsideOut, produced by the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation.

According to the foundation’s website, the InsideOut documentary follows the real-life story of several individuals whose decisions to drop out ultimately led them to prison.

Along with teaching tools, the foundation funds The Choice Bus, a program that visits local schools and gives them a glimpse of what life is like in a prison cell.

“If West Virginia is to move forward, our youth must graduate from high school and be ready to either enter college or enter the work force as knowledgeable and skillful workers,” Tomblin said. “The first step toward this goal is making sure our youth remain on course to high school graduation.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, not attaining a high school diploma increases an individual’s chance of criminal activity.

In a press release, State Schools Superintendent Jorea M. Marple states, “The West Virginia Department of Education continues to support several dropout prevention strategies and initiatives which go well beyond the school system. I challenge everyone to ask themselves, ‘What is my role in supporting good kids who can do great things?’”

For more information on InsideOut and the Choice Bus, or to schedule the bus to make a stop, visit www.mattiecstewart.org/insideout.html]]> Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT 0d42ebb6-7ec3-4803-874f-d88c497823b2 <![CDATA[Lawmakers pass some key education bills]]> Lawmakers pass some key education bills
BILL ROSENBERGER
The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON -- Lawmakers in the House of Delegates made a late push Saturday night to get education -- and student-related legislation passed.

The House concurred with minor Senate amendments on House Bill 3202, which gives more rights to renters in getting back security deposits.

The legislation was pushed by students within West Virginia University's Student Government Association, including the daughter of Cabell County Delegate Kelli Sobonya.

The bill defines requirements for landlords, focusing on the itemization of deductions on security deposits, setting a deadline for the return of security deposits and further defining what landlords can deduct from security deposits. In addition, a tenant or his or her attorney would have the right to inspect maintenance records for alleged deductions.

The new legislation stipulates that landlords cannot withhold security for normal wear and tear.

House Bill 3225 expands the state code on bullying and harassment. State code now will include any intentional electronic communication or transmission that makes reference to physical harm or damage to another student's property, places a student in reasonable fear of harm, or is so severe it creates an intimidating, threatening or emotionally abusive education environment.

Senate Bill 239, passed in the last hour of the 2011 Legislative session, extends the Bucks for Brains match program from five years to seven years. The program is a research trust fund for Marshall and West Virginia universities. Marshall has the ability to match $15 million, while WVU can match up to $35 million. As of Friday, Marshall has raised a little more than $2.5 million, for a total of $5.1 million.

Senate Bill 228, creating the Local Solution Dropout Prevention and Recovery Act, was amended and passed by the House at 10 p.m. The Senate concurred at about 11:30 p.m.

The bill requires a Local Solution Dropout Prevention and Recovery Committee to develop a comprehensive statewide student data system, establish pilot sites to test individual statewide student data system and promote the growth of dropout prevention and recovery pilot projects.

This was a governor's bill.

House Bill 2757, a teacher evaluation bill that was taken up by a conference committee with three senators and three delegates, did not get passed.

The conference committee could not reach a compromise on the legislation based mostly upon the use of a task force to assist the West Virginia Board of Education in the context of the evaluation process. The House version supported the use of the task force, while the Senate version did not.

A task force comprised of administrators, teachers, superintendents and representatives from the state's two teacher organizations and the Legislature have been working since August on an overhaul of the current evaluation process in place for professional personnel in public education.

Deborah Chapman, a 38-year veteran educator who works at Huntington High School and a member of the task force, said the task force took more than 130 evaluation items and created a 14-point evaluation process.

Sen. Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, said that taking the task force language out of the bill didn't mean its recommendations wouldn't be considered.]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 6799a0c7-5c55-4fcd-a194-caf5bfbc92c3 <![CDATA[WVEA representative says pay raise is 'a good start']]> WVEA representative says pay raise is ‘a good start’
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
CHARLESTON — A multi-year salary package was more preferable, but the head of the West Virginia Education Association views the salary increase for teachers as at least a starting point.

Before the gavels came down on this session Saturday, the two houses came to terms on a massive pay bill that gives teachers a $1,488 hike, while rewarding judges with big adjustments, along with small boosts for all other state employees.

“We would have liked to have seen it as multi-year, but it is a good start,” Dale Lee reflected, during a break toward the session’s finale.

“And we can work on it from year to year.”

Lee said the pay issue remains a major one for several reasons.

First, there is the competition factor, as West Virginia tries to reverse the trend of losing teachers to surrounding states where money and benefits are far more attractive.

And then there is the drain on classrooms that ends up hurting West Virginia’s school children, Lee said.

“Nationally, if we move any at all, because it’s about a 3 percent increase, it will be very minimal,” he said.

“Most states are moving at 2.9 percent rate, anyway. It’s a long-term problem. We have to address it with multi-year programs.”

Judges came out better than anyone in the pay bill.

Supreme Court justices are in line for a $15,000 boost, while circuit judges will get $10,000 more a year, both tiers of magistrates will witness a $7,500 improvement, and family court judges will be paid $12,000 more.

“We are never critical of anyone getting raises,” Lee said, when asked if his rank-and-file felt slighted in view of the hefty increases bestowed on the judicial community.

“I can say we continue to have more than 2,000 classrooms without certified teachers. That’s unacceptable to me. That’s unacceptable for the kids of West Virginia. Until we address these salary issues and make it enticing to get the professionals who will remain in the profession, it hurts the kids, and that’s just totally unacceptable to me.”

The House wanted to give teachers a $900 boost in each of the next two years.

“I became a teacher to help kids and make a difference in kids’ lives,” said Lee, a former special education math teacher at Princeton High School.

Lee applauded lawmakers for expanding the anti-bullying law so that it now embraces the use of technology to harass or intimidate fellow students.

The measure not only covers acts in school, but those on school buses and at stops, along with bullying off-campus if it spills into a classroom and disrupts the education process.

“Bullying has taken on such new forms with technology today, more so than our day when it was just a bully in the school,” Lee said.

“Kids today are using Facebook and text messages and pictures on cell phones and things in so many ways that are different than what we’re accustomed to.”

Lee vowed to continue the battle for salary enhancements a year from now.

“I’m going to continue to fight for our teachers, our profession and, more importantly, for the kids of West Virginia.”]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 00d6b7dc-bc10-4c01-bcea-f8434ed939fd <![CDATA[Plan to fix retiree liability fails]]> Plan to fix retiree liability fails
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A plan to pay down the state's massive $8 billion unfunded liability for future health-care costs for retired public school and state employees died Saturday in the final hour of the 2011 legislative session.

The bill (SB616) died over a disputed House proposal to use $250 million of state Rainy Day emergency reserve funds to pay down the massive debt.

The House of Delegates refused to accept a Senate amendment to pass the House's version of the plan to pay down the unfunded liability, commonly referred to as OPEB debt -- but without tapping into the Rainy Day fund.

Afterward, the proposal's architect, Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, said he was disappointed in House leaders. He said they never allowed the bill to get to a House-Senate conference committee to discuss the pros and cons of raiding the emergency reserve fund.

"This is such an important issue, and we never had an opportunity to discuss it all day long," McCabe said. "I don't want to be critical of [House Speaker Rick Thompson], but we were so close."

Throughout the day, House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said the House was adamant about using the Rainy Day fund, which currently contains about $300 million, as the first step to pay down the unfunded liability.

He said that without the cash up front, it would take an additional $500 million over the life of the plan to pay down the deficit -- money the House feared would either come from higher taxes or higher premiums on employees and retirees covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

The House passed its version of the plan, with the $250 million from the Rainy Day fund included, on an 82-17 vote at about 7:15 p.m. It was the first time the House acted on the bill Saturday.

The Senate amended the bill to remove the $250 million, and returned it to the House at 9:45 p.m. on a 33-0 vote.

McCabe said the Senate was willing to accept all the changes the House made to the bill -- except for the $250 million.

"The Rainy Day fund is a fund of last resort," he said. "It's not a last resort when the actuary says we can make this work without using Rainy Day funds."

He said the Senate plan would have maintained the same caps in premium increases for PEIA active employee and retirees as the House proposal, but merely would take about two years longer to completely retire the debt, in 2029 instead of 2027.

In effect, he said the House plan would have spent nearly 40 percent of the state's entire Rainy Day funds (the state also has about $350 million in the larger Rainy Day A fund) just to pay down the deficit a couple of years more quickly.

"I think it's unnecessary. I think it's inappropriate," McCabe said.

An hour later, the House refused to accept the change, effectively killing the bill.

"My sense is what they told us to do is to send it on to the governor, so he could veto it," McCabe said.

Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan, acting as governor, has also opposed raiding the Rainy Day fund.

His chief of staff, Rob Alsop, said Tomblin had serious reservations about tapping into the emergency funds, and also believed the plan would work without the up-front cash infusion.

"He's deeply troubled about taking $250 million out of the Rainy Day fund," Alsop said of Tomblin earlier Saturday. "One of the things we have going for the state in terms of financial responsibility are the dollars we've put into that fund."

Otherwise, the OPEB plan would have used a total of $205 million a year of state funds to pay down the unfunded liability.

That would have included the current $110 million a year subsidy and, beginning in 2016, a total of $95 million from personal income tax and other tax revenue -- funds that currently are being used to pay off old workers' compensation claims, dating to before the privatization of insurance coverage.

That was $45 million a year more than the original Senate plan, which proposed using $50 million a year through a proposed increase in the state tobacco tax. However, cigarette tax increase bills failed in both the House and Senate.

The House version of the bill also includes a variety of directives to PEIA to control health-care costs, ranging from wellness and disease management initiatives, to promoting generic alternatives for prescription drugs.

"In essence, we're accepting everything the House sent us, except one thing," said McCabe. "From day one, we didn't want to go into the Rainy Day fund."

Without the OPEB legislation, McCabe has warned that soaring health-care costs will quickly exceed the state's ability to fund the PEIA retiree subsidy. Under the current pay-as-you-go plan, the current $110 million cash infusion would need to grow to an unsustainable $600 million a year by 2021, he said.

White, meanwhile, said Saturday he believed the Senate should have accepted the House proposal in its entirety.

"I thought they wanted an OPEB bill," he said. "Do they want to work with what we're sending them, or do they not want an OPEB bill?"

He downplayed concerns about raiding Rainy Day B, noting that even with the $250 million transfer, the revenue in the two funds would still exceed 12 percent of state's annual general revenue budget. Financial analysts recommend that the state keep an amount equal to at least 10 percent of general revenue in the Rainy Day funds.

Delegate Kevin Craig, D-Cabell, suggested that Wall Street analysts would also credit the state for becoming one of the first to find a long-term solution to its OPEB problem.

"This is a step to pay down what potentially is our largest long-term liability," he said.]]> Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 544a960c-09c3-4c53-ad18-8d78c6b7c6b5 <![CDATA[OPEB bill fails]]> OPEB Bill Fails
MetroNews Staff
State Capitol
A bill aimed at easing the state's $8 billion unfunded liability from future retiree health care costs failed at the legislature Saturday.

The proposal would have borrowed $250 million from the state's rainy day fund to help pay down debt from other post-employment benefits, also known as OPEB.

The bill originated from the Senate but had no funding source. The House amended the bill to borrow $250 million from the state's savings account with an obligation to pay it back.

When the bill was sent back to the Senate, Kanawha County Senator Brooks McCabe urged his colleagues to reject the amendment.

"We have said from day one we do not want to go into the rainy day B fund," McCabe said.

The Senate then amended the amendment to eliminate borrowing from the rainy day fund, and sent the bill back to the House where it was never taken up.

West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee was disappointed that the Senate rejected the plan to use money from the rainy day fund. He says West Virginia had a real chance to set an example for the rest of the country.

"(The bill) was a solution to the problem by 2028," Lee said. "The OPEB problem would be gone. We would be the first state in the nation to address this and come up with a solution."

But McCabe claimed tapping into the rainy day fund would have been detrimental to the state's bond rating.

Lee disagrees. He says the logic simply doesn't work.

"How does taking something and addressing the problem, offering it as a solution as a funding source, and providing an end by 2028, how does that hurt our bond rating?" Lee asked. "To me, that helps our bond rating."

McCabe says what's even more important is keeping the rainy day reserves safe in case of an emergency, such as a flood. He says OPEB can be solved without touching rainy day money.

"Rainy day fund is a fund of last resort," McCabe said. "It is not a last resort when the actuary can actually show that we can make these numbers work without touching the rainy day fund."

At this point, it appears legislators will have to wait until next year's session to try to find a solution to the issue.]]> Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT 00c6bb6c-769e-4133-a99d-f1a0f052a17e <![CDATA[WV lawmakers propose pay raise compromise]]> W.Va. lawmakers propose pay raise compromise
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s teachers, judicial officers and other state employees are poised to win pay raises from the Legislature.

Dueling House and Senate bills prompted a Friday compromise. It would increase annual general tax and lottery spending by $67 million. Each chamber expects to vote on it Saturday, the session’s final day.

The raises include $1,488 for teachers, $970 for troopers and $835 for natural resources officers.

The adjutant general would get $32,500. Judicial raises would range from $7,500 for justices to $15,000 for Supreme Court justices.

School workers would get $500. State employees would get between $500 and $1,200.

Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin supports one year’s worth of permanent raises, but had proposed bonus-like payments.]]> Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT 19b4cf76-05f8-40d4-8424-d0f8adfd2580 <![CDATA[House advances OPEB plan]]> House advances OPEB plan
Measure pays down $8B health-care liability with tax dollars
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The House of Delegates advanced its version of a plan Thursday to pay down the massive $8 billion unfunded liability for future health-care costs for retired state and public school employees -- a plan that relies more on state funds, and less on shifting health-care costs to retirees (SB616).

Unlike the Senate proposal, which would impose a $160 million-a-year cap on state contributions to pay down the unfunded liability (commonly referred to as OPEB), the House plan would direct about $205 million a year of state funds to pay down the deficit, beginning in 2016.

The House plan, advanced Thursday by the House Finance Committee, won accolades from representatives of the West Virginia Education Association and the West Virginia Federation of Teachers.

"We're totally supportive of this, as is the WVEA," said Josh Sword, with the WVFT, and a member of the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board.

"We are willing to address the problem, the liability," said WVEA President Dale Lee. "I think we have something here that will work."

Last week, Lee raised concerns over the Senate's version of the bill, championed by Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, saying it could result in a spike in PEIA premiums for retirees.

"Retirees will suffer," Lee said at the time.

Under the House plan, the Legislature would take the state's current $110 million annual subsidy for retiree health benefits, and beginning in 2016, add $95 million a year, primarily from personal income tax collections.

Currently, that $95 million a year goes to pay off old workers' compensation claims. That fund, which once had an unfunded liability in excess of $3 billion, will be paid off in 2016.

In the short-term, the House proposal would use $250 million from the state's Rainy Day B fund to pay down the unfunded liability.

That fund, created in 2006 using tobacco settlement funds, contains about $300 million. Under legislation creating the fund, one of the stipulated uses for Rainy Day B is to pay PEIA costs.

McCabe said that, based on his initial review, the House plan "looks doable."

"It significantly increases the ongoing [state] subsidy, beginning in 2016," McCabe said, "but if it brings everybody in agreement, and gets the liability off the table, it could be very well worth doing."

"I would think we're well on the way to having something we can all agree to," added McCabe, who managed to resurrect the bill on March 2 -- the last day the Senate could pass Senate bills.

The Senate plan originally called for using $50 million a year from a proposed $1-a-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax, but bills to increase the tobacco tax died in both houses.

As it left the Senate on March 2, the bill had no funding plan, but mandated that the Legislature come up with a funding source within one year.

The House bill also includes various health-care cost-containment measures, which the Senate planned to propose as a resolution.

The House proposal would require PEIA to expand efforts to promote wellness and preventive-care programs, chronic-disease management programs, and other measures to contain health-care costs.

Both versions of the bill would clarify that the OPEB liability for public school retirees is the obligation of the state, not the county boards of education.

WVEA's Perry Bryant said it is vital to get those debts, currently totaling about $300 million, off the school boards' financial ledgers.

"If we didn't do something to act now," he said, "we would have decimated public education in this state."

The bill advanced to the House floor Thursday evening, and will be in amendment stage in the House Friday.

Ethics compromise closer

Also Thursday, a House-Senate conference committee moved closer to a compromise on legislation to toughen the state Ethics Act (HB2464).

By Thursday afternoon, the conferees had reached consensus on all but two issues.

One is on a House proposal that would extend a "revolving door" ban that would prohibit officials from returning as lobbyists for one year after leaving state office to support staff of legislators and elected officials.

Senate conferees said that seemed extreme, but Delegate Meshea Poore, D-Kanawha, said many aides wield significant influence, using the governor's executive scheduler as an example.

"The scheduler for the governor is support staff, but has contact with every important person in the state," she said.

One issue House members said is non-negotiable is the House's provision to put the revolving door ban on lobbying into effect when the bill itself goes into effect, in mid-June. Under the Senate's version, the ban would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2012.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, said he's confident the conferees will reach agreement on the bill Friday.

"I think we're getting there," he said Thursday.]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT e4be3e88-6ab1-46a4-8584-6f3cb4ed5c83 <![CDATA[ OPEB plan would use 'rainy day' funding]]> OPEB plan would use 'rainy day' funding
by Ry Rivard
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Concerns about legislative spending mounted Wednesday as the House unveiled a plan that would drain part of the state's "rainy day" funds to pay for retired public workers' health insurance.

The plan faces a major obstacle. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said he would not support the House's plan because it could eventually force the state to lay off public workers and cut public services.

The plan introduced by the House Finance Committee would pay down the budget-busting $8 billion the state owes retired public workers for health care. And it would do that by 2028, sooner than many officials had hoped. Lawmakers in both houses have been struggling for more than a year to find a way to deal with these costs, known as "other post-employment benefits," or OPEB.

The House's plan would do so in part by taking $250 million from one of the state's two reserve funds, known as rainy day funds.

Right now, there is $330 million in one fund - fund "A" - which is made up of accumulated surplus revenues. The $250 million for OPEB would be taken from the second fund - fund "B" - which has $304 million that originally came from a settlement with tobacco companies.

Tomblin helped build and protect the funds in his years as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and as Senate president.

He said the OPEB liability was "real and it is significant" but that draining 40 percent of the state's total rainy day dollars was the wrong way to go about fixing it.

"Our State is in one of the strongest financial positions of any state in the country," he said. "That position is due in large part to the level of our Rainy Day Funds. Although taking such a significant amount of money from those funds might help alleviate some of our OPEB issues, I believe it would send a negative signal to the markets and to businesses looking to invest in West Virginia. Moreover, given our fragile economy, I do not believe we can drain our Rainy Day Funds when our State may need them in the future to prevent layoffs or the cutting of government services."

Tomblin was suggesting that depleting the rainy day fund could affect the state's credit rating on Wall Street. Even slight changes in the state's rating could cost it millions of dollars in higher interest rates on public bonds like those used to build schools, highways and other infrastructure projects.

Tomblin has said he prefers to keep the rainy day funds at about 15 or 16 percent of the total budget. Right now, the $630 million in the two funds is just at 16 percent of the state's $4 billion general budget. Removing $250 million, or about 40 percent of those funds, would bring the rainy day funds down below 10 percent.

Perry Bryant, the executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, said earlier this week that it didn't make sense to worry so much about ratings when real problems face West Virginians, like making sure retired public workers had affordable health insurance.

He used the example of a woman who retired from the state and saw her insurance premiums escalating because the state was being stingy.

"You're asking her to take a reduced standard of living in order for the bond market to feel good," Bryant said.

Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow said that Wall Street prefers that the energy-dependent states keep a relatively high amount of reserve funds because coal and natural gas are boom-and-bust businesses.

"Energy has good days and bad days," he said.

Recently, the state has been able to beat revenue estimates. Last year, it did so by about $90 million. This year, the state is expected to bring in $200 million more than projected.

This has led some lawmakers to be skeptical of Muchow's projections and the conservative budgeting practices favored by Tomblin and former Gov. Joe Machin used.

But Muchow said that while coal is doing well, it could level off and that lottery revenue, which helped the state stay flush in the past decade, is expected to decline as West Virginia casinos begin to compete with casinos in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland that are just opening.

Meanwhile, the state was perhaps going to have to dip into its rainy day funds to make it through several tough years beginning next summer.

Official projections show a $122 million budget gap in the fiscal year that begins in summer 2012. The gaps only widen from there - by summer 2015, the state will need $226 million to get through that budget year. Without a surge in coal, gas or some other revenue source, the state would have to spend rainy day dollars, make cuts or raise taxes to make it through.

The House's OPEB plan only added to additional concerns about legislative spending. There continues to be some concern about the decision by lawmakers to turn Tomblin's proposal for a $47 million one-time bonus into more than $70 million in permanent raises.

"Who knows what the economy's going to do, that's kind of why we were being conservative and wanted to do a one-time raise," State Budget Director Mike McKown said.

Lawmakers have also approved a plan to cut 1 cent of the 3 cent food tax. That will deprive the state budget of $26 million a year.

Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, said the budget the Senate is working on was fairly conservative - except for the pay raises.

"You take those pay raises out (and) I don't think you'll find a more conservative budget," Prezioso said.

Bob Brown, the executive director of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, which has been pushing hard for pay raises, said, "That's accurate."

The House's OPEB plan is fairly elegant in solving the one problem it seeks to address: shoring up the health insurance system for retired public workers. It funds the liability completely by 2028, according to financial estimates provided by House Finance Committee staff.

It has four major parts:

First, it takes the $250 million from the rainy day fund. That money will begin paying for health insurance as well as earning interest.

Second, beginning in about 2016, it dedicates the $95 million a year that has been coming from personal income tax revenue to pay down the old workers compensation debt and sends it into a fund to pay for OPEB. The workers comp debt will be totally paid off by 2016 or sooner.

Third, it controls costs by providing a potential limit on how much the state has to pay retirees each year and it also attempts to limit the growth of medical costs through yet-to-be-determined methods.

Fourth, to the great relief of county school officials, it makes the state responsible for school employees' health insurance costs. County officials had been worried the state would not assume this responsibility.

West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee, who has had problems with a Senate plan to deal with OPEB, said his organization was completely behind the plan.

He said part of the rainy day fund always was intended for health care costs because it came from the tobacco settlement. He said OPEB was just the right way to spend it.

"You're actually taking the funds for what it was intended to do," Lee said.]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 69d38a7d-246d-4bc7-80cc-0103b2420406 <![CDATA[Senate Judiciary passes bullying bill]]> Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Bullying Bill
MetroNews Staff

It's now up to the state Senate to decide whether a bill that would expand the definition of bullying in public schools will pass.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed House Bill 3225 Wednesday.

The bill would expand existing bullying and harassment policies in schools to include any action at bus stops and on buses. Schools would also be able to punish students who use electronic media, such as texting and social networking sites, to bully other students, even if the action doesn't happen at school.

Some lawmakers have expressed concern over allowing schools to punish pupils for activities that occur outside of the school's jurisdiction.

During Wednesday's hearing, Wyoming County Senator Richard Browning proposed an amendment that would require schools determine what kinds of bullying were most prevalent.

"Schools could report to their local boards of education, and those boards report to the state board, who would report to LOCEA (Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability) on the types and nature of bullying in the school," Browning said.

Browning said he proposed the amendment because it's important to have data that show what kind of bullying is creating most problems.

That way, Browning says, schools will know where to focus its efforts.

The bill includes any intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act, communication, transmission or threat that physically or emotionally harms a student.

The bill will now go to the Senate floor.]]> Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT d355160b-eea5-47c5-9969-7c4c08135c1d <![CDATA[OPEB measure missing backers]]> OPEB measure missing backers
Kanawha senator frustrated by lack of support for solution to giant funding liability
by Ry Rivard
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va.--Ask West Virginia legislators if they want to pay down or reduce the budget-busting $8 billion the state owes retired public workers for health care over the next three decades, and many will say it's one of the top issues they face.

Lawmakers in both houses have been struggling for more than a year to find a way to deal with these costs, known as "other post-employment benefits," or OPEB.

But, for all their talk, some of the same lawmakers have yet agree to a solution and have missed more than a half-dozen self-imposed deadlines for doing so. And as this year's legislative session draws to a close, they may miss yet another.

Instead, Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, who has led the charge for dealing with the problem, seems like the last man standing.

Indeed, when he finally brought up his plan last week after a year of discussion, it was defeated by the Senate Finance Committee. The next day it was partially resurrected at the last possible minute so it could pass the Senate in time to be considered by the House. The regular 60-day session ends this Saturday.

"I felt like I was being led into the Coliseum by the lions for slaughter," McCabe said in an interview Tuesday with the Daily Mail editorial board.

The House point man on the OPEB problem - Delegate Steve Kominar, D-Mingo - has repeatedly declined to discuss the specifics of the House's plans and declined to meet with the Daily Mail on Tuesday.

House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said Tuesday morning he hoped to have something "in the next 48 hours."

That's just one of many deadlines officials have given in the last year and a half: Dec. 15, 2009 was one. Others were: the beginning of the 2010 legislative session; the end of the 2010 legislative session; a special session last year following the end of the 2010 session; and by the beginning of this year's session. All of those were missed.

McCabe said it's important to get something done now or in a special session this year.

"What we're trying to do is save the system," McCabe said.

Without a way to manage the multi-billion dollar liability, McCabe predicts the state Public Employee Insurance Agency's Finance Board will have to raise premiums for retired workers and cut their benefits. That may happen anyway to manage the debt. But without a good plan, McCabe said, things could be worse than they need to be.

"At some point in the very near future, the retirees will be addressing it in their pocketbook, and they'll be addressing all of it," he said.

McCabe said a fix needs to begin now because election-year politics have probably already played a part in wounding his bill's chances.

"We are trying," he said, "but the politics of it are interesting, to say the least."

House Speaker Rick Thompson, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and acting Senate President Jeff Kessler are all running for governor this year. And McCabe predicts things will only get worse in 2012 when there's yet another governor's race and all the House members and half the Senate members are also up for election.

The Senate's OPEB plan, hashed out by McCabe, would reduce the $8 billion liability by capping the state's contribution toward health benefits for retired workers. However, it also would require state officials to come up with $50 million a year to apply toward the benefits.

Both parts are controversial: The cap is deeply unpopular with union officials who say retired workers would be hurt because the cap doesn't rise even as health care costs skyrocket. And the original source of the $50 million - a hike in the state tobacco tax - was doomed by tax-averse, election-year politics.

Now McCabe's bill, which is pending in the House, calls for $50 million but has no source of funding.

"I think people lost interest after the funding was gone," said Judy Hale, president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. "And we told McCabe they would not pass the cigarette tax this year, not while they are running."

She was referring to all the lawmakers running for governor.

McCabe’s plan also has faced stiff opposition from the West Virginia Education Association. McCabe ended up in an argument on the Senate floor with its president, Dale Lee, and the WVEA has since targeted the bill in an alert to its members.

McCabe said AFT-WV has given “substantive comments” but the WVEA is “a little more difficult to deal with.”

All told, McCabe said the foes of his OPEB plan are out in force but the allies are nowhere to be found.

“The visible, vocal, active participants were all against it,” McCabe said. “The business community says it’s a good idea, but they weren’t up there for this. The school boards say they are very for this, but they weren’t up there lobbying for this.”

He has had some help. Kessler helped save the bill from withering on the vine in the Senate last week, a feat Kessler compared to the resurrection of Lazarus.

Tomblin, for his part, put McCabe in charge of an OPEB work group last year, although now that he’s governor, his office does not seem to have made the issue a priority this year.

“I continue to support reining in health care costs,” Tomblin said Tuesday when asked about his support of OPEB legislation.

“I’m committed to finding a solution to OPEB, and I believe that solution will require both legislative changes and, on the administrative side, we need to reduce health care costs to establish a more efficient and less costly health care system.”

House lawmakers still haven’t introduced their own version and have given no hint of what they might propose.

Chairman White said the House has been working on the issue diligently. Those meetings appear to be behind closed doors.

“It’s not just lying on the back burner,” he said.

White said Kominar “feels like Brooks and those guys are trying to put him in a box.”

White and others also say McCabe’s plan didn’t emerge until near the end of the session.

Josh Sword, a lobbyist for AFT-WV and a member of the PEIA Finance Board, wondered why McCabe expected the House to act if McCabe himself had taken so long.

“Well, why the hell did they introduce a bill on the 50th day of a 60-day session and expect the House to pass it?” he said.

McCabe hopes if nothing is done by the end of the session that OPEB will be on a special session agenda later this year.]]> Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT ed5f4bf5-79e9-4751-84b7-406cf843d00e <![CDATA[Retiree health fix still could pass, McCabe says]]> Retiree health fix still could pass, McCabe says
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- There's still hope this session for a plan to pay down the state's massive unfunded liability for future health-care costs for retired state and public school employees, the plan's lead architect said Tuesday.

"Both houses recognize the seriousness of the situation," Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, said of the $8 billion unfunded liability, commonly referred to as the OPEB liability.

"We're relatively close in how to deal with it, but the devil's in the details and we're running out of time," McCabe said. The 2011 regular session ends at midnight Saturday.

The bill (SB616) is in the House Finance Committee, where Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said Tuesday that committee staffers are working with representatives of teachers and public employee groups to come up with a workable solution.

White said he wants to see a bill passed this session. "If we do nothing, the problem keeps getting worse," he said.

Wednesday is the last day to get bills out of committee and to the House and Senate floors for the 2011 regular session. After Wednesday, legislators would have to vote to suspend the rule requiring that bills be read on three separate days prior to passage votes.

Since the bill originated in and passed the Senate on March 2, the West Virginia Education Association has been encouraging its members to call members of the House of Delegates to oppose the OPEB plan, calling it a cost-shift to retirees.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth," McCabe said Tuesday.

He said the Senate bill is intended to stabilize funding for retiree health care for five years, in hopes of giving the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board time to come up with significant ways to control soaring health-care costs.

"The problem is that medical and prescription drug inflation is increasing at almost twice the rate of the state's projected revenue growth," McCabe stated. "If you keep all assumptions the same as they are presently, there is just not enough money to sustain the current retiree health-care benefit plans over the long term."

He stressed that, unlike pension benefits for public school and state employees -- which courts have held are a moral obligation of the state -- retiree health-care benefits can be altered or eliminated.

McCabe said the Senate plan is intended to protect, not shift, retiree health-care benefits.

The bill "puts forth the framework for a massive infusion of funding to protect many of those benefits," McCabe said. "However, there is not enough money to continue, unchanged, the current plans going forward."

As drafted, the bill would basically cap the state's annual contribution to the PEIA retirees' fund at $160 million, $50 million of which would come from a yet undetermined funding source.

Initially, the Senate bill would have funded the $50 million with proceeds from a $1-a-pack increase in the state's tax on cigarettes -- but both houses rejected a tobacco tax increase this session.

McCabe said one possible funding source is the $95 million a year of personal income tax collections that are currently dedicated to pay down a prior unfunded liability for workers' compensation claims.

That liability, which once exceeded $3 billion, should be paid off by 2016.

However, that option would require borrowing $50 million a year from some source, possibly the PEIA Retiree Trust Fund, to be repaid with interest once the workers' comp debt is paid off, McCabe said.

McCabe said he would prefer not to put the issue off until a special session later this year, given all the scheduling conflicts pending for the remainder of the year.

He said finding time for an OPEB special session could be a problem, with the special primary election for governor coming up in May, a special session for redistricting likely later this summer, and the gubernatorial special election in October.]]> Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 6aa0df56-2645-44ec-94f3-fa7612c8bde0 <![CDATA[Judicial raises criticized by lawmakers]]> Judicial raises criticized by lawmakers
by Ry Rivard
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia judges and magistrates have lobbied hard for pay raises this year, but even lawmakers who support increases for other public workers said they are finding the judicial raises hard to stomach.

Under a plan approved by the Senate, state Supreme Court justices would receive a $15,000 raise, circuit court judges would receive $10,000, family court judges $12,000 and magistrates $7,500. The total package would cost about $3 million a year.

Senate Finance Vice Chairman Doug Facemire, D-Braxton, said he doesn't think voters want the judges to get such raises.

"I just bet if this was on the ballot, the citizens wouldn't support a pay raise - well, they might support one for the teachers or the service employees - but I don't think they'd support one for the judges," he said.

As the regular 60-day legislative session nears its end at midnight Saturday, the House and Senate will be reconciling their dueling proposals, which include millions in raises for public employees.

The Senate plan, which includes raises for judges, would cost about $70 million a year.

The $89 million House plan doesn't include a pay raise for judges but includes more money for teachers and other school employees. House members appear not to have been swayed by judges' lobbying efforts.

Facemire doesn't like that the judicial raises, which had been a separate bill in both houses, were combined in the Senate with the other raises for public workers including teachers and other state workers.

"I think it was unfair that all that got bundled together like, 'Take it all or nothing,' " he said.

Sen. Larry Edgell, D-Wetzel, said the multi-thousand dollar raises for judges had raised eyebrows in his district and among his circle of friends, which includes teachers and retired teachers.

"That's the lightning rod in the whole thing," he said.

Judges' groups originally wanted double what the Senate plan would give them.

House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said judges and magistrates have "worked this bill hard."

"I'd say every delegate got a call from either judges or magistrates," he said. "They've had a pretty hard press on for their pay raises."

Judicial officers in this state, like most West Virginia public workers, are paid salaries below the national average.

Family court judges in West Virginia, for instance, are the only law school-educated judges in the country who make less than $100,000 a year.

Even with a significant pay raise of more than $17,000, they would still be the lowest paid in the country, former Chief Justice Brent Benjamin wrote in a 2009 letter to lawmakers.

Benjamin encouraged them to back legislation that would raise the salary of the state's 45 family court judges from $82,500 to $111,000 a year.

As a conference committee meets in coming days to reconcile the House and Senate pay raise packages, Edgell and Facemire, who are both members of the Senate's conference committee team, also expressed concerns about the entire pay raise packages.

By doing so they both exposed fault lines in the Senate Democratic caucus, even though the party has voted together on the Senate floor.

Both the House and Senate have upped the ante on acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's proposed $47 million one-time bonuses for state employees and teachers. Both the House and Senate plans cost $70 million or more and obligate the state to permanently higher salaries.

Facemire said the state has to "capitalize on stability." The state is facing multi-million dollar debts in the next several years, even though its balance sheets appear flush at the moment.

If the raises break the bank and the state has to raise taxes to stay in the black, businesses that might settle here for stability would shy away. Facemire said that would hurt West Virginia's current advantage over unstable states.

"We've got to hold on to this money," he said.

Facemire said Tomblin's plan was probably prudent.

"I think Earl Ray was probably being prudent there - I mean, nobody has a crystal ball," he said.

Facemire said he might have preferred a series of one-year bonuses, so long as the state could afford them. That would allow the state to stop giving the bonuses if the economic situation deteriorated.

"If you can't afford it, you can stop it," he said. "But once you get into the (permanent pay raises), there's no turning back."

Edgell agreed.

"My feeling going into this whole thing is to do exactly what the governor sent up here," Edgell said.

"We were supposed to be better stewards," he said.

Asked why he voted for the pay package on the Senate floor, he said, "It was a straight party vote."

The vote was 27-6, with all the Senate Republicans opposing the bill.]]> Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 07dcc939-09fc-4346-b852-85baec7005e2 <![CDATA[12 WV Teachers win Achievement Awards]]> Arch Coal Presents 12 West Virginia Teachers with Achievement Awards

CHARLESTON, W.Va., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards were presented to 12 outstanding West Virginia classroom teachers today by the Arch Coal Foundation.

Announcement of the recipients of the statewide teacher recognition awards was made by Arch Coal Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven F. Leer. He was accompanied by West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) Executive Director David Haney.

The 12 award-winning teachers of 2011 are:

Mary K. Adams

 Fairmont Senior High School
 Fairmont
Maxine Pervola Arbogast Morgantown High School Morgantown
Carrie Jo Browning Omar Elementary School Omar
Eva L. Ellis Madison Middle School Madison
William Norcott Fletcher Mineral Wells Elementary School Mineral Wells
Terry J. Hickle Parkersburg High School Parkersburg
Nancy Holdsworth New Manchester Elementary New Cumberland
Becky Jones Lumberport Middle School Lumberport
Drema McNeal Park Middle School Beckley
Robin Oldaker Union Elementary School Buckhannon
Janet L. Phillips Hodgesville Elementary School Buckhannon
Lori R. Woods Washington District Elementary Buckhannon

"These award-winning teachers have the capability to change the world," said Leer. "Our American way of life depends on outstanding educators to teach and challenge our children, enabling them to succeed today and in the future. These teachers nurture independent, creative thinkers, who have the skills and abilities to thrive in the board room, the coal mine or any other role. Our future truly rests on classroom teachers like the ones we honor today."

"As a former educator, I know the challenges that come with standing at the head of the class," Gov. Tomblin said. "We have wonderful, inspiring and dedicated teachers in West Virginia who go above and beyond each and every day to help our children succeed. I am thankful for Arch Coal for supporting education in West Virginia. Today's students are tomorrow's workers, and we need all of our corporate citizens to recognize their important role in shaping our future workforce. I'd like to extend my congratulations to this year's award recipients and encourage each of you to continue to be examples of outstanding educators."

"The West Virginia Education Association and its foundation, the West Virginia Foundation for the Improvement of Education (WVFIE), are pleased to be partners with Arch Coal as it recognizes some of the fine teachers that work throughout our state," said Haney. "Teachers are rarely honored for the hard work and long hours they put into providing a high quality education for the students of our state. These teachers exemplify the spirit and dedication of thousands of their peers throughout the state."

In addition to recognition, awardees receive a $3,500 unrestricted cash prize, a distinctive trophy and a classroom plaque. WVFIE makes a $1,000 award to each recipient's school, for use with at-risk students.

The teacher recognition awards are underwritten by the Arch Coal Foundation and supported in program-promotion by the West Virginia Department of Education, the WVEA and the West Virginia Library Commission. The Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards is the longest running, privately sponsored teacher-recognition program in the state. Nominations are made by the public, and selection is made by a blue-ribbon panel of the teachers' peers – previous recipients of the award.

The Arch Coal Foundation also supports teacher-recognition or grant programs in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, as well as a number of other education-related causes.

Arch Coal, Inc. is one of the world's largest and most efficient coal producers, with more than 160 million tons sold in 2010. Arch supplies cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal to customers on four continents through its national network of mines. In West Virginia, Arch subsidiaries operate the Mountain Laurel and Coal-Mac complexes. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc. ]]> Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT b5b8cd3b-07de-459e-81a8-e4d5450ff9bf <![CDATA[Tomblin says he'll veto pay raises to get food tax cut]]> Tomblin says he'll veto pay raises to get food tax cut
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, said Monday he would be willing to veto a pay raise bill for state and public school employees if that's what it takes to pass his proposed 1 percent reduction in the sales tax on food.

"It's an option we have," Tomblin told reporters called to the Governor's Office Monday afternoon.

"If we're going to offer pay increases to public employees and teachers, we should at least be putting $26 million back into taxpayers' pockets," he said of the food tax reduction.

Tomblin said that if the Legislature passes a bill giving permanent pay raises to state and public school employees without passing the food tax reduction, he will call legislators back into a special session immediately after next week's extended session on the budget bill.

The budget session generally takes one week, and begins immediately following the end of the 2011regular session Saturday at midnight.

The sales tax reduction was a focal point of Tomblin's State of the State address on Jan. 12.

Technically, both the House and Senate versions of the administration bill to reduce the food tax (HB2649, SB207) are dead this session, although the provisions of either bill could be amended into any of several tax bills that are still active.

In the House, Republicans attempted unsuccessfully to discharge the bill from committee, and planned to offer an amendment to repeal the 3 percent tax entirely.

Tomblin said that with the state and the country still struggling to recover from the economic recession, it would be irresponsible to eliminate the tax outright this year.

Each 1 percent reduction in the sales tax on food reduces state tax collections by about $26 million a year.

"We come back in January (2012), and reassess where we are, and if we can afford it, we can reduce it by another cent," Tomblin said Monday.

Tomblin made his comments after attending the Senate Democratic caucus to make a pitch for the food tax reduction.

Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said prior to the caucus that the Senate Democrats welcomed Tomblin as a courtesy, but said prior discussions of the food tax cut in caucus were "tepid and lukewarm."

"Our big concern isn't that we don't want to do it. Our concern is it turns into one-upmanship, with, 'Let's take it off in its entirety," Kessler said.

On Monday, the Senate passed 27-6 its version of the pay raise bill (HB2879). Unlike the House's proposal, it provides one-time permanent raises to state and public school employees.

The Senate bill would increase payroll by about $69 million a year, compared to $83 million a year after the second year of the House plan, giving two consecutive raises.

Tomblin had proposed one-time pay enhancements totaling about $47.5 million.

He said of the two pay raise proposals, he prefers the Senate plan, which he said is fairly close "dollar-wise" to what was budgeted for the one-time enhancements.

The Senate version also includes controversial pay raises for judges, as high as $15,000 a year for state Supreme Court justices.

Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, said that while pay raises for teachers and state employees may be "well-deserved," it is inappropriate to give raises to public sector employees "when our private sector is going down."

"I think people out there are watching us. ... People out there are hurting," he said.

The vote broke down on party lines, with the Senate's six Republicans voting no. It goes back to the House, and will likely end up in a House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences.]]> Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT a0566822-0b39-4bdb-b0ec-21cbf1ef645d <![CDATA[Senate passes pay raise bill for state workers]]> State Senate Passes Pay Raise Bill For State Workers
MetroNews Staff

A pay raise bill for state workers cleared the state Senate Monday, but could be on its way to a conference committee before the final week of the legislative session is over.

The Senate replaced a pay raise bill passed by the House of Delegates with its own provisions. The Senate plan is a one-year raise that includes just about 2 percent more for state workers and teachers with larger amounts for Supreme Court justices, circuit and family court judges and magistrates.

The House of Delegates bill, passed by the House earlier this session, included a two percent across-the-board increase for state workers for two years and did not include increases for the judiciary.

Senator Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, voted against the measure. He says now is not the time for a pay raise for state workers.

"We're only going to benefit our state employees and teachers and those associated with state government when our private sector is going down," Barnes said.

The bill passed the Senate 27-6. It remains to be seen if the House accepts the changes or opposes them, which could send the measure to a conference committee.

The 60-day regular legislative session ends Saturday at midnight.]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:00:00 GMT 3ecbef1b-9ee9-4234-bbb0-f6526e346636 <![CDATA[ Survey: Going to college not easy for all who want to go]]> Survey: Going to college not easy for all who want to go
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A lot more high school students in West Virginia want to attend college than those who actually do, according to a recent survey of state high school seniors.

Officials with the state Higher Education Policy Commission, by studying the results, hope to learn more about the obstacles that stop students from going to college.

"Part of our challenge is, how do we take this information to ensure we increase our college-going rate?" state higher education Chancellor Brian Noland said Thursday.

The ultimate goal, according to a detailed report about the survey, is to help with "efforts to increase the number of high school graduates with postsecondary credentials across the state."

About 4,600 high school seniors were surveyed. Of those, about eight out of 10 said they planned to attend college.

Researchers with the policy commission, however, estimated that only six out of 10 graduates in 2009 actually enrolled in college after their senior year.

"So we're losing some of those students and we have to figure out why we're losing [them]," said Kathy Butler, senior director of academic affairs at the HEPC.

In all, a random sample of 4,592 students responded to the survey. That represents almost 25 percent of the 18,472 high school seniors across the state's 117 high schools.

More than half the students who plan to attend college expect to stay in West Virginia and attend a four-year school.

Some of the students surveyed said they did not plan to attend college in the fall after they graduate.

Almost half of those students said they need a break from school. More than four in 10 complain that college costs too much.

More than one in three students either already have a well-paying job, plan to work instead of college or want to start working to earn money.

About three in 10 of the students who don't plan to attend college want to attend a vocational/technical school after high school.

Other students said they need to support their families, are uncertain about a college major, expect to enter the military or are unsure that high school prepared them for college.

Of all the 4,592 seniors who took the survey, nearly 75 percent said that high school prepared them or at least somewhat prepared them for college. Still, only 12 percent said they were "very prepared" for college after high school.

Not surprisingly, students in families with higher incomes tend to have more expectations that they will attend college, which usually sets in earlier in life.

Students from homes where parents are not college educated and earn lower incomes often face greater challenges if they want to attend college, Butler said.

About seven out of 10 students from low-income families said their choice of college is influenced by concerns about affordability, compared to five in 10 students from higher-income families. That finding also doesn't surprise Butler.

"Affordability is a key player in a student's choice," she said.

Almost eight out of 10 aspiring college students said they would work, at least part time, to help pay for school.

That shows the value many students place on a college education, Butler said.

A similar percentage of students have already completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a document required for students who want most forms of financial aid. The document is commonly known as the FAFSA.

Last month, students and parents at 18 locations statewide (including Capital High School) attended the HEPC-sponsored "College Goal Sunday," where they received help filling out the FAFSA.

Butler looks forward to the creation of a statewide data system, expected to be ready to go by September, which will track students from pre-kindergarten through their postsecondary education. The state Department of Education and the Higher Education Policy Commission partnered to create the data system.

The data system should give educators a better understanding about where they're losing students, and where they're going to college.

This is the third time the state Higher Education Policy Commission has surveyed West Virginia's 12th-graders, Noland said.

He expects to share the survey results with officials from West Virginia colleges and universities, and also the state Department of Education.]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT ca489989-0e56-40ed-a3bd-55ca836c0f35 <![CDATA[WV schools poised for improvement]]> Jorea M. Marple: W.Va. schools poised for improvement
Writer Robin Cook once said, "Education is more than a luxury; it is a responsibility that society owes to itself." Education is indeed a responsibility I take personally as I begin my new role as West Virginia's 27th state superintendent of schools.

My entire professional life has been in public education; it is the work that I am passionate about, that I love and honor. There has seldom been a day during the last 40 years that I have not felt the great blessings that come from having the opportunity to touch the hearts and minds of our children.

Over the past few weeks, I often have been asked what I would like to accomplish in West Virginia schools and how I would address the challenges facing public education. I believe, there are four critical areas that all of us must consider if we are to significantly improve our schools:

· We must more effectively serve the personal learning needs of each student. We lose far too many students because of disinterest or because academic and personal challenges have not been met. Every one of the 280,000 plus students in our public schools has unique talents and abilities that we have an obligation to recognize and enhance. This commitment to individual student success must be the cornerstone of everything we do. We must have a curriculum that emphasizes the arts, music, dance, drama, foreign languages, physical activity and wellness, career readiness, technology fluency as well as a solid foundation in core subjects, such as science, social studies, reading and math.

Already, the West Virginia Board of Education has taken steps to incorporate 21st century learning into the classroom with the addition of world-class rigor to core subjects. The 21st century learning plan is called "Global21: Student's deserve it. The world demands it." It makes an important change to align state standards with national and international standards.

· We must assure we have great teachers in every classroom who are honored, supported and rewarded because being an educator is a tough job. West Virginians should not stand for teacher pay in our state to rank 47th among other states. Yes, teachers are accountable for every student's progress but with this obligation also must come the respectability of adequate salaries as well as the time and the tools to do an effective job.

· We must provide greater flexibility to schools to meet the 21st century learning requirements. Many of the ways we operate schools today were determined more than a 100 years ago. The length of the school year, teaching separate subjects from textbooks, or organizing instruction in classrooms of 25 kids of the same age may not be the best way to engage our students. We must be smart enough to eliminate laws and policies that no longer work and use 21st century technology to excite our kids about learning.

· We must convince all parents, agencies, community and business leaders and legislators that they have an important role in improving our schools. The potential for great schools lies within each community. I am convinced that we can make great leaps forward if we can rally the concerted and unified efforts of parents, community agencies, lawmakers and business leaders to provide the support needed for our schools to improve. The many problems that educators face are often rooted in issues beyond the walls of the school. These problems will take all of us to solve.

As I travel across this state, I am humbled by the potential I see in our students. Their creativity, joy, interest in the world around them, and sense of right and wrong lift my spirit. I want to use my time as state superintendent to enhance these dispositions, talents and abilities. My hopes and dreams for our students are the same ones I had raising my own two children: To develop children who are healthy, responsible, self-directed and who have the knowledge and skills necessary to live satisfying and productive lives; in essence, "Good Kids Doing Great Work."

I look forward to meeting with parents and teachers, principals and students, superintendents and business leaders, policymakers and service personnel as I travel around the state. The insights and opinions of those most directly involved in the education of our children will prove invaluable as we plan our pathway forward.

There is no question that critical work awaits us. Former South African President Nelson Mandela once said, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

I promise to treat the children of West Virginia as if they were my own as we work together to prepare them for the world that awaits them.

Marple is West Virginia's superintendent of schools.]]> Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT 7234899b-6d57-4fd6-83d6-18b5f9e15e22 <![CDATA[Pay raise bill fight continues]]> Pay-raise bill fight continues

By Mannix Porterfield
The Register-Herald

CHARLESTON — A controversy-ridden salary proposal survived an attempt Friday by a senator to drop judges from the list, or at least make them wait until the next election cycle to pocket fatter paychecks.

Instead, the Senate shot down both amendments offered by Sen. Karen Facemyer, R-Jackson, still seething over the chamber’s failure to bail out struggling Century Aluminum with a 10-year tax credit of $20 million annually.

The two chambers are dollars and categories apart on the pay bills.

Judges are absent in the House proposal, and the Senate measure, up for a vote Monday, provides a single-year hike of $1,488 for teachers, as opposed to $900 annually for the next two years.

In a parliamentary move, as the session heads into the final week, Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, led the Senate into amending the chamber’s version into the House bill minutes after passing SB615 on its own.

The most glaring difference is that senators would reward every judge from a magistrate to the Supreme Court with hefty pay raises.

Facemyer appealed to fellow senators to treat judges the same as lawmakers by making the salary adjustment applicable in the next election cycle, rather than giving them a raise in mid-term.

“They were elected to the course of their term with one salary in mind, and I think it’s only right and ethical that they wait until the next actual election cycle to accept that pay raise,” Facemyer said.

Some judges wouldn’t see the higher pay until the 2016 election, while others would face the voters in two years, she noted.

“This gives the public a little bit of confidence in us and them, that they will run for the office and not be down here lobbying for a pay raise,” she said.

Facemyer emphasized she supported pay raises for other public officials, and that’s another reason she wanted to strip judges from the measure.

Then, she tossed out another reason for making judges wait — their failure to help lawmakers cure the rising costs in the public defender system.

A few years ago, when circuit judges descended on the Capitol to buttonhole legislators for more pay, she said, they promised to work with them to resolve public defender debts that have soared into the millions for some counties.

“We passed a pay raise, they left town,” she said. “They weren’t here to help.”

Senate finance panelists rejected an effort to extend a tax credit to Century Aluminum in Ravenswood as it attempts to rebound.

“We’re giving judges a pay raise in the middle of an election cycle, but we couldn’t give a little bit of a break to Century Aluminum for 650 families to go back to work for a living wage,” Facemyer said.

“Six hundred and fifty families that would love to have a paycheck. Not a raise. Just a paycheck.”

In the judicial arena, the Senate bill provides a $15,000 hike for the five justices on the state Supreme Court, moving them to $136,000, or five times the median salary in West Virginia.

Their increase amounts to 12.4 percent.

Circuit judges could expect a $10,000 boost, raising them to $126,000, an 8.62-percent increase.

Forty-five family court judges would go up $12,000 to $94,500, or 14.55 percent higher.

In the two-tiered system, based on populations they serve, 42 magistrates would climb to $51,125, a boost of 17.19 percent.

Another 116 magistrates would jump from $50,000 to $57,500, or an increase of 15 percent.

The Senate bill provides a 2-percent hike for other public employees, higher education, State Police and the Division of Natural Resources.

And, the Senate also takes care of the adjutant general, raising that salary from $92,500 to $125,000, an increase of 35.14 percent.

Under the House version, teachers would get $900 in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, while school service personnel would collect $500 in both.

State Police would receive $970 more, while natural resources officers would be paid an additional $835.

In the meantime, action is pending in the House on a Senate bill that provides a $600 bonus for two years to retired public employees, provided their annual pensions are below $7,200.]]> Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 4e072ecd-3fb7-4ea7-938f-40e55e3e4ddb <![CDATA[Hire the best, train the best, evaluate the best]]> Hire The Best, Train The Best, Evaluate The Best
MetroNews Talkline

The President of the National Education Association says identifying and removing the learning obstacles in school classrooms will fix the problems within the U.S. educational system.

Dennis Van Roekel says a big part of that, though, depends on the teachers in those classrooms. "Create a profession," Van Roekel says of the changes he says are needed in teaching when it comes to recruitment, training and retention.

"You should go to an accredited school. You ought to recruit from the best. You ought to train them well and then have a really good evaluation system that's tied to professional development."

Van Roekel was a guest on Friday's MetroNews Talkline during a visit to the State Capitol where there is a week left in the 2011 Regular Legislative Session.

He used to be a math teacher in Arizona and says there are ways to make sure the best teachers are teaching.

"We build a system that says, #1, you recruit from high achievers. That's good, but they're not all teachers. You make sure that they're cut out for teaching. You shouldn't experiment with American children to say, 'Is teaching my profession?' Then, you have absolute, real training."

More than three million people are part of the NEA.

Van Roekel has been the NEA's President since 2008.

Listen to his 11 minute interview on Talkline by clicking here.]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT a7b95b94-5207-4dc3-9ee2-bcae974fedc6 <![CDATA[Jorea Marple begins on the right note]]> Jorea Marple begins on the right note
Can't we hold teachers accountable without micromanaging them?

The ascension of former Kanawha County School Superintendent Jorea Marple to state superintendent of schools is a chance for another new beginning.

It's an opportunity to address one of teachers' biggest complaints.

Marple, an experienced teacher and principal as well as an administrator, is probably all too familiar with the many persnickety regulations the state imposes on teachers.

She has many ambitious plans for improving education, such as putting music in all schools, exposing students to the arts, getting them increasingly involved with technology, and raising the level of physical activity.

As they say in TV commercials, wait, there is more.

"Science is not being taught in many of our elementary schools. I don't know if you knew that or not," Marple said. "When we teach science, reading and math, we'll improve."

It's an ambitious agenda, to say the least. But if goals are not set high, little is achieved.

As for those regulations, Marple acknowledged that the state must lighten up on the classroom, particularly the state's rigid requirements that teachers must spend specific numbers of minutes on prescribed subject matter.]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT 8da7830d-d89f-455e-9527-94b6db7cb9bb <![CDATA[Lawmakers outline plan for reworking NCLB]]> Lawmakers outline plan for reworking No Child Left Behind
By Barbara Barrett, McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON _ Saying the current education policies are failing kids, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a group of mostly Democratic senators plan to introduce a set of revisions that would move away from rigid testing and toward flexibility for local school districts.

Congress is four years overdue for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which offers a slate of regulations and funding for K-12 education.

Part of the push is to revamp No Child Left Behind, the landmark Bush-era legislation that focused on closing the achievement gap for minority children but that parents and educators have lambasted as too narrowly focused on testing.

"No Child Left Behind has created a system that punishes failure over rewarding success," said Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., who, along with Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., helped lead the months-long effort to develop the principles.

"Rather than tightening our grip, we will set clear and ambitious goals and support local efforts to achieve them," Bennet said.

At a news conference Wednesday at a Washington public school, Duncan and a group of moderate senators slammed No Child Left Behind as a law that's frustrated parents, teachers and principals across the country.

Duncan, a former schools superintendent in Chicago, said that under current law, states could lower their standards so that more students appeared to be succeeding. The law focuses too much on how students achieve grade-level goals and too little on the goals themselves, he said.

"We want to flip that," Duncan said. "High standards, but more flexibility. We can't begin to micromanage 95,000 schools from Washington. We don't want to."

The law's impact, he said, has been a "dumbing down of standards and a narrowing of curriculum."

Hagan said the group would introduce legislation "in the coming weeks" to overhaul No Child Left Behind, and Duncan said he wanted to see it pass by the August recess.

Hagan said new legislation must encourage all progress _ recognizing, for example, when a teacher helps a fifth-grader move up from a third-grade reading level to a fourth-grade level.

Testing now focuses primarily on whether children are at or below grade level.

The group also wants to: increase accountability for funding going to the poorest schools, known as Title I recipients; hold teacher-training programs accountable for their graduates' performance; focus more federal money on so-called turnaround schools, with the highest needs; and encourage flexibility with more programs such as the federal Race to the Top competition.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, helped write No Child Left Behind, but he said at Wednesday's event that the law needed to be improved and that Democrats and Republicans could find common ground this year.

The senators' work on the principles comes as Obama prepares to travel to Florida and then to Massachusetts to talk about education.

Other senators who worked on the proposed legislation include Democratic Sens. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Warner of Virginia, Thomas Carper and Chris Coons of Delaware, Mark Begich of Alaska and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

CHANGING 'NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND':
Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a group of moderate mostly Democratic senators unveiled their proposal Wednesday at a news conference at a Washington elementary school. Among their goals:

_Designing a testing structure that recognizes gains and is tailored to individual schools' specific situations, what the senators called "a more nuanced approach."

_Focusing dollars and attention on turning around especially troubled schools in the bottom 5 percent of each state. According to the senators, 13 percent of high schools produce 51 percent of the nation's dropouts.

_Holding teacher preparation programs accountable for how well they train teachers. Nearly 50 percent of new teachers drop out of the profession within their first five years in the classroom.

_Encouraging more innovation through programs such as President Barack Obama's Race to the Top grant program. Last year, several states competed for millions of dollars in grant money.
The rewards were based largely on how well states encouraged flexibility and innovation, including the encouragement of charter schools.

_Closing a loophole in requirements for a school to receive Title I funding, which is designed for schools with high percentages of low-income students. The senators want a school-by-school accountability system, rather than just at the district level.

(c) 2011, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT c1e561ec-a3e1-4af7-86fb-5ba367171d7c <![CDATA[Senate revives, passes retiree health benefit fix]]> Senate revives, passes retiree health benefit fix
State senators revived legislation on Wednesday intended to get a handle on massive future unfunded liabilities for health-care benefits for retired state and public school employees -- without a hike in the state tobacco tax.
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State senators revived legislation on Wednesday intended to get a handle on massive future unfunded liabilities for health-care benefits for retired state and public school employees -- without a hike in the state tobacco tax.

"If we don't address this issue ... we're doing ourselves, our families, and this state a tremendous injustice," said Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, the lead sponsor of the bill to rein in what are commonly called OPEB costs.

The bill (SB616) is essentially identical to a previous bill to address the massive, $8 billion unfunded liability, which was rejected by the Finance Committee Tuesday, except for two key changes:

· It delays implementation of the new plan for one year, to allow time to study options for controlling increases in retiree health-care costs, and to find funding sources to pay down the liability.

· It removes the original bill's $50 million a year funding source -- a $1-a-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax.

McCabe said it is vital to pass the bill this year, to continue efforts to pay down the deficit, rather than to lose another year while financial liabilities for future retiree health-care costs continue to grow.

"No one has given us a source of funding," he said, referring to the demise of the tobacco tax bill. "We need to hear from the governor. We need to hear from the House."

Senate Finance Committee members revived the bill during an impromptu meeting on the Senate floor during a Wednesday afternoon recess. Later Wednesday, the Senate passed the bill 33-0, advancing it to the House.

The action drew immediate objections from representatives of the state's teachers' unions.

As drafted, the bill does not provide an alternative source for the $50 million of new revenue needed to make the proposal work, but does impose a $160 million cap on state contributions to retiree health-care costs, beginning in 2012.

Dale Lee, West Virginia Education Association president, said that if no funding source is found in the next year, Public Employee Insurance Agency premiums for retired state and public school employees would inevitably spike up.

"In essence, we're rolling the dice with our retirees," he said. "If we don't find a [funding] source, our retirees will suffer."

During the exchange, McCabe accused union representatives of being too focused on getting teacher pay raises to address the problem.

"If you say, 'Let's wait to look at this next year, but let's have a big pay raise this year.'...The outcome of the discussion has been, 'Pay increase, pay increase, and let's not look at this,'" McCabe said. He later apologized to Lee for the comments.

McCabe said it's important to treat the OPEB liability as a crisis. If nothing is done, he said, the state will soon be unable to afford ever-increasing costs to subsidize retiree health benefits.

"The state will be forced to re-evaluate if it should be in the retiree health-care business, and that would be an unfortunate situation," he said.

In 2009, the PEIA Finance Board eliminated the retiree subsidy for all public school and state employees hired after July 1, 2010, to help cap the soaring unfunded liability.

On Wednesday, West Virginia Federation of Teachers representative Josh Sword, who represents public school employees on the PEIA Finance Board, suggested that a funding stream for OPEB will become available shortly, when the state finishes paying off what had been a $3 billion unfunded liability for workers' compensation claims.

The state puts a total of $250 million of various tax revenues and video lottery profits to pay down what is known as the Workers' Comp Old Fund liability.

McCabe said that revenue could very well be used to pay down the OPEB liability, but said the workers' comp fund won't be paid off until about 2016.

"There's a four- or five-year shortfall before we get there," he said. "Where is that money coming from?"

Meanwhile, WVEA's Perry Bryant objected to the lack of transparency with the OPEB bill. Besides originating the new version on the Senate floor Wednesday, the original bill was not introduced until Feb. 21, the last day bills could be submitted this session.

Although the brief committee meeting revived the OPEB bill, it marked the death knell for legislation to give up to $20 million a year in tax credits to help reopen the Century Aluminum plant in Ravenswood, Jackson County (SB575).

Committee members rejected the bill on a voice vote Tuesday, and its prime advocate, Sen. Karen Facemyer, R-Jackson, had hoped to have the committee reconsider that action at its next meeting -- which did not happen in the brief meeting on the Senate floor.

Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, said afterward officials in the Governor's Office are in talks with company officers and union representatives to come up with a bill that could be put on a brief special session agenda, following the weeklong extension of the session to complete the state budget bill.

The plant shut down in 2009, idling more than 600 workers, and also eliminating 10 percent of Appalachian Power Co.'s electrical consumption in the state, resulting in rate increases for all other customers.]]> Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT d710805b-d1b5-485e-9a18-d0723c97c295 <![CDATA[OPEB plan pops out of Senate]]> OPEB plan pops out of Senate
Proposal lacks source of $50 million annual payments on huge unfunded liability
by Ry Rivard
Charleston Daily Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--In an effort to pay billions of dollars in promises owed to retired public workers, the Senate on Wednesday approved a bill with a multi-million dollar unfunded mandate of its own.

The bill, designed to help West Virginia pay insurance costs for retired workers passed the Senate following a last-minute move from the bill's sponsor, Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha.

Lawmakers in both houses have been struggling for over a year to find a way to deal with the $8 billion in long-term retiree health care costs, known as "other post-employment benefits," or OPEB.

The Senate's plan, hashed out by McCabe, brings the liability down by capping benefits for retired workers and then demanding the state come up with $50 million a year to pay down the debt.

Both parts are controversial: The cap was deeply unpopular with the unions who said retired workers would be left out in the cold because of the limit on state funding even as health care costs continue to go up.

And the original source of the $50 million - a hike in the state tobacco tax - was doomed by tax-averse, election-year politics.

So all seemed lost on Tuesday when the Senate Finance Committee

rejected the OPEB plan in an 8-9 vote, mostly because of objections to the tobacco tax hike.

The House has yet to unveil its plan.

But McCabe countered Wednesday with a compromise.

His new plan would keep the cap on retiree benefits and still require $50 million to pay down the debt. But the bill wouldn't take effect until next year.

That means the law could pass this year without lawmakers coming up with a way to pay for it until next year. That would settle the unions' objections, but it would let lawmakers pass the bill without raising taxes this year.

Still, if the House adopts the plan and acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signs it into law, there would be a ticking time bomb in state law - a multi-million dollar unfunded mandate to help pay down the multi-billion unfunded OPEB liability.

McCabe rescued the bill in an unusual Senate Finance Committee meeting held on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon.

Legislative rules made Wednesday the deadline for the House and Senate to pass bills in time to be considered by the other chamber. The committee agreed to his compromise in a voice vote, sending the full measure to the Senate floor, where it was unanimously approved Wednesday evening.

But an exchange on the Senate floor after the committee meeting revealed deep divisions over the plan.

McCabe, who is known for carefully weighing his remarks, was involved in an unusually raw back and forth with West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee.

Lee was complaining that if lawmakers were unable to find a funding source like the cigarette tax within the next year, retirees would end up taking a hit because the $50 million might end up coming out of their pockets in the form of benefit cuts or premium increases.

McCabe conceded that point but said the unfunded mandate would put pressure on interest groups, lawmakers and other officials to find a way to help pay down the liability.

"I've really got your attention - 12 months, the clock is ticking," McCabe said.

Lee countered that unlike McCabe and other members of the Senate and House, he didn't have a vote and couldn't do anything on his own. He said he wanted more discussions.

McCabe fired back by suggesting that unions continue asking for pay raises while resisting efforts to pay down the liability.

"The outcome of the discussions, so far, have been, 'Pay increase, pay increase,'" he said.

Lee protested, "Senator, don't say we look only at pay increases because that's not accurate."

"I agree. That's not accurate," McCabe said.

But McCabe continued to call for help from acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin or House lawmakers who have been silent, except to question the tobacco tax increase.

"We've been asking for assistance on where we can find those dollars and we have not gotten a response," McCabe said.

Tomblin said in an interview Tuesday that while he wants to deal with OPEB, he would prefer holding off raising the cigarette tax for as long as possible, though he anticipates the state may need the money to help deal with rising Medicaid costs in 2014.

House leaders, like Delegate Steve Kominar, D-Mingo, who has been overseeing the House OPEB work, have declined to provide specifics on how they would come up with a revenue source for paying down the liability, which is estimated at $8 billion due over 30 years.

Perry Bryant, the executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, questioned the process in the Senate, including the last-minute rush to pass a bill after more than a year of debate.

"You can't be happy with this process," Bryant said to McCabe.

"No, but I've been slammed to the mat," McCabe said.

McCabe, alluding to his exchange with Lee, said he supported salary increases.

But he added, "I personally believe we've got to get this behind us first."]]> Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 3c0b6a84-fe0e-4b87-8278-ed62bc18eb01 <![CDATA[Tomblin worried about raises]]> Tomblin worried about raises
Acting governor's agenda, legislators at odds as session nears end
by Zack Harold
Daily Mail staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va.--With 10 days left in the session, House and Senate lawmakers have ballooned the budget Senate President and acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin introduced in January while also diminishing or killing off a few of his proposals.

Tomblin considers his agenda mostly intact, but he would like to see lawmakers reduce the food tax and rein in their plans to raise public worker salaries.

The largest disagreement between the Governor's Office and the Legislature appears to be over Tomblin's $47 million bonus plan for state employees and teachers. House and Senate committees have both upped the ante with separate $70 million plans to raise salaries for most employees by about 2 percent, though teachers would get about twice that.

Tomblin said he wanted bonuses and not pay raises because bonuses are "prudent," "responsible," and dent the budget for only one year without placing a perpetual burden on the state.

While he didn't assign blame, he said politics played a roll in lawmakers' decision to give employees more.

"I say, 'I'll give you a dollar.' She's going to say, 'I'll give you two,'" Tomblin said, pointing to a spokeswoman in the room to illustrate his point.

In an interview in his office Tuesday afternoon, Tomblin said his bonus plan was an attempt to do things responsibly.

"Can we afford the 2 percent?" he said. "Sure we can, I think - right now.

"But at the same time, we've got to realize that everything that we put in that builds our budget we'll be paying for forever. And the thing that scares me is when we get to 2014 with the national health care plan kicking in, we'll have a shortfall," he said.

While the federal government is expected to pick up the tab for the first years of health care reform - when more than 100,000 West Virginians are expected to join Medicaid - the state Medicaid budget is already expected to have tens of millions of dollars in shortfalls.

Tomblin said it was too early to say whether he might veto any pay raises.

He was known for his conservative approach to the budget as a former Senate Finance Committee chairman and as the Senate president. Because he holds that title, he was called upon to act as governor following the departure of Joe Manchin for the U.S. Senate.

The Senate pay raise plan, unveiled Tuesday in the finance committee, gives a $1,488 raise to teachers and 2 percent raises to other state workers. The plan includes $3 million worth of raises for state judges, including a $15,000 raise for Supreme Court justices, as well as raises for magistrates and circuit and family court judges.

The House's package would give $1,800 raises to teachers over two years - $900 this year and $900 the next. School workers would receive $1,000 over two years.

State Police officers would receive a $970 raise over one year, while Department of Natural Resources officers would get $835. The House plans to give a separate 2 percent raise to other state workers.

The House plan does not give judicial raises.

Both plans cost about $70 million, though the House version will likely cost a bit more.

Tomblin Chief of Staff Rob Alsop said the Governor's Office remained concerned about legislative spending programs and the budget.

"That's still the thing we need to make sure we don't get turned upside down on," he said.

Tomblin also said he would like to have seen lawmakers pass a reduction in the food tax, which he considers "regressive." That plan appears to have stalled in both chambers.

Tomblin's plan to help shore up the funding for U.S. 35 by borrowing money from the Public Employee Retirement System met a cold reception and was significantly changed from his initial proposal.

Still, a version of the bill will be voted on today in the Senate.

Republicans, meanwhile, have begun honing their attack on Democratic lawmakers.

State GOP Chairman Mike Stuart began attacking the pay raises and said there was a "lack of leadership" in the Capitol.

"It's all been created by the leadership vacuum left by Joe Manchin," Stuart said in a telephone interview. "The lobbyists and interest groups have taken hostage the legislative session.

"This has been a Christmas in March for the Democrat-leaning special interests," he said.

Stuart vowed this would become a campaign issue.

Democratic leaders took exception to Stuart's characterization.

"Mike Stuart is full of crap," said House Majority Whip Mike Caputo, D-Marion. "I've never seen him around here or where he makes that determination from."

Manchin was known for constant contact with legislative leaders.

Some have noted hearing less from Tomblin staffers than members of the Manchin administration, but that's a hard thing to quantify from year to year and, given the occasional complaints about Manchin being too involved, not necessarily a negative.

Caputo said the Tomblin administration had been taking a different approach from the Manchin administration.

"I'm not being critical of anyone, Joe just had a different style than other governors," he said. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"I think acting Gov. Tomblin's approach has been, 'Let the Legislature do its work, and if they would need to contact him, certainly he would provide us with what we need,' " Caputo said.

Tomblin said his approach was different but he or staff members are always available if lawmakers have questions.

"It's a little bit different approach than the previous governor who was everywhere all the time," he said.

Tomblin also said he had been focused on his executive duties.

"Life doesn't stop for all state government when the Legislature is in town," Tomblin said. "On a daily basis we're meeting with business executives and so forth interested in doing business with the state, and they expect to meet with the governor."]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 5840af54-ff54-4d47-89fb-77dd49e1e3b2 <![CDATA[Teachers lose pay increase]]> Teachers lose pay increase
By Mannix Porterfield
CHARLESTON -- Teachers came out on the losing end Tuesday in a failed move to hand them an incremental salary hike of 3 percent annually over the next four years.

By a 6-11 vote, the Senate Finance Committee shot down such an amendment by Sen. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, who said the raises are needed just to keep teachers ranked 47th nationally in salaries.

At the same time, the panel sent out a comprehensive pay bill that rewards every judge in West Virginia from the magistrate's bench to the state Supreme Court with much higher increases.

Moreover, the pay package hikes the salary of West Virginia's adjutant general from $92,500 to $125,000 -- a point not lost on Chafin in his futile bid to give teachers more take home pay.

Instead, the bill sent out by the finance panel contains a $1,488 boost for teachers.

"I understand we don't have streets paved with gold and don't have a lot of money to do a lot of things," Chafin said in support of his amendment.

But given the statistics, he said, it all comes down to priorities, and the money is there to cover the four-year pay increase.

Chafin said the Legislature can find the needed income to finance the teachers' increase in a number of corners, and one source is the burgeoning gambling industry.

"We spend money on everything," he said. "What kind of moral situation are we sending to teachers?"

Under the bill, Supreme Court justices would get a $15,000 increase, while circuit judges would pocket $10,000 extra, family court judges would be paid $12,000 more and magistrates could expect $7,500 in additional pay.

Higher education employees and public workers would get 2 percent more.

"At some point in time, we have to look at things and make teachers first," Chafin said.

Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, reminded Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, of the pressing liability in other post-employment benefits (OPEB), a debt that is approaching $8 billion.

Lee had testified that one-tenth of West Virginia's students are without a certified, in-field instructor.

And he blamed this staggering statistic on salaries the WVEA leader says simply cannot compete with other states, particularly those that surround West Virginia.

McCabe told Lee the OPEB debt shakes out to $4,200 per resident in West Virginia, $2,500 in Maryland, $2,700 in Kentucky, $1,600 in Ohio and a mere $700 in Pennsylvania.

"If there is not enough money to go around, would you rather have money in salary increases or the state dealing with the unfunded liability in health and retirement benefits?" he asked Lee.

"Do you want salary increases to the point it stresses West Virginia to the point we can't afford to do anything else?"

Lee said the Legislature needs to deal with the "core issue" of attracting and retaining teachers.

"If you're asking me where my priorities are, whether it's to relieve the OPEB debt, or to entice people to come into the profession, I'm here to tell you my priority is to entice people to come into the teaching profession."

Judy Hale, president of the American Federation of Teachers affiliate in West Virginia, agreed with Chafin on the necessity to hike pay so the state can fill vacant slots in science and math.

Those skilled in such fields will take higher-paying jobs in the private sector, she said, adding that language arts are bereft of teachers in some locales.

"There's a direct correlation between having a certified, in-field teacher in that classroom," Hale said.

"We cannot get them as long as we ignore salary. Education is not cheap."]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 9b8e3f03-dc36-4576-9009-c5f750c8f237 <![CDATA[WV superintendent Jorea Maprle begins term]]> W.Va. superintendent Jorea Marple begins term
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia's new schools superintendent believes education is a participatory activity where great schools and improvements come from engaged students, parents and communities.

"For me it's a lifetime opportunity to really be an advocate for what our children need, and for speaking very clearly, it's about what the whole community does to make public education work," said Jorea Marple, who is now responsible for educating 282,000 students in 55 counties.

The Braxton County native was unanimously selected last month by the state Board of Education to replace Steve Paine, who retired in January. Ted Mattern served as interim superintendent.

Prior to her appointment, Marple served as deputy state schools superintendent.

In her new role as West Virginia's chief educator, Marple said she has four goals: provide students with a personalized education, increase funding, elevate teachers' standing in society and improve community participation in the classroom.

"You want really great schools?" she asked. "You need to get engaged."

Getting people engaged means communicating a message of community involvement, she said.

Marple's education involvement started at home. Her mother was a teacher and Marple went on to earn a doctorate in education administration from West Virginia University.

Her views have been shaped by 35 years in the education system. She started as a teacher in Greenbrier County in 1969. She became superintendent of Kanawha County schools in the mid-1990s, and later joined the state Department of Education.

"I had a wonderful opportunity to work with teachers and the community," she said. "Every stakeholder has a role in making education work. Everyone has a role here."

Marple is a strong advocate of community education, emphasizing that everyone has a stake in public education. She believes investing in education is government's most important role.

"We need to fund public education at the levels that we need in order to provide teachers with the salaries they need, the resources they need and support systems that we need," she said. "That's the core issue.

"It's about building that foundational structure in West Virginia so that 700 some schools have the resources that they need," said Marple. "If we want to make public education work for all children then we have to invest in it at a high level."

Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has asked lawmakers to approve $2.119 billion for public education for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That's 48 percent of Tomblin's proposed $4.377 billion general fund budget.

For the current school year, then-Gov. Joe Manchin proposed spending $1.99.7 billion for public education.

Marple contends that only 24 percent of the state's annual allocation makes it into the classroom. The rest is absorbed by administration and programs, she said.

Marple said the state also needs to address teachers' salaries. About 50 percent of the state's teaching force is eligible to retire. To attract new teachers to the profession, pay needs to be addressed.

"West Virginia is 47th in the nation in pay, we used to be 32nd," she said. "You can't negate having adequate funding for education. Do you want to come and teach in West Virginia if we're 47th in paying our teachers?"

According to the National Education Association, West Virginia teachers earn $38,360 on average, more than $9,400 below the national average of $47,808.

Marple acknowledged that supporting teachers can become costly, especially when technology is involved. She is a proponent of technology in classrooms in order to teach students 21st century skills.

And teaching those skills should occur in a system that promotes personalized instruction, she said.

Personalized instruction will come from reviewing policy to remove restrictions that give teachers less autonomy over what they teach.

"All of us have a role in this process - first of all encouraging and inspiring children, communicating really clearly that education is important. Everyone needs to step up," she said. "It matters what each of us do in this education process."

"It's about building that foundational structure in West Virginia so that 700 some schools have the resources that they need," said Marple. "If we want to make public education work for all children then we have to invest in it at a high level."

Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has asked lawmakers to approve $2.119 billion for public education for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That's 48 percent of Tomblin's proposed $4.377 billion general fund budget.

For the current school year, then-Gov. Joe Manchin proposed spending $1.99.7 billion for public education.

Marple contends that only 24 percent of the state's annual allocation makes it into the classroom. The rest is absorbed by administration and programs, she said.

Marple said the state also needs to address teachers' salaries. About 50 percent of the state's teaching force is eligible to retire. To attract new teachers to the profession, pay needs to be addressed.

"West Virginia is 47th in the nation in pay, we used to be 32nd," she said. "You can't negate having adequate funding for education. Do you want to come and teach in West Virginia if we're 47th in paying our teachers?"

According to the National Education Association, West Virginia teachers earn $38,360 on average, more than $9,400 below the national average of $47,808.

Marple acknowledged that supporting teachers can become costly, especially when technology is involved. She is a proponent of technology in classrooms in order to teach students 21st century skills.

And teaching those skills should occur in a system that promotes personalized instruction, she said.

Personalized instruction will come from reviewing policy to remove restrictions that give teachers less autonomy over what they teach.

"All of us have a role in this process - first of all encouraging and inspiring children, communicating really clearly that education is important. Everyone needs to step up," she said. "It matters what each of us do in this education process."]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT dfe76e1f-cf16-414f-be70-9137e5cce695 <![CDATA[Tomblin talks dropout prevention at Capital High]]> Tomblin talks dropout prevention at Capital High
By Davin White
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin touted his proposed legislation at Capital High School Tuesday morning that would support local efforts to curb high school dropouts.

Tomblin, quoting former President John F. Kennedy, said a "child mis-educated is a child lost."

"In West Virginia, we have missed too many opportunities, leaving our children lost," he told an auditorium full of Capital High students.

If state lawmakers approve the measure (SB228, HB2739), local school districts could apply for state funding to fight the dropout rate, Tomblin has said.

In January, Tomblin announced his plan to help local school districts curb dropouts.

Researchers at the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, with support from the National Governors Association, reported in November that West Virginia students show warning signs of dropping out as early as middle school. The most prevalent signs are low attendance, behavior issues and course failure.

Using data from the 2008-2009 school year, the report looked at sixth- and ninth-graders across the state. The report identifies the number of students in need, their location by individual school and specific county-by-county data.

Tomblin cited data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which indicates that when compared to high school graduates, dropouts are likely to earn $630,000 less over their lifetime. Dropouts also are more likely to be in poor health, be unemployed and have a higher rate of criminal activity and more reliance on welfare.

"The importance of completing a high school education cannot be overemphasized," Capital High School Principal Clinton Giles said.

He encouraged his students to continue with high school and earn their own associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate-level degree.

"Take it to the limit," he told students.

New state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple also attended the school-wide assembly.

"You know, recognizing a problem is halfway to solving it," she said.

Marple told students that they bear responsibility -- not just teachers, parents and the community at large -- if schools are to work for them.

Guest speaker Shelley Stewart, who sits on the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation's board of directors, got the most enthusiasm out of the students.

Some teens gasped when he talked about how his father killed his mother with an ax, in front of him, when he was only 5.

"Nothing starts at the top except a hole in the ground, and it keeps going down," Stewart said. "Remember that."

A first-grade teacher who became his mentor inspired a young Stewart. She took him under her wing and told him that with education he could become whatever he wanted.

Stewart named the foundation after his mother. Its mission is to help parents, educators and community leaders effectively address the dropout rate.

Verizon Wireless provided a $20,000 donation that provides tools, including some from the Stewart Foundation, for teachers to use in the classroom. One is a documentary DVD titled, "InsideOut," in which prison inmates talk about the devastating effect that dropping out of school had on their lives.

The foundation also provides "The Choice Bus" for middle and high-school age students, which goes one step beyond the documentary. One half of the bus is an "interactive learning environment" that looks like a normal yellow school bus on the outside. The other half is a jail cell.]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 8a22d686-439a-44f3-8321-a33d147dc9d3 <![CDATA[With age, education as factors, state employees earn less than in private sector]]> With age, education as factors, state employees earn less than in private sector
By Alison Knezevich
The Charleston Gazette
Click here to read the report.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Public workers in West Virginia earn less than their private-sector counterparts when factors such as education and age are considered, a new report says.

The typical public-sector worker makes about 9 percent less in wages than someone in private industry when those traits are factored in, according to research by the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, a liberal think tank. The group also found that employees in both sectors have seen their wages fall over the past three decades.

When benefits are included, public employees earn only 0.7 percent less in total compensation than private-sector workers when factors such as age and education are considered.

Average wages for state and local workers are slightly lower than those of private-sector workers -- $40,605 compared to $41,073. The average public employee makes $62,189 in total compensation, compared to $59,239 for someone in the private sector.

Ted Boettner, the policy center's director, called that an "apples to oranges" comparison. Public workers are, on average, better educated and older than those in the private sector.

"If you just look at average wages and compensation, it distorts the differences between the two groups," he said. "The big factors are average age and education."

About 47 percent of full-time West Virginia public-sector workers have at least a bachelor's degree, compared to less than 18 percent of full-time private-sector employees.

"When benefits are included in total compensation, public employees with less than a high school degree or some college are slightly better off than their private sector counterparts," the report states. "However, all other public employees are compensated less than private sector employees with the same degree."

On average, state and local government employees with a bachelor's degree earn nearly $20,000 less in compensation than people in the private sector with the same education.

The report's authors also controlled for race, hours worked annually, sex and disability.

George Hammond, associate director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, said he didn't have enough information to comment on the center's methodology for the research, but said these are standard factors considered when economists study earnings.

"All those factors are reasonable variables that would influence relative wage level," Hammond said.

About 116,000 people work for state and local governments in West Virginia, according to Census data cited in the report, compared to 552,000 in the private sector.

The center did not include federal workers in its analysis, Boettner said.

The national debate over public employee unions and wages helped inspire the report, he said.

"If people are going to go around and say that public-sector workers have it so good, our goal is to look at the facts and data," Boettner said.

The center also found that West Virginia workers in both the private and public sectors earn 4 percent less than they did in 1979. And in 2009, the typical West Virginia worker made about 7 percent less than the national average.

"Our other goal was to show that it's not just a war between public and private sector workers -- that everybody's wages have declined in West Virginia," Boettner said.

All but the state's top earners have seen their wages drop in that period, according to the report.

People who earn the least -- those in the bottom 10th percentile, earning $7.46 per hour on average -- have seen their wages decline by 8.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the top 10 percent of wage earners had an increase of 10.8 percent.

Earlier this year, West Virginia lawmakers voted to give pay raises to state employees and teachers. Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, signed off on the raises in March.

The Legislature is considering capping how much the state contributes to retiree health care.]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT 37d19636-15b1-4684-bded-082a11509750 <![CDATA[Marple sworn in as state superintendent]]> Marple sworn in as state superintendent
By Davin White
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Jorea Marple, a West Virginia educator with 36 years of experience, was sworn in as state superintendent of schools at the Culture Center late Monday morning.

The former Kanawha County superintendent and deputy state superintendent has spent her entire career working in public education.

"It is the work that I am passionate about, that I love and that I honor," she told an audience that gathered at the Culture Center.

With Marple's children and her husband, state Attorney General Darrell McGraw, nearby, state Supreme Court Justice Thomas McHugh administered the oath of office.

Marple told the audience that teachers and other educators must effectively serve the personal learning needs of every child.

"Each child comes with talent and abilities unique to them," she said.

She said students need great teachers "in all of our classrooms," but that the state and communities must do more to support and reward all teachers.

It's "just not all right that our teachers are 47th in pay" compared to the rest of the country, she added.

Marple also said all schools need greater flexibility to include 21st Century Learning. She wants updated technology in classrooms and said it's not OK that computers and other technology equipment are "on a seven-year replacement cycle in West Virginia."

She also believes that communities across the state need to work toward solving societal problems that occur outside the school day but affect a child's performance in school.

State Board of Education President Priscilla Haden talked about how Marple began her career as a classroom teacher in northern West Virginia.

"I know that she holds teachers in very high regard," Haden said.

Drema McNeal, the West Virginia Teacher of the Year from Raleigh County, also spoke before Marple took the oath of office. Students in Horace Mann Middle School's string orchestra performed.

Last month, state school board members picked Marple over Mark Manchin, executive director of the state School Building Authority, and Carolyn Long, chairwoman of the West Virginia University Board of Governors.

Marple succeeds Ted Mattern, who stepped in as state superintendent on a short-term basis in early January after former state superintendent Steve Paine retired and took a private job with assessment company CTB/McGraw-Hill.]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT cd0a26ac-68b3-4cd1-b317-115be6c04378 <![CDATA[Comprehensive pay raise under consideration in Senate]]> Comprehensive Pay Raise Package Under Consideration In State Senate
MetroNews Staff

The state Senate Finance Committee will vote this afternoon on a $71.5 million pay raise package for state workers including an approximate three percent increase for state teachers.

The plan, introduced in Tuesday morning's committee meeting, would be a raise to the employee's base pay not a bonus like acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has proposed.

"The sentiments of the Senate Democrat Caucus is to put money in the base for all employees and not just do the one-year enhancements," Finance Committee Chair Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, told MetroNews following the morning meeting.

The plan says public employees and higher education workers would get a two percent increase, teachers a $1,488 raise, which is about three percent. School service personnel would get a $500 raise. The plan hikes the pay of Supreme Court justices by $15,000, circuit court judges would receive a $10,000 raise, magistrates $7,500 and family court judges $12,000. The state adjutant general would get a 34 percent pay increase from the current $92,500 to $125,000.

The committee was set to vote on the proposal Tuesday morning, but delayed the vote after Sen. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, proposed an amendment to continue the three percent teacher raise for four years, building the base each year.

"I don't care what it costs. Take it out of general revenue to do it," Chafin told fellow committee members. "It's a matter of priorities."

Chafin's amendment will probably have a difficult time passing. Chair Prezioso says promising a base-building raise beyond one year is not responsible.

"That's obligating us to four years down the road and we know we're going to be hit with a Medicaid deficit of 200-million dollars in 2014. It's not a responsible way to move forward," Prezioso said.

The House of Delegates is proposing a two percent across-the-board raise while acting Gov. Tomblin's plan is a one-time bonus. Prezioso says the Senate's plan falls in the middle.

"We've taken a very responsible look at this thing and we think our bill is the way to move forward on these pay raises," Prezioso said.

The chairman also indicated this afternoon's meeting will likely include a bill that would raise various DMV fees to boost the state Road Fund and the gambling industry supported bill that would allow more money to be bet at one time at the state's casinos and Greenbrier Resort.]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT 59207dac-c5b0-40eb-9fd9-2bc07350bfc5 <![CDATA[Senate favors pay raises for one year, not two]]> Senate favors pay raises for one year, not two

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state Senate may go along with the House of Delegates on pay raises for teachers and other state employees - but for one year, not two. 

Last Thursday, the House Finance Committee approved a bill that would give pay raises to teachers, school workers, and other state employees in each of the next two years.

Teachers would receive a total of $1,800 and other school workers would get $1,000 over the next two years. The bill also includes raises for state troopers and Division of Natural Resources officers.

The House also intends to provide 2 percent raises for state employees. The minimum raise would be $500, and the maximum would be $1,200 in each of the next two years. Those raises would be incorporated in the state budget bill.

The permanent pay raises would cost about $70 million over the next two years.

However, lawmakers on the west end of the Capitol feel the House plan may be too much.

"There's some concern about doing a multi-year (raise) right now particularly in light of the anticipated revenue shortfalls next year," acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said Monday.

While the state currently has a $241 million surplus for this fiscal year, the state budget office is anticipating a $191 million deficit next year, followed by a $425 million shortfall in fiscal year 2013.

Because of that, Senate leaders are hesitant to move forward with any plan that goes beyond this coming fiscal year.

"I think you'll see us attempt to put together a pay raise package that does give a pay raise, but I don't think you're going to see a long-term commitment until we see what we have next year," Kessler said.

"We want to be cautious but yet responsible and not promise more than we're confident that we'd be prepared to provide in the future."

Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, said his committee was prepared Monday to move forward on a package incorporating most of the House's pay raise levels, but only for the next year. 

That measure did not advance, however. The Senate Finance Committee spent most of its meeting Monday discussing bills related to establishment of an intermediate appeals court and tackling the state's huge unfunded liability for health benefits promised to public employees in retirement. 

But the Senate can still modify any bill it receives from the House, and the committee expects to vote on House bill calling for two years' worth of raises on Wednesday.

Kessler and Prezioso said they recognized the need to give raises to state employees, but they want to make sure they don't harm the state's fiscal situation in doing so.

"We want to be very cognizant of the needs of our employees in the state, yet we want to be fiscally responsible, come back next year and reevaluate, and if there's money, we'll move forward again," Prezioso said.

"But we don't want to get into multi-year pay packages where we could get in trouble next year in case something happens - either with coal, natural gas or whatever."

But while they may not support the multi-year pay package, Senate leaders say they would like to develop a long-term approach to raise the starting salary of state teachers.

To be more competitive with neighboring states, leaders want to find a way to boost the starting salary for teachers from its current level of $30,187.

"We've got to look at a long-term strategy to raise the starting salary of our professional educators," Senate Education Committee Chairman Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, said.

Plymale would like to see the starting salary raised to about $35,000, but at a pace that is reasonable and less than the amount provided in the two-year House package.

Passage of a one-year, across-the-board increase could buy some time for lawmakers to reevaulate state finances and come up with a plan to accomplish that goal.

"We're looking at a long-term strategy with a short-term pay raise," Kessler said.

]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT 20e93ad3-30da-4397-abbb-5f35753df11a <![CDATA[Hoping what is sweeping Wisconsin doesn't come here]]> Chris Swindell: Hoping what is sweeping Wisconsin doesn't come here
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Thanks to conservatives who themselves become conspiratorial in the machinations of the very rich, we have become a country that has turned its back on a fair wage and benefits.

News flash. Wisconsin, Ohio and New Jersey teachers and other unions AREN'T the problem with the budgets in those states. The governors there are not trying to balance their budgets as they loudly claim. They're trying to dismantle the only remaining source of democratic influence left in the United States of the wealthy -- unions. This is about power and union busting. And many tea party conservatives are stupidly buying into the company line: "If we can just get rid of those damn unions, our budget problems will be fixed."

The governor of Wisconsin gave tax breaks to his wealthy contributors as soon as he was elected . . . and it added substantially to the debt. But, the wealthy taxpayers of Wisconsin are egging on the ridiculous anti-union chant coming from people who themselves struggle for a living wage. Decades ago, the wealthy let teachers educate young people without a living wage. Other low-wage workers eventually joined forces simply to try to be part of the American dream. This Republican notion that somehow the unions are the problem is a lie straight from Hell. The people we're attacking are not mooching off the taxpayers. They're not ignorant and unmovable. They've offered to help fix the budget crisis. But, many of these governors, as I said, don't really want that. They want the source of their opponent's strength destroyed.

Previously, I asked why West Virginia, home of coal mining unions in the face of terrible robber barons, would vote against the middle class and for the wealthy. Now this union fight has come and I ask the question again. If we let these people destroy a living wage and decent benefits we will have lost the last best hope we have of a working middle class. Nothing less than the future of the country is at stake.

Another news flash. Nobody in the Wisconsin teachers' union is wealthy.

Teachers, of whom I am one, never even hope to aspire to comfort. We teach because we love your kids. And you repay us by calling us the names provided to you by the union-busting millionaires who pull your puppet strings like a marionette.

We do have one repair that needs made and everybody knows it. We need to get rid of bad teachers hiding behind the union. But, we don't dismantle the union and return to a system of dreadful political patronage to do it. Nine out of 10 teachers work harder than their pay grade dictates. Many spend their own money on supplies because the school system can't afford basic necessities. We shop at Wal-Mart. And these are the people you claim are ruining your country?

If I didn't feel sorry for you in your colossal ignorance I'd challenge you to a dual for my honor. Bumper stickers say, "If you can read, thank a teacher." I'll go one better, "If you can read this commentary, pay a teacher a living wage, raise taxes starting with the rich, cut spending in entitlements, Medicare, Medicaid and DEFENSE, and then we'll talk about pay cuts for state employees."

But, don't start here. And for God's sakes, stop listening to people who really don't care about you. They hate me because I oppose them. And you're helping every time you and your small salary speak ill of the people who are only trying to make a living. West Virginians, I believe, are better than that.

Swindell is an associate professor of journalism at Marshall University, ]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT c99b7f67-6006-4f2f-b186-b2ba0efd00b6 <![CDATA[Cutting early education funding is misdirected]]> Kay Goodwin: Cutting early education funding is misdirected
As chairman of the West Virginia Early Childhood Advisory Council, I believe it is important for all West Virginians to be aware that proposed federal funding cuts will have serious and detrimental effects on programs in our state.

The Early Childhood Advisory Council, the statewide coordinating body for early childhood programs and policies, is concerned about reductions in funding that are now in the budget documents of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In its budget proposal for the remaining months of Fiscal Year 2011, the House has proposed drastic cuts to Head Start, Early Head Start, the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, and the Child Care Development Block Grant, along with countless other programs that affect the quality of lives for West Virginia children and families every day.

These cuts are not only dollar signs. These cuts must be viewed as a loss of quality education for our children, a loss of quality childcare available for working families, and a loss of meaningful employment for our child care and education professionals.

Lawmakers and elected officials all across the country are now facing a major challenge: managing shrinking budgets while supporting policies that will strengthen America's workforce and get our economy growing again. They have our sympathy and our recognition that this is a unique and complex dilemma.

In difficult economic times, families set priorities and seek to focus on what matters most. We as a country and we as a state must do the same. The West Virginia Early Childhood Advisory Council strongly urges our elected officials to recognize and remember what existing data supports: investing in early childhood education is a fiscally responsible way to reduce deficits and produce immense gains for children and for taxpayers.

It has been proven that the short-term costs of this investment are more than offset by immediate and long-term benefits: better health, reduced dependence on social programs, less contact with the criminal justice system, and increased productivity and independence.

It is puzzling and frightening to our council that national lawmakers are proposing devastating cuts to the very early childhood programs that serve our most at-risk children.

Our country cannot move forward if we insist on moving backward in our funding of effective and economically stimulating programs. We, the West Virginia Early Childhood Advisory Council, urge lawmakers to maintain the current funding available to states and communities for the important early childhood programs that keep children learning and the economy growing.

Kay Goodwin is cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts. ]]> Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:00:00 GMT 8c171dbc-cfa6-4aac-acf4-3648c9aedd19 <![CDATA[Lawmakers to tweak OPEB attack plan]]> Lawmakers to tweak OPEB attack plan
By Lawrence Messina

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Lawmakers hope to ease the potential pain facing West Virginia's public retirees in their plan to attack a massive health benefits funding shortfall.

The Senate Finance Committee should take up the measure Monday, with an eye on the impact of its proposed cap on retiree premium subsidies, said Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha and the bill's lead sponsor.

"It's expected that there will be some revisions that will be favorable to the retirees as one of the affected parties," McCabe said Friday. "There should be some positive improvement presented at Monday's meeting."

McCabe also wants the committee to advance resolutions directed at the Public Employees Insurance Agency, which oversees the retiree benefits. To be drafted over the weekend, these would provide guidance particularly for the next five years, McCabe said.

"To really resolve this, it's going to require significant effort from the PEIA executive director and the finance board," McCabe said. "We don't want to tell them what to do, but these would be the kinds of things that they should be looking at."

The clock is ticking for the McCabe-led measure. All Senate bills must pass to the House by Wednesday to remain active for the legislative session's final 10 days.

The pending bill targets the cost of other post-employment benefits, or OPEB. The latest estimate calculates an $8 billion gap between on-hand assets and what West Virginia's government employers -- including the state, counties and their school boards -- have promised in addition to pensions as retirement benefits.

Nearly all the unfunded liability reflects health coverage costs. For all enrollees hired before July 2010, PEIA has promised to defray their health insurance premiums once they retire. But PEIA funds this subsidy through the premiums paid by active employees. The subsidies consume more than one-fifth of those active premiums, according to agency figures. Now totaling about $150 million, subsidies are expected to cost $300 million in 2021, and nearly $600 million in 2031 absent any changes to the system.

As amended by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, the pending bill would cap subsidies at $160 million and then slightly increase that cap annually. It would also nearly triple the state cigarette tax to $1.50 per pack, and dedicate $50 million of the resulting revenues annually toward the retiree health-care costs for 15 years. Senate Judiciary increased the lifespan of that revenue stream from 10 years.

Officials would deposit these earmarked revenues into a trust fund created last decade to address the OPEB liability. The bill would prevent any spending of those revenues during the 15 years, allowing them instead to reap investment earnings.

The McCabe-led proposal would also change what non-state government employers must provide the trust fund each year. Most of West Virginia's 55 county school boards sued last year, without success, over these annual required contributions. The boards argued that they could not afford these payments, but otherwise faced listing them as debts that could then harm the credit ratings of the financing bonds they issue.

The pending bill calls on PEIA to calculate a "contractually required contribution," or the lowest possible amount due.

"It's an improvement because they're booking a lower amount," McCabe said. "This is a way to soften the pain, and it's something we can do that helps everybody."

The measure would also no longer charge the counties for the liability from teachers and other employers paid through the state's share of education funding.

"That's very significant," McCabe said. "We're taking that liability away from them, and that's about 45 percent of the OPEB debt. That's a huge decision on the part of the state."

That provision may also create a hurdle for the bill, particularly in the House of Delegates. Some lawmakers there question whether the state must depart from its ongoing pay-as-you-go approach, as the McCabe-led measure proposes.

"We'll just need to take a close look at it when it gets here, if it gets here," House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said last week.

McCabe also expects Senate Finance to decide whether to tinker with the bill's cigarette tax hike. A separate measure, also pending in that committee, proposes both that increase and one for the tax on other tobacco products.

This measure would also dedicate annual funding toward the OPEB liability, but would provide revenues as well to Medicaid, substance abuse programs, anti-smoking efforts and other health-care-related needs. Like the OPEB proposal, this bill faces Wednesday's crossover deadline.]]> Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:00:00 GMT 74fdf0ae-1b87-4ede-b068-6051f9d96e36 <![CDATA[ Reaction to possible teacher pay raise]]> Reaction To Possible Teacher Pay Raise
MetroNews Talkline

The president of the West Virginia Education Association says two percent isn't much of a raise, but his organization will take it and work to make it more in future years.

"When the contiguous states are moving at a rate above two percent, this isn't going to do anything to make us competitive, but this is a starting point," said WVEA President Dale Lee.

This week, the House Finance Committee advanced a bill building a two percent pay hike for teachers and other state workers into the budget. Raises have been hard to come by amid the economic climate, but Lee says they've been hard to come by even when economic conditions were good.

"When you have almost a tenth of the classrooms without a certified teacher, that tells you there's a problem," said Lee. "We have to start building the base and building the salaries to make them competitive with contiguous states so we're not just a training ground."

One offer aimed at teacher recruitment is legislation to pay off student loans if teachers stay in West Virginia to teach in the areas of math and science. Lee likes the idea, but says the needs go well beyond those two subjects.

"I understand those are critical needs, but how do you tell a first grader in McDowell County who doesn't have a certified teacher it's not as important as a math or science teacher?" Lee asked on Friday's MetroNews Talkline.

Lee says there's evidence that paying math and science teachers more, even significantly more, isn't going to attract them to the classroom. He says those with the skill set to teach math and science can make exponentially more money in other fields besides teaching--and school salaries could never compete with the level of money those jobs offer.]]> Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:00:00 GMT b2554960-6c85-49e8-b937-1d40f462c84f <![CDATA[Package would give $70 million in pay raises]]> Package would give $70 million in pay raises
by Ry Rivard
by Jared Hunt
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The House Finance Committee on Thursday turned acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's $47 million bonus package for public workers into $70 million worth of permanent pay raises.

The package would give $1,800 raises to teachers over two years - $900 this year and $900 the next. School workers would receive $1,000 over two years. State Police officers would receive a $970 raise over one year. Department of Natural Resources officers would get $835.

That's about a 2 percent pay raise for those workers.

House committee staffers provided the figures. Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, could not be reached for immediate comment. The House Finance Committee passed the plan amid a flurry of other legislative activity.

A Tomblin spokesman was not aware of the increases Thursday evening.

A teachers' union leader expressed support.

"I think it will help us to be more competitive certainly in attracting teachers. I think everybody understands that we have a real need to get some science and math teachers," said Judy Hale, president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

Hale said other state workers are also expected to get a permanent raise, but that raise will come in another piece of legislation.

The finance committee's plan was significantly more generous to workers than a plan proposed by Tomblin in his State of the State address. He sought only $800, one-time bonuses for teachers and $500 bonuses for school service personnel.

Other public workers - including higher education employees - would have received a 2 percent bonus or $500, whichever was higher.

"And although I would like to do more, the fact is at the moment we cannot afford additional pay raises that will add to the state budget forever," Tomblin said at the time. "Our economy is too fragile and our long-term budget is too constrained."

His plan would have cost about $47 million total and would have been only a one-time expense and not an obligation in the state budget for years to come.

The finance committee's plan, by contrast, would cost about $70 million over the next two years alone. The increase for troopers costs $660,000 and the increase for DNR officers about $85,000.

Each year of the two-year pay raise for school employees costs $34 million, for a total of $68 million in the next two budget years. A House Finance Committee staffer said the pension-related benefits for the whole package have not been calculated.

Committee member Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, voted in favor of the plan because he felt it was time to act to improve salaries for employees. But he also had concerns about the plan's effect on future budget years.

"I recognize that state workers, teachers and the state police need and deserve a pay raise," Cowles said, "but I do worry about the base building. While I think we can find the money this year, I worry about the future years."

House Education Chairwoman Mary Poling, D-Barbour, called the raise "modest."

"It's certainly a very modest pay raise," she said. "I think it's important that it be base building. With the pattern of excess revenues we've seen in the past few years, I think it can be sustained."

State officials are projecting a $200 million budget surplus, but others worry that long-term debts and Medicaid-related costs could wallop the state in years to come.

]]> Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:00:00 GMT 5fba508b-515f-405f-bc23-6e114c063f02 <![CDATA[Survey finds most teachers agree with proposals]]> Survey finds most teachers agree with proposals
by Zack Harold
Daily Mail staff

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--State teachers largely agree with acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's education proposals but disagree with other, more drastic, education reforms, according to a survey conducted by the West Virginia Education Association.

More than 3,300 teachers participated in the online survey, conducted by the WVEA from Jan. 14-18.

The teachers union survey showed 87 percent of teachers favored expanding vocation courses to middle schools, which Tomblin mentioned in his February State of the State address.

Around 60 percent strongly agree with Tomblin's ideas to reduce the high level of teacher vacancies and 53 percent agree with his push to help schools teach students "21st Century skills."

Only 3 percent favored bringing charter schools to the Mountain state - 85 percent disagreed, with 56 percent marking "strongly disagree."

Just 5 percent agreed that student academic achievement should figure into teacher assessments.

Tomblin did not make any mention of charter schools or teacher assessments in his address.

But other lawmakers, including former Gov. Joe Manchin, have pushed heavily for such legislation.

About 60 percent of teachers surveyed also disagreed with lengthening the school year. About 54 percent disagreed with moving to a year-round school calendar, even if teachers still worked 200-day contracts.

Teachers overwhelmingly supported reducing class sizes - around 96 percent agreed. Around 89 percent supported eliminating some student assessment measurements, like the reading benchmarking test DIBELS.

Dale Lee, president of the teachers union, said the survey results show teachers feel left out of the education policy-making process.

"It shows they didn't submit to things like charter schools that we know won't work, and it shows the frustration level of teachers out there. Because they're not being asked what types of reform won't work," he said.

Lee says Tomblin's proposals "play on the fringes" of what needs to be done in West Virginia schools. He said the best fix for the state's education problems is giving teachers more time to teach, collaborate with their peers and plan.

"We're just inundated with programs and tests," he said. "All we're doing now is teaching tests."

He said his organization would like the state Department of Education and the Legislature to adopt teacher-empowering policies that would allow educators to pick which student assessments they want to use and decide what to teach, when to teach it and how to teach.]]> Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:00:00 GMT 5463666c-c283-4206-b7cb-fc491fe9503d <![CDATA[Bill would change testing for home schoolers]]> Bill would change testing for home-schoolers
Opponents fear legislation will take away parents' rights to teach children
by Zack Harold

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bill before the House of Delegates is raising hackles among West Virginia home school families.

If passed, the bill would remove from state law language that allows home-schooled students to take "nationally normed standardized achievement tests."

Students instead would be required to take West Virginia's Westest 2 assessment or prepare a portfolio of their year's schoolwork to show educational progress.

The bill also would give the state Board of Education authority to "determine the proficiency scores necessary to remain in a home school environment."

Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor, introduced the bill on Feb. 15, but it remains in the House Education committee. He said he doesn't expect the bill to pass this session because the Legislature's calendar is full and his bill, House Bill 3152, didn't make the cut.

However, it still is the talk of home school households.

"I'm glad it's dead in the water," said Mary Ellen Hunt, a mother from Wirt County.

Hunt and other members of the Christian Home Educators of West Virginia visited Charleston Tuesday as part of the organization's "2011 Home School Day at the Capitol."

She a