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WV counties plan for $16M in statewide school funding cuts
By Ryan Quinn, Education Reporter
Kanawha and Berkeley counties are expected to lose more than $1 million each, and Putnam and six other counties are each expected to lose more than $500,000 in the first mid-school-year cut since the early ’90s to West Virginia K-12 schools’ largest funding source. Joe Panetta, the state Department of Education’s chief operations officer, said a roughly $16 million...
State SBA President comments on Common Core poll
By Matt Maccaro, MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A recent poll of county school board members shows division on feelings toward the Common Core teaching standards.
The survey was completed by 126 members, or roughly 46 percent, at a conference last month. West Virginia School Board Association President Greg Prudich said geography seemed to be a trend in how members responded.
“My observation is as you...
Green: Families need to instill value of education
By Chris Lawrence, WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Wall Street Journal analysis of U.S. Census Data found Massachusetts was the most educated state in America with just over 41 percent of adults holding at least a bachelor’s degree. The other end of the spectrum found West Virginia the least educated state with fewer than 20 percent of Mountain State adults who attained a college education.
“That’s the...
Teachers begin sifting through Common Core comments
By Ryan Quinn, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
MORGANTOWN — West Virginia K-12 teachers, faculty members who teach teachers and others in the education field have begun analyzing online comments submitted as part of the state’s Common Core-based standards review, which was launched after many lawmakers tried to eliminate the learning requirements earlier this year.
In July, the state Department of Education...
Fayette school problems heat up state school board meeting
By Ryan Quinn, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia Board of Education President Mike Green and fellow board member Bill White continued their public disagreement Wednesday following a forceful showing from Fayette County residents about school consolidation issues in their county.
White first took issue with Green’s letter to the media and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin that called the state School...
Vast majority of online comments support WV's Common Core standards
By Ryan Quinn, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
The vast majority of the roughly 251,400 online comments submitted by more than 4,100 individuals as part of West Virginia’s review of its Common Core-based standards agreed with the K-12 learning requirements, according to data the state Department of Education released this week.
The Academic Spotlight website, which launched July 8 and closed...
Teacher evaluation change delayed
By Ryan Quinn, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
The West Virginia Board of Education has again delayed increasing the role of standardized tests in teacher evaluations.
Fifteen percent of annual evaluations for math and English/language arts teachers this school year were to be based off their students’ improvement in exam scores over last school year — when those students were perhaps taught by different teachers —...
PEIA proposes $120 million in employee benefit cuts
By Phil Kabler, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
With no likelihood of additional funding from the West Virginia government, and with its Reserve Fund already spent down to the minimum balance, the Public Employees Insurance Agency has no options but to make “draconian” cuts in benefits for active employees and retirees, executive director Ted Cheatham told the PEIA Finance Board on Thursday.
The board...
State unaffected by new ruling on dual-credit courses
By Samuel Speciale, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
A new rule that will require high school teachers of dual-credit courses to have a master’s degree won’t affect the way the popular classes are offered in West Virginia, education officials said Friday.
Earlier this summer, the Higher Learning Commission, a Chicago-based group that accredits western and mid-western colleges and universities, issued a rule...
Small counties react to the 1 percent school budget cuts
By Tina Alvey,(Beckley) Register-Herald Reporter
Editor's Note: Here are two news articles about how some smaller county school districts are reacting to the 1 percent county school budget cuts that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced Oct. 5:
Facing budget cuts, Greenbrier schools standing pat for now
While it appears some county school boards around the state...
Officials say eliminating personal property tax would devastate education
By Ryan Quinn, Education Reporter, Charlston Gazette Mail
Education officials told lawmakers Monday that eliminating personal property taxes would cause a huge statewide revenue reduction for county school systems, though one legislator questioned why he was hearing a presentation on a proposal he said hasn’t been made.
Amy Willard, executive director of the West Virginia Department...
Delegate’s Common Core lawsuit dismissed by Supreme Court
By Samuel Speciale, Education Reporter, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The West Virginia Supreme Court has denied one lawmaker’s attempt to end the state Department of Education’s use of Common Core and its standardized testing for students.
Last week, the court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Delegate Michael Folk, R-Berkeley, who alleged the state Board of Education is violating state law and the U.S....