News

Joint education committee learns more about 21st Century initiative

Substitute bill would allow retirees to teach in areas of critical need

Although the world may have become “flat” from the rapidity of communications, technology and the Internet, that doesn’t mean the world is less complex.

“We have to know a lot more about a lot more things,” said Jorea Marple, Ed.D., an assistant state superintendent of schools, in discussing West Virginia’s 21st Century Skills Initiative. Marple spoke to a joint Senate-House Education Committee Thursday afternoon.

Contemporary life has become more complex, based largely on the rapid expansion of knowledge, Marple said. It has created a need for new ways of learning and educational reform.

In addition to 21st Century learners, state education officials must concentrate on attracting “unified stakeholders” who will marshal support and resources to advance public education. – Jorea Marple, Ed.D.

Any resulting reform, however, should not displace the best in current education theory and practice but should be adapted to inform and meet the needs of this century. That is especially true for educational systems that are aware of global issues, different cultures and different approaches to problem-solving – as well as to two generations of learners. Those “digital natives” have been nurtured by videogames, computers and the Internet and the educational system must provide them new skills.

“Teaching has to be connected” to these students’ upbringings and the context of their learning skills and habits, said Marple. She contends no new programs are necessary -- just new emphases such as curricula aligned to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing as well as a revised state testing program geared to higher rigor and to more nationally accepted norms. There should also be revisions in state Board of Education policies.

Marple said the state should expect to see a “systematic, logical process of changing education,” not through new programs but through heightened emphasis on staff development, use of class time and the school year, and higher learning skills, including creative thinking. Resulting initiatives, however, should not “make life more difficult for teachers,” she said.

In discussing a 21st Century classroom, Marple said the emphasis would be on collaborative learning, group or team problem-solving, use of technology and creative teaching strategies. Teachers will educate children in ways so students can retrieve knowledge from various sources, analyze information and apply a broad array of information-based solutions to problem-solving.

“If this (bill) lingers too long, there could be a problem in some counties.” -- David Mohr, House Education Committee counsel

In addition to 21st Century learners, state education officials must concentrate on attracting “unified stakeholders” who will marshal support and resources to advance public education. “Children are products of the entire community,” she said.

Marple also introduced a four-minute video that features State Superintendent of Schools Steven Paine, Ed.D., and other education officials and students as they discuss aspects of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Marple received only one question during the 45-minute presentation.

Reportedly, several legislators are unclear about the goals and purpose of the 21st Century Skills Initiative, hence the Joint Committee meeting. West Virginia and North Carolina are the two states that have signed on to the 21st Century Skills Partnership.

The 21st Century group, which comprises business leaders, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and other organizations, will meet in West Virginia this summer, according to its Web site.

The state superintendent has discussed the program on three occasions with county board members, including a presentation in last September in which he also discussed his findings concerning public education, based on a mid-summer trip to China.

Critics of the program, including some county board members, say the initiative lacks concentrated focus and that the WVDE has yet to articulate, in simple terms, goals for the program.

House and Senate education leaders, however, appear pleased with the program, calling it one of the strongest education initiatives in the last several years, according to Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne.

For more information regarding the program, visit www.21stcenturyskills.org.

Bill would allow retirees to substitute without losing benefits

In other legislative action this week, the House Education Committee on Jan. 15 approved legislation that would allow retired educators to substitute in areas of critical needs and shortage, as defined by county boards, for an unlimited number of days without affecting retirement benefits.

The original legislation, which was adopted a few years ago, expired in 2006. House Bill 2105 would extend its life until 2010.

Several HEC members urged swift passage of the measure, which died in the Senate last year, due to retired teachers possibly “caught” before the new legislation would take effect, meaning they could lose retirement benefits.

“If this (bill) lingers too long, there could be a problem in some counties,” said David Mohr, House Education Committee counsel.

Del. Walter Duke, R-Berkeley, questioned who determines areas of critical need and shortage. Committee leaders said individual counties, through policy, determine the areas – as approved by the state Board of Education. Duke asked which, because the Legislature’s Oversight Commission on Educational Accountability (LOCEA) does not receive reports regarding the effect of individual county policies.

HB 2105 is in passage stage in the House today.

“This rule change is our way of following through on our vow to make the process more open and deliberative.” -- House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne

Teacher and service personnel demonstrate for higher pay

Charleston-area news media reported that a few thousand teachers and school service personnel from across the state attended a rally at the Capitol demanding a higher pay increase than that proposed by the governor – a 2.5 percent increase for teachers and a one-time bonus for school service personnel.

            Gov. Joe Manchin said he isn’t budging from his pay proposals, meaning the Legislature would have to come up with any additional money to best the governor’s plan – exactly what the governor had in mind, according to legislative observers.

Consent calendar gone

The House of Delegates quickly and unanimously voted earlier in the week to kill the House Consent Calendar.

New House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, released this statement to WVSBA about the change:

“This rule change is our way of following through on our vow to make the process more open and deliberative. While the intent behind the Consent Calendar – to make the bill adoption system more efficient by moving those bills that unanimously passed out of committee in groups – is valid, in practice it has prevented members and the public from being able to adequately follow legislation and have input through offered amendments. We need to slow this part of the process down, so that everyone can examine and consider each bill individually.”

The demise of the House’s Consent Calendar, which was adopted several years ago to make deliberations more efficient, did not grab much media attention nor were there many public comments from delegates or lobbyists. However, some predict longer House sessions – a reference to House floor meetings which would often go past midnight for several days a week during the last days of the session.

 

County board members urged to attend Feb. 22 meeting on school safety
School Building Authority to talk about requirements for funding

School Building Authority of West Virginia Executive Director Mark Manchin, Ed.D., will discuss Gov. Joe Manchin’s school safety initiative at a Feb. 22 meeting of county superintendents. The meeting site has not been determined.

County board presidents also will receive a copy of the memorandum forwarded to superintendents. The goal, according to West Virginia School Boards Association Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., is for each county board to have a member, preferably the county board president, attend the Feb. 22 meeting.

“This meeting is critical for at least one board member from each county to attend,” O’Cull said. “I hope board presidents can attend, and if not, at least a board member designee.”

O’Cull said the governor’s initiative is based on securing schools through facility ingress and egress and that the safety program is important because of the emphasis on access to school facilities.

“I hope this project, for which the governor has called for $10 million in funding, is just the first in a series of initiatives that look at school security for our students, of course, as well as school employees and citizens who attend, work or visit our schools.”

Based on the governor’s proposal in his Jan. 10 State of the State Address, the SBA is working with a consultant to assist in the preparation of a School Access Safety Audit (SASA) for West Virginia schools. The consultant will recommend guidelines to county boards to be eligible for the SASA dollars.

According to the Jan. 17 memorandum, the SBA-sponsored meeting will include an “explanation of the requirements for the (SASA) audits of school facilities, guidelines for the (SASA) Plan, project submittal requirements and an explanation of the 25 (percent) matching fund requirements included in Senate Bill 67.

Manchin said a “key element” of the plan will include cooperation with the Countywide Council on Productive and Safe Schools as established in §18-5-42.

As determined by the SBA, a prerequisite for receiving SASA funds will be successful completion of proposed Audit and SASA Plan, with that information “incorporated into your county Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP)” which, in turn, must be approved by the SBA.

The $10 million school safety dollars would be expended, based on second-month student enrollment figures.

A 25 percent county board match is required to receive the SASA funds, according to the governor’s proposal.

A copy of the proposed legislation is available at the West Virginia Legislature’s Web site, www.legis.state.wv.us/ or the SBA’s Web site at www.wv.state.wv.us/wvsba/.

For more information, contact Mark Manchin’s office at (304) 558-2541.

 

Program taps business to boost schools

By Jessica M. Karmasek
Charleston Daily Mail

Education officials are working on a new program that aims to capitalize on the expertise of the state's business leaders to help struggling schools.

The Student Educational and Economic Development Success program -- known as SEEDS -- is based on a program in Florida that brings corporate executives into classrooms to help educators work more efficiently.

In West Virginia, the program will be a public-private partnership between the state and The Education Alliance, a statewide public education fund and non-profit organization.

The program's objective is to transform struggling schools through established business practices, such as time management, goal setting and performance measurement.

The program's objective is to transform struggling schools through the use of established business practices, such as time management, goal setting and performance measurement, and doing it with the help of local business executives.

Gov. Joe Manchin announced the creation of the program in his State of the State address last week.

"SEEDS will be used as a voluntary tool to help those schools that most need intervention and whose principals are open to change and are enthusiastic about the program's infusion of new thinking and strategies," Manchin told lawmakers in his address.

The program will be ready for select schools to test out starting in the next school year, Manchin's spokeswoman, Lara Ramsburg, said. It will be voluntary for under-performing schools that want to participate.

"It's not a mandate of any kind," Ramsburg said. "It's not about turning schools into business. It's simply, let's try to improve schools any way we can."

The SEEDS program is based on the Partnership to Advance School Success -- the PASS program -- in Florida.

The PASS program, pioneered in 1999 by the Council for Education Change, invites top corporate executives into the classroom, where they serve as mentors to principals for a period of three years.

The program has allowed CEOs and financial officers to build one-on-one relationships with principals. They share their expertise in business and give leadership advice. Professional educators also serve as coaches in the program.

"The focus is on those under-achieving schools, to help bring them up to the base line," Ramsburg said.

The principles of SEEDS are similar to those under the state's 21st Century Skills initiative, which aims to prepare today's students for the global job market and ensures students are skilled at problem solving and critical thinking, as well as the use of technology.

"It is similar in that we're trying to prepare students for the future, for a different, more global world any way that we can," Ramsburg said.

State officials said they think the program, still in the developmental stages, will bring a unique business perspective to West Virginia schools.

"We're still working on the details, but I think once it's all outlined and done and people see how successful it was in Florida, I think we will have a lot of people who want to participate and be a part of the program," Ramsburg said.

For more information on Florida's PASS program, visit www.educationchange.com/PASS/.

From the Jan. 15, 2007, Charleston Daily Mail, www.dailymail.com.

 

West Virginia Board of Education embraces 21st Century Skills with paperless agendas

The West Virginia Board of Education has taken its efforts to incorporate 21st century skills into schools to heart by embracing new technology that allows them to abandon outdated paper agendas at its monthly meetings in favor of electronic ones.

Equipped with laptop computers, the board conducted its two-day January meeting without the mountain of paper documents that had become common. Past agendas had included upwards of 200 pages each.

About 30 copies were printed each month and then delivered or mailed to board members, West Virginia Department of Education employees and others.

“As we move forward with our 21st Century Learning initiative, using tools of the 21st century is the right thing to do,” said West Virginia Board of Education President Lowell Johnson. “It seemed wrong to ask students, teachers, parents and others to adopt new technology if we were not willing to do so ourselves. This is a positive move that can only foster better communication.”

The paperless agendas also make late changes and revisions easier and allow for fast, quick communication to the board, staff and public. It is expected to save thousands of dollars.

State policies, announcements, data and many other electronic resources are already posted on the state Department of Education’s Web site at wvde.state.wv.us.

“It is important that we continue to look for ways like this to improve how we communicate in the increasingly connected world of the 21st century,” said WVBE Vice President Delores Cook. “The paperless agenda allows us to enhance public access to information.”

For more information, contact Liza Cordeiro, director of the Office of Communications, at (304) 558-2699.

From the West Virginia Department of Education, Jan. 10, 2007

 

Administrative Perspective

Flurry of bills introduced; School Access Safety ACt; GASB are among important topics being considered as Legislature enters into 3rd week of session

By Martha Dean
Executive Director, West Virginia Association of School Administrators

There have been a flurry of new bills introduced as Delegates and Senators have sent bills to drafting and gotten them back for introduction.

Howard has previewed several of these in the earlier publication. One bill I want to mention because it has the ability to impact all counties. That bill is Senate Bill 67 which was introduced at the request of the governor. Its provisions are entitled the “School Access Safety Act” for school facilities in West Virginia.

This proposed legislation, if passed, will direct the administration and distribution of $10 million for school safety in the state.

School Building Authority of West Virginia Executive Director Mark Manchin, Ed.D., has plans to have all counties submit a plan for safety in the schools in order to be eligible for funds from the $10 million.

There is a meeting planned for Feb. 22 in Charleston to inform all county superintendents as well as board of education presidents about the requirements found in SB67 and to help them begin the drafting of a county plan.

I believe this meeting to be very important and urge all superintendents to be there. The regular West Virginia Association of School Administrators meeting will be held in the morning of Feb. 22, at the Capitol in the Governor’s Conference Room. That afternoon a meeting will be held at the Marriott to learn about the school safety planning.

This week one bill was passed out of House Education, House Bill 2105. This bill has a single purpose: to allow retired teachers to teach beyond the 140 days permitted by the Retirement Board without losing any of their retirement benefits if they are needed to substitute in an area of critical need and shortage as defined by the county Board and adopted as such in policy.

This law had previously been in effect but expired June 30, 2006. This bill extends the expiration date to June 30, 2010. At the committee meeting, there was a recognized need to pass the bill out because of a shortage of substitute teachers throughout the state.

Del. Ron Fragale, D-Harrison, raised the issue of when the bill would become effective. It is to be effective on passage. Others raised the issue as to whether or not the bill would indeed become effective soon enough to impact all retired teachers as the school year is currently about half over and moving a bill through the Legislature takes some time.

It was decided to pass the bill out on Tuesday with the possibility of amending it from the floor to insert language that would make sure it would apply to all retired teachers substituting this year. Motion passed with one dissenting vote.

Editor’s Note: This legislation is on passage stage in the House of Delegates today.

GASB

There has been some discussion with Legislators by superintendents regarding the potential impact of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board rules §34 and §45. I think that it is still a very important issue that demands attention from superintendents, treasurers and board members.

There is a teleconference on Monday to answer questions that are disturbing many individuals. It is critical that administrators and board members take advantage of the information presented during the teleconference. This is an issue on which we need to become more educated ourselves and prepare for the task of educating others.

21st Century Skills Initiative

Thursday afternoon both Senate and House Education members met jointly to hear a presentation about 21st Century Learning. Many educators are learning more about this initiative and were interested in hearing the presentation.

 

WVSBA Briefs

Winter Conference program coming together
Participant-led session, legislator visits part of the Feb. 16-17 agenda

The West Virginia School Boards Association/West Virginia Board of Education School Board Member Training Standards Review Committee (TSRC) has approved the West Virginia School Boards Association’s Winter Conference program.

The Winter Conference is Feb. 16-17 at Charleston’s Marriott Town Center hotel. The West Virginia School Boards Association/West Virginia Association of School Administrators “Reception With Legislators” is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by the WVSBA Executive Board meeting.

These are the training programs approved by the TSRC, with input from the State Superintendent of Schools:

• West Virginia Department of Education school finance official Susan Smith and Deputy Superintendent Jack McClanahan, Ed.D., will present the Government Accounting Standards Board Rules §34, §45 (GASB) program.

The TSRC deemed the previously proposed panel discussion format too cumbersome, given divergent thoughts among interest groups. “The TSRC thought this approach would create considerable, but divergent information and likely confusion about the topics, thus (Smith’s) program, previously presented to a GASB working group, was selected,” said Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., WVSBA executive director. “There will be ample time for questions-and-answers, based on how we’re defining the program.”

• A workshop relating to board-superintendent relations, which O'Cull and WVSBA Counsel Howard E. Seufer Jr., Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love, would present. They are conducting a similar program at a January WVASA meeting. “A central question is whether educational issues have become too complex for lay boards,” O’Cull said. “If that were the case, what is the emergent state of board-superintendent relations?”
• A seminar relating to county implications of West Virginia Board of Education Policy §2510
• A WVBE-requested session concerning special needs students. Claudia Bentley, a BRMGL attorney and Lynn Boyer, a state Department of Education special education official, will present this program.
• A workshop dealing with proposed state School Aid Formula (SAF) revisions.
• A workshop about county board excess levies, presented by WVSBA Vice President Steve Cook (Monongalia) and WVDE Office of School Finance Director Joe Panetta.
• A second participant-led discussion session moderated by O'Cull. This session differs from previous programs in that members would provide suggested topics in advance.

As approved by the TSRC, the program will include 7.75 hours of school board member training.

The conference program also features visits to legislators at the capitol, arranged by WVSBA. These visits will occur Friday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon, preceding the conference program which begins at 1 p.m. that day.

This is the last planned association training session until a meeting in May. That program will provide 4.5 hours of training, as it is a “drive-in” conference similar to the program format for this past November’s school security workshop.

 

West Virginia School Boards Association
2007 Winter Conference Program

Feb. 16-17
Charleston Marriott Town Center

Friday, Feb. 16

1 p.m. “GASB or What Hath God Wrought?”
2:30 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. Workshops

• Participant-led discussions (advanced registration required)
• Proposed School Aid Formula (SAF) revisions

4:30 p.m. Adjournment
7 p.m. Special Needs Students: The latest information about proposed West Virginia Board of Education policy and practical approaches to practice
9 p.m. Adjournment

Saturday, Feb. 17

8 a.m. FY08 Annual Business Meeting
9 a.m. School Security (PROPOSED)
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Workshops

• Board-Superintendent Relations: What’s going on?
• County Board Excess Levies: An overview

11:45 a.m. Adjournment

 

Resources

Bill Abstract
Edcuation-Related House Bills

House Bill 2105 – Extending the expiration date of provisions permitting retired teachers to accept employment as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage for an unlimited number of days without affecting retirement benefits. House Third Reading (Passage Stage) Jan. 19.

2007 LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

First Day - Jan. 10, 2007: First day of session: (WV Const. Art. VI. §18)

20th Day - Jan. 29, 2007: Submission of Legislative Rule-Making Review bills due. (WV Code §29A-3-12)

41st Day - Feb. 19, 2007: Last day to introduce bills in Senate. Does not apply to originating or supplementary appropriation bills. (Senate Rule 14) Does not apply to Senate resolutions or concurrent resolutions.

45th Day - Feb. 23, 2007: Last day to introduce bills in House of Delegates. Does not apply to originating or supplementary appropriation bills. (House Rule 91a) Does not apply to House resolutions or concurrent resolutions.

47th Day - Feb. 25, 2007: Bills due out of committees in house of origin to ensure three full days for readings.

50th Day - Feb. 28, 2007: Last day to consider bill on third reading in house of origin. Does not include budget or supplementary appropriation bills (Joint Rule 5b)

60th Day - March 10, 2007: Adjournment at Midnight. (WV Const. Art. VI, §22)

-From the West Virginia Legislature

 

Professional development session explores programs that prepare students for post-secondary education

Availability vs. Accessibility, Feb. 21-22, 2007
Expanding the Pipeline to Post-Secondary Education

What available research-based practices and programs increase the academic achievement of all students, particularly low-income and minority students? This two-day session will help educators find out.

Day 1 - Feb. 21, 2007
11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- What do 21st Century Skills look like?
- Why must professional development change?
- What is quality professional development?

Day 2 - Feb. 22, 2007
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Keynote by Dr. Brian Noland, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
- Learn about each program’s or practice’s data and research base, program format and implementation costs.

Programs include:

• Student Support and Enrichment: College Summit, CollegeEd, Gear Up, HSTA, Ruby Payne’s Framework, TRIO/Upward Bound, WV Clearinghouse, WV Connections – ESL, higher education strategies for transitioning students to post-secondary education
• Whole School initiatives: Aha SIMS Classroom Management, AVID, High Schools that Work, Education Alliance, MicroSociety, Professional Development Schools – Benedum Collaborative
• Content Area Programs: Advanced Placement/Pre-AP/Vertical Teams, Handle on Science, InStep, Standards-based mathematics, NBPTS, The Writing Project, Thinking Mathematics, Kansas Writing Strategies

Register online at www.wvcpd.org

This session is offered by the West Virginia Center for Professional Development in collaboration with Regional Education Service Agencies and the West Virginia Department of Education.

Location
Stonewall Resort and Conference Center
940 Resort Drive
Roanoke, WV 26447
(304) 269-7400
www.stonewallresort.com

 

Commentary

Library community seeks funding that protects libraries and recognizes inequities in the School Aid Formula

By J. D. Waggoner, Secretary
West Virginia Library Commission

I am pleased to present a librarian’s view on the recent Supreme Court Ruling in the Board of Education of the County of Kanawha v. the West Virginia Board of Education. This ruling has initiated a long-overdue conversation among educators, librarians, legislators, and the judiciary on the public library’s role in education and in the community and the financial support of this role.

I want to address a central question in this discussion: Is the public library a community luxury or a community necessity?

The state supplements local funding to develop libraries beyond local resources. The state dollars are not intended to replace local funding.

Because this publication is for those outside the usual library community, I want to provide background on how libraries are established. To paraphrase Tip O’Neill, all public libraries are local. They can only be established by county commissions, boards of education, municipalities or a combination of these groups.

The section of the State Code that provides for the establishment of a public library also requires that the local establishing authority or authorities provide for funding “sufficient to the purpose.” The state supplements local funding to develop libraries beyond local resources. The state dollars are not intended to replace local funding.

The majority of the local library laws affected by the Supreme Court ruling were in place before the School Aid Formula legislation was passed. The Ohio County special law dates to the 1930s. With this ruling, the school and library communities find themselves addressing an issue that should have been addressed in the original School Aid Formula legislation.

This oversight, now perceived by the Supreme Court to be wrong, is a circumstance that has been in place for many years. To only seek an answer to the question, “Who do we hurt to make the wrong right?” is to oversimplify both the issue and possible solutions.

The local laws for library funding must be protected. Public libraries are not an option. They are essential foundation blocks for a democratic society and an educated citizenry.

Speaking as the secretary of the West Virginia Library Commission, I know the library community does not think school boards that support libraries should be penalized for that support. This is not a new position prompted by the court ruling. It is the historic position of the library community dating from the first time the School Aid Formula issue was raised.

I think everyone involved in this conversation agrees that learning neither begins nor ends with formal education. If formal education is the air learning breathes, the public library is the food it eats. Both are necessary; both must be supported.

The local laws for library funding must be protected. Public libraries are not an option. They are essential foundation blocks for a democratic society and an educated citizenry. This is especially true in a state such as West Virginia, where so many of our citizens face economic challenges to success.

The public library’s door is open to every citizen and this includes every student. Preschool story hours and other programs prepare children to learn. When they reach the schoolhouse door for the first time, they have larger vocabularies, an appreciation for books, and an enthusiasm for learning.

The value of books and reading in early childhood is proven in study after study. Science fairs, social studies fairs, homework assignments and reading lists bring waves of students into the public library. Summer reading programs in public libraries maintain reading skills while students are out of school.

The Supreme Court ruling has the potential to close libraries, cut back staff and severely cripple library collections.

Many West Virginia households have Internet access; many do not. Every public library in West Virginia has public computers with broadband Internet access. Every library has online subscription databases with information that is not available free on the Web. Hundreds of thousands of state and federal dollars provide these services that add value for all students.

Perhaps the greatest value to learning in the public library is the library staff. Today getting information is easy but getting the right information is difficult. Our state faces the critical challenge of helping people cope with a bewildering amount of information.

Just as the teacher guides learners in the classroom, the librarian guides learners to age-appropriate and accurate sources that provide a variety of viewpoints. The librarian guides learners in finding, evaluating, and using information.

There is no such thing as good education without good libraries. Communities with local library laws have recognized the need to support both. A look at the breakdown of total local funds supporting libraries in FY 2006 tells the story:

Municipalities - 19 percent
County Commissions - 40 percent
Boards of education - 29 percent
Non-tax revenue - 12 percent

However, this breakdown does not tell the whole story, as 67 percent of the dollars provided statewide by boards of education are in the nine counties with local library laws. Nationally, local funding of public libraries in West Virginia ranks 50th. Per capita local support to public libraries in West Virginia is $9.42. The national average is $26.25 per capita.

Numbers bring some issues into sharper focus. It has been suggested that board of education support of public libraries should be voluntary, not legislated. Right now, support from boards of education to public libraries in counties with local library laws represents 86 percent of the education dollars going to libraries.

Public libraries under various excess levies account for another 11 percent of the total support. In counties where no special law or excess levy exists, the contribution from boards of education to public libraries represents only 3 percent of the total statewide funding. This 3 percent funds 35 of 97 public library systems in West Virginia.

Twenty-one libraries receive no funds from boards of education. These figures do not support the viability of voluntary support as a solution. Two counties, Cabell and Lincoln, have local library laws that are not affected by the court ruling because the legislation is written so there is no impact on the School Aid Formula. These laws illustrate a different solution.

I assure you the library community understands the demands placed on school boards; more programs, more regulations, more and more push-down responsibilities, fewer teachers, lower salaries, and what too often translates into a total lack of respect for the efforts to try to juggle every demand.

Still the Supreme Court ruling has the potential to close libraries, cut back staff and severely cripple library collections. This cannot be allowed to happen. The library community seeks an answer that protects the library laws and at the same time recognizes the inequities in the School Aid Formula. Damage to either of these institutions results in damage to all West Virginians.

Editor’s note: J. D. Waggoner has served the West Virginia Library Commission for more than 35 years. He began in the Reference Library and was supervisor of a regional library system, director of library development and deputy director. He was appointed secretary of the West Virginia Library Commission in August 2002.

 

Kanawha board lawyer explains background of library funding issue
State Supreme Court gives Legislature until July 1 to resolved inequities

The following is a brief history of the issue concerning the state School Aid Formula and the special acts of the Legislature requiring school boards to provide funds to libraries.

By James W. Withrow
General Counsel, Kanawha County Board of Education

During the course of the 20th century, the West Virginia Legislature passed a series of special acts, which required nine county boards of education, together with county commissions and sometimes municipalities, to divert a portion of the board’s regular tax levy to support the local library.

At the same time, the Legislature adopted a school funding formula, which in step nine of the formula reduced the amount of state aid given to each county by the amount of the local county’s “local share.” Local share was defined as the amount of the local county board of education’s regular property tax levy, with very limited deductions allowed.

The Kanawha County Board of Education recognized this was unfair and that it basically established two classes of school systems.

As a result, those counties that were required by special act to provide funding for the library were given an amount of state aid based upon the full amount of the county’s regular tax levy, even though a portion of that money was not available for school purposes. The result was that counties with special acts were given a reduced share of state aid compared with the counties that were not required to provide funds to the library.

The Kanawha County Board of Education recognized this was unfair and that it basically established two classes of school systems: One group received a full share of state aid and the others received a reduced share. The Kanawha County board sought to remedy this unequal treatment by requesting their local legislators sponsor a bill, which, if enacted, would have excluded the amount required to be paid to the local library from the calculation of the county’s local share.

While bills to rectify the situation were introduced during at least two legislative sessions, there was never any significant legislative action.

After realizing the Legislature was not going to resolve this problem, the Kanawha County Board of Education, with the support of other affected counties, authorized a lawsuit that sought a determination whether the School Aid Formula, when considered together with the various special acts, created two classes of school systems, thereby denying the affected counties equal protection of the law and denying the students in the county a thorough and efficient education.

The case originally was filed in the state Supreme Court of Appeals, which referred it to the Circuit Court of Kanawha County. The Circuit Court ruled the statute did not create a two-class system and denied the board’s claim. The board appealed to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court agreed by ruling that the current system is unconstitutional and gave the Legislature until July 1, 2007, to come up with a solution.

 

ETC

Looking Back

Senate Bill 300 chief topic of discussion; Underwood called for “seamless” education approach

Senate Bill 300 – then controversial legislation – was the chief topic State Superintendent Henry R. Marockie discussed with legislators. The “Jobs Through Education Act,” which the Legislature passed a year earlier, was touted as one of the first pieces of legislation aimed at preparing students for a global economy through student acquisition of enhanced skills, including technology savvy and future “career designation,” to be prepared for new workplace demands. The career major provisions caught the most objection from legislators.
            In other 1997 session news, the state Department of Education presented its School Aid Formula work session – an annual legislative presentation, with WVDE official Carolyn Arrington, Ed.D., saying the state’s public education support formula “provides counties with a general bucket of money.”
            In the “Commentary” section, Monroe County Schools Superintendent discussed the formulation of a loosely-arranged organization of counties who were “in deficit” to discuss their issues and concerns - the fruits of a 1995 meeting of this group of counties.
            Finally, Gov. Cecil H. Underwood called for “a seamless education system where students have the freedom to move from one (educational) area to another…” – The Legislature, Feb. 21, 1997. 

 

Meanwhile...in Vermont

Education commissioner gathering opinions on school consolidation

Vermont Education Commissioner Richard Cate will start traveling the state to gather suggestions about whether schools should be consolidated to maximize resources. Cate said the opinions will help shape the recommendations he plans to make in the fall to the Legislature, governor and state board of education about school governance.

The attention comes as a number of communities across the state are calling for an overhaul of the state's education funding system. And the cost of education and the best way to raise the money to pay for it is expected to be a major issue in this year's session of the Vermont Legislature.

In May, Cate proposed a model that would cut the number of school districts from 284 to 63 and allow more school choice. That proposal was in response to concerns about the quality and cost of education, declining enrollment, and a shortage of school administrators, he said.

From the Rutland, Vt., Herald, Jan. 16, 2007, www.rutlandherald.com

 

Soundbites

“This is one of the most important things I’ve seen us do in a number of years.” Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, in opening remarks about the West Virginia Department of Education’s 21st Century Learning Skills Initiative. The initiative was discussed at Thursday’s Joint Education Committee meeting in the House of Delegates chambers.

“This legislation is sorely needed in education shortage areas where they have a critical need. I don’t think we should delay it.” – Del. Stan Shaver, D-Preston, discussing House Bill 2105, which relates to Teachers Retirement System retirees substituting in areas of critical need and shortage.

“The (governor’s) salary proposal is not enough if your own child is on free or reduced lunch. It’s not even enough to buy a flat-screen TV for the Governor’s Mansion.” Charles DeLauder, president of the West Virginia Education Association, in remarks to teachers who attended a Charleston rally Jan. 15.

 

Wisdom

Ornate spina rosas, mella tegunt apes: “The rose is guarded by thorns, and honey is protected by bees.”

– Ancient Latin proverb

 

Last Word

Legislators' sins of the past are still a part of the present

Legislators’ sins of the past are still a part of the present

            West Virginians indeed need to invest in the future — but our ability to do that has been restricted by mistakes made in the past. State legislators, many of whom want to grant public school teachers a larger pay raise than proposed by Gov. Joe Manchin, need to keep that firmly in mind.

            Manchin has proposed a 2.5 percent across-the-board pay increase for teachers. In addition, he wants the state to ensure that no teacher, not even those entering the profession, is paid less than $30,000 a year.

            But after the governor made his proposals, during his annual State of the State speech last week, several lawmakers said they would like to give teachers more.

            And Charles Delauder, the Tyler Countian who is head of the West Virginia Education Association, said the raise needs to be much higher. Referring to unfunded liabilities facing state government, Delauder told a reporter, “Those are all sins of the past .... It’s time to invest in education in West Virginia.”

            Unfortunately, those sins were committed in the past — but they are very much a part of the present. It costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year to pay down those liabilities — and that will continue for decades. Legislators indeed may be able to find more money for educators — we hope so, sincerely — but it simply cannot be at the cost of piling up new unfunded liabilities for future generations of West Virginians. That would be an exact opposite of investing in the future.

 

From the Jan. 16, 2007, Elkins Inter-Mountain, www.theintermountain.com

 

The Legislature is published by the West Virginia School Boards Association. It provides county board of education members, state policymakers, school administrators and the education community information and opinions regarding West Virginia legislative issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official opinion or policies of the WVSBA, unless specifically stated.

West Virginia School Boards Association
PO Box 1008
Charleston, WV 25324
Phone (304) 346-0571 • Fax (304) 346-0572 WVSBA.ORG

Kim Cooper (Raleigh), President
dukecoop77@yahoo.com

Jean Westfall (Ritchie County), Chairman
WVSBA Committee on Communications*
Ljwm1108@ruralnet.org

Howard M. O’Cull, Ed. D., Executive Director, Editor
hocull@wvsba.org

Shirley M. Davidson, Administrative Assistant,
Production and Circulation
sdavidson@wvsba.org

* Committee on Communications: Judi Almond (Raleigh), Beth
Cercone (Clay), Bob Duckworth (Taylor), David McCutcheon (Roane),
Mike Mitchem (McDowell), Nancy Walker
(Monongalia), Don Tuttle (Wetzel)

Vincit omnia veritas
“Truth conquers all”