WVSBA The Legislature

October 1, 2010 - Volume 30 / Issue 24 – Revised October 4, 2010

Overview

Stats

Day of Session

Adjourned  Sine Die


Quote: “We can’t spend our way out of it…Money without reform will not fix the problem.” – President Barack Obama discussing education reform with NBCs’ Matt Lauer on “The Today Show,” Sept. 27, 2010.

Inside

 

 

 

“Journalism is literature in a hurry.” – Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), British poet and cultural critic.


By Jim Wallace

West Virginia’s county school boards are back where they started in trying to get relief from the burden of massive liability for OPEB – other post-employment benefits, which are mostly health care benefits promised to current and future public sector retirees.

That is, they must look toward the Legislature for help now that Kanawha County Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman has rejected a lawsuit filed by 50 school boards against the Public Employees Insurance Agency, the PEIA Finance Board and state Auditor Glen Gainer.

The school boards involved in the suit contended that it was unfair for the Legislature a few years ago to require school districts to carry a large portion of the OPEB liability on their books. They maintain that it was the state, not county school boards, that established the benefits promised to teachers and other school employees. Their position also is that the state should be responsible for at least most of the liability because most school salaries are funded by the state through the School Aid Formula.

So far, the school boards have not decided whether to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court. The state’s total OPEB liability has been estimated at about $8 billion with 40 percent to 45 percent assigned to school boards.

The order signed by Kaufman states that the court concluded “that the most appropriate forum for dealing with the Plaintiffs’ grievances is the Legislature, and that, since the Legislature has already made some progress in dealing with these difficult issues and is currently engaged in developing a long range solution to these difficult problems, in the interest of preserving precious judicial resources, the Court should exercise its discretion to decline to hear this matter and should decline to issue declaratory relief in this matter.”

 

Interim panel is working on OPEB

The main legislative effort these days to address the OPEB liability is in Finance Subcommittee C, which has been working through monthly legislative interim meetings to analyze a wide range of proposed solutions. Over the summer, members came up with a list of 47 such proposals. During the subcommittee’s September meeting, Delegate Ron Walters, R-Kanawha, added two more proposals, titled “DROP and CROP,” for consideration.

“We started looking at a Deferred Retirement Option Plan [DROP],” Walters said. “This would allow an employee at retirement age to keep working in a fulltime job, but they could defer their retirement option, and the annuity payments would be deposited into an account.”

“The DROP concept is to start using up the sick leave.” – Delegate Ron Walters

At the end of the DROP period, the person would receive a lump sum payment of the contributions plus compound interest.

“The DROP concept is to start using up the sick leave,” Walters said. “It’s to start some incentive for additional pay for employees.”

The second proposal would create a Concurrent Retirement Option Plan (CROP) that would be identical to DROP, except that instead of reserving and investing annuity payments until the person would exit the program, the annuity payments would be disbursed to the participant each month. That person would get the payments just like a normal retirement annuity payment while also earning regular compensation.

Walters explained that CROP participants could use the income to pay off debts sooner, participate in the 457 deferred compensation plan or simply enjoy a better lifestyle.

Participants in either plan would have to be of “normal retirement age,” meaning at least 60 years old with at least five years of employment to avoid increasing the unfunded liability of the Public Employee Retirement System or the Teachers Retirement System. Also, participation would be limited to five to 10 years.

 

Money would go to OPEB trust fund

“What we found out was that we then could look at the employer contribution for the pension,” Walters said. “The employees wouldn’t have to make a contribution, because it wouldn’t be adding anything further to their pension unless they did a deferred comp. But what this could actually do is the employer contribution could then be split in some fashion, 7 percent going to the unfunded liability – the current is 12 – 5 percent then going to the OPEB trust to help fund the OPEB liability.”

The proposals also consider what would happen to a retiree’s PEIA coverage. “The employer makes a contribution so [it would be] the greater of the PEIA premium subsidy amount or the would-be employer match for the employees who continue to work,” Walters said. “Any amount of the contribution that is in excess of this subsidy would be used to fund the OPEB trust. So we’d actually capture some funds there.”

Under the DROP or CROP program, employees would be required to participate in the PEIA program as retirees. They could pay their retiree premiums using their converted sick leave to cover that cost.

“So it’s a way of capturing or using up those sick days and not taking them away from them and still do what they are obligated to do originally,” Walters said. “This would have the effect of shortening the period over which the OPEB benefits are provided and allow more employees to get closer to their true Medicare-eligible date by the time they would exit the DROP or CROP program. Participants would be permitted to carry forward their pre-retirement leave balances, and they could take the balances for vacation, paid absences.”

“This would have the effect of shortening the period over which the OPEB benefits are provided and allow more employees to get closer to their true Medicare-eligible date by the time they would exit the DROP or CROP program.” – Delegate Ron Walters

At the same time, the programs could help limit the state’s OPEB exposure for leave conversion. The participants would neither earn leave nor have any additional days accumulated during that time period.

Walters said still to be determined were the plans’ costs and whether employees would be amenable to the concepts. Also, employees in uniformed services might not be suitable for such an approach, he said.

“PERS and TRS participants seem to be suitable participants for this type of a program, but we would need to explore it further,” Walters said.

State employees and teachers earn unusually high amounts of leave time in addition to state holidays, which he called very generous in the current marketplace.

 

State could switch to a paid-time-off system.

“We have to honor what we’ve done in the past,” Walters said. “There is an opportunity though to create in this environment paid time off.”

“We’ve looked at a schedule that’s not quite as generous as the one now, but the tradeoff is the flexibility of use.” – Delegate Ron Walters

In other words, he said, the state could create a system for employees to use paid time off instead of sick leave. Right now, after someone is out on sick leave for three days, he or she must get a doctor’s statement, Walters said, but in a paid time off program, employees could bank the time up to a cap. They could take their existing sick leave or annual leave, carry that balance over and use part of it to pay PEIA and part of it to change their pension benefits or they could bank part of it to use for additional days.

“We’ve looked at a schedule that’s not quite as generous as the one now, but the tradeoff is the flexibility of use,” Walters said. Current employees are allowed to carry over all unused, accrued sick and annual leave, he said. In exchange for allowing unused sick and annual leave to be carried forward, a lesser plan is being designed, he said.

“There’s plenty of options in that mechanism to create a fair transition,” Walters said. “The flexibility option for usage creates a good opportunity that they would no longer have to provide doctors’ statements. We could also look at our bereavement policies and family leave policies, and we can meld it into this to make a much more easier-to-use system.”

Walters said options for PEIA include“cafeteria” plans (in which participants could choose which benefits they want) and options for retirees on drug programs. Other considered options include capping the liability for the state while also being fair to employees, he said.

“The real crux of this is the employee could retire, not have to come back as a contract employee, continue their salary and opt in to either a deferred pension – deferring that money to take along for when they do retire with Medicare eligibility,” Walters said. “They could opt in to taking a pension now and with financial planning pay off all of their debts prior to their actual retirement age. They could then use up their sick days to pay for PEIA. So they wouldn’t lose it. It would help generally overall with our OPEB situation. These are concepts that we’ve looked at.”

Among the considerations for Walters and others working on these proposals is to make sure they don’t do any damage to pensions. But by reducing the state’s contribution, some money could be redirected to reduce the OPEB liability.

 

Flexibility would be an attribute.

Fred Lewis, a legislative staff member, said employees in DROP or CROP would get less total leave but greater flexibility to use it. He said there would be the potential to have an enhanced severance benefit.

“There’s also an intriguing possibility to allow the employee to use excess days of paid time off, because they don’t have a whole lot more leave, possibly use those to receive additional compensation,” Lewis said. But he added that the proposals needed to be studied much further.

“The biggest thing that the state gets out of it is that going to this concept of paid time off you end leave conversion prospectively.” – Fred Lewis

“The biggest thing that the state gets out of it is that going to this concept of paid time off you end leave conversion prospectively,” he said.

Walters said they also talked about a system for banking unused sick leave.

“I honestly believe the most important thing to every employee of the state is the ability to maintain their health insurance,” he said. “And I honestly think that this is a mechanism that will allow that to occur.”

One of the subcommittee’s co-chairmen, Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, asked Walters what response PEIA had to his proposals. Walters said that PEIA Director Ted Cheatham was very willing to work with lawmakers on the proposed solutions they are considering. He said Cheatham needs to know which ones lawmakers want him to take to the PEIA Finance Board.

“His board has a lot of leeway on things they could do, but they need our support,” Walters said.

“To make a decision in the next session, I think we need to see some hard numbers.” – Delegate Steve Kominar

The subcommittee’s other co-chairman, Delegate Steve Kominar, D-Mingo, said it has been a struggle to address the OPEB problem. He said that, if the subcommittee is getting close to deciding which options to pursue, it should ask the Joint Committee on Government and Finance for funding to get actuaries to figure the costs and benefits of those proposals. “To make a decision in the next session, I think we need to see some hard numbers,” he said. The committee approved a motion to make that funding request.

House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, asked whether allowing employees to bank time off for use later would lead to staffing problems on Mondays and Fridays. Walters said the Personnel Division believes such problems could be controlled.

Although the subcommittee did not discuss relieving school boards of the burden of carrying OPEB liability on their books at the September meeting, some members have indicated previously that they would favor that proposal.

 


By Jim Wallace

If nothing changes in the next few months, workers in West Virginia’s public sector will have the opportunity to avoid premium increases in health insurance during the next fiscal year. But to do so, they will have to participate in a wellness program and certify that they have prepared advance directives for end-of-life care.

The Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board, at its September meeting, gave preliminary approval to plans for the 2011-2012 year that would raise premiums across the board by $14 a month. But those who participate in a wellness program would get a $10 discount. Those who sign affidavits certifying they have prepared advance directives would get a $4 directive. Thus, each employee who takes both of those actions would have the premium increase offset by the discounts.

If all of the participants in PEIA’s plans would take advantage of the discounts, the agency would receive no increase in revenue. However, Finance Board member Josh Sword of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia said it’s unreasonable to expect 100 percent participation, so PEIA is likely to get a few million dollars in additional revenue.

PEIA will take the proposals out for comments at six public hearings around West Virginia:

For each hearing, registration will occur from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. followed by the public hearing from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

After the hearings, the Finance Board will meet in December to consider the public response and vote on final versions of the plans for the next fiscal year.

 


 By Jim Wallace

State Supt. Steve Paine wants county school systems to be more judicious in their use of a variety of assessment tools.

Paine told members of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability (LOCEA) during September legislative interims meetings that some school systems are using too many tests and other assessments when such extensive use is not necessary.

“Unfortunately, I think that well-intentioned, county-level administrators tried to bite off more than they should have without listening to the needs and advice of teachers and principals,” Paine said. “That is something that has actually brought us to the situation we are in right now.”

“You don’t test students on what they have not been taught.” – Supt. Steve Paine

At Paine’s request, Juan D’Brot, assistant director of the Office of Assessment and Accountability, presented a list of 19 assessments used in West Virginia schools. Only 10 of them are required; the others are optional. But Paine said he has learned that some districts are using too many of them inappropriately, sometimes testing students on content they have not had.

“We are absolutely pulling back from that practice,” he said. “You don’t test students on what they have not been taught.”

Paine said he was disappointed that some superintendents have not heeded his advice to be more discriminate in using those assessments. “I don’t know how you can teach common sense quite frankly,” he said.

 

Teachers have complained.

Delegate David Perry, D-Fayette, said he had heard from some teachers who are frustrated with all the assessments they are required to use. He said assessments that are not required should be optional for the teachers, not for the districts, but that message is not getting out.

Some of the assessments are used only to identify trends, Paine said, so they’re not appropriate to be used in other circumstances.

“I don’t mean to be too tough on our superintendents, but I have to be,” he said. “Some of them need to do a little better job of meeting with their teachers and their principals to define what their learning needs are and then take on those manageable [tasks].”

“There has to be a way to fix this, either through state board policy or through code.” – Supt. Steve Paine

Paine said the schools “really stress people out” when they try to do too much.

“There has to be a way to fix this, either through state board policy or through code,” he said. “Maybe it’s to pull in some superintendents to meet with the legislative members and let them hear directly what they’re hearing and say, ‘Look, if you don’t police this yourselves, we’re going to do something about this in code or policy. I don’t know what it is, but it needs to go away, because I’ve heard too much.”

After the meeting, Paine said, “The issue is that we don’t have the collaboration that we need with schools and the leadership in the districts in some places – This is not a statewide problem – to sit down and look at the strategies that are to be employed to fix their learning problems. In some places, they’ve taken on too much, and it’s causing a lot of frustration. I think that decision ought to rest at the school level and be supported by the districts. The districts are also anxious to improve student achievement. You don’t solve anything unless people are discussing with each other what the issues are.”

 

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Deputy Supt. Jorea Marple said, “We probably need to do a better job of communicating.”

For example, she said Acuity, an online assessment of reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies, should be used as a platform to build testing on. It provides benchmark assessments to determine how well students have achieved certain objectives, so Marple said it should be used as a tool to ensure that students are prepared for the required WESTEST2.

Because of the misunderstandings over how to use some assessments, Marple said, the Education Department is developing a brochure to explain how those tools should be used.

“The confusion is about what is required and what is not required,” she said. “We want people to be empowered to make decisions” about using the assessments and not be overwhelmed by them.

 

Schools are making progress on broadband expansion.

Also during the LOCEA meeting, Paine and Sterling Beane, coordinator in the Office of Instructional Technology, gave a presentation on the implementation of a program to expand broadband connections to West Virginia schools. The program has two phases with Phase II providing 100 megabits per second of “Committed Information Rate” to all elementary schools, middle schools and high schools while Phase I has top rates of 10 megabits per second and less in some cases.

During the 2008-2009 school year, 17 counties had implemented Phase I or Phase II. By 2009-2010, 25 counties had implemented those phases. For the current school year, all but five counties have implemented Phase I or Phase II. The counties still working to implement those phases include: Preston, Ritchie, Calhoun, Lincoln and Summers.

 

West Virginia Assessments

Assessment Focus Grades Required
Acuity An online assessment of reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social. This program provides immediate feedback, scoring and reporting. Acuity provides interim and formative assessments designed to inform teaching and improve student learning. Acuity includes benchmark assessments that measure student achievement of selected objectives within the West Virginia 21st century CSOs. This snapshot can be utilized by teachers to guide instructional design and interventions.
Grades 3-11, with Grades 1, 2 and chemistry forthcoming NO
WV Writes An online assessment of student writing skills providing students with immediate feedback, scoring and reporting. This program offers students with the opportunity for unlimited practice sessions for writing essays on a variety of prompts aligned to the West Virginia 21st century CSOs. A customized West Virginia scoring engine scores student compositions using the state’s grade-level, 6-point writing rubrics. Grades 3-11 NO
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) A set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. This program contains short fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. Grades K-6 NO
techSteps While not an assessment, techSteps is an instructional tool that provides feedback on student technology literacy in an integrated, 21st century context. The use of techSteps supports the state requirement to report basic student technology literacy data of grade 8 students to maintain eligibility for federal technology funds. Grades 1-12 NO
Golden Horseshoe An assessment administered to students enrolled in West Virginia Studies. The Golden Horseshoe test measures student knowledge of the state of West Virginia. Grade 8 NO
ACT EXPLORE® An assessment designed to measure grade 8 students’ general educational development and their complex, critical thinking skills. The test covers the content areas of English, mathematics, reading and science. Grade 8 NO
ACT PLAN® An assessment designed to measure grade 10 students’ attainment of knowledge and complex critical thinking skills acquired in the early years of high school. The test covers the content areas of English, mathematics, reading and science. Grade 10 NO
ACT® A college entrance exam designed to measure students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. It is not part of the West Virginia Measure of Academic Progress and covers the content areas of English, mathematics, reading and science. The Writing Test is optional. Students interested in attending college NO
SAT® A college entrance exam that measures critical reading, mathematical and writing skills that students have developed over time and that they need to be successful in college. It is not part of the West Virginia Measure of Academic Progress. Students interested in attending college NO
WESTEST 2 The state’s summative assessment that measures student performance in the content areas of mathematics, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. This test is aligned to the state’s 21st century CSOs. Data provide information on a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Grades 3-11 YES
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) A national assessment, also referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, administered every other year in the content areas of reading and mathematics. Other content areas are administered as determined by the National Assessment Governing Board. NAEP fulfills federal requirements and allows the state to qualify for federal funds. Grades 4, 8, and 12 utilizing a stratified random state sample of 2,500 to 3,000 students per grade, per subject. YES
Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA) An assessment for West Virginia Students taught on alternate academic achievement standards in the content areas of reading/language arts, mathematics and science. Grades 3-8 and 11 YES
ACT Work Keys An assessment for a target population of students in career/technical education concentration in the areas of applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information for career/technical education concentration. Fulfills the Federal Carl Perkins Act Requirement. Grade 12 YES
Global 21 Career/Technical Education (CTE) Performance Assessment An assessment targeting career/technical education students who complete a career concentration. Fulfills the Federal Carl Perkins Act Requirement. Grades 9-12 YES
WESTELL An assessment administered to students who are not native English speakers or who have a home language other than English. This assessment measures performance in the area of English language acquisition. Fulfills requirements to qualify for federal technology funds. Grades K-12 YES
Early Learning Scale for Pre-K (NIEER) A pre-kindergarten assessments launching in 2010-2011 (Will replace CreativeCurriculum.net) Pre-K YES
Creative Curriculum.net Pre-Kindergarten Assessment that supports OSP Outcome Reports for children with special needs Pre-K YES
HEAP – Health Assessment A health assessment comprised of questions that align with the WV K-12 Health Education CSOs. Grade 6, Grade 8, High School YES
FitnessGram An assessment administered in select physical education courses. Ongoing for all students prior to completion of the courses. Grades 4-8 and High School YES

 

 


By Jim Wallace


West Virginia has done some things right in aligning its career and technology courses to Southern Regional Education Board recommendations, but Kathi D’Antoni of the Education Department says it still has work to do to meet some recommendations.

The appearance by D’Antoni, assistant supt. for technical, adult and institutional education, before the September meeting of Education Subcommittee A was in response to a meeting in August in which Gene Bottoms of the SREB presented recommendations for improving student achievement.

West Virginia has one of the most rigorous academic cores in the nation and some high-quality career-tech courses, D’Antoni said.

“One of the problems is the locations of the career-tech centers. Sometimes, they’re away from the home high schools, so there’s a busing issue.” – Kathi D’Antoni

“The problem is: We don’t have enough of our young folks participating in these programs,” she said. “One of the problems is the locations of the career-tech centers. Sometimes, they’re away from the home high schools, so there’s a busing issue.”

Another problem, D’Antoni said, is the culture or the reputation that career-tech centers have in West Virginia. “Unfortunately, the mindset that exists right now is that it’s a 1950s trade-school phenomenon,” she said. “Parents of students do not realize the value and what’s offered in a lot of these programs. We have a lot of 1950s leftover misconceptions and also some policies in some of our schools that are impeding students making avail of these courses to them.”

For example, D’Antoni said, going to career-tech classes cuts out the possibility of being a valedictorian or salutatorian for students in some schools. None of the tech centers’ classes are weighted or considered advanced placement, so brighter students don’t take them, she said.

In addition, some students have to leave the career-tech centers to go back to their home schools to get required math, science and other courses, D’Antoni said. “For students to get all these requirements in sometimes becomes a difficult situation,” she said, and career-tech classes get squeezed out.

To address that problem, the Education Department is trying to identify within career-tech courses the ways students can meet those requirements. “That will help tremendously for our students and give them more time in their schedules,” D’Antoni said. “It’s now being piloted in some of our Innovation Zone schools, which will help our students tremendously as far as getting academics. Basically, we need to move away from courses in silos, because you can learn a lot of content through many venues.”

 

Department seeks advice from business people.

To help reach the goal of equipping all students with 21st century skills, the department planned to hold a meeting of a state advisory board for career-tech programs on September 29. People from business and industry were asked to attend to discuss all the content in career-tech programs.

“We want their input into what should be there, what should not be there, what credentials should be offered to our students,” D’Antoni said, adding that several dozen people were expected to participate. “They were excited about being asked and we were excited about having their input.”

“We’re extremely excited about this, because it engages students. It takes the knowledge a student learns in a theory class and asks him to apply it to a real-life situation.” – Kathi D’Antoni

To address the goal of expecting every student to strive to meet standards in academic and career-tech programs, the department has started a program called Tech Steps, which is an online resource that’s being developed for West Virginia. D’Antoni said West Virginia might be the only state doing this. She said it provides students and teachers the means to encounter real-world problems online. The students have project-based activities they must develop.

“We’re extremely excited about this, because it engages students,” D’Antoni said. “It takes the knowledge a student learns in a theory class and asks him to apply it to a real-life situation.”

On the recommendation of connecting every student to an adult advisor or mentor, she said, that’s a weak area, because not many schools have implemented an advisor-advisee program. “That’s one area that I would say our schools really need to look at,” she said. “It’s very difficult. There are a lot of issues trying to find the right folks for students.”

In regard to guaranteeing students have the support needed to meet readiness standards for college, career training or both, D’Antoni said, the department has added resources every year to the curriculum. “So we’re doing a pretty good job in that particular area,” she said.

Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha, asked whether the department is considering a traditional mentor-advisor program. D’Antoni said the ability to do that is lacking.

Sen. Larry Edgell, D-Wetzel, asked about teaching math concepts in career-tech programs to satisfy requirements for certain math classes. D’Antoni said it can be proven those concepts exist in the career-tech courses, but the challenge is to make sure students are familiar with the language of math.



By Jim Wallace

A presentation on the work of the Office of Education Performance Audits during the September legislative interim meetings also became an opportunity to review the status of state takeovers of troubled county school districts.

Kenna Seal, director of OEPA, told Education Subcommittee B that his office doesn’t try to tell schools what to do during a takeover. At the moment the recommendation for a takeover is given, OEPA backs out, he said. The state school board then delegates responsibility to the state superintendent and his staff to run those systems. Seal said OEPA goes back in only when the state board wants his agency to determine what progress has been made.

“Mingo County is making progress.” – Kenna Seal

The longest state intervention is in Mingo County. It began in 1998, prior to OEPA’s establishment in statute. The county returned to local control in 2002, but the state took over again in 2005.
 
“Mingo County is making progress,” Seal said. “The number of schools has been decreasing. That does not even include the new school that’s being built in Mingo County.”

Although some critics have charged that intervention is used only to consolidate or close schools, Seal noted that some school systems, including Mingo County, have approved such changes before the intervention occurred.

“Mingo County is not a county that is suffering right now from a lack of performance,” he added. “They seem to be making progress.”

 

Lincoln has had longevity.

The longest consistent intervention has been in Lincoln County, where the state takeover began in June 2000. The state returned control to county officials in 2009, except for personnel matters.

“They had a myriad of problems in that county from facilities to leadership issues to poor performance,” Seal said. “Their personnel practices were pretty subpar. They didn’t maintain necessary records to demonstrate that the person with the highest qualifications was hired.”

Although some people have questioned how much the Lincoln County schools have improved, Seal said they are “a far sight better” than they were when OEPA inspected them in 2000.

“We’ve got pictures,” he said. “We’ve got all sorts of data that we collected during that intervention, and we’ve got follow-up data that would suggest they’re making progress. I do know their facilities are better. And one of the things that we did say was that they had too many school facilities given their population and their budget at the time of that intervention. But the Lincoln County Board of Education had approved that single high school prior to intervention. A lot of people think that that consolidation was forced by the state, but that consolidation had its [genesis] prior to the state board intervening.”

Seal added that the graduation rate in Lincoln County has improved since the new high school opened.

 

Facilities were horrible in McDowell County.

In his opinion, McDowell County had the worst facilities in the state at the time of its state takeover in 2001.

“They had faltered on two occasions,” Seal said. “They had gotten two grants from the SBA [School Building Authority] to try to fix their schools, and they turned both of them back, because they just couldn’t get it together. They had flood money that had been promised them by the Corps of Engineers, and they were never able to get things put together to leverage that. But after state intervention, they were able to do that.”

“They continue to rank at the top of the state in terms of kids on free and reduced lunches, which means their poverty is greater than any district in the state, and they’ve consistently been there. That presents a whole new set of challenges.” – Kenna Seal

Yet even with new facilities, the McDowell County schools still face many challenges, he said.

“They continue to rank at the top of the state in terms of kids on free and reduced lunches, which means their poverty is greater than any district in the state, and they’ve consistently been there,” Seal said. “That presents a whole new set of challenges. We have a lot of pictorial evidence of what was going on in McDowell County.”

When the OEPA returned to McDowell County last year for another inspection, the audit team determined that the original 260 findings had been reduced to two, he said.

“The performance data there shows some spotty improvement,” Seal said. “We’ve tried to look at that in terms of grade levels and subjects. For example, nine out of the 12 schools made AYP [adequate yearly progress], which is quite different than when we first intervened down there. The attendance rate changed there; the dropout rate, similar… The graduation rate is hovering around 85 percent, which is about comparable to the other counties similarly situated.”

The state board has returned partial control to McDowell County officials while retaining control over personnel, facilities and policy development. Seal said the new state-appointed superintendent (James Brown) is trying to clear up those problems.

 

Facilities were not an issue in Hampshire County

In Hampshire County, the state took over in 2006 and restored local control in 2009.

“There was no school consolidation in Hampshire County,” Seal said. “That was largely a personnel issue and finance issues and policy issues, as well as leadership. It was initially a partial intervention. It was of short duration. They cleared up their issues. We never cited them for poor student performance.”

 

Preston County’s problems are in finances and personnel.

The state intervention in Preston County began in March 2009 and is still going on.

“They had some serious problems with their facilities, and they had some finance irregularities that we felt were at a critical level,” Seal said. “Also, their personnel issues were not being carried out according to policy and law. It’s probably too early to make a whole lot of assessment based on a year of intervention, but nine of their 12 schools made AYP.”

 

Grant County faced instability.

The Grant County schools’ intervention began in November 2009 and is continuing.

“That was for a different kind of issue: leadership,” Seal said. “Stability was threatened in that county. The board was at impasse. There had been several functions just neglected. They weren’t hiring anyone. No one was minding the store, so to speak. There was mistrust and a lack of a cooperative working relationship. Their scores were headed downhill. That was kind of a relief for them, in a way.”

Three of their five schools made AYP this year, he said, and there has been no consolidation.

 

Fayette County’s takeover could have occurred sooner.

The latest intervention is in Fayette County. It began in February and is still going on.

“This was a little different than all the other counties,” Seal said. “Fayette County had been one of these schools [districts] that have struggled, and they just never could seem to get everything together.”

The state board had sent OEPA there several times since 1999. The board wanted to intervene in 1999, but Seal said he persuaded board members not to do it.

“Then I thought the new superintendent there, a Vietnam vet, would turn things around,” he said. “That never happened. Subsequent superintendents never got that established. This last time, we looked at a whole lot of issues in that county. It was a follow-up audit, and they were not responding to the audit in the way that the state board felt that they should be…. Their performance was pretty much lagging. They, too, are struggling with facilities issues and were at an impasse.”

Most of the Fayette County schools are making AYP with good attendance rates, but the graduation is below par, Seal said. The schools have not been consolidated yet.

 

Most takeover districts have accepted state control.

“Sometimes it’s sad that school systems get themselves in a situation that it’s irreconcilable and irretrievably lost for a while, but sometimes an intervention comes as a relief to those that are there.”

“Out of all these interventions, there have been only two of the counties that have actually protested the intervention,” he said. “Sometimes they welcome it. They may not publicly do that, but they will tell you that they had no other options.”

Seal added, “Sometimes it’s sad that school systems get themselves in a situation that it’s irreconcilable and irretrievably lost for a while, but sometimes an intervention comes as a relief to those that are there. In every intervention thus far, there has been a stabilizing effect once intervention has occurred in those counties.”

Delegate Larry Williams, D-Preston, asked about the problems that slowed progress during the takeover in Lincoln County.

“If the local board of education is not cooperating and wanting to become a partnership with the state board, the going is still tough,” Seal replied. “Then, it’s very difficult for a state intervention if they only replace the county superintendent to impact the whole system by one person, although it has been done and is being done as we speak. But Lincoln has been slow to come around. I think only in recent years have we seen some more cooperation. That’s why things were returned to Lincoln County last year, because that cooperation seemed to be there and they were wanting to try their own wings.”

A better model, he said, might be to send a team from the Education Department into a troubled district immediately to get the system working even at the school level to affect change sooner.

“I thought in Lincoln the focus was on facilities for a long time,” Seal said. “The person who was there, Bill Grizzell, is a longtime superintendent and a friend of mine, but I didn’t see him as a strong instructional person. He was a facilities guy, and he ended up giving them some good facilities down there.”

“Maybe we should send a team in and make an example of some county just to show it really does work. I think if we’re going to take a county over, we need to make it perform.” – Delegate Larry Williams

Instructional leadership came later, he said, and he has a better feeling about Lincoln County now. “I think that they’re being responsibly managed now, and they’re trying to do the right thing in Lincoln County now,” Seal said.

“Maybe we should send a team in and make an example of some county just to show it really does work,” Williams said. “I think if we’re going to take a county over, we need to make it perform.”

“I agree with that,” Seal responded.

But Sen. Bill Laird, D-Fayette, was troubled about having the state take over local school systems, because it overrides the options of local citizens who are concerned about their children’s education.

“Is that something we should expect given the importance of schools in the local communities?” he asked. “My concern is to try to understand and preserve people’s rights.”

“I think it comes back to a leadership function. There must be a solution for facilities in Fayette County. I don’t know what that is, but I think leadership over time will figure out what needs to be done in Fayette County, as well as Preston and other places that have struggled over that issue.” – Kenna Seal

Seal agreed that citizens should be able to express their concerns and opinions.

“I think those counties that have seemed to have struggled long-term with moving forward have not been able to muster the leadership necessary to resolve that with a majority of the folks there and get buy-in,” he said. “I think it comes back to a leadership function. There must be a solution for facilities in Fayette County. I don’t know what that is, but I think leadership over time will figure out what needs to be done in Fayette County, as well as Preston and other places that have struggled over that issue.”

Laird said he also is concerned about leadership and “what constitutes your definition of the promised land.”

Seal said student performance is “the litmus test on how a school is progressing.” If students don’t perform well, he said, OEPA will look at other issues, such as resources in terms of personnel and facilities and finances.

Laird said some schools in Fayette County have improved in terms of AYP. But Seal said AYP is not a very reliable measure.

“It’s not consistent over time,” he said. “That’s why we’ve got the performance index, and the accreditation status is probably more telling, more reliable and valid over time than the AYP.”

Seal said he hoped the next version of federal criteria will be more valid, because AYP is “inherently more unfair to large schools.”

 

OEPA wants school systems to grow.

In his presentation on the work of OEPA, Seal said this is an age of accountability. Society holds individuals accountable for their performance and government agencies accountable for theirs.

“It’s the same thing for schools,” he said. “Schools must demonstrate growth in this age.”

The primary duties of OEPA are to:

“We are separate from the West Virginia Department of Education.” – Kenna Seal

Seal said performance audits are conducted only at the direction of the state school board, and schools get notice five days before an on-site review. The OEPA is allowed to conduct inspections without notice, he said, but the agency never has done that. Seal said exit conferences are held with schools and the curriculum team, and county superintendents are invited. The performance audits provide recommendations on capacity needs, he said.

“We are separate from the West Virginia Department of Education,” Seal emphasized. “That was part of House Bill 4306 that was passed in ’98.”

In other words, he said, the functions of auditing schools and helping them get turned around are separate.

“We report directly to the state Board of Education. We’re just a small office,” Seal said. “There’s a director and a coordinator and office help in terms of a secretarial staff.”

The agency also reports to the Process for Improving Education Council, if requested, but that council has never met since it was formed several years ago, he said.

Audit teams are chaired by an OEPA staff member with a team leader from the Education Department. The teams include local school leaders, teachers and others who have received training. Different team members are used for each audit.

The OEPA maintains a website for public view of reports, accreditation status of schools and approval status of school systems.

 

Delegate wants to know the good as well as the bad.

Delegate Woody Ireland, R-Ritchie, wanted to know if the audits pointed out good aspects of school operations or just the problems. “We really do need to look at the things we do right as well as the things we do wrong,” he said.

“We do identify best practices when we do our audits,” Seal replied. “Most audits have a commendation, and we also have recommendations…. If the assessment shows there’s progress and high scores and other data then that allows that school to be identified as exemplary or under distinction accreditation status. So we look from the top to the bottom.”

The law was revised a few years ago to have the OEPA focus on low-performing schools, because the agency has scarce resources, he said. “We seldom do schools that are exemplary or have distinction – only if it would be part of a countywide audit, where we see other problems at the county level,” Seal said.

“Who audits the Department of Education in Charleston?” Ireland asked.

“So what I heard you say is nobody looks at the effectiveness of the Department of Education.” – Delegate Woody Ireland

“We don’t do that,” Seal said. “We’ve had a board member that has asked us to do that, but the board has never decided to do that.”

“So what I heard you say is nobody looks at the effectiveness of the Department of Education,” Ireland said. “Is that correct?”

“No, sir,” Seal said. “They do not to my knowledge.”

Delegate Stan Shaver, D-Preston, asked for an example of when a surprise audit without five days’ notice might be warranted.

“I don’t know,” Seal responded. “We’ve never done one since that’s been available to us.” But he added, “They can’t do much in five days anyway if the records are not there.”

Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, asked if the OEPA has considered whether high school graduates are ready for college without taking remedial classes?

“That is a good point,” Seal said. “Anytime we do a county audit or audit a high school, we put that information in there, because we think it’s important data. But we don’t say that that’s a deficiency.”

The OEPA has purposely tried to limit the annual performance measures, he said, “because it’s so difficult for schools to make AYP. There’s 37 ways already they can miss AYP…. In fact, we’ve gone the other way with the performance index so that any one performance standard may not keep a school from becoming less than full accreditation status.”

Sen. Randy White, D-Webster, asked whether the Legislative Auditor’s Office considers auditing the education system. House Education Chairwoman Mary Poling, D-Barbour, said she’s not aware of any activity along that line. Noting that the governor’s office has been talking about doing an audit, she said that would be more of an education efficiency audit.

 


By Jim Wallace

Some members of the Legislature are giving serious consideration to keeping students in school for more hours of the day and more days of the year.

Jennifer Davis, president and chief executive officer of the National Center on Time and Learning, gave members of Education Subcommittee C during their September meeting plenty of reasons to consider such changes. She called it “an exciting new trend” in American education.

Davis, who is based in Boston, was involved in the Extended Learning Time Initiative in Massachusetts, which began in 2005. The 22 Massachusetts schools that have participated in that initiative are now being promoted as models for the rest of the nation for adding learning time and broadening school offerings.

According to reports on the Extended Learning Time Initiative that Davis provided to the subcommittee, teachers in those Massachusetts schools believe more time is benefiting students:

Those teachers also believe additional time is changing teaching:

Another finding is that teachers harbor more positive feelings about teaching and the professional culture in their schools, despite higher fatigue.

 

Teachers need more time on their own.

But Davis said the initiative is more than just providing additional time for teachers to spend with students; it’s also to give them more preparation time.

“Teachers in high-performing Asian and many other countries have more time compared to American teachers not in front of students but to meet together, to plan, to review data and so forth,” she said.

“I know charter schools have been contentious in your state, but I would say that charter schools really over the last 10 years have pioneered this issue of expanding the school day and year for students,” Davis told the subcommittee. She added that the highest-performing charter schools provide significantly more time.

Davis said the bottom line is that the American school calendar of 180 days of six and a half hours is not enough time to allow all students to reach proficiency in core subjects, to allow teachers to have the time they need to plan and participate in professional development and to go beyond the basics.

Across the nation, more than 700 schools have broken from the standard calendar. Three-fourths of them were charter schools, Davis said, but the number of public schools doing that is growing.

 

West Virginia has an opportunity to participate.

West Virginia recently received $18.5 million in a school improvement grant to support the lowest-performing schools in the state, she said. Increased learning time is one of the requirements, but Davis said it’s not certain how that will play out: Will it be for all students or will it result in tutoring for some students?

She said federal education legislation is expected to include new provisions and funding to expand school time. One proposal before Congress would replicate Massachusetts’s program across the country, she said, adding 300 hours to the instructional year or two hours per day.

Davis said that, when she began working on the initiative several years ago, after-school programs were available for students who needed more time in school, but most of the students who needed those programs were not in them.

“It really matters, of course, what you do with that time.” – Jennifer Davis

The schools participating in the initiative are required to go through a deep planning process to figure out how they are using time, she said. Compensation for teachers and other school employees were adjusted in district-by-district agreements, Davis said, and performance agreements were established around goals. She said the results have been proficiency improvements in English/language arts, math and science, because teachers have more time to complete the curriculum. Time also has increased for art, music and physical education, she said.

But Davis warned that adding time for students is not a panacea. “It really matters, of course, what you do with that time,” she said. Improved schools have capable leaders, focused improvement plans, performance goals, data to track performance and make adjustments, focus on instructional supports, added time for teacher collaboration and new enrichment programs that are well integrated into the schools, she said. In addition, community partners provide some services for the schools.

Providing new autonomy at the school level can help, Davis said. Some schools are going to year-round schooling, and the use of vacation breaks is changing, she said. “The issue of time learning during the summer months is a critical one,” Davis said.

However, schools that have switched to extended learning time have had to overcome some problems. Davis said teacher turnover has been slightly higher, because not all teachers want expanded schedules. Also, transportation has been an issue in some places, she said. But parents’ satisfaction and involvement in the schools have been high, she said.

Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, asked if there is any difference between charter schools using extended learning time and public schools doing so. Davis said the strongest data come from charter schools, but the distinguishing factor is the time element. She added that it is challenging to change traditional schools.

In the end, Davis called the use of extended learning time a “win-win opportunity,” because many issues are adjusted at once. Another advantage of providing longer school days for students is that they are less likely to be out getting into trouble, she said. “You’re keeping them in safer environments,” she said.


By Jim Wallace


The outlook for requiring insurance coverage for West Virginia children with autism became a bit cloudier during one of the September legislative interim meetings. It was a contrast to an August meeting at which advocates for children with autism testified that other states that have mandated insurance companies to cover autism have experienced only “miniscule” increases in the cost of health insurance.

Shelda Martin, medical director for the Public Employees Insurance Agency, told Judiciary Subcommittee C that many types of treatments, including drugs, have been used for autism, but the best evidence shows that the most effective treatment is Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention. That is a highly structured teaching approach that uses specific patterns of instruction.

Martin’s comments fit well with comments the month before from the advocates who said that intervention when children are very young is crucial for them to make the maximum progress possible. But other officials who represent insurance plans warned that mandating coverage could be costly. For example, Sharon Carte, director of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, said the early intervention treatment would be “very high cost and intensive,” which could hurt CHIP’s main mission.

“It would concern us to be open to covering habilitation or custodial maintenance,” she said.

 

Lawmakers face a difficult choice.

A co-chairwoman of the subcommittee, Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, expressed concern that parents of autistic children are caught between a rock and a hard place, because there is no coverage available for a very beneficial treatment. Carte did not disagree but noted that CHIP also does not cover traumatic brain injury. That is left to Medicaid to cover, she said.

The committee’s co-chairman, Sen. Evan Jenkins, D-Cabell, suggested that Carte’s main concern might be that the Legislature could take decision-making on what to cover out of CHIP’s hands. “Is that what this is about: The payer wants to be the decider?” Carte conceded that mandating autism coverage certainly would limit CHIP’s authority. She said decisions on what CHIP would pay for often are made on a case-by-case basis.

Delegate Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, asked why CHIP would pay for psychotic medications that could mask some of the symptoms of autism but not the early intervention therapy that can do so much good for autistic children.

 

Issue is health versus education.

“Your decision is whether this is a health benefit of an education benefit.” – PEIA Director Ted Cheatham

PEIA Director Ted Cheatham told lawmakers that autism coverage is a very difficult topic. “Your decision is whether this is a health benefit of an education benefit,” he said. “Is it a health care funding benefit?”

Last year, PEIA’s actuaries produced a fiscal note estimating that autism coverage would cost the agency more than $8 million a year. That contrasted with testimony in August from Lorri Unumb, an advocate with the group Autism Speaks, that an autism coverage law in South Carolina was project initially to cost $18.9 million a year, but that was revised down to $9 million a year. She said the actual cost in 2009 was only $856,371, which came out to an extra 20 cents per month on insurance premiums. “South Carolina is not too different than West Virginia,” Unumb added in August.

But at the September meeting, Cheatham said he got figures from South Carolina’s insurance plan that covers public employees, similar to PEIA. He determined that the average cost of an autism claim in South Carolina was a little more than $16,000. Using a statistic that one in 110 West Virginia children have autism, he said, that would mean that PEIA would have to cover 454 children at a cost of $7.3 million a year, which he said was “pretty darn close” to PEIA’s actuaries’ figures. Using another estimate that one in 60 children have autism, Cheatham said, PEIA would have to cover 833 children at an annual cost of $13.4 million.

“If you want to give me $7 million, I want you to ask yourself which is the best place you want me to put it to give the best return for the state of West Virginia.” – Ted Cheatham

The $7.3 million cost would translate to $8 per policy per month, he said, while the $13.4 million cost would translate to about $14 per policy per month. Similarly, Cheatham figured the cost for CHIP would range from $3.6 million to $6.6 million a year or $12 to $22 per child per month.

Acknowledging that families with autistic children need the funding such coverage would provide, Cheatham said, “But you got to ask yourself, we’ve got a lot of problems in West Virginia. There’s a lack of dental care in the state. We’ve got obesity in the state. Where are you going to put the $7 million? Where’s the best use? If you want to give me $7 million, I want you to ask yourself which is the best place you want me to put it to give the best return for the state of West Virginia for productivity, having kids, having families and a productive workforce in the state of West Virginia. Is it dental? Is it cochlear implants for kids who can’t hear and need to learn? Is it glasses? Is it a vision thing so they can see the chalkboard so they can learn in school? I’m just recommending that maybe the committee look globally to health policy in the state of West Virginia.”

“You’re talking about ear disorders. You’re talking about teeth. These kids who become adults will live on their own. These other children, the state of West Virginia will take care of them for the rest of their lives at $100 a day. Where is the money better spent now?” – Delegate Mark  Hunt

Delegate Hunt said he didn’t disagree with Cheatham’s numbers, but he was concerned that lack of early intervention would prevent many autistic children from living independently as adults. “You’re talking about ear disorders,” he said. “You’re talking about teeth. These kids who become adults will live on their own. These other children, the state of West Virginia will take care of them for the rest of their lives at $100 a day. Where is the money better spent now?”

Many observers in the room applauded at that remark, but Sen. Jenkins warned them such response was not appropriate for the decorum of the meeting.

“Again, I’m not making comment on whether that money is better spent or not,” Cheatham told Hunt. “I’m telling you what it would cost PEIA to cover it based on the numbers that are projected. All I said was: I think it’s the Legislature’s job. I’m not telling you what your job is. I’m just suggesting if you think this is the best use of that money, absolutely you should do that and give me this money, and I will be happy to take care of these children.”

 

Insurance companies worry about making insurance too expensive.

“Mandates cause an increase in insurance always.” – insurance lobbyist Randy Cox

Randy Cox, an attorney and lobbyist representing health maintenance organizations and the West Virginia Association of Health Insurance Plans, offered similar testimony. He said affordability of health care insurance is a major issue for West Virginians.

“Mandates cause an increase in insurance always,” Cox said, so mandating autism coverage would mean that fewer West Virginians would buy health insurance.

Cox also questioned using health insurance to cover an “education function,” such as the early intervention therapy. He said insurers should cover the medical needs of people with autism and leave education functions to the schools. “I feel strongly that it should be up to the education system to deal with this,” he said. “We should have more special education teachers in school systems.”

Sen. Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, asked if other states are treating autistic children in schools, but Cox said he didn’t know.

Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, asked how many school boards in West Virginia offer treatment for autism. Cox guessed that it’s not extensive but should be considered. Lane noted that schools deal with other medical issues of their students. But Cox said the point is that the American Psychological Association has determined that early intervention therapy is educational rather than medical.

“If those groups don’t step up and help with the education portion of it – the only treatment that will help these children – the state of West Virginia through our Medicaid system has to pay the lion’s share for those kids that can’t get a spot in the system.” – Delegate Mark Hunt

Lane noted that the window of opportunity for effective use of that treatment is when children are between ages two and eight, so he asked how much could be done for many of those children within the schools. But Cox pointed out that West Virginia’s early education program has resulted in more schooling for pre-kindergarten children.

Hunt told Cox he agreed with much of what he said, but the problem is that if autism can be treated only with behavioral therapy then the HMOs and insurance companies Cox represents need to do their part. “Because if those groups don’t step up and help with the education portion of it – the only treatment that will help these children – the state of West Virginia through our Medicaid system has to pay the lion’s share for those kids that can’t get a spot in the system.”

More than half of the states have passed laws requiring coverage for autism, Hunt said, and that includes all of the states bordering West Virginia.

“What does your group propose?” Hunt asked. “Are they proposing caps or limits? I mean, we’ve got to do something.”

“I don’t think per se they oppose this procedure versus another procedure,” Cox replied. “All I’m doing – and I mean this sincerely – is pointing out to you the harsh reality of where we are in the cost. That becomes a policy issue.”

It’s up to legislators to decide policy issues, he said, but they had better understand what their decision on autism coverage could mean. Cox said that it’s still not certain what will be required under the federal health care reform law, but if autism is mandated by the state and not the federal government, the state could end of paying they difference in the cost of the subsidy for people without insurance.

“I’m not telling you what to do or not to do, but at some point from our perspective, if it gets too expensive, we’ll stop providing coverage,” he said.

Hunt said he would like Cox to work with legislative counsel on the issues associated with autism coverage. Cox reminded him that “mandates cost money.” Hunt responded, “This is an epidemic.” To that, Cox said, “I absolutely agree with you.”

 

Insurer warns even mandate would miss many people.               

Fred Early of Mountain State Blue Cross-Blue Shield said any physical conditions in insured children with autism would be covered, but in regard to behavioral therapy, he agreed with Cox. “This is a societal issue,” Early said.

More than 500,000 West Virginians are covered by Blue Cross-Blue Shield, he said, but about two-thirds of them work for employers headquartered elsewhere so they would not be subject to state-mandated benefits. Early also suggested that trying to address the problems of autism through insurance coverage would leave gaps in coverage. He said only about 45 percent of small employers offer health insurance, and that number is declining. In addition, the average deductible has grown to more than $1,300 per individual, meaning that when insurance is available, it is more costly to those who are insured.

Again, Delegate Hunt asked who would pay for autism treatment if the insurance companies don’t step up. “Where do we go without your help?” he asked.

“It’s a societal issue,” Early repeated, adding that any solution should be done on as broad a basis as possible.

 

Expert disputes “educational” nature of therapy.

Susannah Poe, associate professor of child development at West Virginia University, contradicted earlier speakers when she told the subcommittee that it is a misunderstanding to say that Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, the common form of early intervention, is “educational.”

West Virginia needs more physicians with experience in diagnosing autism, she said, and there is a three-year effort to train more than 100 physicians to do that and provide them with evidence-based diagnostic materials. In addition, Poe said, West Virginia has only 17 board-certified behavior analysts, but only 11 of them work with autism. She said personnel and resources for dealing with autism would increase in the state if insurance companies were required to cover it. Such a law would create a job market and workforce, she said.

It has been hard to do that, Poe said, because of a lack of awareness and acceptance about the need for proven treatment methods for autism. For example, she said, the Birth to Three program has no certified personnel providing specific behavioral therapy. The model has been to teaching parents how to treat their own children in their homes, she said.

Applied Behavioral Analysis is a “proven, mature science” and a medically necessary treatment for autism spectrum disorder, Poe said. “Autism is a 24-seven disorder,” she said, and schools lack the resources for treatment. Further, she said, the limited services in existence do not reach all families in the state.

Tim Murphy from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner said his agency has no position on whether autism coverage should be mandated. He said the federal government is expected to mandate coverage for certain conditions, but the state doesn’t know yet what will be mandated. The state will be allowed to provide additional benefits beyond those required by the federal government, but the state would have to pay for them itself, he said. Murphy urged lawmakers to keep the coming changes in mind while considering autism legislation.

 

Medicaid pays a lot for autism.

Cindy Beane, deputy commissioner of the Bureau for Medical Services, told the subcommittee that 1,289 individuals with autism are among the 4,484 persons in the Title XIX Medicaid waiver program, and most of them are severely disabled. Their average cost is $65,000 a year, she said. 

Delegate Fleischauer asked if any analysis had been done on the costs and benefits of providing early treatment, especially if that would mean the individuals would not need around-the-clock services anymore. Beane said her agency had no such study.

Delegate Hunt asked how much Medicaid would save “if private insurance companies would pick up their share?” Beane did not have an answer.

Delegate Lane asked about children who fall through the cracks and don’t get services through the waiver program. Beane said some who apply don’t meet all the criteria. Sen. Jenkins asked for an analysis of the 1,289 individuals in the program, so lawmakers could determine how the proposed new law would affect them. But Beane said the bureau doesn’t have income data for their family members. She said financial eligibility is based on the child.

Under further questioning, Beane said 184 children are on the waiting list for the waiver program, one as long as 221 days.



West Virginia students have better SAT scores than the national average.

Out of a possible 800, state high school students taking the test scored 515 on reading, 507 in math and 500 in writing, on average.
West Virginia Higher Education Chancellor Brian Noland says that's good news.

"Our SAT scores improved slightly over last year.  The number of students taking the examination were down slightly from last year," Noland recently told MetroNews. 

West Virginia students improved in reading and writing, but math scores went down. Noland says that's something that needs to be addressed.

"The fact that our SAT scores are up a little bit is a positive sign.  I still think we have a lot of work to do to ensure more West Virginians not only have the opportunity to go to college but are ready for college."

The SAT and ACT are the two entrance exams every student takes before applying for college.  Noland says he really puts more weight on ACT scores simply because more West Virginia students take that test.

"When I look at college readiness, there are two tests that are utilized, the ACT and the SAT. The ACT score is a better measure and indicator of college readiness."

More than 65% of West Virginia high school students bound for college take the ACTs rather than the SATs.

Reprinted by permission of MetroNews. This article appeared September 27, 2010.

 

Editor’s Note: -- Jim Wallace is a former government reporter for the Charleston Daily Mail and former news director of West Virginia Public Radio. He now works for TSG Consulting in Charleston and writes for several national and West Virginia publications.

 

 

 

West Virginia Board/West Virginia Department of Education News

 

The West Virginia Department of Education will receive millions of dollars to develop the first ever common assessment system. West Virginia was a founding member of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). Since its inception, 31 states have joined the SBAC. The U.S. Department of Education announced the SBAC was awarded a four-year $160 million Race to the Top assessment grant to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic standards.

“The practice of standardized testing is not sufficient to assess the skills our kids need to succeed in the global world,” West Virginia Supt. Steve Paine, who is president of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), said. “Receiving this federal grant will allow the 31 states who have agreed to work together to build an innovative system that will accurately measure how students are progressing over the years and ensure that they have the skills and knowledge they need so they are career and college ready when they graduate.”

The development of new assessments will align with the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards is an initiative led by the CCSSO and the National Governors Association to create a consistent and clear set of learning standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics. Earlier this year, the West Virginia Board of Education voted to embed the Common Core Standards into the state’s current Content Standards and Objectives.

“I appreciate the hard work that the West Virginia Department of Education has put into developing this national assessment consortium,” Gov. Joe Manchin said. “We continue to look for better ways to evaluate student learning, achieve long-term cost savings and increase collaboration between states. This grant funding will help us move toward those goals.”

West Virginia will serve as one of the governing states on the SBAC and will begin its work by conducting an assessment framework study. The group will analyze the common core standards at each grade level to determine what skills can be tested. The bulk of the test development work will be conducted in spring 2011.

“The Race to the Top Assessment program provides an unprecedented opportunity to address the concerns of teachers, administrators, parent, and policymakers regarding the limitations of the tests currently in use,” Paine said. “This next generation of assessments will provide more valid information about what students know and can do. The data these assessments produce will support a culture of continuous improvement in education by providing information that can be used meaningfully and in a timely way to inform students and their families about how they are doing, to guide instruction, to improve programs, and to identify professional development and support needs.”

SBAC will create state-of-the-art adaptive online exams, using open source technology. The online system will provide accurate assessment information to teachers and others on the progress of all students, including those with disabilities, English language learners and low- and high-performing students.

Throughout the year, students will have the option to take formative exams, which provide guidance to teachers about instructional milestones. These formative tests and multiple opportunities to take what are traditionally year-end summative exams will move the testing process away from the traditional one-size-fits-all state exams. The goal is for students who score well on specific learning standards earlier in the school year not to be tested on those standards later on an end-of-the-year test because they have already demonstrated proficiency.

 

 

An updated state policy designed to help struggling high school students stay in school, learn a skill and earn a GED® diploma is gaining popularity statewide.

In August, the West Virginia Board of Education changed Policy 2444.4: Issuance of the State of West Virginia General Educational Development (GED) Diploma to allow West Virginia to participate in the GED Option program through the American Council on Education GED Testing Service. The program allows students ages 16, 17 and 18 to remain enrolled in high school while completing GED requirements. Before the change, those under age 18 who wanted to pursue a GED were forced to withdraw from school before taking the GED test and often found themselves struggling without an appropriate support system.

In addition, West Virginia’s program goes further by allowing potential GED students to remain in career and technical education courses. These students will be able to earn a GED as well as certification in their chosen career-technical field resulting in a high school diploma. The GED is recognized by employers, as well as colleges and universities.

Since August, seminars about the GED Option Pathway conducted statewide have been packed with inquisitive parents and students eager to participate in the program. In Cabell County, for example, about 100 students have signed up to participate in the program.
“West Virginia is the first state to use the GED Option program to require at-risk students to complete some form of career and technical education,” Kathy D’Antoni, assistant supt. of the Division of Technical, Adult and Instructional Education, said. “This important requirement gives struggling students a viable way to graduate, get a job and become a productive tax-paying member of society.”

Statewide, 23 county school systems and the state’s three Institutional Education Program sites are serving as pilot sites for the GED Option Pathway. Students in the GED Option program are expected to: attend GED preparation classes and the GED tests; complete a 21st Century Global Skills job preparation program; complete four required core courses in a skilled pathway concentration or any program of study resulting in a certification; meet standards on the WorkKeys job skills assessment, if applicable; reach or exceed the cut scores on the End-of-Concentration Performance Assessment, if applicable; and complete additional classes via West Virginia Virtual School.

 

 

Drema McNeal, a sixth grade language arts teacher at Park Middle School in Beckley in Raleigh County, is West Virginia’s 2011 Teacher of the Year. She will represent West Virginia in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

 State Supt. Steve Paine made the announcement during a September ceremony in Charleston that recognized county teachers of the year. McNeal, who just began her 24th year in the classroom, has a master’s degree plus 60 credit hours, is currently working toward National Board Certification, and is an award-winning author. 

“It is my distinct privilege to honor such a fine educator in our state’s public school system,” Paine said. “Drema’s dedication to her students and to incorporating 21st century learning skills into her classroom has made her worthy of this award.” 

McNeal’s principal, Marsha Smith, describes her as a “creative, original and innovative” teacher who brings learning to life for her students regardless of background or learning ability. Smith says McNeal is not only an effective classroom communicator but also is a published author who still finds time to volunteer for causes that aid children and families. 

McNeal’s book on autism, Kyle’s Colorful Life, has captured four national awards, including the Mom’s Choice Award Gold Medal for a children’s picture book. The book also was a finalist for the Indies Book Award and USA News Best Book Award. Her second book, Jake Learns All Eight Parts of Speech, is to be released this year.  

As West Virginia’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, McNeal will receive an educational technology package valued at approximately $14,300. She was selected by a committee appointed by the state superintendent of schools to evaluate six finalists who were their county Teacher of the Year winners. Teacher of the Year, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, is the longest, ongoing awards program honoring classroom teachers in the country, granting its first national award in 1952. West Virginia has participated in the program since 1964.

Photo courtesy of WOWK-Channel 13 TV, Charleston


Editor’s Note: For more information regarding these articles, contact the West Virginia Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

WVBE Policies on Comment

 

Open for Public Comment

POLICY 2422.7 - Standards for Basic and Specialized Health Care Procedures (PDF)

Pending Board Action

 

http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/

 

WVSBA Direct

 

The following county board members were elected at the West Virginia School Board Association’s September 11, 2010, Delegate Assembly to co-regional director vacancies occurring due to expired terms, resignations or election defeats.

Newly-elected co-regional officers are:

Prudich is a member of the Mercer County Board of Education, serving as its president since 2006.  He has been a member of the board since 1988 and previously served as its vice-president.  As a member of the Mercer County Board of Education, Prudich has given particular emphasis to vocational-technical education, leading efforts to improve the range of programs, locate New River Community College on the campus of Mercer County Technical Education Center and in obtaining an Innovation Zone grant to reorganize the current programs into a Three year Technical High School.  He is an attorney with the law Firm of Sanders, Austin, Flanigan and Flanigan.  He serves on various boards and committees in his community, and is particularly proud of his 12 years of service with and president of the Greater Princeton Little League.  Prudich is a graduate of Concord College and South Texas College of Law.  He resides in Princeton with his wife Penny.  They are the parents of four children, all of whom were educated in Mercer County public schools. 


Martin was elected to the Lincoln County Board of Education in 2008.  She has 35 years of educational experience in Lincoln County as a teacher, school principal, and central office administrator. Martin also has taught graduate-level education classes for Marshall University.   She retired in 2005 as Lincoln County Schools’ assistant superintendent.  She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in elementary education. She has a doctorate in public school administration with minors in curriculum and reading.  She also serves on various county community-based organizations and works with other groups that work toward improving local communities and the county. She and her husband, Fred, have four children and six grandchildren.

Sumpter, Boone County Board of Education president, resides in Madison.  He has served as a member of the Boone County Board of Education for five years. Sumpter is tri-state account manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific. Prior to that position, he worked 22 years for Union Carbide/Dow Chemical as a researcher at the South Charleston Tech Center. He is a former Madison city councilman.  Sumpter is a member of Madison United Methodist Church. He and his wife Sherry have two children. He has a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.


Adkins, President of the Nicholas County Board of Education, is a dentist in Nicholas County. He was first elected to the school board in 2006. He is a member of WVSBA’s Strategic Planning Committee.



 

Durante has been actively involved as an educator throughout his adult life.  Beginning with employment as a secondary school teacher in Hancock County and subsequently serving many years as a county board member and a member of various educational advisory committees.  His tenure as a member of the Hancock County Board of Education began in 1975 through 1986 having served as its president for eight consecutive years.  In 1972, Durante accepted a position with the Weirton Steel Corporation where he spent 29 years.  He retired in 2002 as a Manager of Security and accepted a position of Transportation Director for the Hancock County Schools.  In 2007, Durante again rejoined the Hancock County Board of Education filling an unexpired term until 2008.  In 2008, He was re-elected to the HCBOE where he currently serves as its president beginning his second term.  Durante is currently retired but continues his active involvement in education.  He enjoys hobby farming; raising livestock and garden vegetables.  Durante also spends a considerable amount of his free time attending many school functions and athletic events. Durante resides in New Cumberland. He and his wife, Lucille have two children and five grandchildren, all residing in New Cumberland. He is a graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he majored in education and political science. He completed coursework in school administration at West Virginia University.

Ours, Grant County Board of Education president, was first appointed to the school board in 1998. He was then elected in 2004. He has served 2 terms as president.

Members will serve until the FY12 Annual Business Meeting which will be held February 26, 2011, in Charleston.  They are eligible for re-election to the co-regional director posts.



The West Virginia School Board Strategic Planning Committee will meet October 13, at the Braxton County Board of Education Central Offices in Sutton. This is the committee’s inaugural meeting.

“We expect a lot from this group. We have assembled some very talented, dedicated county board members to help formulate some vision and guidance for our association,” Mike Mitchem (McDowell), WVSBA President, said. “This is the first committee of its kind for WVSBA. We have had smaller, less-focused committees, but the Strategic Planning Committee comes at a time when our organization is facing some new demands both in terms of members’ needs and organizational direction.

Further, he said, “These individuals will help shape the future for WVSBA in the next several years. There is much potential and talent – certainly much dedication here with this assembled group of board members.”

He said the SPC membership was approved at the 2010 Delegate Assembly meeting, held September 11, in Charleston. The SPC will include Barbara Parsons, Ed.D., (Monongalia) and Rick Snuffer (Raleigh) as co-chairpersons. Rick Olcott (Wood), WVSBA Past President, will serve as an adviser to the committee.

Members include (in alphabetical order):

WVSBA Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., serves as SPC secretary/staff coordinator. Howard E. Seufer Jr., Esq., Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love, serves as counsel. Seufer also serves as association counsel, a position he has held since 1986. 

Mitchem said the SPC meeting would be open to all association members.

 

 

The County Board Member Training Standards Review Committee (TSRC) will meet October 12 at the Center for Professional Development Offices in Charleston.

State Board of Education member Gayle Manchin (Kanawha) will preside.

During this meeting, the TSRC will:

The meeting begins at 1:00 p.m.  and is slated to adjourn by 3:00 p.m.

To access the online training module for which members receive one (1) credit hour training, refer to www.wvsba.org The online training module is located on the homepage.

For more information about the meeting, please contact Association Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D. His preferred contact information is hocull@wvsba.org or howie14L@aol.com

 

 

Wyoming County Board of Education member Perry E. Cook has been elected to serve as the “school board” representative of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission (WVSSAC).

Cook was elected at the September 11, 2010, WVSBA Delegate Assembly.

He will serve a three-year, non-renewable term, ending in September 2013.

Cook is employed by Peabody Coal Company as fire boss, a position he has held for 25 years.

Cook has various employment-related certifications, including mine foreman certification, mine rescue apparatus certification, and state Emergency Medical Technician certification.

He also has WVSSAC coach certification.

Cook  and his wife Patricia have two sons. They reside in Oceana.

He is active in his church and is involved in community activities and groups.

He was first elected to the WCBOE in 2004.

Ernie Moore (Braxton) previously held the position.

 


Memorial services for Charlotte Campbell Hoke were held Friday, September 11, 2010, at Sheridan Lutheran Church Lincoln, Neb.

Mrs. Hoke is survived by husband, Fredrick “Fred” A. Hoke, two children, four grandchildren, her brother and two sisters-in-law.

Fredrick Hoke served as West Virginia School Board Association Executive Director from 1981 – 1985, predecessor to Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., who was named association  director in July 1985.

Condolences may be sent to Fredrick Hoke, 721 Driftwood Drive, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510.

 

 

Resources

 

 

 

Do you have a dream for yourself? Are you aware of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for America? Could you express your dreams in words? If so, the Martin Luther King, Jr., West Virginia Holiday Commission and YWCA Wheeling want to hear from you. The groups are accepting applications for their annual Project on Racism Essay Contest. Any student in grades one through 12 attending public, private or home schools in West Virginia is encouraged to participate in the essay contest.  

In their entries, students must incorporate a Martin Luther King quote. This year’s quote is: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Students also must answer a question. For students in grades one through five, the essay topic is: “How is your schooling helping you be a better person?” For students in grades six through 12, the topic is: “Using Dr. King’s teachings, describe how your education is molding your character.”

All essays must be handwritten, typed or computer-generated in black ink on white paper, double-spaced and only one page in length. Essays must not be any longer than 500 words and should not include photographs, images or illustrations. They also may not be sent in binders, portfolios or report covers and an official entry form must accompany each essay. Parents or teachers may type students’ work.

All entries will be judged on originality, grammar, relevancy to the theme and effective expression. They must be postmarked on or before Nov. 1, 2010. Entries should be mailed to: Project on Racism Essay Contest, YWCA of Wheeling, 1100 Chapline St., Wheeling, WV 26003. Entries also can be e-mailed to ywcadiana@aol.com or faxed to 304-232-0513. Rules and entry forms can be downloaded from www.wvmlkholidaycommission.org.

Winners will receive a cash award and first-place winners will be given the opportunity to read their essays at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Awards Luncheon in January.

For more information about the essay contest, please contact Diana Bell, state coordinator of the MLK Essay Contest, YWCA of Wheeling, (304) 232-0511, or by e-mail at ywcadiana@aol.com.

 


The West Virginia Department of Education is challenging teachers to show how they’ve incorporated 21st century learning into their classrooms through a statewide contest. The department is offering 10 awards of $2,000 each to teachers who submit lesson plans that incorporate 21st century tools and techniques. The contest is being funded with a $20,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation.

The rules are few. Still, each entry must incorporate at least one of Verizon’s Thinkfinitity partner-created resources, which can be found at http://www.thinkfinity.org. This resource does not need to be the highlight of the project. Submissions are due by noon on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. Prizes are to be awarded in early 2011. All entries will be shared with teachers across West Virginia.

“West Virginia’s teachers are some of the most experienced, dedicated and creative professionals in the country and crucial in the quest to prepare our students for success in the 21st century,” Supt. Steve Paine said. “I look forward to learning about the different 21st lesson plans they develop to challenge students.”

Learn more about the contest at: http://wvde.state.wv.us/technology/resources/thinkfinity/contest.php.

For more information, contact Mark Moore, technology coordinator, at 304-558-7880, or the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

Commentary

 

 

By Priscilla Haden


As a lifelong educator, mother and grandmother, I know that children can sometimes try our nerves. But I also know they can be delightful and intelligent, offering insights that might not occur to adults. This is one reason I was an early supporter of the Student Leadership Initiative launched by the National Association of State Boards of Education.

Our own Lowell Johnson is president of this national organization.

The Student Leadership Initiative prompted the West Virginia Board of Education in 2007 to add a non-voting student representative to our meetings. Since then, 13 students from across West Virginia have attended meetings and added the student voice to our discussions. Student voices should be honored and prized, not stifled and dismissed.

Taylor Fealy, a junior at Buckhannon-Upshur High School in Upshur County, is the latest student representative to join the West Virginia Board of Education. She will serve with the board during meetings in September, October and November.
Photo Source: West Virginia Board of Education.

The student representative project allows a different student to attend board meetings each month in three-month blocks. They are chosen from among participants in West Virginia Student Council Association, West Virginia Youth in Government Program of the HiY or the U.S. Senate Youth Program as well as from county superintendent nominations. The students serve as diplomats from the student community, gathering concerns from students across the state and sharing them with the board.  

The project gives students a tremendous opportunity to impact the policies that directly affect what happens in their classrooms and those of their classmates. Student participation adds valuable perspective to the board's deliberations by providing an important perspective on policies that affect them and their families. In addition, student participation enhances policy debates by forcing adults to avoid jargon, provide background information and explain their positions more thoroughly.

Regrettably, research shows that many young people have an inadequate knowledge of civics and how our government and political system work. Only about 30 percent of young people between the ages 18 to 24 consistently vote. While voting rates increase with age, if young adults are not engaged, there's a danger that their apathy will become ingrained and they will grow up disconnected from their communities.

A healthy democracy depends on the participation of citizens and that participation must be learned. As the 2003 report, "The Civic Mission of Schools," noted: "Individuals do not automatically become free and responsible citizens, but must be educated for citizenship."

That means civic learning must be taught along with other academic subjects. The student representative project gives students an inside look at government in action, promotes civic awareness and garners student input. Research shows students who are involved when they are young are more involved in their community as adults.
 
That is why I want to encourage students in every high school across West Virginia to talk to their teachers, counselors, principals or superintendents about participating in the program.

Preserving our democracy should be reason enough to promote civic learning. But there are other benefits. Understanding society and how we relate to each other fosters the attitudes essential for success in college, work and communities. It also enhances student learning in other subjects. This student project is but one way we at the state board are doing our part for our communities, our state and our country to prepare students for their role as citizens.

Haden is president of the West Virginia Board of Education. This commentary was published originally in the Charleston Gazette on Sept. 26, 2010.

 

ETC.

 

 

 


In an uncommon strategy to improve graduation and retention rates, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia summoned the presidents of its 35 colleges and universities, one by one, to account for problems at their institutions and present three-year plans outlining how they hope to boost the measures of student success. The meetings were occasionally uncomfortable; the answers sometimes unsatisfactory. (Inside Higher Ed, 09/23/10).

 


“Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football.” -  John William Heisman (1869–1936) was a prominent American football player and college baseball coach in the early era of American football. The Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the season's most outstanding college football player, is named for him.

 

“A minimum of sound to a maximum of sense.” – Quotation attributed to Mark Twain describing the term “sound bites.”

 

“I honestly believe the most important thing to every employee of the state is the ability to maintain their health insurance. And I honestly think that this is a mechanism that will allow that to occur.” – Delegate Ron Walters on his plan to address OPEB

“To make a decision in the next session, I think we need to see some hard numbers.” – Delegate Steve Kominar on OPEB proposals

“Unfortunately, I think that well-intentioned, county-level administrators tried to bite off more than they should have without listening to the needs and advice of teachers and principals. That is something that has actually brought us to the situation we are in right now.” – Supt. Steve Paine on the overuse of assessment tools in some districts

“There has to be a way to fix this, either through state board policy or through code.” – Supt. Steve Paine

“Sometimes it’s sad that school systems get themselves in a situation that it’s irreconcilable and irretrievably lost for a while, but sometimes an intervention comes as a relief to those that are there. In every intervention thus far, there has been a stabilizing effect once intervention has occurred in those counties.” – Kenna Seal of the Office of Education Performance Audits on state takeovers of county school systems

“Maybe we should send a team in and make an example of some county just to show it really does work. I think if we’re going to take a county over, we need to make it perform.” – Delegate Larry Williams on state takeovers

“Teachers in high-performing Asian and many other countries have more time compared to American teachers not in front of students but to meet together, to plan, to review data and so forth.” – Jennifer Davis of the National Center on Time and Learning

“One of the problems is the locations of the career-tech centers. Sometimes, they’re away from the home high schools, so there’s a busing issue.” – Assistant Supt. Kathi D’Antoni on obstacles for career-tech education

“Your decision is whether this is a health benefit of an education benefit.” – PEIA Director Ted Cheatham on whether insurance companies should be required to cover autism

“I feel strongly that it should be up to the education system to deal with this. We should have more special education teachers in school systems.” – insurance industry lobbyist Randy on autism insurance coverage

“If those groups [insurance companies] don’t step up and help with the education portion of it – the only treatment that will help these children – the state of West Virginia through our Medicaid system has to pay the lion’s share for those kids that can’t get a spot in the system.” – Delegate Mark Hunt on autism insurance coverage

 

 

Last Word

“The wide world is all about you; you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot fence it out.” – J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973), British writer and author of the richly inventive epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings.

 

By Hoppy Kercheval

Not that many years ago, a young person with a strong back and a reasonable work ethic could leave high school, find a career in a factory and make a decent living.
 
That’s all changed.

Tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs have migrated to other countries where the work can be done cheaper. Increasingly, the work force demands people with specific skills and higher levels of education.

Yet as the job market has become more demanding, our public education system has gotten worse.

This week, NBC is hosting a special series on education. Matt Lauer opened the series Monday with an interview with President Obama, during which Lauer quoted dismal statistics.

One third of young people don’t graduate from high school. One third of students who do graduate from high school are not ready for the rigors of college. Thirty-five percent of 12th graders are not proficient in reading.

President Obama has been an advocate for education reform, and that doesn’t simply mean throwing money at the problem. The figures already show that per pupil spending has risen while results have fallen.

“We can’t spend our way out of it,” Obama told Lauer. “Money without reform will not fix the problem.”

Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan, have kick-started reform with the “Race to the Top” program. States compete for federal dollars by adopting new and innovative ways to teach children.

Thirty-two states have received grants from the $4 billion program. West Virginia, unfortunately, is not among them.

The education debate ultimately comes back to teachers. These are the men and women on the front lines who get the most blame for the failures and often the least credit for the successes.

Teachers are, as the President said, “The single most important ingredient inside the classroom.”
That’s why fair and professional teacher evaluations are critical to improving education. Some states, in order to get “Race to the Top” money, have put into effect rigorous evaluations. Others, like West Virginia, are still behind the curve.

Obama says school systems must be able to identify subpar teachers, give them an opportunity to get better, and then remove them from the system if they don’t improve.

“You can’t defend the status quo when a third of the kids are dropping out,” Obama said.

Obama is also a supporter of the controversial concept of charter schools. These schools receive government money, but are liberated from the myriad hiring rules and bureaucracy that entangle regular public schools.

No, they don’t all work, but some have become what the president calls, “laboratories of excellence.”

“We know that there are some charters that have figured out how to do a very good job,” Obama said. “We need to look at these schools and find out how to duplicate them.”

West Virginia does not allow charter schools, though the legislature has approved “innovation zones,” which could be called “charter light.”

Then there is the parents’ role in education.

The growth of single parent homes and two-income households along with the increasing number of distractions for children, have made it even harder for teachers to command the full attention and respect of their students.

Parents cannot just abdicate their responsibilities for their children’s learning and leave it all to overwhelmed teachers.

Even the President of the United States has to occasionally put his two girls, Malia and Sasha, ahead of world affairs, telling them to turn off the TV and do their homework.

“At some point you have to say, ‘Your job, right now, kid, is to learn.’”

The challenge to improving education has multiple fronts and no easy answers. Reform may be painful, but maintaining the status quo only means other industrialized nations will continue to pass America in public education.

Hoppy Kercheval is host of “Talkline” on the MetroNews Radio Network. This was his commentary for Sept. 28, 2010.

 

 

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The Legislature is published by the West Virginia School Board 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 Board Association
PO Box 1008
Charleston, WV 25324
Phone (304) 346-0571 • Fax (304) 346-0572 WVSBA.ORG

Mike Mitchem (McDowell), President

Howard M. O’Cull, Ed. D., Executive Director, Editor
hocull@wvsba.org
Shirley M. Davidson, Administrative Assistant,
Production and Circulation
sdavidson@wvsba.org

Vincit omnia veritas
“Truth conquers all”