Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) welcomed members of the West Virginia Common Ground Partnership to today’s meeting to recognize April as the Month of the Military Child.
This year, the partnership, which consists of 20 organizations, has created an online toolkit to assist schools as they develop activities to celebrate military families throughout the month. April 19, 2023, is designated as Purple Up for Military Kids Day in West Virginia as part of recognitions taking place nationally. Schools and districts throughout the state and country offer special support to military families not only in April but throughout the year. The Common Ground Partnership provides resources to the school system to continue to strengthen these supports. There are more than 6,000 military-connected children in West Virginia.
The Partnership’s activities continue to evolve. It has also launched a unique web toolthat offers self-help resources and mentoring support for those preparing to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This assessment is used to evaluate academic and occupational skills, but it is also a direct qualifier for military enlistment. Military Signing Week is April 24 – 28, 2023, and 26 West Virginia schools have registered to participate with an additional eight schools hosting celebrations on days outside of the identified week.
The Board also welcomed two special guests. The 2022 West Virginia Milken Educator Andrea Trio was presented her Milken obelisk by President L. Paul Hardesty during the meeting. Although her surprise announcement was made last year at Madison Elementary School (Ohio County) where Trio serves as principal, the award presentation is always made at a WVBE meeting along with representatives from the Milken Family Foundation.
“You represent what is good about public education in West Virginia,” said President Hardesty. “You are a community principal, and your family has to share you with your school and your community. Every one of us has schools in our communities with the same demographics as your school. So, we understand that you may be the only positive reinforcement your children see. They will never forget you, and that is why you are truly worthy of this honor.”
“This will certainly be one of the proudest chapters in my life,” Trio said. “It represents the joy of knowing I’ve been called into a profession to serve beautiful and deserving children. I am so proud to be called their principal. Our school is Madison Elementary, and it is the anchor of the area. It provides a strong intervention and academic program that puts our children on a path to success. The best gift they get every day is the gift of love that makes them feel like they are on top of the world.”
Naudia Ng was also recognized as the 2023 Arts Alive poster winner. Her artwork reflects youthful expression and the four areas of fine arts. Each art form is represented by a sneaker creatively designed with her touch of special flair. Ng is a freshman at Robert C. Byrd High School (Harrison County) and will also be recognized during Arts Alive on April 28, 2023, at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
The WVBE placed the following policies on a 30-day comment period.
Policy 2520.2B is being revised to update and align high-quality content standards to mathematics per W.Va. Code §18-2-39 related to the college- and career-readiness initiative. Revisions include aligning grade-level and course-specific standards to reflect a more logical progression for students. This is designed to promote learning and reduce redundancies (among other things). Additionally, the revisions include the addition of House Bill 3055 passed during the recent legislative session to establish a vocational math class for students on the career technical education pathway.
Policy 5202 establishes the requirements regarding the licensure of educators to work in the public schools of West Virginia. As changes occur in education, certification and licensure, and recent legislative changes, the policy must be revised to meet the current education system’s needs. As continuous revision occurs, Policy 5202 reflects many of these changes including the restructuring and formatting changes for the entire policy.
Policy 5901 is being amended to align program eligibility criteria pertaining to educational qualifications of sections 7.2.a.3 and 12.1 to accept newly approved exemptions of the West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory. The amended policy will allow greater flexibility to accept candidates into alternative certification programs who meet the minimum educational qualifications leading to initial teacher certification.
These policies may be reviewed at the WVDE website.
The next regularly scheduled WVBE meeting is 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Building 6, Suite 600, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia.
For media inquiries, contact Christy Day, West Virginia Department of Education Office of Communications, at 304-558-2699 or Christy.Day@k12.wv.us.
