What a Week!
Where to start?
Colleges and Universities from across the state traveled to Charleston this week for Higher Education Day at the Capitol.
International visitors stopped by the House Ed offices.
The House Chamber was packed for the public hearing on Public Charter Schools. We heard from 11 members of the public in favor of #PCS and 11 who were against.
Chair’s Corner
As usual House Education Chairwoman Amanda Pasdon had a whole slew of meetings this week. Here's a peek into some of her appointments:
Danny Dailey, Technology Director at Lincoln County Schools spoke with Amanda about how we can get technology in the hands of our students to provide the most effective learning environment possible.
Amanda held a video conference with the National Center for Excellence in Women’s Health at WVU to discuss their nation-wide efforts at improving women's health education and promoting female leadership across healthcare fields.
Mike Donally of the Home School Legal Defense Association stopped by to speak about some close to home issues with Amanda; she was a homeschooler not so long ago (a few members of our committee and staff also home school their kids)!
Amanda sat down with some WVU student leaders in hopes of establishing future collaborations
Very productive day. And thank you to @Amanda_Pasdon for taking time to sit down with me. I look forward to working together! #WVU
— Brady Smith™ (@BSmithWV) January 29, 2015
Charles Liao, Executive Officer, Taipei Economic and
Cultural Representative Office paid Amanda a visit to continue a long standing relationship between heads of the two offices
Amanda also made appearances on Talkline, Legislature Today, The Mike Queen Show,
Decision Makers She frequently appears as a blur throughout the House Ed corridors as she hastens between appointments!
Committee Updates
Not to be outdone by Chairwoman Pasdon, the members of House Education dedicated more than a full work day worth of time this week to committee meetings.
Monday afternoon the committee gathered to discuss H.B. 2005 Relating to alternative programs for the education of teachers, and H.B. 2160 Making West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind eligible to participate in any and all funding administered or distributed by the West Virginia School Building Authority.
The committee really proved their diligence, resolutely continuing conversation into the night. Most of our guests stuck around too to provide the committee with their expertise on the topics at hand. We cannot thank these guests enough for the valuable help they provided:
Monica Beane, Executive Director, Office of Professional Preparation of the West Virginia Department of Education
Heather Hutchens, Counsel to the West Virginia Board of Education
Will Nash, Executive Director of Teach for America Appalachia
Dr. Corley Dennison, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Dr. Scott Wolmack, USA, Ret., of Monroe County High School
Dale Lee, President, West Virginia Education Association
Mary Catherine Funk, Counsel to the West Virginia Board of Education,
David Sneed, Executive Director of the School Building Authority
Much to the consternation of everyone present Wednesday's committee meeting ended before the sun set.
Guests, Dr. Michael Martirano, State Superintendent of Schools, Joe Panetta, COO, Division of Student Support Services of the West Virginia Department of Education, and Terry Harless, CFO, Office of Internal Operations of the West Virginia Department of Education spoke to the committee about the State Board of Education’s budgeting and operations.
Our subcommittee on the Public School Support Program convened twice this week to learn all they could on the workings of the Support Program in preparation for the upcoming presentation to the full committee
Cheat Sheet
A Look Into Next Week
Chairwoman Pasdon will appear on Decision Makers Sunday morning
The Committee will be discussing H.B.2151 Making the West Virginia state teacher of the year an ex officio, nonvoting member of the West Virginia Board of Education and the Public School Support Plan
