Education Takes Central Role In Gov. Morrisey’s Administrative Agenda

During his inaugural address Monday Gov. Patrick Morrisey said putting more control in the hands of parents will be a key part of his administration’s plans to boost the state’s educational achievement.

The governor formalized that position at a press conference Tuesday morning, outlining an executive order saying that school choice will be a top priority for the administration.

“We’re issuing an executive order saying that school choice is going to be a top priority for our administration, and then I plan to work with the speaker, with the Senate President, with the legislature, to do everything possible to ensure that school choice and the Hope Scholarship are successful,” Morrisey said. “And I anticipate working closely with them on any legislation we may need to further those goals and to continue to ensure that West Virginia has the broadest school choice laws in the country. I’ve been talking about that for years. That should be no surprise, but we anticipate legislation in this area.”

The Hope Scholarship, West Virginia’s education savings account program, already has more than 10,000 participants and will expand its eligibility to all West Virginians next year.

“I think it’s a priority for the state and the citizens to make sure that our kids are getting the best education possible, and we believe that the Hope Scholarship is that difference maker to be the cornerstone of educational achievement,” Morrisey said. 

The governor said policies pertaining to the public schools will also be reviewed.

“As I talked about my speech yesterday, the focus is on math, on science, on phonics,” Morrisey said Tuesday. “All these are different issues we’ll be working with the legislature on. But I wanted to express my intent, how important the school choice HOPE Scholarship Program is. I want to be more competitive. I was really clear about that.”

At Monday’s inauguration Morrisey said opportunities for children start with teachers, calling educators the “foundation to a child’s success.”

“We’ll make sure West Virginia’s teachers, they’re going to get paid competitively with those in neighboring states,” Morrisey said in his inaugural address. “If we want to attract and retain the best educators, we must reward their commitment and their excellence.” 

The Hope Scholarship cost more than $20 million last year, with that number expected to double with increased enrollment. Asked Tuesday how pay raises for teachers would be achieved with the expanding Hope Scholarship program, Morrisey said he is still creating a proposed budget to present to the legislature in 30 days. He alluded to higher pay in neighboring states and said it needs to be looked at.

“I want to make sure we’re looking at that and we’re doing that comparison, and then we want to think through the best way we can do it, because I respect our teachers,” Morrisey said Tuesday. “I think the teachers are so critical, and we want to make sure that we’re going to be able to better compete. So we’re looking to provide more resources to make sure we’re rewarding our best teachers.”