School Calendar Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Senate Education Committee Proposes Alternative School Schedule

A novel approach to the staffing issues facing West Virginia schools could be piloted if a bill originated by the Senate Education Committee Thursday is approved into law.

Senate Bill 736 requires the state superintendent to establish a three-year pilot project of a non-traditional school week in up to five county school districts. Students would be required to be present in school four days a week, with a fifth day of instruction to be delivered through alternative methods.

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools David Roach told the committee that he was lukewarm to the idea initially but has warmed up to it since hearing from interested school leaders across the state.

”Based on a letter I received, it opened my eyes a little bit more about the possibility of how it could really help in some counties where they will never have an opportunity to equal the pay rate and have a lot of teachers that are not necessarily trained in pedagogy or any aspect of it, and it gives this time for that training to occur,” Roach said. “We have a lot of good talent, but if you’re not trained in how to manage a classroom, it’s very difficult, and actually how to teach so students are able to learn. I think it has a lot of positive things to it, and I would be very willing to try this, because as one said, it is very innovative and it might meet the needs of many counties in the future.”

Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, suggested revisiting proposals for year-round schooling and including private schools in alternative scheduling plans moving forward. He asked Roach if any bordering states had piloted or implemented alternative schedules, to which Roach replied that he was not aware of any and proceeded to read part of a letter from a West Virginia county superintendent in favor of the alternative schedules.

The letter stated an alternative schedule would allow school systems to address the problem of long-term substitutes and career switchers who are increasingly filling the ranks of educators.

“These are individuals with enthusiasm and enormous potential, but very little experience in running a classroom or instructional pedagogy,” Roach read. “Second, it would address the lack of planning time that is widespread. With the shortages we are facing our teachers rarely have a full planning period.”

The letter referred to a different schedule than the one proposed by the bill, which would utilize the fifth day of the week exclusively for lesson planning and professional development of teachers. It further argued that without the possibility of competing with border states financially for teachers, something like an alternative schedule could be the ticket to attracting teachers into West Virginia.

Sen. Laura Chapman, R-Ohio, expressed concern as to how the proposed fifth day of lessons would be provided. The bill allows each county the freedom to determine how to approach the alternative schedule.

“We’re in West Virginia and internet access is spotty at best,” she said. “I just want to make sure that if this is implemented in the pilot programs, and I understand it’s up to the counties, that there is access to all the students for that fifth day.”

Senate Education Committee Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, said that she often hears that West Virginia’s educational system is at the bottom.

“This is a way to think outside of the box and to try it a little bit instead of just going all in – try and see what’s successful,” she said. “I’m a big believer in quality over quantity. Meaning if the instructional time you give is the best possible instruction, the quality instruction you give is top notch. It’s way better than being in school more days with lower quality.”

Grady, who is a teacher, emphasized the need for teachers to have planning time to prepare purposeful and intentional instruction. With staffing shortages, teachers are often required to cover other classrooms in lieu of planning.

Grady also encouraged school districts to receive input from parents on the proposal, but also spoke to the issue of childcare that often arises when there are disruptions in school schedules.

“That’s important, but the purpose of schools isn’t to provide childcare for families. It’s not the purpose,” she said. “The purpose of schools is to give our children the best education we possibly can and if this helps with that, that’s fantastic.”

The bill originated in the Senate Education Committee. It was introduced to the Senate on Friday. The committee recommended that it pass.

W. Va. House Rejects School Year Calendar Bill

The West Virginia House of Delegates very narrowly rejected a bill to create a statewide school calendar starting after Labor Day and ending before June 7.

The vote followed a lengthy debate on whether House Bill 2433 interferes with a county’s ability to establish a school schedule that takes into account snow days, holidays and — yes — deer hunting season.

According to Education Committee Chair Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, counties would be able to request a waiver for this calendar requirement, if the bill becomes law.

“State board may waive the requirements of the section upon request of a county board, and state board rule is required for the approval process,” Ellington said before Wednesday’s vote.

Some delegates who opposed the bill questioned how easy it would be to obtain a waiver.

“I think that the current system we have now where the school boards get to choose their days works great,” said Del. Carl Martin, R-Upshur. The schools around him, he said, start the second week of August.

Del. Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, spoke on Tuesday about “concerns that have been raised by the NRA,” or the National Rifle Association.

Espinosa directed delegates to look at a letter on their desks provided by the NRA’s “Institute for Legislative Action.” The document accused House Bill 2433 of imposing a “one-size-fits-all calendar on all schools in West Virginia.”

The NRA’s largest concern, shared through Espinosa, is that the bill would have run the risk of eliminating some school’s ability to grant their students a week off for deer hunting season.

Del. Cody Thompson, D-Randolph, said Tuesday he’s an advocate for the Second Amendment, yet he disagreed with Espinosa’s remarks.

“I’m a proponent of the Second Amendment,” Thompson said. “I own guns. I come from a long family of hunters. My dad and my uncles and my grandfathers, we’ve been generational hunters. The NRA, though, does not need to be dictating educational policy.”

Del. Caleb Hanna, R-Nicholas, said Wednesday he supported the bill because it would offer school staff and families a more secure schedule.

“To really say that we’re taking flexibility away from the counties, I really don’t think is fair,” Hanna said. “I think what we’re really doing is giving surety to our teachers, parents and students that they’ll know exactly when school will be every year.”

Del. Scott Cadle, R-Mason disagreed.

“About four years ago, we passed legislation to let the counties set their own schedule, because we had counties that had a lot of snow days,” he said on the House floor. “And they weren’t getting enough school days, so we gave them flexibility to do whatever they needed to do to get the 180 days in a calendar year … this bill would take their ability away, to do that.”

Del. John Kelly, R-Wood, was the lead sponsor on House Bill 2433. He said in his own testimony some county boards of education have “abused” the flexibility Cadle mentioned.

Kelly also said the bill would provide teachers more time to advance their degrees, e families more time to plan summer activities, allow teachers a chance to work a part-time job over the summer to supplement their income and allow students to take a part-time job over the summer.

“It would also reduce the need for families to take vacations after the start of the school year, and thus would reduce absenteeism,” Kelly said of the failed bill.

This was the first bill the House has rejected on the floor this session.

Note: The first paragraph originally read “create a statewide school calendar starting after Labor Day and ending before Jan 7”. It was update to the correct ending date, June 7.

Common Core, School Calendar Bills Vetoed

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has vetoed two education bills, one that would have repealed Common Core aligned standardized test in the state and a second that would have allowed county boards to schedule fewer then 180 days in their school calendars.

House Bill 4014 started as a repeal of the state’s Common Core-based education standards, but the state Board of Education approved their repeal in December, replacing them with the West Virginia College and Career Ready Standards.

As it moved through the legislative process, the bill became a repeal of any standardized tests aligned with Common Core. The bill also created a review panel that includes higher education professors or deans to suggestion changes to the current standards to the state board.

In his veto message, Tomblin said requiring the board stop using its current summative assessment in such a short timeframe “discounts the time and consideration” needed to find a replacement. He says it could also disrupt the ongoing implementation of the state’s A through F grading scale for schools.

Tomblin says that revisions to assessments and standards may be warranted in the future, but the state should ensure the stability of its school system by giving the current changes and means of measurement more time to take hold.

The governor also vetoed a bill that would have removed the requirement that county Boards of Education provide 180 separate days of learning and also limited the school operating dates to between August 10 and June 10.

In his veto message, Tomblin said 180 separate days of learning ensures students will be ready for college or a career after high school and school systems should be prepared to properly deal with weather or other emergencies by building flexibility into their calendars.

Tomblin said limiting school systems to operation between August 10 and June 10 also would have reversed legislation he approved in 2013, which gave counties more control over their calendars.

Lawmaker Proposes Cutting School Calendar by 5 Days

A West Virginia lawmaker is proposing legislation that would trim five days from the school calendar.

The Register-Herald reports that Delegate Dave Perry’s bill would reduce instructional days from 180 to 175, although teachers would still work 200 days.

The legislation would prohibit classes from starting before Labor Day and require the school year to end June 5. Perry, a Democrat from Fayette County, said that would eliminate interference with summer jobs, vacations and festivals.

Three bad-weather days would be built into the schedule.

Because of snowstorms and flooding last year, some counties kept schools open until June 24 while others gave up spring break. This year, some school systems began classes in early August and others gave up Thanksgiving break to ensure the 180 instructional days are met.