West Virginia Association of Elementary/Middle School Principals
2020 Legislative Session Proclamations
The West Virginia Legislature begins January 9, 2020. This is an important and eventful time in education, and the West Virginia Association of Elementary/Middle School Principals believes many important programmatic/structural legislation may occur.
Since the work stoppage of 2018, the WVAEMSP has been working with Senators and Delegates to make our feelings known on topics such as assessment, attendance, discipline and assessment issues, professional salaries and PEIA benefits. We strongly believe our children, now more than ever, need increased physical, behavioral and mental health services. We adamantly believe that school vouchers, charter schools and loosening of child–protective requirements in home schools are unnecessary and dangerous for educating children in our state.
The West Virginia Association of Elementary/Middle School Principals recognizes that 2020 is a year of vital support and development of programs and content for students and educators throughout our state. Although many financial challenges exist, it is imperative that our Governor and Legislature resolve to support and properly fund public education. The WVAEMSP strongly supports the following:
- The WVAEMSP strongly believes school and student safety is the most important factor for West Virginia children. We strongly recommend each West Virginia school have a full-time principal and assistant principal in place to assure need areas in safety, achievement and community relations may be properly addressed.
- Dedication to the physical and mental well-being of the children and families of West Virginia by ensuring the proper staffing of school counselors, social workers and nurses. A systematic program should be in place for every student staff member to address trauma and emotional needs of all members of the students and staff.
- A sensible community-based approach that incorporates local health providers with our schools to combat the opioid and vaping dangers that threaten our students’ well-being on a daily basis. We also support the proper staffing of health and behavioral specialists such as social workers, nurses and psychologists in every school.
- No reduction in PEIA financial support of services from the State of West Virginia, including a reinstatement of accrued sick days for the application of retirement or insurance benefits.
- Professional pay for all professional educators and support staff.
- A refusal to implement school vouchers (school education accounts), and charter school system.
- A long-term plan to recognize, respect and promote the profession of education and teaching throughout West Virginia to career-minded adults and students, and support for funding of reading, text literacy, arts programs and school libraries.
WVAEMSP 2020 Educational/Governmental Resolutions
- Whereas the WVAEMSP supports students’ need for school safety, and recognizes that effective behavioral and mental health practices begin at an early age, and whereas the WVAEMSP supports the cognitive, emotional and social well-being of the children of West Virginia and recognizes these qualities contribute to a positive and contributing citizenry:
8. BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to provide the full financial funding of school counselors to the students of West Virginia with a full-time counselor in every school and strongly recommend each West Virginia school have a full-time principal and assistant principal in place to assure need areas in safety, achievement and community relations may be properly addressed.
- Whereas the WVAEMSP supports the current benefit packages provided to public employees and acknowledges that they have been provided in lieu of salary raises in the past, and that any reduction of these benefits and the lack of pay increases in relation to neighboring states and costs of living increases are equal to systematic and purposeful decreases in compensation and respect for public education:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to support professional pay increases for all employees in the West Virginia educational system, and the recognition by all governmental agencies including elected officials, of the importance and respect for public schools, students and staff.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to provide the full financial funding of PEIA benefits package.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to not reduce educational funding of West Virginia Public Schools in 2020, or to divert funding to charter schools or educational vouchers for any child.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to reinstate the practice of accruing unused sick days to retirement or insurance purposes.
- Whereas the WVAEMSP supports the removal of inauthentic and one size fits all accountability:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to support a fair and relevant accountability process that accurately reflects a school’s performance with a variety of measurable objectives, not a single, one day test result or punitive attendance and discipline policies.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP supports Governor Justice and the WV Legislature continue to implement student engagement time as opposed to the instructional day as the standard measure of instructional time.
- Whereas the WVAEMSP supports the public school structure that has successfully and continuously provided a comprehensive system of cognitive, emotional and physical support to the children of West Virginia:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP advocates Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to support the existence of public schools and their financial stability by denying legislation that would allow the existence of school vouchers and disallow funding for charter schools from taxpayer funded resources.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the WVAEMSP advocates Governor Justice and the WV Legislature to recognize critical staffing issues and support the existence of public schools personnel by creating a long-term plan to recognize and promote the profession of education and teaching throughout the State to career-minded adults and students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.