Friday August 28, 2009 Manchin takes hard line with educators 'Is it public service or is it self-service?' by Ry Rivard Daily Mail Capitol Reporter CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The bulk of state funding for public schools - the $1.7 billion funneled to county school boards through the School Aid Formula - is exempt from budget cuts being proposed by Gov. Joe Manchin.   But Manchin is asking the state Board of Education to cut 4 percent of the budgets for the agencies it directly oversees, including... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Manchin_hard_line_with_educators,31.aspx Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-08-28T08:00:00 August 26, 2009 Humana to take over plan for WVa public retirees The Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia has found a new manager for the health benefits of 36,000 of its public retirees. Humana Inc. will take over the state's Medicare Advantage program from Coventry Health Care on Jan 1. The Public Employees Insurance Agency announced its selection of the Kentucky-based health insurer on Wednesday. West Virginia has saved more than $100 million since 2007 by switching retirees... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Humana_to_take_PEIA_retirees,30.aspx Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-08-27T08:00:00 Thursday August 27, 2009 State may deplete rainy day fund Ry Rivard Charleston Daily Mail Manchin says move may be necessary to avoid major budget cuts CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia may soon dip into and nearly deplete its rainy day fund to prevent deep cuts to the state budget. Gov. Joe Manchin on Wednesday painted among the grimmest pictures yet of the state's five-year outlook amid a global recession. "If this thing doesn't turn by 2013, God help us all," Manchin told the state Board of... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Rainy__day_fund_to_be_used,29.aspx Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-08-27T08:00:00 Wednesday August 26, 2009 Senator at odds with teacher unions by Ry Rivard Daily Mail Capitol Reporter   CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state's school employee organizations are bailing on state Sen. Erik Wells and could be hunting for someone to try to replace him.   Wells, D-Kanawha, had received endorsements from the state's two teachers unions when he won election in 2006. But recently he has drawn the ire of the organizations by accusing them of not always looking out for children.   West... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Senator_Union_at_Odds,28.aspx Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-08-26T09:00:00 Monday August 24, 2009 Wells will push again for charter schools in W.Va. Only 10 states in country don't allow them by Ry Rivard Daily Mail Capitol Reporter State Sen. Erik Wells plans to reintroduce legislation to allow charter schools in West Virginia.   West Virginia is now one of only 10 states in the country that don't allow charter schools, which are private-style public schools.   Supporters of charter schools say the change will allow more nimble schools and create a sort of open... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Wells_pushes_charter_schools,27.aspx Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:00:00 GMT 2009-08-24T12:00:00 August 20, 2009 Kanawha students ahead of state, nation in most ACT categories In most categories, Kanawha County teenagers topped their peers across the state and nation on the ACT exam this year. By Davin White Staff writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In most categories, Kanawha County teenagers topped their peers across the state and nation on the ACT exam this year. On average, Kanawha students scored a 21.3 in English, a 22.1 in reading, a 20.9 in science and a 19.9 in math. All of those scores... http://wvea.org/news/articles/ACT_results,25.aspx Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-08-23T09:00:00 August 21, 2009 Kanawha County Textbook War was pivotal to life in America today Events called omen of 'rightward shift' from '60s liberal radicalism Bishop Avis Hill can't help feeling a little like a pioneer these days. All across the country, he has seen people organizing, rallying and demonstrating: brandishing tea bags in the April rain to protest taxes, gathering to condemn a congressional energy bill and shouting down politicians at raucous public meetings on health care. By The Associated... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Kanawha_textbooks_sparked_movement,24.aspx Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-08-21T09:00:00 W.Va. schools brace for swine flu outbreaks AP POSTED: August 18, 2009 CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Berkeley County Schools’ director of pupil services sees some potentially frightening parallels between swine flu and the pandemic flu of 1918 that wiped out a third of the world’s population. The 1918 influenza first appeared in the spring, followed by much more fatal waves in the fall and winter. It was deadly not only to the susceptible very young and old, but also to young adults. And it almost... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Schools_brace_for_flu,23.aspx Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-08-21T09:00:00 August 17, 2009 W.Va. gov hopes to stave off education lawsuits TOM BREEN Associated Press Writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Gov. Joe Manchin emerged from a meeting with education groups Monday with hopes of getting a legislative proposal by mid-December to defuse lawsuits threatened over retiree health care costs. Manchin met with union leaders and county school superintendents to discuss the state's handling of health care benefits for retired public workers. The group plans to meet every two weeks... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Gov_hopes_to_avoid_lawsuit,22.aspx Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT 2009-08-18T10:00:00 08/17/2009 Not Up, Not Down MetroNews Talkline Statewide The new school year starts a week from this Wednesday in each of West Virginia's counties.  Classes begin on August 26th. At this point, state Schools Superintendent Doctor Steve Paine says it looks like the new term will start with the number of certified teaching vacancies in West Virginia about where they were this time last year. "I don't... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Vacancies_even_with_last_year,21.aspx Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:00 GMT 2009-08-17T12:00:00 Manchin to meet with unions, others on PEIA decision Gov. Joe Manchin plans to meet with union leaders and others Monday to see if there's any way to stop a court battle over the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board's decision to eliminate retiree health coverage for future employees. By Alison Knezevich Staff writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin plans to meet with union leaders and others Monday to see if there's any way to stop a court battle over the Public Employees Insurance... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Meeting_with_Governor_regarding_PEIA,20.aspx Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:00:00 GMT 2009-08-15T17:00:00 August 13, 2009 Union leaders angered legislators scuttled state-worker bonus plan Workers' reps initially said Manchin's idea was not enough A day after the demise of legislation to give $500 bonuses to state and public school employees, representatives of those employees expressed anger and dismay Thursday. By Phil Kabler   CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A day after the demise of legislation to give $500 bonuses to state and public school employees, representatives of those employees expressed anger and... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Union_leaders_angered_over_bonus_failure,19.aspx Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:00:00 GMT 2009-08-14T20:00:00 Wednesday August 12, 2009 W.Va. lawmakers can't agree on employee bonuses Lawmakers unable to agree on Manchin's request for state workers by The Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va.--West Virginia public employees will not receive bonuses after all.   Gov. Joe Manchin and the Senate rejected a plan from the House of Delegates that nearly doubled the $34.7 million the governor had wanted set aside to give a $500 "one-time salary enhancement" to about 56,000 full-time state employees.   ... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Lawmakers_fail_to_pass_bonus_bill,18.aspx Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:00:00 GMT 2009-08-12T20:00:00 Tuesday August 11, 2009 School board ends push to drug test teachers by Ry Rivard Daily Mail staff The Kanawha County school board voted 5-0 Monday afternoon to end its controversial plan to randomly drug test teachers and most other school employees.   The decision came as the school system's legal expenses, which are now at $38,000, were set to escalate and after the school system's attorneys told board members they had "little or no chance" of prevailing in court.   The program has been... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Drug_testing_lawsuit_ends,16.aspx Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-08-11T08:00:00 August 10, 2009 Kanawha school board votes to end drug-testing suit By Davin White Staff writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mounting legal bills and a changing judicial landscape led Kanawha County school board members to abandon a years-old effort to randomly drug test employees. In a unanimous vote on Monday, board members cited economic conditions that will affect the school system, along with a legal bill that already reaches about $38,000.   Attorneys Carolyn Wade and Jan Fox, who represented the... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Kanawha_drops_drug_testing_lawsuit,15.aspx Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-08-11T08:00:00 08/10/2009 No County BOE Wants To List This Debt Staff Charleston A legal battle is mounting over who should take on the unfunded liability for school retirees' health care benefits. The state says the counties are responsible for some of that money, but that... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Counties_contest_debt,14.aspx Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT 2009-08-10T11:00:00 WVEA serves PEIA with notice of lawsuit WVEA Release – August 4, 2009 Kym Randolph, WVEA Communications Director   The West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) today sent notices to PEIA and the Administration of their intent to sue over the elimination of the retiree subsidy for PEIA for new hires after July 1, 2010. These actions came about as a result of a vote by the PEIA Finance Board on July 30, 2009.   “Our attorneys are required by law to give the state 30 days notice prior to actually... http://wvea.org/news/articles/WVEA_serves_notice_of_PEIA_lawsuit,10.aspx Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:05:00 GMT 2009-08-04T14:05:00 W. Va OK's delayed end to public retiree subsidies LAWRENCE MESSINA Associated Press Writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia will stop subsidizing the health coverage of its retirees starting with public employees hired after June 2010, a move meant to avoid a projected multibillion-dollar funding shortfall but also one met by calls for a lawsuit from workers' unions. Thursday's vote by the finance board of the Public Employees Insurance Agency pushes back from Jan. 1 the planned halt to... http://wvea.org/news/articles/PEIA_Vote_Eliminates_Retiree_Subsidy,6.aspx Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-07-31T09:00:00 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:51:25 GMT http://wvea.org/shared/handlers/newsrss.ashx?cid=5 10 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:51:25 GMT