State education, Medicaid getting massive funding infusions Funds totalling $136 million coming from Obama jobs bill signed last month by Ry Rivard CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Over the next year, county school systems across West Virginia are set to share a $55 million infusion of money that can be used to pay for tutoring and teacher training and to expand after-school, summer school and preschool programs. Gov. Joe Manchin on Wednesday signed an application to the federal government for the state's... http://wvea.org/news/articles/State_education_Medicaid_getting_massive_funding_infusions,360.aspx Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-09-09T09:00:00 Raleigh language arts instructor named Teacher of the Year By Staff reports The Charleston Gazette CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Drema McNeal, a sixth-grade language arts teacher in Beckley who helped her mother learn to read, was named the West Virginia 2011 Teacher of the Year Wednesday. State Superintendent Steve Paine was to make the announcement during a ceremony at the Embassy Suites in Charleston Wednesday night. Marsha Smith, McNeal's principal at Park Middle School in Raleigh County, described... http://wvea.org/news/articles/McNeal_named_WV_Teacher_of_the_Year,361.aspx Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-09-09T09:00:00 Harrison County schools stop giving grades for science, social studies System focusing on improving test scores in reading, math by Zack Harold CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Increased pressure to improve student performance in reading and math - the subjects that get the most Westest reporting scrutiny - is causing at least one county to de-emphasize some other academic areas. Starting this year, some Harrison County elementary students won't receive grades in social studies or science. Instead, teachers... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Harrison_County_stop_giving_grades_for_science_and_social_studie,359.aspx Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT 2010-09-08T19:00:00 September 3, 2010 Dale Lee: WESTEST2, ACT scores rise in W.Va. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While I do not believe test scores alone are a good indication of student knowledge, tests scores are often used to compare our school systems to others. Those who are lamenting the state of our education system frequently use them as comparisons. In the case of WESTEST2, more students achieved at the mastery level even though the West Virginia Board of Education increased the scores required for mastery. In addition,... http://wvea.org/news/articles/WESTEST2_ACT_scores_rise_in_WV,357.aspx Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT 2010-09-06T19:00:00 PEIA members must do their part to avoid extra costs Tom Miller, The Herald-Dispatch You only need to read recent reports on how many ineligible West Virginia residents are incorrectly included in state government's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) health and life insurance programs to appreciate why the plan has become so expensive for state taxpayers who pick up the lion's share of the cost. The latest estimates are that about 210,000 West Virginians -- that's more than 10 percent of the... http://wvea.org/news/articles/PEIA_members_must_do_their_part_to_avoid_extra_costs,358.aspx Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT 2010-09-06T19:00:00 Swing removal nixed BRYAN CHAMBERS and BILL ROSENBERGER The Herald-Dispatch HUNTINGTON -- Swing sets will remain on Cabell County's elementary school playgrounds. Cabell County Schools Superintendent William Smith halted a plan Thursday to remove swings from the schools because of recent lawsuits and costs associated with meeting national standards for playground safety. After consulting with the West Virginia Department of Education's Office of School Facilities, school officials discovered that... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Swing_removal_nixed,355.aspx Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-09-03T08:00:00 West Virginia Sits Out Race to the Top Despite Manchin's pledge, few education reforms passed.   CHARLESTON -- In the scramble by states to compete in Race to the Top, West Virginia didn't even make it to the starting line. More than $3.3 billion in federal funds were awarded Aug. 24 to nine states and Washington, D.C., in what has become President Barack Obama's signature education program. Among them were Ohio, which walked away with $400 million,... http://wvea.org/news/articles/WV_sits_out_Race_to_the_Top,356.aspx Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-09-03T08:00:00 No Swinging Here MetroNews The swings are just the latest playground equipment to be removed from school property in Cabell County. "(Several years ago) We had to eliminate the merry go rounds for the same sort of reason and the very high slides that we all remember from when we were kids," Cabell County Schools Director of Communications Jedd Flowers said Tuesday. "Unfortunately, we're kind of living in a litigious society." Swing sets have already been... http://wvea.org/news/articles/No_swinging_here,352.aspx Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-09-01T09:00:00 Cabell schools praised for food   BILL ROSENBERGER The Herald-Dispatch ONA -- When British chef Jamie Oliver called out the United States Department of Agriculture in the six-episode reality TV show filmed in Huntington last fall, officials in Washington, D.C., were listening. Serving healthier lunches to public school students also has become a topic on Capitol Hill with first lady Michelle Obama and lawmakers as they debate the details in the re-authorization of the Child Nutrition Act. A... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Cabell_schools_praised_for_food,353.aspx Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-09-01T09:00:00 State requests bids for education spending audit By Phil Kabler The Charleston Gazette CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A comprehensive audit of state spending on public education should begin later this year, with the opening this week of the bidding period for a contract to conduct the statewide review. The audit would be a "comprehensive examination of state spending on primary and secondary education," including financial audits of the state Department of Education, the Department of Education and the Arts... http://wvea.org/news/articles/State_requests_bids_on_education_spending_audit,354.aspx Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-09-01T09:00:00 Nearly 10,000 wrongly claimed as PEIA dependents, audit finds By Phil Kabler CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Nearly 10,000 people were improperly claimed as dependents of people covered under the state Public Employees Insurance Agency, according to preliminary results of an audit released Thursday. That includes 6,506 people who were improperly receiving PEIA health coverage, and 3,258 on life insurance plans, PEIA chief financial officer Jason Haught said. The audit, of current school and public employees... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Nearly_10000_wrongly_claimed_as_PEIA_dependents_audit_finds,351.aspx Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-08-27T09:00:00 Winners in Obama education reform unveiled Nine states, D.C. to share $3.4 billion from controversial 'Race to the Top' competition Associated Press ATLANTA — More than 13 million students and 1 million educators will share $3.4 billion from the second round of the federal "Race to the Top" grant competition, the U.S. Education Department said Tuesday. The department chose nine states — Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island — and the... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Winners_in_Obama_education_reform_announced,350.aspx Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-08-25T08:00:00 Teachable moments Hoppy Kercheval, Talkline   Albert Einstein said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” The public school year is under way in West Virginia.  Across the state children are filing into the classroom to begin another year of learning. As they take their seats, the din quiets and they look forward, where they see the individual who will, over the coming months, spend as much or even more time with them than their own parents: ... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Teachable_moments,349.aspx Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT 2010-08-24T10:00:00 Searching For Those Teachable Moments Staff MetroNews Talkline West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee says when he talks with young teachers he's encouraged. Lee says many of them seem enthusiastic with a real passion to help children. He says that's the key to a successful education career. "If their first thought is 'I want to make a difference for kid' then they are going to be a good teacher," Lee said Monday on MetroNews... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Searching_for_those_teachable_moments,348.aspx Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT 2010-08-23T19:00:00 Are textbooks in their waning years? By Davin White The Charleston Gazette CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Children in Paula Hill's second-grade classroom at West Side Primary School were working out of their "Reading Street" textbook on a recent day, exploring the camping trip a young character named Henry took with his parents. They started with the textbook, that is, but Hill and resource teacher Janessa Spence pulled out so much more. Henry's father enjoyed singing Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender." To... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Are_textbooks_in_their_waning_years,347.aspx Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT 2010-08-20T11:00:00 New GED Program To Help Kids In School WV MetroNews Staff Students who may not excel in a traditional classroom can still stay in school and earn their diploma. West Virginia is now a GED option state. This school year the West Virginia Department of Education is offering a pilot program in several school systems that allows 16, 17 and 18-year-olds to work toward their GEDs. Debra Kembler is the GED Policy Coordinator for the West Virginia Department of... http://wvea.org/news/articles/New_GED_program_to_help_kids_in_schools,345.aspx Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-08-19T09:00:00 Don’t stop now With a new school year about to begin — earlier in some counties following legislation designed to combat winter cancellations — West Virginia has received some encouraging news. Students have shown widespread improvement in the most recent round of achievement tests, known as WESTEST 2, which is used to assess proficiency in math, reading and language arts, science and social studies. The state Department of Education said Monday that 538 of 694 schools, or 81 percent, met federal... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Dont_stop_now,346.aspx Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT 2010-08-19T09:00:00 Fifth-graders to receive Smartphones from Verizon The Herald-Dispatch HUNTINGTON -- Verizon Wireless presented the Cabell County Board of Education with a check for nearly $43,000 at its meeting Tuesday evening to be used in purchasing Smartphones for all fifth-grade students at Altizer and Davis Creek elementary schools this year. The phones, which will not have texting or voice capabilities, will be used as Mobile Learning Devices. They will have filtered Internet access and numerous applications... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Fifthgraders_to_receive_smartphones_from_Verizon,344.aspx Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT 2010-08-18T11:00:00 W.Va. says tests show schools getting better By The Associated Press  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - New achievement test results demonstrate widespread improvement among West Virginia students, state schools superintendent Steven Paine said Monday. The state Department of Education said 538 of 694 schools, or 81 percent, met federal requirements for progress in 2010. That is up from 507 of 697 schools, or 78 percent, in 2009. The results are particularly impressive because West Virginia raised the... http://wvea.org/news/articles/WV_tests_show_schools_getting_better,342.aspx Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-08-17T08:00:00 U.S. schools chief endorses release of teacher data By McClatchy Newspapers LOS ANGELES -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Monday that parents have a right to know if their children's teachers are effective, endorsing the public release of information about how well individual teachers fare at raising their students' test scores. "What's there to hide?" Duncan said in an interview one day after the Los Angeles Times published an analysis of teacher effectiveness in the Los Angeles... http://wvea.org/news/articles/Duncan_endorses_release_of_teacher_data,343.aspx Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-08-17T08:00:00 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:55:47 GMT http://wvea.org/shared/handlers/newsrss.ashx?rid=1&c=WVEA+News 10 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:55:47 GMT