Senate Bill No. 139
(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, and Boley,
By Request of the Executive)
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[Introduced January 23, 1995; referred to the Committee
on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend article three-a, chapter eighteen-a of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seven, relating to training and certification of school
principals.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article three-a, chapter eighteen-a of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seven, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3A. Training, certification, licensing, professional
development.
§18A-3A-7. Principals of the future project.
(a) The Legislature finds that:
(1) The future of the schools and communities in the state
of West Virginia depend upon the continuing and increasing
leadership of the principals for such schools;
(2) By the year two thousand, a substantial percentage of
current principals will be eligible for retirement;
(3) A need exists to recruit and train school principals who
can provide quality leadership to the state's public schools and
communities as the state enters the twenty-first century; and
(4) All school principals need support in developing and
maintaining a wide range of leadership qualities, educational
proficiencies, and administrative skills which are necessary to
effectively motivate teachers, students, parents and entire
communities to achieve the highest personal and collective
potential in an increasingly complex and competitive world.
(b) On or before the first day of January, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-six, the state board of education shall establish
by regulation the minimum qualities, proficiencies and skills
that will be required of prospective school principals and the
board shall approve a corresponding training and certification
process in accordance with this section so that newly hired
principals are able to build continuously improving and high
performing schools and to be an active leader in their community.
No prospective school principal may be hired by any public school
system after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-seven, unless certified in accordance with the provisions
of this section and the regulations promulgated by the board
pursuant to this section: Provided, That the state board of
education may require the certification of prospective school
principals before the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, if a recruitment, training and
certification process as required by this section exists. For
purposes of this section, a "prospective school principal" is any
person seeking employment in a West Virginia public school who
has not been employed in West Virginia as a full-time permanent
school principal before the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-seven.
(c) There is hereby created within the center for
professional development the "principals of the future council."
The purpose of the council is to develop and recommend policies
and programs to the state board of education regarding the
certification of prospective school principals as defined in this
section, to provide for the recruitment, training, and
certification of prospective school principals and to provide
professional development services for current school principals.
(d) The council shall consist of nine members appointed by
the governor for staggered three year terms: Three principals,
one teacher, one school superintendent, one member of a county
board of education and three members of the public. Members
shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses
actually incurred in the performance of their official duties
from funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such
purposes upon submission of an itemized statement therefor. The
state superintendent of schools shall convene the first meeting
of the council to elect a chair, vice-chair and secretary. The
council shall employ and fix the compensation of a director and such other persons as may be necessary to carry out the mission
and duties of the council.
(e) The council shall be responsible generally for
recommending policies to the state board of education regarding
the certification of prospective school principals and the
professional development of current school principals and for
developing related training and professional development
programs. More specifically, the council shall:
(1) Develop and recommend to the state board of education
the minimum qualities, proficiencies and skills needed by
prospective school principals so that continuously improving and
fully productive schools can be built and so that a principal can
be an active leader in the school's community. In carrying out
this responsibility, the council shall address the need for
principals to develop and maintain the following attributes:
(A) School community leadership qualities: Including, but
not limited to, the ability to organize and lever
age community
initiative, coach and motivate employees, communicate
effectively, manage change, resolve conflict and reflect the
highest personal values;
(B) Educational proficiencies: Including, but not limited
to, knowledge of curriculum, instruction techniques, student
learning styles, student assessment criteria, school personnel
performance and evaluation and familial issues; and
(C) Administrative skills: Including, but not limited to,
organizational, fiscal, political, and total quality management skills and techniques.
(2) Develop and administer a recruitment, training and
certification program to identify and certify prospective school
principals in accordance with prospective school principal
certification standards approved by the state board of education.
This program should include at least the following:
(A) Stringent prequalification skills and aptitude standards
for prospective principals and the methods for assessing
individuals against those standards;
(B) Intensive summer training institutes;
(C) Specialized training and professional development tracks
for prospective primary and secondary school principals, rural
and urban principals and large and small school principals; and
(D) A well-developed mentor/apprenticeship program that
places prospective and less experienced school principals with
exceptional and accomplished school principals.
(3) Develop and administer a corresponding professional
development program, including recommendations to the state board
of education regarding financial incentives, for current school
principals that encourages them to learn and apply the qualities,
proficiencies and skills needed to build continuously improving
and high performing schools and to become an active leader in
their school's community. For purposes of this section, a
"current school principal" is any person who has been employed in
a West Virginia public school as a full-time permanent school
principal prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, and who has not been certified by that date
in accordance with this section.
(f) The council may contract with any school or school
system to provide school principals with training consistent with
the goals of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a method for
training and certification of new school principals.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.