H. B. 4345
(By Delegate J. Miller (By Request))
[Introduced February 4, 2010; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-1 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to giving teachers credit toward
the pay scale for completing an accredited seminary.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18A-4-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
§18A-4-1. Definitions.
For the purpose of this article, salaries shall be defined as:
(a) "Basic salaries" which shall mean the salaries paid to
teachers with zero years of experience and in accordance with the
classification of certification and of training of said teachers;
and (b) "advanced salaries" which shall mean the basic salary plus
an experience increment based on the allowable years of experience
of the respective teachers in accordance with the schedule established herein for the applicable classification of
certification and of training of said teachers.
"Classification of certification" means the class or type of
certificate issued by the state superintendent under the statutory
provisions of this chapter. "Classification of training" means the
number of collegiate or graduate hours necessary to meet the
requirements stipulated in the definitions set forth in the next
paragraph in items (2) to (11), inclusive.
The column heads of the state minimum salary schedule set
forth in section two of this article are defined as follows:
(1) "Years of experience" means the number of years the
teacher has been employed in the teaching profession, including
active work in educational positions other than the public schools,
and service in the Armed Forces of the United States if the teacher
was under contract to teach at the time of induction. For a
registered professional nurse employed by a county board, "years of
experience" means the number of years the nurse has been employed
as a public school health nurse, including active work in a nursing
position related to education, and service in the Armed Forces if
the nurse was under contract with the county board at the time of
induction. For the purpose of section two of this article, the
experience of a teacher or a nurse shall be limited to that allowed
under their training classification as found in the minimum salary
schedule.
(2) "Fourth class" means all certificates previously identified as: (a) "Certificates secured by examination"; and (b)
"other first grade certificates".
(3) "Third class" means all certificates previously identified
as: (a) "Standard normal certificates"; and (b) "third class
temporary (sixty-four semester hours) certificates".
(4) "Second class" means all certificates previously
identified as "second class temporary certificates based upon the
required ninety-six hours of college work".
(5) "A.B." means a bachelor's degree, from an accredited
institution of higher education, which has been issued to, or for
which the requirements for such have been met by, a person who
qualifies for or holds a professional certificate or its
equivalent. A registered professional nurse with a bachelor's
degree, who is licensed by the West Virginia board of examiners for
registered professional nurses and employed by a county board,
shall be within this classification for payment in accordance with
sections two and two-a of this article.
(6) "A.B. plus 15" means a bachelor's degree as defined above
plus fifteen hours of graduate work, from an accredited institution
of higher education certified to do graduate work, in an approved
planned program at the graduate level which requirements have been
met by a person who qualifies for or holds a professional
certificate or its equivalent.
(7) "M.A." means a master's degree, earned in an institution
of higher education approved to do graduate work, which has been issued to, or the requirements for such have been met by, a person
who qualifies for or holds a professional certificate or its
equivalent.
(8) "M.A. plus 15" means the above-defined master's degree
plus fifteen hours of graduate work, earned in an institution of
higher education approved to do graduate work, if the person is
qualified for or holds a professional certificate or its
equivalent.
(9) "M.A. plus 30" means the above-defined master's degree
plus thirty graduate hours, earned in an institution approved to do
graduate work, if the person is qualified for or holds a
professional certificate or its equivalent.
(10) "Doctorate" means a doctor's degree, earned from a
university qualified and approved to confer such a degree or a
degree earned from a seminary, theological college or school of
divinity, which has been issued to or the requirements for such
have been met by a person who qualifies for or holds a professional
certificate or its equivalent.
For purposes of advanced salary classification, graduate work
completed after July 1, 1994, shall be related to the public school
program, as prescribed by the state board.
Notwithstanding the requirements set forth in subdivisions
(6), (8) and (9) of this section relating to hours of graduate work
at an institution certified to do such work, fifteen undergraduate
credit hours from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, earned after the effective date of this section, may be
utilized for advanced salary classification if such hours are in
accordance with: (a) The teacher's current classification of
certification and of training; (b) a designated instructional
shortage area documented by the employing county superintendent; or
(c) an identified teaching deficiency documented through the state
approved county personnel evaluation system.
Effective July 1, 1994, the following definition shall be
applicable.
(11) "M.A. plus 45" means the above-defined master's degree
plus forty-five graduate hours, earned in an institution approved
to do graduate work, if the person is qualified for or holds a
professional certificate or its equivalent.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to give teachers credit
toward the pay scale for completing an accredited seminary.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.