H. B. 4626
(By Mr. Speaker, (Mr. Kiss))
[Introduced February 17, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-3-1 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to teacher preparation programs
generally; and providing for the inclusion of student teaching
programs in private schools, parochial schools, church
schools, and other schools operated by a religious order.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18A-3-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. TRAINING, CERTIFICATION, LICENSING, PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
§18A-3-1. Teacher preparation programs; program approval and
standards; authority to issue teaching certificates.
(a) The education of professional educators in the state shall
be under the general direction and control of the State Board of
Education after consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Arts and the chancellor for higher education who shall
represent the interests of teacher preparation programs within the
institutions of higher education in this state as those
institutions are defined in section two, article one, chapter
eighteen-b of this code.
The education of professional educators in the state includes
all programs leading to certification to teach or serve in the
public schools including: (1) Those programs in all institutions
of higher education, including student teaching in the public
schools,
private schools, parochial schools, church schools, and
other schools operated by a religious order; (2) beginning teacher
internship programs; (3) the granting of West Virginia
certification to persons who received their preparation to teach
outside the boundaries of this state, except as provided in
subsection (b) of this section; (4) any alternative preparation
programs in this state leading to certification, including programs
established pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this
article and programs which are in effect on the effective date of
this section; and (5) any continuing professional education,
professional development and in-service training programs for
professional educators employed in the public schools in the state.
(b) The State Board of Education, after consultation with the
Secretary of Education and the Arts and the chancellor for higher
education who shall represent the interests of teacher preparation programs within the institutions of higher education in this state
as those institutions are defined in section two, article one,
chapter eighteen-b of this code, shall adopt standards for the
education of professional educators in the state and for the
awarding of certificates valid in the public schools of this state
subject to the following conditions:
(1) The standards approved by the board for teacher
preparation shall include a provision for the study of
multicultural education. As used in this section, multicultural
education means the study of the pluralistic nature of American
society including its values, institutions, organizations, groups,
status positions and social roles;
(2) Effective the first day of January, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-three, the standards approved by the board shall
also include a provision for the study of classroom management
techniques and shall include methods of effective management of
disruptive behavior which shall include societal factors and their
impact on student behavior; and
(3) Effective on the effective date of this section, any
teacher who: (i) Has graduated from a teacher preparation program
at a regionally accredited institution of higher education; (ii)
possesses the minimum of a bachelor's degree; and (iii) holds a
valid teaching certificate or certificates issued by another state,
or holds a certificate of eligibility issued by another state and meets all of the requirements of the state for full certification
except employment, shall be, upon application, awarded a teaching
certificate or certificates for the same grade level or levels and
subject area or areas valid in the public schools of this state,
subject only to the provisions of section ten of this article.
(c) To give prospective teachers the teaching experience
needed to demonstrate competence as a prerequisite to
certification, the State Board of Education may enter into an
agreement with county boards for the use of the public schools
private schools, parochial schools, church schools, and other
schools operated by a religious order. Such agreement shall
recognize student teaching as a joint responsibility of the teacher
preparation institution and the cooperating public schools,
private
schools, parochial schools, church schools, and other schools
operated by a religious order and shall include: (1) The minimum
qualifications for the employment of public school teachers
selected as supervising teachers; (2) the remuneration to be paid
public school teachers by the state board, in addition to their
contractual salaries, for supervising student teachers; and (3)
minimum standards to guarantee the adequacy of the facilities and
program of the public school,
private schools, parochial schools,
church schools, and other schools operated by a religious order
selected for student teaching. The student teacher, under the
direction and supervision of the supervising teacher, shall exercise the authority of a substitute teacher.
(d) The State Superintendent of Schools may issue certificates
to graduates of teacher education programs and alternative teacher
education programs approved by the State Board of Education and in
accordance with this section and rules adopted by the state board
after consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Arts and
the chancellor for higher education. A certificate to teach shall
not be granted to any person who is not a citizen of the United
States, is not of good moral character and physically, mentally and
emotionally qualified to perform the duties of a teacher and who
has not attained the age of eighteen years on or before the first
day of October of the year in which his or her certificate is
issued; except that an exchange teacher from a foreign country, or
an alien person who meets the requirements to teach, may be granted
a permit to teach within the public schools of the state.
(e) In consultation with the Secretary of Education and the
Arts and the chancellor for higher education, institutions of
higher education approved for teacher preparation may cooperate
with each other, with the center for professional development and
with one or more county boards,
one or more private schools,
parochial schools, church schools, and other schools operated by a
religious order in the organization and operation of centers to
provide selected phases of the teacher preparation program such as
student teaching, beginning teacher internship programs, instruction in methodology and seminar programs for college
students, teachers with provisional certification, professional
support team members and supervising teachers.
The institutions of higher education, the center for
professional development and county boards,
private schools,
parochial schools, church schools, and other schools operated by a
religious order may by mutual agreement budget and expend funds for
the operation of the centers through payments to the appropriate
fiscal office of the participating institutions, the center for
professional development and the county boards.
(f) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to
require the discontinuation of an existing student teacher training
center or school which meets the standards of the State Board of
Education.
(g) All institutions of higher education approved for teacher
preparation in the school year of one thousand nine hundred
sixty-two--sixty-three shall continue to hold that distinction so
long as they meet the minimum standards for teacher preparation.
Nothing contained herein shall infringe upon the rights granted to
any institution by charter given according to law previous to the
adoption of this code.
NOTE: the purpose of this bill is to include private schools,
parochial schools, church schools, and other schools operated by a
religious order in state student teaching programs.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.