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Introduced Version Senate Bill 167 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 167

(By Senators Tomblin (Mr. President) and Sprouse

By Request of the Executive)

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[Introduced January 14, 2004; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-15f of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18-5A-5 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5A-7; to amend and reenact §18-29-5 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-2-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-3-2b of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-3-11; to amend and reenact §18A-4-2a of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-21; to amend and reenact §18A-5-1 and §18A-5-1a of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §18A-8-1, §18A-8-2, §18A-8-3 and §18A-8-4, all relating to automation of suspension and expulsion data; selection of mentors for beginning teachers; creation of county faculty senates; addition of classified employees to the education and state employees grievance board; preferences related to substitute teacher assignments; selection of professional support team of the beginning teacher internship program; designation of county coordinators of national board certification; increasing the salary bonus for classroom teachers with national board certification; free admission to athletic events for school personnel; appeals of principals' disciplinary decisions; compilation of student disciplinary history; and creation of the paperwork reduction advisory council.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-5-15f of the code of West Virginia,1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §18-5A-5 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5A-7; that §18-29-5 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18A-2-3 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18A-3-2b of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-3-11; that §18A-4-2a of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-21; that §18A-5-1 and §18A-5-1a of said code be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated §18A-8-1, §18A-8-2, §18A-8-3 and §18A-8-4, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 18. EDUCATION.

ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-5-15f. Affirmation regarding the suspension or expulsion of a pupil from school.

(a) Prior to the admission of a pupil to any public school in West Virginia, the county superintendent shall require the pupil's parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) to provide, upon registration, a sworn statement or affirmation indicating whether the student is, at the time, under suspension or expulsion from attendance at a private or public school in West Virginia or another state. Any person willfully making a materially false statement or affirmation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, the penalty shall be the same as provided for "false swearing" pursuant to section three, article five, chapter sixty-one of this code.
(b) Prior to the admission of a pupil to any public school, the principal of that school or his or her designee shall consult the uniform integrated regional computer information system (commonly known as the West Virginia Education Information System) described in subsection (f), section twenty-six, article two, chapter eighteen of this code, to determine whether the pupil requesting admission is, at the time of the request for admission, serving a suspension or expulsion from another public school in West Virginia.
(c) The state board of education shall provide for the West Virginia Education Information System to disallow the recording of the enrollment of any pupil who is, at the time of attempted enrollment, serving a suspension or expulsion from another public school in West Virginia, and for that system to notify the user who has attempted to record such enrollment that the pupil may not be enrolled, and to notify that user of the reason therefor.
(b) (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any pupil who has been suspended or expelled from school pursuant to section one-a, article five, chapter eighteen-a of this code, or who has been suspended or expelled from a public or private school in another state, due to actions described in section one-a, article five, chapter eighteen-a of this code, may not be admitted to any public school within the state of West Virginia until the period of suspension or expulsion has expired.
ARTICLE 5A. LOCAL SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT.

§18-5A-5. Public school faculty senates established; election of officers; powers and duties.

(a) There is established at every public school in this state a faculty senate which is comprised of all permanent, full-time professional educators employed at the school who shall all be voting members. Professional educators, as used in this section, means professional educators as defined in chapter eighteen-a of this code. A quorum of more than one half of the voting members of the faculty shall be present at any meeting of the faculty senate at which official business is conducted. Prior to the beginning of the instructional term each year, but within the employment term, the principal shall convene a meeting of the faculty senate to elect a chair, vice chair and secretary and discuss matters relevant to the beginning of the school year. The vice chair shall preside at meetings when the chair is absent. Meetings of the faculty senate shall be held during the times provided in accordance with subdivision (12), subsection (b) of this section as determined by the faculty senate. Emergency meetings may be held during noninstructional time at the call of the chair or a majority of the voting members by petition submitted to the chair and vice chair. An agenda of matters to be considered at a scheduled meeting of the faculty senate shall be available to the members at least two employment days prior to the meeting. For emergency meetings the agenda shall be available as soon as possible prior to the meeting. The chair of the faculty senate may appoint such committees as may be desirable to study and submit recommendations to the full faculty senate, but the acts of the faculty senate shall be voted upon by the full body.
(b) In addition to any other powers and duties conferred by law, or authorized by policies adopted by the state or county board of education or bylaws which may be adopted by the faculty senate not inconsistent with law, the powers and duties listed in this subsection are specifically reserved for the faculty senate. The intent of these provisions is neither to restrict nor to require the activities of every faculty senate to the enumerated items except as otherwise stated. Each faculty senate shall organize its activities as it deems most effective and efficient based on school size, departmental structure and other relevant factors.
(1) Each faculty senate shall control funds allocated to the school from legislative appropriations pursuant to section nine, article nine-a of this chapter. From such funds, each classroom teacher and librarian shall be allotted fifty dollars for expenditure during the instructional year for academic materials, supplies or equipment which, in the judgment of the teacher or librarian, will assist him or her in providing instruction in his or her assigned academic subjects or shall be returned to the faculty senate: Provided, That nothing contained herein prohibits the funds from being used for programs and materials that, in the opinion of the teacher, enhance student behavior, increase academic achievement, improve self-esteem and address the problems of students at-risk. The remainder of funds shall be expended for academic materials, supplies or equipment in accordance with a budget approved by the faculty senate. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law to the contrary, funds not expended in one school year are available for expenditure in the next school year: Provided, however, That the amount of county funds budgeted in a fiscal year may not be reduced throughout the year as a result of the faculty appropriations in the same fiscal year for such materials, supplies and equipment. Accounts shall be maintained of the allocations and expenditures of such funds for the purpose of financial audit. Academic materials, supplies or equipment shall be interpreted broadly, but does not include materials, supplies or equipment which will be used in or connected with interscholastic athletic events.
(2) A faculty senate may establish a process for faculty members to interview new prospective professional educators and paraprofessional employees at the school and submit recommendations regarding employment to the principal, who may also make independent recommendations, for submission to the county superintendent: Provided, That such process shall be chaired by the school principal and must permit the timely employment of persons to perform necessary duties.
(3) A faculty senate may nominate teachers for recognition as outstanding teachers under state and local teacher recognition programs and other personnel at the school, including parents, for recognition under other appropriate recognition programs and may establish such programs for operation at the school.
(4) A faculty senate may submit recommendations to the principal regarding the assignment scheduling of secretaries, clerks, aides and paraprofessionals at the school.
(5) A faculty senate may submit recommendations to the principal regarding establishment of the master curriculum schedule for the next ensuing school year.
(6) A faculty senate may establish a process for the review and comment on sabbatical leave requests submitted by employees at the school pursuant to section eleven, article two of this chapter.
(7) Each faculty senate shall elect three faculty representatives to the local school improvement council established pursuant to section two of this article.
(8) Each faculty senate may nominate a member for election to the county staff development council pursuant to section eight, article three, chapter eighteen-a of this code.
(9) Each faculty senate shall have an opportunity to make recommendations on the selection of select faculty to serve as mentors for beginning teachers under beginning teacher internship programs at the school.
(10) A faculty senate may solicit, accept and expend any grants, gifts, bequests, donations and any other funds made available to the faculty senate: Provided, That the faculty senate shall select a member who has the duty of maintaining a record of all funds received and expended by the faculty senate, which record shall be kept in the school office and is subject to normal auditing procedures.
(11) Any faculty senate may review the evaluation procedure as conducted in their school to ascertain whether the evaluations were conducted in accordance with the written system required pursuant to section twelve, article two, chapter eighteen-a of this code and the general intent of this Legislature regarding meaningful performance evaluations of school personnel. If a majority of members of the faculty senate determine that such evaluations were not so conducted, they shall submit a report in writing to the state board of education: Provided, That nothing herein creates any new right of access to or review of any individual's evaluations.
(12) A local board shall provide to each faculty senate a two-hour block of time for a faculty senate meeting on a day scheduled for the opening of school prior to the beginning of the instructional term, and a two-hour block of time on each instructional support and enhancement day scheduled by the board for instructional activities for students and professional activities for teachers pursuant to section forty-five, article five of this chapter. A faculty senate may meet for an unlimited block of time per month during noninstructional days to discuss and plan strategies to improve student instruction and to conduct other faculty senate business. A faculty senate meeting scheduled on a noninstructional day shall be considered as part of the purpose for which the noninstructional day is scheduled. This time may be utilized and determined at the local school level and includes, but is not limited to, faculty senate meetings.
(13) Each faculty senate shall develop a strategic plan to manage the integration of special needs students into the regular classroom at their respective schools and submit the strategic plan to the superintendent of the county board of education periodically pursuant to guidelines developed by the state department of education. Each faculty senate shall encourage the participation of local school improvement councils, parents and the community at large in developing the strategic plan for each school.
Each strategic plan developed by the faculty senate shall include at least: (A) A mission statement; (B) goals; (C) needs; (D) objectives and activities to implement plans relating to each goal; (E) work in progress to implement the strategic plan; (F) guidelines for placing additional staff into integrated classrooms to meet the needs of exceptional needs students without diminishing the services rendered to the other students in integrated classrooms; (G) guidelines for implementation of collaborative planning and instruction; and (H) training for all regular classroom teachers who serve students with exceptional needs in integrated classrooms.
§18-5A-7. Establishment of county faculty senates.

(a) There is established in every county in this state a county faculty senate, which shall be comprised of the chairs of each public school faculty senate in the county, all of whom shall be voting members. Members of the county faculty senate, shall elect a chair, vice chair and secretary at their first meeting of the school year.
(b) The purpose of the county faculty senate shall be to provide members with periodic opportunities to meet as a group and with the county superintendent and members of the county board of education to discuss issues common to teachers in all county schools.
(c) The county superintendent shall meet with county faculty senate members at least once each year.
ARTICLE 29. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.
§18-29-5. Education and state employees grievance board; hearing examiners.

(a) The education and state employees grievance board shall consist of three five members.
(1) Three members shall be who are citizens of the state appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate for overlapping terms of three years. No two members may be from the same congressional district, and no more than two of the appointed members may be from the same political party. No person may be appointed to membership on the board who is a member of any political party executive committee or holds any other public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state.
(2) Two members shall be classified employees, one from education and the other from government, appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate for overlapping terms of two years.
(b) Members are eligible for reappointment, and any vacancy on the board shall be filled within thirty days of the vacancy by the governor by appointment for the unexpired term.
(c) A member of the board may not be removed from office except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, gross immorality or malfeasance, and then only in the manner prescribed in article six, chapter six of this code for the removal by the governor of the state elected officers.
(d) The board shall hold at least two meetings yearly at times and places as it may prescribe and may meet at other times as may be necessary, the other meetings to be agreed to in writing by at least two of the members. The compensation for members of the board is seventy-five dollars for each calendar day devoted to the work of the board, but not more than seven hundred fifty dollars during any one fiscal year. Each member shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of board duties, but shall submit a request for reimbursement upon a sworn itemized statement.
(e) The board shall administer the grievance procedure at levels two, three and four, as provided in section five, article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code, and as provided for in section four of this article and shall employ at least two full-time hearing examiners on an annual basis and clerical help as is necessary to implement the legislative intent expressed in section one of this article.
In addition to the authorization granted by this section over education employees, the board has jurisdiction over the procedures to be followed in processing grievances filed under article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code.
(f) The board shall hire hearing examiners who reside in different regional educational service agency areas unless and until the number of hearing examiners exceeds the number of the areas, at which time two hearing examiners may be from the same area. If a grievant previously before a hearing examiner again brings a grievance, a different hearing examiner is required to hear the grievance upon written request therefor by any party to the grievance. These hearing examiners serve at the will and pleasure of the board.
(g) The board shall submit a yearly budget and shall report annually to the governor and Legislature regarding receipts and expenditures, number of level four hearings conducted, synopses of hearing outcomes and other information as the board determines appropriate. The board shall further evaluate on an annual basis the level four grievance process and the performance of all hearing examiners and include the evaluation in the annual report to the governor and Legislature. In making the evaluation, the board shall notify all institutions, employee organizations and all grievants participating in level four grievances in the year for which evaluation is being made and shall provide for the submission of written comment or the hearing of testimony regarding the grievance process, or both. The board shall provide suitable office space for all hearing examiners in space other than that utilized by any institution as defined in section two of this article and shall ensure that reference materials are generally available.
(h) The board is authorized to promulgate rules consistent with the provisions of this article; the rules shall be adopted in accordance with chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
(b) (i) Hearing examiners may consolidate grievances, allocate costs among the parties in accordance with section eight of this article, subpoena witnesses and documents in accordance with the provisions of section one, article five, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, provide relief found fair and equitable in accordance with the provisions of this article, and exercise other powers as provides for the effective resolution of grievances not inconsistent with any rules of the board or the provisions of this article.
CHAPTER 18A. SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

ARTICLE 2. SCHOOL PERSONNEL.
§18A-2-3. Employment of substitute teachers and retired teachers as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage; employment of prospective employable professional personnel.

(a) The county superintendent, subject to approval of the county board, may employ and assign substitute teachers to any of the following duties: (a) To fill the temporary absence of any teacher or an unexpired school term made vacant by resignation, death, suspension or dismissal; (b) to fill a teaching position of a regular teacher on leave of absence; and (c) to perform the instructional services of any teacher who is authorized by law to be absent from class without loss of pay, providing the absence is approved by the board of education in accordance with the law. The substitute shall be a duly certified teacher.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a substitute teacher who has been assigned as a classroom teacher in the same classroom continuously for more than one half of a grading period and whose assignment remains in effect two weeks prior to the end of the grading period, shall remain in the assignment until the grading period has ended, unless the principal of the school certifies that the regularly employed teacher has communicated with and assisted the substitute with the preparation of lesson plans and monitoring student progress or has been approved to return to work by his or her physician. For the purposes of this section, teacher and substitute teacher, in the singular or plural, mean professional educator as defined in section one, article one, of this chapter.
(c) When selecting from among eligible substitute teachers for initial assignments, school administrators shall give first priority to teachers who have been laid off and second priority to teachers who are certified to teach in the classroom for which a substitute teacher is sought.
(c) (d)(1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that due to a shortage of qualified substitute teachers, a compelling state interest exists in expanding the use of retired teachers to provide service as substitute teachers. The Legislature further finds that diverse circumstances exist among the counties for the expanded use of retired teachers as substitutes.
(2) A person receiving retirement benefits under the provisions of article seven-a of this chapter or who is entitled to retirement benefits during the fiscal year in which that person retired may accept employment as a substitute teacher for an unlimited number of days each fiscal year without affecting the monthly retirement benefit to which the retirant is otherwise entitled if the following conditions are satisfied:
(A) The county board adopts a policy recommended by the superintendent to address areas of critical need and shortage;
(B) The policy provides for the employment of retired teachers as substitute teachers during the school year on an expanded basis as provided in this subsection;
(C) The policy is effective for one school year only and is subject to annual renewal by the county board;
(D) The state board approves the policy and the use of retired teachers as substitute teachers on an expanded basis as provided in this subsection; and
(E) Prior to employment of such substitute teacher beyond the post-retirement employment limitations established by the consolidated public retirement board, the superintendent of the affected county submits to the consolidated public retirement board, in a form approved by the retirement board, an affidavit signed by the superintendent stating the name of the county, the fact that the county has adopted a policy to employ retired teachers as substitutes to address areas of critical need and shortage and the name or names of the person or persons to be employed pursuant to the policy.
(3) Any person who retires and begins work as a substitute teacher within the same employment term shall lose those retirement benefits attributed to the annuity reserve, effective from the first day of employment as a retiree substitute in such employment term and ending with the month following the date the retiree ceases to perform service as a substitute.
(4) With respect to the expanded substitute service provided in this subsection, retired teachers employed as such substitutes are considered day-to-day, temporary, part-time employees. The substitutes are not eligible for additional pension or other benefits paid to regularly employed employees and shall not accrue seniority.
(5) Until this subsection is expired pursuant to subdivision (6) of this subsection, the state board, annually, shall report to the joint committee on government and finance prior to the first day of February of each year. Additionally, a copy shall be provided to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability. The report shall contain information indicating the effectiveness of the provisions of this subsection on expanding the use of retired substitute teachers to address areas of critical need and shortage.
(6) The provisions of this subsection shall expire on the thirtieth day of June, two thousand three.
(d) (e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, each year a county superintendent may employ prospective employable professional personnel on a reserve list at the county level subject to the following conditions:
(A) The county board adopts a policy to address areas of critical need and shortage as identified by the state board. The policy shall include authorization to employ prospective employable professional personnel;
(B) The county board posts a notice of the areas of critical need and shortage in the county in a conspicuous place in each school for at least ten working days; and
(C) There are not any potentially qualified applicants available and willing to fill the position.
(2) Prospective employable professional personnel may only be employed from candidates at a job fair who have or will graduate from college in the current school year or whose employment contract with a county board has or will be terminated due to a reduction in force in the current fiscal year.
(3) Prospective employable professional personnel employed are limited to three full-time prospective employable professional personnel per one hundred professional personnel employed in a county or twenty-five full-time prospective employable professional personnel in a county, whichever is less.
(4) Prospective employable professional personnel shall be granted benefits at a cost to the county board and as a condition of the employment contract as approved by the county board.
(5) Regular employment status for prospective employable professional personnel may be obtained only in accordance with the provisions of section seven-a, article four of this chapter.
(e) (f) The state board annually shall review the status of employing personnel under the provisions of subsection (d) of this section and annually shall report to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on or before the first day of November of each year. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) The counties that participated in the program;
(B) The number of personnel hired;
(C) The teaching fields in which personnel were hired;
(D) The venue from which personnel were employed;
(E) The place of residency of the individual hired; and
(F) The state board's recommendations on the prospective employable professional personnel program.
ARTICLE 3. TRAINING, CERTIFICATION, LICENSING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

§18A-3-2b. Beginning teacher internships.

(a) Every person to whom a professional teaching certificate is awarded after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, shall successfully complete a beginning teacher internship program under the provisions of this section, except such persons who were awarded a professional teaching certificate on the basis of at least five years teaching experience in another state.
The beginning teacher internship program is a school-based program intended to provide appropriate staff development activities and supervision to beginning teachers to assure their competency for licensure to teach in the public schools of this state. The beginning teacher internship program shall consist of the following components:
(1) A professional support team comprised of the school principal, who shall be the chair of the professional support team, a member of the county professional staff development council and an experienced classroom teacher selected by the faculty senate at the school who teaches the same or similar subject and grade level as the beginning teacher and who shall serve as a mentor for the beginning teacher;
(2) An orientation program to be conducted prior to the beginning of the instructional term, but within the employment term, supervised by the mentor teacher;
(3) The scheduling of joint planning periods for the mentor and beginning teacher throughout the school year;
(4) Mentor observation of the classroom teaching skills of the beginning teacher for at least one hour per week during the first half of the school year and which may be reduced at the discretion of the mentor to one hour every two weeks during the second half of the school year;
(5) Weekly meetings between the mentor and the beginning teacher at which the mentor and the beginning teacher discuss the performance of the beginning teacher and any needed improvements, which meetings may be reduced at the discretion of the mentor to biweekly meetings during the second half of the school year;
(6) Monthly meetings of the professional support team to discuss the performance of the beginning teacher which meetings may include all mentor members of all professional support teams at the school if helpful in the judgment of the participants;
(7) In-service professional development programs provided through the professional development project of the center for professional development for beginning teachers and for mentors both of which will be held in the first half of the school year;
(8) The provision of necessary release time from regular duties for the mentor teacher, as agreed to by the principal and the mentor teacher, and a stipend of at least six hundred dollars for the mentor teacher for duties as a mentor teacher; and
(9) A final evaluation of the performance of the beginning teacher completed by the principal on a form developed by the state board of education.
(b) The final evaluation form shall be submitted by the principal to the county school superintendent and shall include one of the following recommendations:
(1) Full professional status: A recommendation of full professional status indicates that the beginning teacher has successfully completed the internship program and in the judgment of the principal has demonstrated competence as a professional educator;
(2) Continuing internship status: A recommendation of continuing internship status indicates that in the judgment of the principal the beginning teacher requires further supervision and further employment in the district should be conditioned upon successful completion of an additional year under a beginning teacher internship program; or
(3) Discontinue employment: A recommendation to discontinue employment indicates that in the judgment of the principal the beginning teacher has completed two years of employment under supervision in a beginning teacher internship program, has not demonstrated competence as a professional educator and will not benefit from further supervised employment in the district.
§18A-3-11. County coordinators of national board certification.

(a) The Legislature finds that certification by the national board for professional teaching standards improves the quality of teaching and learning. The Legislature also finds that the process for pursuing certification can be difficult and confusing for teachers.
(b) To assist teachers in pursuing certification by the national board for professional teaching standards, each county superintendent shall designate a coordinator for board certification. The state board of education shall provide training to coordinators.
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
§18A-4-2a. State minimum salary bonus for classroom teachers with national board certification.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the rigorous standards and processes for certification by the national board for professional teaching standards (NBPTS) helps to promote the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, classroom teachers in the public schools of West Virginia should be encouraged to achieve national board certification through a reimbursement of expenses and an additional salary bonus which reflects their additional certification, to be paid in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b) One thousand dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the national board of professional teaching standards for the life of the certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one certification: Provided, That beginning on the first day of July, two thousand one, in lieu of the one thousand dollars, two thousand five hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the national board of professional teaching standards for the life of the certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one certification: Provided, however, That beginning on the first day of July, two thousand four, in lieu of the two thousand five hundred dollars, three thousand five hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the national board of professional teaching standards for the life of the certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one certification.
(c) The payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.
(d) One thousand dollars shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who enrolls in the program for the national board for professional teaching standards certification and one thousand dollars shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who completes the national board for professional teaching standards certification. Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, in lieu of the one thousand dollar payment for reimbursements, one-half the certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who enrolls in the program for the national board for professional teaching standards certification and one-half the certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who completes the national board for professional teaching standards certification. Teachers who achieve national board for professional teaching standards certification may be reimbursed a maximum of six hundred dollars for expenses actually incurred while obtaining the national board for professional teaching standards certification.
(e) The state board shall limit the number of teachers who receive the initial reimbursements of the certification fees set forth in subsection (d) to one hundred teachers annually. Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, in lieu of the limit of one hundred teachers annually, the state board shall limit the number of teachers who receive the initial reimbursements of the certification fees set forth in subsection (d) to two hundred teachers annually. The state board shall establish selection criteria for the teachers by the legislative rule required pursuant to subsection (g) of this section.
(f) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, funding for reimbursement of the certification fee and expenses actually incurred while obtaining the national board for professional teaching standards certifications shall be administered by the state department of education from an appropriation established for that purpose by the Legislature. If funds appropriated by the Legislature to accomplish the purposes of this subsection are insufficient, the state department shall prorate the reimbursements for expenses and shall request of the Legislature, at its next regular session, funds sufficient to accomplish the purposes of this subsection, including needed retroactive payments.
(g) The state board shall promulgate legislative rules pursuant to article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this section.
§18A-4-21. Free admission to athletic events for school personnel.

School personnel shall not be charged a fee for admission to interscholastic athletic events hosted by the public school at which they are employed.
ARTICLE 5. AUTHORITY, RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITY.
§18A-5-1. Authority of teachers and other school personnel; exclusion of pupils having infectious diseases; suspension or expulsion of disorderly pupils; corporal punishment abolished.

(a) The teacher shall stand in the place of the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) in exercising authority over the school and shall have control of all pupils enrolled in the school from the time they reach the school until they have returned to their respective homes, except that where transportation of pupils is provided, the driver in charge of the school bus or other mode of transportation shall exercise such authority and control over the children while they are in transit to and from the school.
(b) Subject to the rules of the state board of education, the teacher shall exclude from the school any pupil or pupils known to have or suspected of having any infectious disease, or any pupil or pupils who have been exposed to such disease, and shall immediately notify the proper health officer or medical inspector of such exclusion. Any pupil so excluded shall not be readmitted to the school until such pupil has complied with all the requirements of the rules governing such cases or has presented a certificate of health signed by the medical inspector or other proper health officer.
(c) The teacher shall have authority to exclude from his or her classroom or school bus any pupil who is guilty of disorderly conduct; who in any manner interferes with an orderly educational process; who threatens, abuses or otherwise intimidates or attempts to intimidate a school employee or a pupil; or who willfully disobeys a school employee; or who uses abusive or profane language directed at a school employee. Any pupil excluded shall be placed under the control of the principal of the school or a designee. The excluded pupil may be admitted to the classroom or school bus only when the principal, or a designee, provides written certification to the teacher that the pupil may be readmitted and specifies the specific type of disciplinary action, if any, which was taken. If the principal finds that disciplinary action is warranted, he or she shall provide written and, if possible, telephonic notice of such action to the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s). When a teacher excludes the same pupil from his or her classroom or from a school bus three times in one school year, and after exhausting all reasonable methods of classroom discipline provided in the school discipline plan, the pupil may be readmitted to the teacher's classroom only after the principal, teacher and, if possible, the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) of the pupil have held a conference to discuss the pupil's disruptive behavior patterns, and the teacher and the principal agree on a course of discipline for the pupil and inform the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) of the course of action. Thereafter, if the pupil's disruptive behavior persists, upon the teacher's request, the principal may, to the extent feasible, transfer the pupil to another setting.
(d) A teacher shall have the right to appeal the decision of a principal or his or her designee in a disciplinary action initiated by the teacher under subsection (c) of this section to the county superintendent or his or her designee.
(1) The teacher shall submit his or her appeal in writing and shall provide the superintendent or his or her designee with a copy of the principal's written communication of the type of disciplinary action, if any, taken. The teacher shall provide the principal with a copy of his or her appeal.
(2) The superintendent or his or her designee may conduct an informal hearing; and shall provide the teacher, the principal, and the pupil's parent(s), guardian(s), or custodian(s) with written notice of his or her decision. The superintendent's decision shall not be subject to appeal.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to create a right to appeal a principal's decision not made under subsection (c) of this section.
(d) (e) The Legislature finds that suspension from school is not appropriate solely for a pupil's failure to attend class. Therefore, no pupil may be suspended from school solely for not attending class. Other methods of discipline may be used for the pupil which may include, but are not limited to, detention, extra class time or alternative class settings.
(e) (f) Corporal punishment of any pupil by a school employee is prohibited.
(f) (g) The West Virginia board of education and county boards of education shall adopt policies consistent with the provisions of this section encouraging the use of alternatives to corporal punishment, providing for the training of school personnel in alternatives to corporal punishment and for the involvement of parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) in the maintenance of school discipline. The county boards of education shall provide for the immediate incorporation and implementation in the schools of a preventive discipline program which may include the responsible student program and a student involvement program which may include the peer mediation program, devised by the West Virginia board of education. Each board may modify such programs to meet the particular needs of the county. The county boards shall provide in-service training for teachers and principals relating to assertive discipline procedures and conflict resolution. The county boards of education may also establish cooperatives with private entities to provide middle educational programs which may include programs focusing on developing individual coping skills, conflict resolution, anger control, self-esteem issues, stress management and decisionmaking for students and any other program related to preventive discipline.
(g) (h) For the purpose of this section: (1) "Pupil or student" shall include any child, youth or adult who is enrolled in any instructional program or activity conducted under board authorization and within the facilities of or in connection with any program under public school direction: Provided, That, in the case of adults, the pupil-teacher relationship shall terminate when the pupil leaves the school or other place of instruction or activity; and (2) "teacher" shall mean all professional educators as defined in section one, article one of this chapter and shall include the driver of a school bus or other mode of transportation.
(h) (i) Teachers shall exercise such other authority and perform such other duties as may be prescribed for them by law or by the rules of the state board of education not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter and chapter eighteen of this code.
§18A-5-1a. Possessing deadly weapons on premises of educational facilities; possessing a controlled substance on premises of educational facilities; assaults and batteries committed by pupils upon teachers or other school personnel; temporary suspension, hearing; procedure, notice and formal hearing; extended suspension; sale of narcotic; expulsion; exception; alternative education.

(a) A principal shall suspend a pupil from school or from transportation to or from the school on any school bus if the pupil, in the determination of the principal after an informal hearing pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, has: (i) Violated the provisions of subsection (b), section fifteen, article two, chapter sixty-one of this code; (ii) violated the provisions of subsection (b), section eleven-a, article seven of said chapter; or (iii) sold a narcotic drug, as defined in section one hundred one, article one, chapter sixty-a of this code, on the premises of an educational facility, at a school-sponsored function or on a school bus. If a student has been suspended pursuant to this subsection, the principal shall, within twenty-four hours, request that the county superintendent recommend to the county board that the student be expelled. Upon such a request by a principal, the county superintendent shall recommend to the county board that the student be expelled. Upon such recommendation, the county board shall conduct a hearing in accordance with subsections (e), (f) and (g) of this section to determine if the student committed the alleged violation. If the county board finds that the student did commit the alleged violation, the county board shall expel the student.
(b) A principal shall suspend a pupil from school, or from transportation to or from the school on any school bus, if the pupil, in the determination of the principal after an informal hearing pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, has: (i) Committed an act or engaged in conduct that would constitute a felony under the laws of this state if committed by an adult; or (ii) unlawfully possessed on the premises of an educational facility or at a school-sponsored function a controlled substance governed by the uniform controlled substances act as described in chapter sixty-a of this code. If a student has been suspended pursuant to this subsection, the principal may request that the superintendent recommend to the county board that the student be expelled. Upon such recommendation by the county superintendent, the county board may hold a hearing in accordance with the provisions of subsections (e), (f) and (g) of this section to determine if the student committed the alleged violation. If the county board finds that the student did commit the alleged violation, the county board may expel the student.
(c) A principal may suspend a pupil from school, or transportation to or from the school on any school bus, if the pupil, in the determination of the principal after an informal hearing pursuant to subsection (d) of this section: (i) Threatened to injure, or in any manner injured, a pupil, teacher, administrator or other school personnel; (ii) willfully disobeyed a teacher; (iii) possessed alcohol in an educational facility, on school grounds, a school bus or at any school-sponsored function; (iv) used profane language directed at a school employee or pupil; (v) intentionally defaced any school property; (vi) participated in any physical altercation with another person while under the authority of school personnel; or (vii) habitually violated school rules or policies. If a student has been suspended pursuant to this subsection, the principal may request that the superintendent recommend to the county board that the student be expelled. Upon such recommendation by the county superintendent, the county board may hold a hearing in accordance with the provisions of subsections (e), (f) and (g) of this section to determine if the student committed the alleged violation. If the county board finds that the student did commit the alleged violation, the county board may expel the student.
(d) The actions of any pupil which may be grounds for his or her suspension or expulsion under the provisions of this section shall be reported immediately to the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled. If the principal determines that the alleged actions of the pupil would be grounds for suspension, he or she shall conduct an informal hearing for the pupil immediately after the alleged actions have occurred. The hearing shall be held before the pupil is suspended unless the principal believes that the continued presence of the pupil in the school poses a continuing danger to persons or property or an ongoing threat of disrupting the academic process, in which case the pupil shall be suspended immediately and a hearing held as soon as practicable after the suspension.
The pupil and his or her parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s), as the case may be, shall be given telephonic notice, if possible, of this informal hearing, which notice shall briefly state the grounds for suspension.
At the commencement of the informal hearing, the principal shall inquire of the pupil as to whether he or she admits or denies the charges. If the pupil does not admit the charges, he or she shall be given an explanation of the evidence possessed by the principal and an opportunity to present his or her version of the occurrence. At the conclusion of the hearing or upon the failure of the noticed student to appear, the principal may suspend the pupil for a maximum of ten school days, including the time prior to the hearing, if any, for which the pupil has been excluded from school.
The principal shall report any suspension the same day it has been decided upon, in writing, to the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s) of the pupil by regular United States mail. The suspension also shall be reported to the county superintendent and to the faculty senate of the school at the next meeting after the suspension.
(e) Prior to a hearing before the county board, the county board shall cause a written notice which states the charges and the recommended disposition to be served upon the pupil and his or her parent(s), guardian(s) or custodian(s), as the case may be. The notice shall state clearly whether the board will attempt at hearing to establish the student as a dangerous student, as defined by section one, article one of this chapter. The notice also shall include any evidence upon which the board will rely in asserting its claim that the student is a dangerous student. The notice shall set forth a date and time at which the hearing shall be held, which date shall be within the ten-day period of suspension imposed by the principal.
(f) The county board shall hold the scheduled hearing to determine if the pupil should be reinstated or should or must be expelled from school, under the provisions of this section. If the county board determines that the student should or must be expelled from school, it may also determine whether the student is a dangerous student pursuant to subsection (g) of this section. At this, or any hearing before a county board conducted pursuant to this section, the pupil may be represented by counsel, may call his or her own witnesses to verify his or her version of the incident and may confront and cross-examine witnesses supporting the charge against him or her. Such a hearing shall be recorded by mechanical means unless recorded by a certified court reporter. Any such hearing may be postponed for good cause shown by the pupil but he or she shall remain under suspension until after the hearing. The state board may adopt other supplementary rules of procedure to be followed in these hearings. At the conclusion of the hearing the county board shall either: (1) Order the pupil reinstated immediately or at the end of his or her initial suspension; (2) suspend the pupil for a further designated number of days; or (3) expel the pupil from the public schools of the county.
(g) A county board that did not intend prior to a hearing to assert a dangerous student claim, that did not notify the student prior to the hearing that such a determination would be considered and that determines through the course of the hearing that the student may be a dangerous student shall schedule a second hearing within ten days to decide the issue. The hearing may be postponed for good cause shown by the pupil, but he or she remains under suspension until after the hearing.
A county board that expels a student, and finds that the student is a dangerous student, may refuse to provide alternative education. However, after a hearing conducted pursuant to this section for determining whether a student is a dangerous student, when the student is found to be a dangerous student, is expelled and is denied alternative education, a hearing shall be conducted within three months after the refusal by the board to provide alternative education to reexamine whether or not the student remains a dangerous student and whether the student shall be provided alternative education. Thereafter, a hearing for the purpose of reexamining whether or not the student remains a dangerous student and whether the student shall be provided alternative education shall be conducted every three months for so long as the student remains a dangerous student and is denied alternative education. During the initial hearing, or in any subsequent hearing, the board may consider the history of the pupil's conduct as well as any improvements made subsequent to the expulsion. If it is determined during any of the hearings that the student is no longer a dangerous student or should be provided alternative education, the student shall be provided alternative education during the remainder of the expulsion period.
(h) The superintendent may apply to a circuit judge or magistrate for authority to subpoena witnesses and documents, upon his or her own initiative, in a proceeding related to a recommended student expulsion or dangerous student determination, before a county board conducted pursuant to the provisions of this section. Upon the written request of any other party, the superintendent shall apply to a circuit judge or magistrate for the authority to subpoena witnesses, documents or both on behalf of the other party in a proceeding related to a recommended student expulsion or dangerous student determination before a county board. If the authority to subpoena is granted, the superintendent shall subpoena the witnesses, documents or both requested by the other party. Furthermore, if the authority to subpoena is granted, it shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of section one, article five, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
Any hearing conducted pursuant to this subsection may be postponed: (1) For good cause shown by the pupil; (2) when proceedings to compel a subpoenaed witness to appear must be instituted; or (3) when a delay in service of a subpoena hinders either party's ability to provide sufficient notice to appear to a witness. A pupil remains under suspension until after the hearing in any case where a postponement occurs.
The county boards are directed to report the number of pupils determined to be dangerous students to the state board of education. The state board will compile the county boards' statistics and shall report its findings to the legislative oversight commission on educational accountability.
(i) Pupils may be expelled pursuant to the provisions of this section for a period not to exceed one school year, except that if a pupil is determined to have violated the provisions of subsection (a) of this section the pupil shall be expelled for a period of not less than twelve consecutive months: Provided, That the county superintendent may lessen the mandatory period of twelve consecutive months for the expulsion of the pupil if the circumstances of the pupil's case demonstrably warrant. Upon the reduction of the period of expulsion, the county superintendent shall prepare a written statement setting forth the circumstances of the pupil's case which warrant the reduction of the period of expulsion. The county superintendent shall submit the statement to the county board, the principal, the faculty senate and the local school improvement council for the school from which the pupil was expelled. The county superintendent may use the following factors as guidelines in determining whether or not to reduce a mandatory twelve-month expulsion:
(1) The extent of the pupil's malicious intent;
(2) The outcome of the pupil's misconduct;
(3) The pupil's past behavior history; and
(4) The likelihood of the pupil's repeated misconduct.
(j) In all hearings under this section, facts shall be found by a preponderance of the evidence.
(k) For purposes of this section, nothing herein may be construed to be in conflict with the federal provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476).
(l) If a pupil transfers to another school in West Virginia, the principal of the school from which the pupil transfers shall provide a written record of any disciplinary action taken against the pupil to the principal of the school to which the pupil transfers. Each suspension or expulsion imposed upon a pupil under the authority of this section shall be recorded in the uniform integrated regional computer information system (commonly known as the West Virginia Education Information System) described in subsection (f), section twenty-six, article two, chapter eighteen of this code.
(1) The principal of the school at which the pupil is enrolled shall create an electronic record within twenty-four hours of the imposition of the suspension or expulsion.
(2) Each record of a suspension or expulsion shall include the pupil's name and identification number, the reason for the suspension or expulsion, and the beginning and ending dates of the suspension or expulsion.
(3) The state board of education shall collect and disseminate data so that any principal of a public school in West Virginia can review the complete history of disciplinary actions taken by West Virginia public schools against any pupil enrolled or seeking to enroll at that principal's school. The purposes of this provision are to allow every principal to fulfill his or her duty under subsection (b), section fifteen-f, article five, chapter eighteen of this code to determine whether a pupil requesting to enroll at a public school in West Virginia is currently serving a suspension or expulsion from another public school in West Virginia and to allow principals to obtain general information about pupils' disciplinary histories.

(m) Principals may exercise any other authority and perform any other duties to discipline pupils consistent with state and federal law, including policies of the state board of education.
ARTICLE 8. PAPERWORK REDUCTION ADVISORY COUNCIL.
§18A-8-1. Legislative findings.
(a) The Legislature finds that the excessive paperwork required of teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel hinders the prime responsibility of public education: To educate the children of West Virginia.
(b) The Legislature finds that the excessive paperwork required of teachers has become so burdensome that teachers do not have adequate time to prepare lesson plans or to devote individual attention to those students who require special assistance.
(c) The Legislature finds that the excessive paperwork required of guidance counselors has become so burdensome that guidance counselors do not have adequate time to assist students in establishing personal goals and developing future plans.
(d) The legislature also finds that, for teachers to have adequate time to teach and for guidance counselors to have adequate time to counsel students, all unnecessary paperwork should be eliminated from our public schools and necessary paperwork be automated to the maximum possible extent.
§18A-8-2. Creation of paperwork reduction advisory council; duties; goal.

(a) The paperwork reduction advisory council is hereby created. The council is established to examine ways to reduce the time that teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel are required to spend on paperwork.
(b) The council shall examine, at a minimum: (1) The amount of paperwork required of teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel; (2) sources of current paperwork requirements; (3) opportunities to eliminate unnecessary paperwork; and (4) opportunities to simplify and/or automate necessary paperwork.
(c) The goal of the council shall be to submit proposals that result in a ten percent reduction in paperwork over each of the next three years.
(d) The state department of education shall provide all necessary assistance, including clerical support, to the council in order for the council to perform its work.
§18A-8-3. Council membership; appointment of chair; compensation of members; quorum.

(a) The council is composed of eleven members as follows:
(1) Five members appointed by the governor, at least two of whom must be knowledgeable of public school paperwork requirements and/or technological automation;
(2) Three members appointed by the state board of education;
(3) The president of the West Virginia federation of teachers, or his or her designee;
(4) The president of the West Virginia education association, or his or her designee;
(5) The president of the West Virginia association of school administrators or his or her designee; and
(c) The governor shall designate the chair of the council.
(d) Members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, actually incurred by the member in the official conduct of business at the same rate as is paid to state employees. Any member employed by a government agency shall be reimbursed by his or her employer; all other members shall be reimbursed by the state department of education.
(e) A majority of council members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
§18A-8-4. Reports; termination of council.
(a) The council shall make reports of its recommendations on or before the first day of December, in each of the following years: two thousand four, two thousand five, and two thousand six.
(b) The council shall provide copies of its reports to the governor; president of the Senate; speaker of the House of Delegates; the legislative oversight commission on education accountability; and the state board of education.
(c) The council shall cease to exist on the first day of April, two thousand seven.




NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ensure safer schools and empower teachers by automating student suspension and expulsion data; allowing faculty senates to select mentors for beginning teachers; creating county faculty senates; adding classified employees to the education and state employees grievance board; creating certain preferences related to substitute teacher assignments; designating county coordinators of national board certification; increasing the salary bonus for classroom teachers with national board certification; providing school personnel with free admission to athletic events; permitting teachers to appeal principals' disciplinary decisions; and creating a paperwork reduction advisory council.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.



§18-5A-7 §18A-3-11, §18A-4-21 and §§18A-8-1 through §18A-8-4 are new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.
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