To advance West Virginia’s public education system with an eye toward meeting future workforce demands, the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative’s fourth annual Legislators’ Forum explored best practices and policies that can:
From left to right: East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland, Pierpont Community & Technical College President Dr. Johnny Moore, WVPEC Executive Chair Gayle Manchin, West Virginia University Provost Maryanne Reed, West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert, and WVPEC Executive Director Donna Hoylman Peduto pose for a photo after an armchair discussion on the future landscape of higher education on November 19.
Forum Takeaways
West Virginia University
Marshall University
Marshall University Brad D. Smith Schools of Business
Mylan Pharmaceuticals
FirstEnergy
Allegheny Science and Technology
Lloyd and Trina Jackson
The Thrasher Group
TMC Technologies
7:00-7:45 | Breakfast
8:00-8:45 | Profiles and Trends in Higher Education
Introduction: Gayle Manchin, Chair, West Virginia Public Education Collaborative
Keynote Remarks: Dr. Brian Noland, President, East Tennessee State University
8:45-9:45 | Empowering Local Educators
Legislators will hear from local and national experts about the benefits of allowing local educators flexibility to design curriculum, accountability, and school funding. The flexibilities already in policy in West Virginia will also be highlighted.
Moderator: F. Scott Rotruck, Member, West Virginia Board of Education
Resource Experts:
Larry Bailey, Principal, Capital High School
Ron Duerring, Superintendent, Kanawha County Schools
Jason Willis, Director of Strategy and Performance, WestEd
10:00-11:00 | Reimagining Teacher Preparation
Legislators and experts will engage in a conversation around what we know about effective teacher preparation (both traditional and alternative pathways) and how teacher preparation programs can incorporate micro-credentialing structures and other innovative practices to help both new and existing teachers utilize student data to personalize learning.
Moderator: Dr. Jaime R. Taylor, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Marshall University
Resource Experts:
Dr. Teresa Eagle, Dean of the College of Education, Marshall University
Dr. Stephanie Lorenze, Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education Program, West Virginia University
Dr. Jennifer Penland, Director of the School of Education, Shepherd University
Ryan Saunders, Policy Advisory, Learning Policy Institute
11:00-11:30 | Strengthening Birth-to-Five Education in West Virginia
This session will feature a discussion about how legislators can build on the strengths of West Virginia’s early childhood system in order to establish a set of comprehensive birth-to-five programs. Participants will hear from experts who are leading the transition to a birth to five system in the context of the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five program.
Moderator: Barbara Gebhard, Assistant Director of Public Policy, Zero to Three
Resource Experts:
Janet Bock-Hager, Coordinator off the Office of Early and Elementary Learning, West Virginia Department of Education
Lisa M. Ertl, Interim Director, Division of Early Care and Education, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
11:30-12:00 | Education Technology Presentation by Kanawha County Students
Using technology in education from Pre-K to 12 is a must in today’s high-tech society. During this session, legislators will see how Kanawha County Schools works in the art of creation, the building of robotics, the workforce of Career and Technical Education and the need for coding in their classrooms. Legislators will have a chance to meet the students and teachers who work closely with these tools to show what learning looks like.
12:00-1:00 | Hearing from Educators and Students: A Kanawha County Connection
Legislators will engage in facilitated small group conversations with an educator and a school leader during lunch to reflect on the morning discussions and look ahead to the afternoon sessions.
Introduction: David G. Perry, President, West Virginia Board of Education
Brief Presentation:
Ron Duerring, Superintendent, Kanawha County Schools
Kim Sallada, Coordinator of Co-Op, Kanawha County Schools
Leah Sparks, Director of Technology, Kanawha County Schools
Small Group Discussions:
Larry Bailey, Principal, Capital High School
Bill Dorsey, Teacher, Capital High School
Lisa Dorsey, Principal, Carver Career Center
Jacob Fertig, Teacher, Riverside High School
Amon Gilliam, Principal, Dunbar Middle School
Beth Hoylman, Principal, Alum Creek Elementary
Cheryl Kirk, Teacher, Montrose Elementary
Haley Mooney, Teacher, Sissonville Middle School
Jessica Phillips, Teacher, Sissonville Middle School
Lisa Syner, Teacher, Ruthlawn Elementary
1:00-2:00 | Infusing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Schools
This session will discuss innovative ways that middle and high schools are reforming to improve opportunities for students to prepare for postsecondary education and the workforce, especially in rural communities. The discussion will include a special focus on strategies to develop and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Moderator: Dr. Javier Reyes, Dean, John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University
Resource Experts:
Ben Eng, Co-Founding Director, Innovating for Impact Center for Entrepreneurship
and Business Innovation, Marshall University
Dr. Trace Pickering, Executive Director, Iowa BIG School (XQ Super School)
Tara St. Clair, Senior Program Manager, Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, West Virginia University
2:15-3:15 | Investing in Higher Education Attainment for All West Virginians
This session will highlight a number of strategies that states can use to raise postsecondary attainment rates and prepare graduates for the changing economy. Resource experts will discuss common features of such strategies, including how they can be used to incentivize partnerships between high schools and two-year colleges that result in career pathways for high-demand industries.
Moderator: Dr. Jim Denova, Vice President, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Resource Experts:
Siri Smillie, Director of Policy, Education Commission of the States
Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor for Community and Technical College Education, West Virginia Community & Technical College System
Dr. Russ Wigginton, Chief Postsecondary Impact Officer, State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE)
3:15-3:45 | Reflecting with Legislative Leadership
During this closing panel, leaders from the West Virginia State Legislatures will reflect on the lessons learned from discussions at the Forum. The leaders will also highlight the education omnibus bill, as well as speak about their education policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Moderator: Tom Heywood, Managing Partner, Bowles Rice
Legislators:
Senator President Mitch Carmichael, Senate President, West Virginia State Legislature
Delegate Joe Ellington, Chair of the Education Committee, West Virginia State Legislature
Delegate Roger Hanshaw, Speaker of the House, West Virginia State Legislature
Senator Robert Plymale, Member of the Education Committee, West Virginia State Legislature
3:45-4:00 | Championing Public Education in West Virginia
Gayle Manchin, Chair, West Virginia Public Education Collaborative
Donna Peduto, Executive Director, West Virginia Public Education Collaborative
Patrick Sims, Director of Policy and Research, The Hunt Institute
