HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall University President Stephen Kopp says there’s a grassroots effort underway to keep the state’s K-12 education system at the forefront of discussion.
Marshall University hosted a forum on the topic last week.
“What has to happen is everyone has to come to the table with the idea that we are going to explore what are the underlying assumptions of what we are doing? How do we align our assumptions with what we know about how human beings learn? What’s right for our culture here and there and across the state?”
The state’s new education reform law isn’t yet two-years-old but Kopp said that doesn’t mean the topic of improving education should be put on the shelf.
“It’s (reform law) more of a beginning rather than an end point,” Kopp said. “I think this is a continuum that’s going to require engagement by citizens in the state, interested parties and people who are committed to making a difference in the lives and futures of children as they go through public education.”
Kopp said issues with public education are not unique to West Virginia. He said a study last year showed only 26 percent of high school graduates across the U.S. had the written composition and mathematics skills to enter college.
The president said Marshall University wants to continue to be part of the discussion.
“So we can improve educational outcomes in K-12 and prepare generations of West Virginians for success in life and career,” he said.