The Senate Finance Committee could possibly take up the education reform bill Thursday following approval from the Senate Education Committee earlier this week.
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee says lawmakers are getting an earful, though, about parts of the bill.
“Teachers across the state and service professionals across the state are outraged about the bill and they are continuing to send e-mails and make phone calls to the Senators to let them know the portions of the bill that we have real problems with,” Lee said.
Despite objections from those with the WVEA and the West Virginia American Federation of Teachers, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s plan to change the way teachers are hired in West Virginia is still largely intact. It makes seniority one of eight hiring criteria.
The bill would also give the state Department of Education the authority to certify any alternative teaching certification program that could be used to bring teachers to critical need areas.
Kanawha County State Senator Erik Wells voted for the bill. “The goal should always be to have the best qualified teacher in the classroom. That will help students,” he said of some of the provisions in the bill dealing with teacher hiring practices.
Monongalia County Senator Bob Beach voted against the bill. He says he does not like parts of it, especially those dealing with how seniority is treated in teacher hiring along with alternative teacher certification programs.
“My ‘no’ vote was based, basically, on a gut feeling that I have not been confident in this bill and what it’s attempting with education here in the State of West Virginia,” Senator Beach said on Wednesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
“Over the last few weeks, as the bill’s been worked, there’s been some things addressed in the piece of legislation that’s made people more comfortable but, at the end of the day, I’m still not comfortable with it.”
The bill does call on the state Department of Education to cut the personnel budget, by specific amounts, over the next two years. That provision was added to address the top heaviness of the Department, an issue cited in the Governor’s Education Efficiency Audit.
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to quickly approve the bill and send it on the full Senate. The next big fight for those opposed to it could come in the state House of Delegates.
“We’ll continue to work with the Governor’s Office and the Senate leadership and the House to try come up to some arrangements so we can make changes that make sense,” Lee with the WVEA said.
Senator Beach says he will likely see the education reform bill again before the end of the 2013 Regular Legislative Session next month.
“There’s no question in my mind that the House of Delegates will address many of the issues that the unions are opposed to and the bill will come back to us, probably end up with conferees and there will be a chance for use to vote on this bill again before we leave here,” he said.