PRINCTON, W.Va. — He wanted the job and, as he settles in as the new education committee chair in the West Virginia House of Delegates, Delegate Joe Ellington (R-Mercer, 27) sees “a lot to do”
“The state really depends on the education of our citizens and I just felt it was one of my callings to try to do my part in helping,” said Dr. Ellington, 60, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Princeton.
Earlier this month, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay, 33) appointed Ellington education chair and named Delegate Joshua Higginbotham (R-Putnam, 13), the assistant majority whip, the vice chair of House Education.
The two positions have been high profile during the past two years that have brought walkouts from teachers and school service workers across West Virginia.
The leadership changes followed passage of the omnibus education bill in Special Session previously this summer which included educator pay raises, additional school and county support, a charter school phase-in and a long list of other provisions.
In general, Ellington supported the measure.
“We always need to move forward and there’s always need for improvement,” he said.
He called the charter school provision “very permissive.”
“I don’t have a big issue there. I do think there’s a lot of other things that we have to do,” Ellington said on a recent edition of MetroNews “Talkline.”
During this year’s Regular Legislative Session, when an initial version of an omnibus education bill hit a wall in the House, Delegate Danny Hamrick (R-Harrison, 48) was House Education chair. He was forced out of that position because of a relationship with a legislative intern.
His vice chair, Delegate Mark Dean (R-Mingo, 21), a school principal, opposed some of the provisions in the education bill, including those for charter schools and education savings accounts, which put him at odds with Republican leadership.
Ellington, who was first elected to the House in 2010, has no education background and that is one of the early criticisms he has faced.
Going forward, he said attention was needed for higher education, the transition from K-12 to higher education and training for an educated workforce.
Previously, Ellington served as chair of the House Health and Human Resources Committee. Delegate Jordan Hill (R-Nicholas, 41) now holds that position.