CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates Education Committee passed a bill Wednesday that calls for the hiring of 2,500 assistant teachers and creates provisions that would allow teachers to hold back students in third grade if they aren’t reading on a proficient level.
The bill, HB 2003, which has a fiscal note of more than $96 million, combines two issues that the committee passed in separate bills last year. Both died in the Senate Finance Committee.
Assistant teachers would be hired for grades 1-3 and be employed in classrooms where a teacher has 12 or more students. The assistant teachers would be classified as school service personnel.
The assistant teacher issue is one that’s a priority of House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
The bill also calls for a multi-tiered system of support and prevention in an effort to improve reading in the early grades. The science of reading plan promoted by state School Superintendent David Roach would be used.
According to the bill, there would be three assessment periods a year to help identify students who have deficiencies in reading. Students who are struggling could receive a personalized learning plan, help from a school-based team of educators that would provide additional options. Parents have to be notified in writing.
If students are still found to be deficient in reading and math following the intervention and other assistance they can be held back in third grade. The bill does provide for several exceptions.
Members of the committee approved a few amendments, most of them were technical in nature.
Delegate Buck Jennings, R-Preston, said he came to the legislature six years ago to improve student-teacher ratios in the lower grades.
“This is what I came here to do,” Jennings said. “Our greatest asset is our children. Let’s get this foundation started. Can you imagine if six years ago we would have done this, we would have had our kids going to high school on a competency ratio.”
Delegate Bill Ridenour, R-Jefferson, said he couldn’t support the bill because of its nearly $100 million projected cost.
“I do not want to levy another $100 million plus bill on the people of West Virginia.”
Ridenour said he hoped the state Department of Education could come up with ways to offset the cost.
Education Committee Vice Chairman Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, supports the bill but predicted it may be more difficult for the measure when it heads to the House Finance Committee for its next review.
“I can tell you it will be a different discussion going on in finance entirely,” Statler said.
Both state School Superintendent David Roach and Deputy Superintendent of Schools Michelle Blatt seemed to generally favor the bill when they were questioned by committee members.