MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An expanded Ascend West Virginia for educators is getting off the ground.
A three-year effort financed largely by the Appalachian Regional Commission with a $1.6, led by the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, and supported by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative (WVPEC) and the WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, will recruit, prepare, place and retain teachers in communities across West Virginia.
WVPEC Executive Director Donna Holyman Peduto said the Take Me Home Teacher Residency Pathway initiative is modeled after a pilot program that’s been operating in Monongalia and Preston counties.
“It was really exciting because you never know what’s going to happen with something like that but we attracted teachers from four states: New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Virginia,” Peduto said last week on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
Peduto said there were no expectations In the pilot program but there was an assumption that most of the candidates would have been younger. What they found was a broad range of people that accepted the offer to move to the state.
“I personally and our staff thought it would be newer teachers but our first pilot brought them in from all phases of their careers, it was amazing,” Peduto said.
The new initiative will target two counties in the state that have battled issues with attendance, staff turnover, and other issues. Peduto noted the staff in both districts are looking forward to helping recruit and ultimately welcoming new teachers to the district.
“It’s really challenging to take on Berkeley and Morgan counties but we’re thrilled because the superintendent and staff are so eager to get certified teachers and they really have challenges,” Peduto said.
The teacher recruitment program includes all of the incentives that come with the other Ascend WV efforts. Those would include a moving stipend, access to recreational, outdoor events, and other perks that can total up to $20,000.
“Some of our Ascenders in Monongalia and Preston counties have moved away and then come back,” Peduto said. “And that says a lot about our state too.”
Peduto said they plan to target the Washington, D.C., area and bring those teachers into the eastern panhandle. Potential candidates need to be certified as a teacher by the summer of 2026, reside outside of West Virginia, and apply to and accept a position in the state.
“The Washington D.C. area,” Peduto said. “So, that’s a whole new realm for us because we were reaching out to rural areas before, and no we’ve got this challenge ahead of us.”