§18A-3A-1 Center for Professional Development; intent and mission; Principals Academy curriculum and expenses; authorization to charge fees. - West Virginia Statutes

§18A-3A-1. Center for Professional Development; intent and mission; Principals Academy curriculum and expenses; authorization to charge fees.
(a) Teaching is a profession that directly correlates to the social and economic well-being of a society and its citizens. Superior teaching is essential to a well-educated and productive populace. Strong academic leadership provided by principals and administrators skilled in modern management principles is also essential. The intent of this article is to recognize the value of professional involvement by experienced educators, principals and administrators in building and maintaining a superior force of professional educators and to establish avenues for applying this involvement.

(b) The general mission of the Center is to advance the quality of teaching and management in the schools of West Virginia through: (1) The implementation primarily of statewide training, professional staff development, including professional staff development for at least teachers, principals and paraprofessionals, and technical assistance programs and practices as recommended by the State Board to assure the highest quality of teaching and management; and (2) the provision of technical and other assistance and support to regional and local education agencies in identifying and providing high-quality professional staff development, including professional staff development for at least teachers, principals and paraprofessionals, and training programs and implementing best practices to meet their locally identified needs. The Center also may implement local programs if the State Board, in its Master Plan for Professional Staff Development established pursuant to section twenty-three-a, article two, chapter eighteen of this code, determines that there is a specific local need for the programs. Additionally, the Center shall perform other duties assigned to it by law.

Nothing in this article shall be construed to require any specific level of funding by the Legislature.

(c) The Center for Professional Development Board is reconstituted, and all terms of members elected or appointed prior to the effective date of this section are expired. The Center Board shall consist of thirteen persons as follows:

(1) The Secretary of Education and the Arts, ex officio, and the State Superintendent, ex officio, each of whom is:

(A) Entitled to vote; and

(B) A Cochair of the Board.

(2) Two members of the State Board, elected by the State Board;

(3) One person employed by West Virginia University and one person employed by Marshall University, both of whom are:

(A) Appointed by the President of the employing institution;

(B) Faculty in the teacher education section of the employing institution; and

(C) Knowledgeable in matters relevant to the issues addressed by the Center;

(4) One Regional Education Service Agency Executive Director, elected by all of the Regional Education Service Agency Executive Directors;

(5) Three experienced educators, of whom one is a working classroom teacher, one is a school principal and one is a county administrator. All such educators are:

(A) Appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate;

(B) Experienced educators who have achieved recognition for their superior knowledge, ability and performance in teaching or management, as applicable; and

(C) Knowledgeable in matters relevant to the issues addressed by the Center; and

(6) Three citizens of the state who are:

(A) Knowledgeable in matters relevant to the issues addressed by the Center, including, but not limited to, professional development and management principles; and

(B) Appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(C) Not more than two such members may be residents within the same congressional district.

(d) Each appointment and election is for a two-year term. Such members may serve no more than two consecutive two-year terms.

(1) The State Board shall elect another member to fill the unexpired term of any person who vacates State Board membership.

(2) The Regional Education Service Agency Executive Directors shall elect an executive director to fill the unexpired term of any executive director who ceases to be employed in that capacity.

(3) Of the initial members appointed by the Governor, three are appointed for one-year terms and three are appointed for two-year terms. Each successive appointment by the Governor is for a two-year term. The Governor shall appoint a new member to fill the unexpired term of any vacancy in the appointed membership.

(4) The President of West Virginia University and Marshall University each appoints an employee to fill the unexpired term of any member who ceases to be employed by that institution.

(e) The Center for Professional Development Board shall meet at least quarterly and the appointed members shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their official duties from funds appropriated or otherwise made available for those purposes upon submission of an itemized statement therefor.

(f) The position of Executive Director is abolished. The Governor shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Chief Executive Officer with knowledge and experience in professional development and management principles. Any reference in this code to the Executive Director of the Center for Professional Development means the Chief Executive Officer. From appropriations to the Center for Professional Development, the Center Board sets the salary of the Chief Executive Officer. The Center Board, upon the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer, may employ other staff necessary to carry out the mission and duties of the Center. The Chief Executive Officer serves at the will and pleasure of the Governor. Annually, the Center Board shall evaluate the Chief Executive Officer, and shall report the results to the Governor. The duties of the Chief Executive Officer include:

(1) Managing the daily operations of the Center;

(2) Ensuring the implementation of the Center's mission;

(3) Ensuring collaboration of the Center with other professional development providers;

(4) Requesting from the Governor and the Legislature any resources or statutory changes that would help in enhancing the collaboration of all professional development providers in the state, in advancing the quality of professional development through any other means or both;

(5) Serving as the chair of the Principals Standards Advisory Council created in section two-c, article three of this chapter and convening regular meetings of this Council to effectuate its purposes; and

(6) Other duties as assigned by the Governor or the Center Board.

(g) When practicable, personnel employed by state higher education agencies and state, regional and county public education agencies shall be made available to the Center to assist in the operation of projects of limited duration, subject to the provisions of section twenty-four, article two, chapter eighteen of this code.

(h) The Center shall assist in the delivery of programs and activities pursuant to this article to meet statewide, and if needed as determined by the goals and Master Plan for Professional Staff Development established by the State Board pursuant to section twenty-three-a, article two, chapter eighteen of this code, the local professional development needs of paraprofessionals, teachers, principals and administrators and may contract with existing agencies or agencies created after the effective date of this section or others to provide training programs in the most efficient manner. Existing programs currently based in agencies of the state shall be continued in the agency of their origin unless the Center establishes a compelling need to transfer or cancel the existing program. The Center shall recommend to the Governor the transfer of funds to the providing agency, if needed, to provide programs approved by the Center.

(i) The Center for Professional Development shall implement training and professional development programs for the Principals Academy based upon the minimum qualities, proficiencies and skills necessary for principals in accordance with the standards established by the State Board pursuant to the terms of section two-c, article three of this chapter.

(j) In accordance with section two-c, article three of this chapter, the Center shall be responsible for paying reasonable and necessary expenses for persons attending the Principals Academy: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to require any specific level of funding by the Legislature.

(k) Persons attending the professional development offerings of the Center and other courses and services offered by the Center for Professional Development, except the Principals Academy shall be assessed fees which shall be less than the full cost of attendance. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special revenue account known as the "Center for Professional Development Fund". All moneys collected by the Center shall be deposited in the fund for expenditure by the Center Board for the purposes specified in this section. Moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year are subject to reappropriation by the Legislature.

(l) The Center Board shall make collaboration with the State Board in providing professional development services in the following areas a priority:

(1) Services to those public schools selected by the State Superintendent pursuant to section three-g, article two-e, chapter eighteen of this code; and

(2) Services in any specific subject matter area that the State Board, the Legislature or both, determine is justified due to a need to increase student achievement in that area.