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West Virginia Superintendent of Schools
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Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Jorea Marple. She was appointed to the position by the state Board of Education on March 1, 2011, and is the state's 27th superintendent.
Authority
Article 7 of the West Virginia Constitution establishes a Board of Education, with nine members appointed by the Governor. The Board is responsible for selecting the superintendent.
Article XII, Section 2: Supervision of Free Schools
| The general supervision of the free schools of the State shall be vested in the West Virginia board of education which shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law. The board shall consist of nine members to be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, for overlapping terms of nine years, except that the original appointments shall be for terms of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine years, respectively. No more than five members of the board shall belong to the same political party, and in addition to the general qualifications otherwise required by the Constitution, the legislature may require other specific qualifications for membership on the board. No member of the board may be removed from office by the governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, or gross immorality, and then only in the manner prescribed by law for the removal by the governor of state elective officers.
The West Virginia board of education shall in the manner prescribed by law, select the state superintendent of free schools who shall serve at its will and pleasure. He shall be the chief school officer of the State and shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law. The state superintendent of free schools shall be a member of the board of public works as provided by subsection B, section fifty-one, article six of this Constitution. |
Qualifications
Chapter 18, Article 3 of the West Virginia Code specifies the qualifications for holding the office of superintendent:
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There shall be appointed by the state board a State Superintendent of Schools who shall serve at the will and pleasure of the state board. He or she shall be a person of good moral character, of recognized ability as a school administrator, holding at least a master's degree in educational administration, and shall have had not less than five years of experience in public school work... |
- good moral character
- recognized ability as a school administrator
- hold at least a Master's degree in educational administration
- have at least 5 years work experience in public schools
Appointments
The superintendent of schools is appointed by the West Virginia Board of Education, and serves "at its will and pleasure."
Vacancies
Vacancies in the office are filled by appointment from the West Virginia Board of Education.
Duties
The superintendent of schools is the chief executive officer of the Board of Education, charged with supervision of all public school districts and local boards of education in the state. Additional duties of the office include:
- enforcing laws pertaining to education, including the removal of school officials
- conducting conference of all county, district, and city superintendents
- interpreting the meaning of any part of the school law or of the rules of the state board of education
- publishing manuals of the courses of study prescribed by the board of education
- providing an annual report to the state legislature
- closing school buildings and district facilities that fail to comply with an order of the state fire marshal
- classify all schools on the basis of standards established by the board of education
One of the newest duties of the superintendent is to establish a special community development school pilot program. The program is focused on one school for five years, and targets disadvantaged, minority and underachieving students. The idea is for school leaders to engage community organizations and other educational institutions to develop strategies to improve academic achievement that can be replicated in other schools with similar student populations. The superintendent provides yearly reports to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability, beginning in January 2011, on the status of the program.[1]
Divisions
The superintendent is supported by offices of instructional technology, communications, human resources, information systems, and legal services. There are four primary educational divisions within the department, each with separate offices under its direction. There are also several ancillary organizations that fall under the purview of the West Virginia Board of Education over which the superintendent's office has no direct authority: the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, the Office of Education Performance Audits, and the Regional Education Service Agencies.[2]
- The Student Support Services Division coordinates non-educational services for the students of the state. The offices within this division include: Child Nutrition, Internal Operations, School Facilities, School Finance, and Transportation.
- The Division of Curriculum and Instruction provides professional development opportunities and support to the state's educators. Staff work to ensure West Virginia's educators are prepared with the tools they need to improve the educational opportunities afforded to each West Virginia student. The offices within this division include: Assessment and Accountability, Instruction, Instructional Technology, and Special Programs: Extended & Early Learning
- The Technical, Adult & Instructional Division manages the state's secondary career technical system. Currently, the division provides programmatic support for 25 high schools, 23 county centers, 7 multi-county centers, 16 colleges and universities that offer career and technical education, and 3 specialized facilities that offer career and technical education. The offices within this division include: Adult Education and Workforce Development, Career and Technical Accountability and Support, Career and Technical Innovations, Career and Technical Instruction, and Institutional Education Programs.
- The Educator Quality & System Support Division ensures the viability of individual schools by certifying teachers, providing leadership training for schools and their communities, and managing the state's school improvement processes. The offices within this division include: Healthy Schools, Professional Preparation, School Improvement, Title I, and Title I, II, III, and System Improvement.
Compensation
Chapter 18, Article 3 of the West Virginia Code specifies compensation for the office of superintendent:
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...He or she shall receive an annual salary set by the state board, to be paid monthly: Provided, That the annual salary may not exceed one hundred forty-six thousand one hundred dollars: Provided, however, That after the thirtieth day of June, two thousand six, the annual salary may not exceed one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars. The state superintendent also shall receive necessary traveling expenses incident to the performance of his or her duties to be paid out of the General School Fund upon warrants of the State Auditor... |
In 2010, the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools was paid an estimated $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments[3]
Contact information
West Virginia Department of Education
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Building 6, Room 358
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: 304-558-2681
Fax: 304-558-0048
Email: Darcel Vermillion, Administrative Assistant to State Superintendent
See also
External links
References
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