West Virginia Department of Education meets to consider new initiatives

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - On Wednesday, the West Virginia Board of Education gave the green light for a new program to help fill the teacher shortage gap, as well as launched a new website to help parents and students navigate career options after high school.

The website, wvclassroom2career.com, provides a one-stop-shop for students and parents to navigate information on careers, colleges, military service, entrepreneurship, and on-the-job training. It also provides some advice and tips for people wanting to start their own business.

This website comes after SB-303 passed which is the “Students Right To Know Act.”

It aims to make students aware of the cost of four-year colleges and other alternative career paths.

This website includes finances that come with college and career paths.

Teacher shortages are impacting classrooms all across our region, forcing teachers to cover other shifts to ensure students are getting their education.

The West Virginia Board of Education also approved a new program Wednesday called the “Teach Now Teacher Preparation Certification Program.” Officials say the goal of this program is to assist the state in meeting critical needs by filling every classroom with a qualified teacher.

This program is self-paced and virtual, so if you’re busy taking care of a family or have another job, this program allows you to complete everything on your own terms.

According to Carla Warren, executive director of Educator Development and Support at the West Virginia Department of Education, classwork takes on average about two semesters to complete.

So, already that puts candidates on a quicker route to get a teaching license and certification compared to a traditional four-year college.

“These are ways that we can take these individuals who are invested in education and may need that extra push to get the certification to assist in filling some of those critical areas in our classrooms, so that we have fully certified, fully prepared teachers in all of our classrooms in West Virginia,” Warren said.

To be eligible for the program, you have to have a bachelor’s degree in any field, not just education, a 2.5 GPA and pass a background check.

Anyone interested in learning more about this program can reach out to the West Virginia Department of Education.

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