West Virginia School Board Association

1. West Virginia School Board Association Fully-Embracing County Board Service West Virginia Board of Education Donna Hoylman Peduto Director of Operations

2. Goals and Vision WVBE GOAL: The West Virginia Board of Education will provide a statewide system of education that ensures all students graduate from high school prepared for success in high-quality postsecondary opportunities in college and/or careers.

3. Non-negotiables • Improve student achievement • Improve graduation rates • Support educators and maintain high expectations • Prepare students for "real world" roles (i.e., lifelong learner, wage-earning citizen, and responsible community and family member) • Honor the concept of local control

4. Goals & Vision in Action 2014-15 School Year • National Search for State Superintendent • Full implementation of Educator Evaluation System • A-F School SystemGrading System • Cyclical Review of All Schools • Reimagining Statewide Professional Development • Statewide Technology Innovation

5. Why are we implementing in 2014-15? WVBE Initiatives are closely connected • Common threads include: • Reflection of the Board’s statewide emphasis on the improvement of student achievement in all schools • Visionary leadership with a clear focus on improving student achievement is essential • Transparency in metrics • Educator Evaluation and School Grading Policy embrace using measurable outcomes to improve • Every educator and school have the responsibility to improve and show growth • Clear communication to parents and community to understand the metrics and outcomes • Initial audits provide a basis for improvement in school and classroom quality. • Support for local control/decision making

6. State Superintendent Search • WVBE solicited input from a variety of stakeholders statewide as to qualifications of new state superintendent • All 55 District Superintendents, local school board members, educators, business representatives, and community responded to the qualifications survey • 64 applicants from 43 states • WVBE has worked with Ray and Associates to incrementally narrow the applicants using a structured process. Applicants were narrowed from ten to five and presently to three

7. Who is the next State Superintendent? • State leader with a laser focus on improving our state’s student achievement • Transformational leader that can articulate a vision and a plan for improving education in WV • Servant leader who will commit to building trust and confidence in the position of State Superintendent to become the face of education in WV • Collaborative partner with the Governor and local school boards, county leaders and educators

8. Critical Role of WV’s County School Boards • WVBE trusts and relies upon the leadership of our county school boards to implement the Board’s call to action • WVBE and the new state superintendent will look to each of you for input, support and guidance • Our state educators depend on each of you for daily support as they implement these transformational initiatives • WVBE depends on you to ensure that local voice and decision making play a key role in the implementation of the Board’s vision and goals

9. Critical Role of WV’s County School Boards • WVBE respects the work of each of our 55 county boards of education. • Moreover, we respect the fact that you, as 275 elected officials, strive to bring citizen accountability to our 55 school districts. • You reflect citizen voice, citizen input and citizen accountability for the state's public schools.

10. State and Local Board ‘Students First’ Focus • Your true constituency group is comprised not of the voters who place you in office. Rather, your true constituents are the students in your county. • WVBE also has students in the forefront of all policies it creates and actions they take. • Other segments of your community also embrace this “students first” charge as well, i.e. various interest groups including teacher and other school employee organizations. • The difference is that you are elected officials and accountable for "results" for your system, results that are achieved through good policy governance, including good oversight and monitoring.

11. Seven Golden Rules for State and Local Board Members • Work as a team • Have a plan • Use monitoring and oversight to govern your system to provide decision-making effectiveness • Get out in your communities • Make connections with state officials • Avail yourselves of good county board professional development • Don’t be afraid to ask the right questions “He who is afraid to ask is ashamed of learning” Danish Proverb

12. State and Local Board Partnership • As a state board, we are endeavoring to model good leadership. Leadership that you, as county boards, can and will emulate. • Emphasis on greater state board emergence in terms of policy emphasis and governance to be more adaptive to local control and in reaching out to local boards of Education. •  Our emphasis on providing excellence in state board leadership, with a state superintendent who is equally committed to such, and with your emphasis and work locally, we all are poised to and will serve our true constituents, WV students!