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Facing historic lows in West Virginia kids鈥� reading and math abilities, state lawmakers passed a landmark bill earlier this year that would require and fund teachers鈥� assistants in many lower-level classrooms.

But with the new school year approaching, the program implementation faces hurdles on a deadline included in the bill. County school systems are now tasked with filling the classroom assistant positions or backfilling the jobs being vacated, including special education aides, for the new positions.

Lawmakers worry about the upcoming vacancies that could be caused by counties implementing the bill, known as the .

鈥淐ome August and September, when these schools are opening, I鈥檓 very concerned about what we鈥檙e going to see,鈥� said Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, vice chair of the House Education Committee. 鈥淭he trouble is in the implementation.鈥�

In Berkeley County, Superintendent Ronald E. Stephens IV still has open aide positions to fill along with new vacancies left by existing employees transferring into the new aide positions.

鈥淲hile we remain optimistic about implementing the code across our second and third grades in future years, we do have concerns that many classrooms, including prekindergarten and special education, may continue experiencing staff shortages including 79 other unfilled service positions,鈥� he said.

The landmark education , a priority for the governor, House and Senate during the 2023 Legislative session, required teachers鈥� assistants in lower-level classrooms based on the number of students. The bill also outlined reading instruction and added a number of support and intervention strategies to monitor student progress through the end of third grade. Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a 鈥渃rucial marker鈥� in a child鈥檚 educational development, .

West Virginia recorded its ever in 2022; education officials cited the pandemic鈥檚 education disruptions as a reason for the drop in scores.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about the Third Grade Success Act and being able to implement this legislation,鈥� West Virginia Department of Education Superintendent Michele Blatt said. She added that the department is monitoring any issues that arise in its rollout.

鈥淭his legislation was a labor of love for many,鈥� she added.

Statler expressed concern that the legislation gave the WVDE and counties a tight deadline to implement the first phase of the plan, which this year required assistants in classrooms with more than 12 kids in just first grade classrooms along with other other literacy-focused requirements.

Del. Chris Toney, R-Raleigh, estimated there would be 300 classroom aides hired for first grade classrooms around the state. The bill is expected to annually cost once positions are filled through third grade, which is supposed to happen over the next few years.

The state has faced a teacher shortage, and last year, 1,544 certified teachers were teaching out of their content area, according to the WVDE. The classroom assistants are not required to have a teaching degree but must receive reading and numeracy training, according to the legislation. Lawmakers about filling the positions, which they believed would be more than 2,000 jobs, ahead of passing the bill.

鈥淚 do have concerns about them finding people to fill these positions,鈥� said Del. Elliot Pritt, R-Fayette. 鈥淭he education system is already chronically understaffed.鈥�

Leaders with the WVDE told West Virginia Watch that at this time, they could not provide a total number of assistants needed or share how many of those positions had been filled. They cited, in part, that enrollment totals, which determine the number of aides needed, won鈥檛 be set until October.

The WVDE missed a July 1 deadline, required in the bill, to provide a report about parts of the new literacy and numeracy program. Spokespersons for the House and Senate told West Virginia Watch those reports were received July 20. WVDE officials communicated with Legislative staff members ahead of the delay.

鈥淎lthough the plan for July 1st was not met by WVDE, the speaker鈥檚 office, as well as others in the Legislature, stayed in contact with the leaders of WVDE to enforce those policies and inquire about the delay,鈥� Toney said. He has worked for Raleigh County Schools for 16 years, including as a classroom aide.

鈥淲e are hopeful that the right changes will take place to ensure that these policies will reflect the concerns of parents, educators and students,鈥� he added.

New aide positions could drain special education staff

WVDE Deputy Superintendent Sonya White said that many of the newly-created positions are often being filled by people already working within schools.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of shuffling right now,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome counties are struggling to fill the positions.鈥�

Stephens has filled 50 of the 62 new aide positions in Berkeley County. He said that the majority of staff filling the positions came from other classrooms in the district, the schools鈥� transfer list of discontinued positions. Some were former aide substitutes, he said.

Kanawha County Schools spokesperson Briana Warner shared the similar concerns as Stephens about people leaving special education classrooms for the new aide positions. The Kanawha County school system, which is the state鈥檚 largest, needs 80 aides this upcoming year in its first grade classrooms. They have five to 10 vacancies at this time, she said.

鈥� 鈥� We鈥檙e anticipating needing additional special education and other classroom aides due to movement to first grade positions,鈥� Warner said. 鈥淲e have begun recruiting additional special education aides to fill any of the vacancies that may be created as we create additional first grade aide positions this year.鈥�

Warner added that the county school department went out and interviewed current special education aides in June so that they 鈥渃ould put together some basic ads and attempt to get ahead of any loss.鈥�

鈥淔rom the beginning, my biggest concerns have centered around special education aides. We do not need to take from one department to give to another,鈥� Toney said. 鈥淲e need to make sure all of our students and staff, no matter what their specific needs are, will have more opportunities for safety and success in their schools.鈥�

Not all students in the state with an IEP have a developmental disability . Students living in poverty are to be identified for special education.

鈥淲e knew there was a possibility we were going to drain the special education positions,鈥� Statler added.

Despite the current hurdles, lawmakers remain optimistic that this bill will improve the state鈥檚 education system and student outcomes. State lawmakers referenced academic gains in Mississippi while crafting the legislation; Mississippi being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022 with some of the West Virginia has been adopting.

The state is also offering literacy training to principles and teachers this summer. Blatt said that more than 1,000 school personnel from around the state have participated in those training opportunities.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: [email protected]. Follow West Virginia Watch on and .

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