Education
Bill | Title | Status | Committee | Step | Last Action |
Relating to peer support teams, peer support services, and privileged testimonial communications | Pending | House Judiciary | Committee | 01/31/24 | |
Tuition and fee exemptions for service-connected Disabled Veterans and their dependents. | Pending | House Finance | Committee | 02/08/24 | |
To provide and change graduation requirements and change duties relating to academic content standards | Pending | Senate Introduction | 03/09/24 | ||
Allow teachers to bank personal and sick days. | Pending | House Education | Committee | 01/25/24 | |
The purpose of this bill is to remove the restrictions of taxpayers to access online curriculum, and allow for taxpayers to inspect additional instructional material adopted by the county board pursuant to including books in the classroom. | Pending | House Education | Committee | 01/25/24 | |
Patriotic Access to Students in Schools Act | Signed | Effective Ninety Days from Passage - (June 6, 2024) | |||
Introduction of a “School Safety Program” | Pending | House Education | Committee | 01/17/24 | |
To provide school access for Patriotic Youth Groups | Pending | House Education | Committee | 01/17/24 | |
Relating to “In God We Trust” signs donated in schools | Pending | House Education | Committee | 01/17/24 | |
To allow retired school employees to work after 140 days in certain circumstances. | Pending | House Pensions and Retirement | Committee | 01/16/24 |
2024 Bills that I have lead or co-sponsored
Trust me–I believe in academic education. I have three engineering degrees, a son who is a medical doctor, and another son who also earned a Bachelor of Science degree. BUT, West Virginia, and the United States as a whole, need BOTH academic and practical education opportunities. As much as we need brilliant scientists, engineers, and people formally educated in other academic fields, we also need trades-people that are skilled in welding, carpentry, and plumbing, to name just a few skills. We all know the joke about the medical doctor who is unable to fix a leaky faucet.
One of the major disconnects in our educational system is how a student progresses from a local school system’s vocational education program–if it exists–to becoming a fully trained artisan. When I worked in our naval shipyards, some of our most highly skilled–and highly compensated–trades people were those welders who were able to do mirror TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding and were nuclear certified. Fortunately, both Hampshire and Mineral County School Systems provide vocational education opportunities for their students; but we need more.
I want to build relationships with the local school systems and industries so that defined paths are available for graduating high school students that want to pursue a career in specific tradecrafts. I am privileged to have received the official endorsement of the WV Building and Construction Trades PAC