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§18-2I-1. Legislative purpose.
The purpose of this article is to create the West Virginia professional staff development advisory council and eight regional professional staff development councils to advise and assist the state board with ensuring the coordination and quality of professional staff development programs that address locally identified needs for professional staff development and meet the goals for professional staff development established by the state board.

§18-2I-2. Legislative findings.
The Legislature finds that there is presently an inadequate and inefficient delivery of staff development programs for professional education in West Virginia. The Legislature further finds that the creation of a West Virginia staff development advisory council and regional staff development councils will assure the efficient delivery of high quality staff training programs and will further assure that duplication of efforts will be minimized. The Legislature further finds that the functions of the West Virginia staff development advisory council and regional staff development councils will assure that key personnel will be fully aware of identified needs and programmatic services, that all stakeholders will be appropriately involved in planning and implementing programs to meet requisite needs and that high quality staff development programs will be provided to public school educators of West Virginia in the most efficient manner.

§18-2I-3. Creation of West Virginia professional staff development advisory council; members; and functions.
(a) There shall be a West Virginia professional staff development advisory council which shall consist of the following members:

(1) The chairpersons of each of the eight regional staff development councils established in section five of this article;

(2) The coordinators of each of the eight regional educational service agency staff development councils;

(3) The assistant superintendent for the division of instructional and student services of the state department of education;

(4) The secretary of education and the arts or his or her designee, who shall chair the council;

(5) The chancellor of the higher education policy commission or his or her designee;

(6) The executive director of the West Virginia center for professional development;

(7) The presidents, or their designees, of each of the two professional organizations or associations representing teachers in the state with the greatest number of teacher members.

(b) Any member of the advisory council may be reimbursed by the state board for the cost of reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties under this article.

§18-2I-4. Functions of the West Virginia professional staff development advisory council.
The council shall advise and assist the state board in all phases of developing or amending the goals for professional staff development required by subsection (b) of this section. Advice and assistance shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) Reporting to the state board on the professional staff development needs identified by the public schools within the respective regions;

(b) Recommending effective professional staff development programs to meet identified needs;

(c) Providing local input on the proposed goals and on the professional staff development plan proposed by the center for professional development pursuant to subsection (c) of this section;

(d) Communicating professional staff development information and findings to the regional and county staff development councils; and

(e) Advancing the coordination and quality of professional staff development programs in the public schools of West Virginia.

§18-2I-5. Creation of regional staff development councils; members; and functions.
(a) There shall be a regional staff development council in each of the eight regional educational service agencies located within the state. Each regional staff development council shall consist of the following members:

(1) The chairperson of each of the county professional staff development councils located in each county contained in the applicable region;

(2) The county staff development coordinator from each of the counties located within the region: Provided, That if the county does not have a staff development coordinator, then the superintendent shall designate a person to serve on the regional staff development council;

(3) The regional educational service agencies staff development coordinator who shall serve as an ex officio member;

(4) The executive director of the regional educational service agencies who shall serve as an ex officio member;

(5) The designee of the chancellor of the university system of West Virginia who shall serve as an ex officio member; and

(6) The designee of the chancellor of the state college system of West Virginia who shall serve as an ex officio member.

(b) Any member of the regional staff development council may be reimbursed by his or her employing agency for the cost of reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties under this article as determined by the employing agency.

§18-2I-6. Functions of the regional staff development councils.
The regional councils shall:

(a) Identify and prioritize regional staff development needs;

(b) Identify effective staff development programs;

(c) Where requested by the regional educational service agency, establish the budget for multicounty staff development programs and oversee effective use of the budget;

(d) Where requested by the regional educational service agency, coordinate staff development at the regional level;

(e) Facilitate communications among and between personnel responsible for staff development at the state, local and regional levels;

(f) Convene regular meetings on a quarterly basis to effectuate the requirements in subsections (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section;

(g) Elect a chairman who shall serve two years; and

(h) Report information and findings related to staff development to the West Virginia staff development advisory council.

§18-2I-7. Limitations on funding of councils.
Nothing in this article may be construed to require any specific level of funding by the Legislature.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session