Jim Justice on Education

	Jim Justice on Education

Make all curriculum available online for parents to see

We must ensure that schools have the responsibility to the students and the parents and not to a bunch of special interest groups. All of our parents deserve to know exactly what's going on in a classroom. Without any question, our parents have always known what the best is for their kids.

Tonight I am proposing a bill to direct school systems to make all curriculum taught be available online where we can see every single thing that's being put into our little kids' heads.

Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the W.V. legislature , Jan 11, 2023

Cool to education savings accounts & charter schools

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put out a message in support of an education bill being considered in the state Senate. It includes charter schools and education savings accounts, for students leaving public school for private education. Though the Republican majority in the state Senate has pushed for increased school choice options, Justice has been more reluctant. He has expressed willingness to accept a few charter schools and has been less enthusiastic about education savings accounts. Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial race , Jun 2, 2019

Supports education, with focus on public school teachers

"We could have gotten a lot of stuff," Justice said. "We could have gotten two or three pilot charter schools. We could have gotten the math and science incentives. You could have gotten the teacher supply stuff, and the nurses and the counselors and psychologists in the schools. We could have gotten the school aid formula for the counties that don't have big populations to be able to help those counties. I am all for every bit of that -- but I'm also a believer in our teachers in public schools." Source: Wheeling Intelligencer on 2020 West Virginia governor race , Apr 14, 2019

5% teacher's pay raise, as part of education reform

I would have said before, "Make education our centerpiece. " You see, I've really been a believer that education is the hot spot that really can change our image.

Now, we have decided to invest. We got rid of A through F. We absolutely got rid of so much of the ridiculous testing, and we put control back in the local hands as much as we can.

We absolutely gave a 5% teacher's pay raise, and we ended up giving a 5% across-the-board pay raise to all State employees. We did change our image. We've still got a long ways to go, but we did change it.

In regard to PEIA, [the Public Employees Insurance Agency], I promised that we would put $50,000,000 in PEIA one year, and $100,000,000 total. Well, we've got enough surplus dollars, we could put $100,000,000 into PEIA right now. But today, PEIA does not need any true-up moneys. Putting $100,000,000 into PEIA is a giant first step. And we can do that, and that is exactly what we're going to do.

Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature , Jan 9, 2019

Support non-college career paths

We got to build this workforce like we can't imagine. I want us to develop a way to where kids in high school and the trades can get an associate degree while they're in high school. I also want us to add, if it's possible, a 13th year where they can get additional accreditation or additional certifications. I want somehow, some way, for us to be able to make our community and technical colleges free. Source: 2018 West Virginia State of the State address , Jan 10, 2018

Return education back from bureaucracies to local level

I'm in the school all the time. We've proven how to be dead last. At round table discussions--you got a bunch of really, really sad unhappy campers. So I think we need gigantic education reform.

I will submit a bill to eliminate any of the unnecessary bureaucracies that we have. We have got to return education back as much as we possibly can to a local level. I have put in my budget a 2 percent raise for all classroom teachers, and I am ashamed that we can't do more.

Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address , Feb 8, 2017

Replace Smarter Balance with ACT testing

Now, as far as testing, we are testing our kids totally to death. For what? Here's the bottom line: I'm all results oriented. If we were knocking it out of the park, you could argue with me we're doing the right thing. But for crying out loud, we're dead last. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. We got to be doing something wrong. That's all there is to it. As far as the testing goes, I am going to propose we throw Smarter Balance in the trash can and we go to ACT testing. Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address , Feb 8, 2017

We're dead last: 2% teacher raise; and dump state testing

Let me go to education. We've proven how to be dead last. So I think we need gigantic education reform. I will immediately submit a bill to eliminate any of the unnecessary bureaucracies that we have. I have put in my budget a 2 percent raise for all classroom teachers, and I am ashamed that we can't do more.

Now, as far as testing, we are testing our kids totally to death. For what? If we were knocking it out of the park, you could argue with me we're doing the right thing. But for crying out loud, we're dead last. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. We got to be doing something wrong. That's all there is to it. As far as the testing goes, I am going to propose we throw Smarter Balance in the trash can and we go to ACT testing.

Think about [how we score] A through F for our schools. We do it on a bell curve. We say: "Come to West Virginia. Our schools are mostly all C's." I don't get it. That's got to go. A through F is gone.

Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address , Feb 8, 2017

Pay our teachers what they're worth, to attract the best

As governor, Jim will:

Get the politicians out of the classroom. Jim will remove the politicians from the classroom, and let our teachers teach. As governor, he will listen to our educators on how we can improve West Virginia's schools and make them nationally competitive.
Prepare students for a career in West Virginia. Jim is a high school basketball coach and has his teaching certificate. He understands that we cannot cut our way to better schools and that we need to grow the pie by creating new jobs. Jim will make sure our kids are prepared for a career when they graduate. A strong economy depends on an educated workforce.
Pay our teachers what they're worth. As governor, Jim will make West Virginia an education powerhouse so we can attract the best teachers. He believes that we must pay our teachers what they're worth, and that education is the key to repairing the image of our state and attracting new jobs here.

Source: 2016 W.V. governor campaign website JusticeForWV.com , Nov 16, 2015

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