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Economic development, education discussed at state business summit
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- In a rapidly changing world with opportunities mounting for West Virginia, there's no time to waste in getting the state's education system in line for economic development in the 21st Century, business leaders say.
Some of the steps the state is taking to do that were discussed Wednesday during a panel discussion on the "Role of Education in Economic Development" at a state business summit in Greenbrier County.
Along with revamping its community and technical college system, the state is putting money into research at its universities, initiating programs for businesses to partner with schools for accelerated improvement, and overhauling its kindergarten through 12th grade curricula and testing system.
"I believe West Virginia is on the right path, and clearly we have leadership that is passionate about our state," said Keith Fulton, president of Verizon West Virginia and moderator of the panel discussion, which took place during the 2008 West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting.
West Virginia Sen. Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, served on the panel, along with state Superintendent Steve Paine, Marshall University President Stephen Kopp and Tom Jones, a member of the Governor's 21st Century Jobs Cabinet and of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
K-12
The state is starting in its grade schools and high schools by updating curricula, Paine said.
"We are not tinkering around the edges. We are completely transforming our education system in West Virginia," he said.
It's vitally important in today's world for students to be "adaptive learners, to adjust and retool themselves for next-generation jobs," Kopp said.
"I think it's imperative for everybody in this room to realize that the jobs we're training students for today aren't the job they're going to find," he said. "They'll be using technologies that haven't been invented to solve problems we don't know exist -- that is the challenge of education today."
If that challenge isn't met, students will have to be re-trained repeatedly, and the state doesn't have the resources to do that, Kopp said.
The K-12 education system also will put renewed focus on civic and financial literacy, global awareness, technology and wellness, as well as real-world relevance, Paine said. When it comes to assessment, the state is starting a new standardized test in the spring of 2009 that is far more rigorous, to put it on par with the rest of the nation, Paine said.
He added that the state would like to increase the number of instructional days in a school year, and move toward a system where teachers are paid based on their performance, rather than tenure. One way to do that is by providing stipends and pay increases for teachers who have gone through the rigors of acquiring National Board Certification.
But both initiatives are a challenge, Paine and Plymale said.
Plymale said he's run three bills in the state Senate suggesting an increase to the 180-day school year, to even it up with other states, "and I have knife marks in the back to prove it," he said.
In terms of new programming, the Governor's 21st Century Jobs Cabinet offers the SEEDS program, which gives businesses an opportunity to partner with a particular school to help advance their offerings. Paine also suggested Innovation Zones for 21st century model schools. Paine said the governor is supportive of this concept, in which schools that see constraints in state policy could secure immunity from a policy long enough to establish innovative practices. The state could then review those practices and determine if there needs to be a change in policy, Paine said.
Higher education
The state passed legislation this year that is intended to overhaul the community and technical college system to help it better meet the needs of the work force, and fund research intended to create spinoff businesses and high-paying jobs in West Virginia.
Community colleges are now separating from their sponsoring four-year institutions so that they are independent bodies that can be "nimble and quick" in keeping up with the rapid changes that come with technology in today's work force, Plymale said.
The state will provide support for the community colleges to help them become independent, as well as establishing Advanced Technology Centers in parts of the state, and providing incentives for collaborative use of facilities for online learning.
At Marshall, the biggest outcome of this year's legislation has been $15 million for the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research. The institute will serve as an incubator for biotechnology research that is intended to branch into commercial enterprises. The state grant will be matched by private funds, and within five years, endowed researchers must generate 50 percent of compensation from externally funded grants or contracts.
The university plans to plug interest earned on its grant money from the state, estimated to be about $1.2 million a year, into this effort.
"This is the start of something that could be an economic thrust for the state of West Virginia," Kopp said. "We're very excited."
At the same time, Marshall is planning to improve its Internet infrastructure to accommodate Internet 2 Cyber infrastructure, which is larger and quicker. The university also has broken ground on a Forensic Science Annex and Incubator, for more research.
Kopp hopes all this shows today's young West Virginians that there are jobs to be had at home. All they need is the right encouragement to not only start, but complete higher education, he said. And with a little help from the MIIR institute, those interested in the sciences can go on to graduate work in research, and eventually get top-notch jobs in spinoff businesses planted right in their home state.
"One of the great virtues of West Virginia is that people born and raised here want to stay here," he said.
