According to West Virginia Code §18A-3-8, a County Professional Development Council shall be established in each school district. The council is comprised of representatives from administrators, teachers, special education staff, and vocational staff.

Based on Ohio County Schools Regulation 4011.01, the following conditions and procedures shall apply to the Staff Development Council:

A. The Staff Development Council shall be comprised of proportional representation based on the number of employees in each of the following categories:

• county administrators

• principals and assistant principals

• K-5 teachers

• 6-8 teachers

• 9-12 teachers

• special education teachers

• vocational teachers

The total number of voting members from all categories shall not be less than nine or more than fifteen members. The Director of Staff Development shall be the nonvoting chairperson of the council.

B. Members shall be elected only by the group they will represent. Once elected, each member will serve a three year term. If a member resigns or accepts a position in another category, then that position will be declared vacant and a new election will be held immediately to select a representative that will serve the remainder of that term.

C. Membership shall be on staggered three (3) year terms.

D. A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum.

E. Meetings shall be conducted on the third Tuesday of each month during the school term. Additional meetings when needed may be called by the Director of Staff Development or upon request of three (3) voting members of the council.

F. Programs shall be offered in the following areas:

• multicultural education

  • AIDS

  • new textbook orientation

  • new professionals

  • staff evaluation

  • job related areas for teachers: (1) area currently teaching, (2) teaching strategies appropriate to those areas of teaching, (3) classroom management skills, (4) techniques appropriate for learners with various exceptionalities and learning styles, and (5) alignment of learning outcomes with instructional strategies, materials and resources, and student and program evaluation methods and instruments.

  • other areas as deemed required by needs assessments.

G. Ohio County Schools instructional personnel, professional organizations, colleges or universities, consultants, public agencies, private agencies, governmental agencies or other organizations having a legitimate interest in improving instruction and services are encouraged to submit proposals for programs. Forms may be secured from the Director of Staff Development.

H. Credits for Staff Development shall be determined by clock hours (one clock hour equals one credit) outside the regularly scheduled school day.

I. Six (6) hours of Staff Development credit will replace any one Staff Development day for instructional staff.