Educators attend professional learning summit in Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 1,000 educators will be in the Capital City this week for a summit on professional learning needs.

The West Virginia South Summit for Educational Excellence began Monday at the Charleston Civic Center with West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine providing teachers with opening remarks on the goals ahead of the upcoming school year.

A similar summit was held earlier this month in Morgantown and Bridgeport.

“Everyone had their opportunity to weigh in on how they felt the summits were going, what we could do to improve as far as the content of the sessions. Everything from the logistics, to the content, to the presenters themselves,” said Monica DellaMea, executive director of the Office of Early and Elementary Learning at the West Virginia Department of Education.

DellaMea, who also serves as director of Summits for Educational Excellence, said the topics this week depend on the positions; superintendents and principals will learn about the effects of poverty in the classroom, while other sessions will focus on topics such as technology, types of assessment and instructional strategies.

“We just want to make sure there is something here for you,” she said.

Gov. Jim Justice and Katlin Thorsell, the 2018 West Virginia Teacher of the Year, will speak at a luncheon Wednesday.

Summit activities will take place Thursday and Friday at the Holiday Inn Express in South Charleston.