HB 2832 — Clarifying appropriate and inappropriate duties for school counselors while also providing the definition of a school counselor.

§18A-1-1.

Definitions.

The definitions contained in §18-1-1 of this code apply to this chapter.

In addition, the following words used in this chapter and in any proceedings pursuant to this chapter have the meanings ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(a) "School personnel" means all personnel employed by a county board whether employed on a regular full-time basis, an hourly basis or otherwise.

"School personnel" is comprised of two categories:

Professional personnel and service personnel;

(b) "Professional person" or "professional personnel" means those persons or employees who meet the certification requirements of the state, licensing requirements of the state, or both, and includes a professional educator and other professional employee;

(c) "Professional educator" has the same meaning as "teacher" as defined in section one, article one, chapter eighteen of this code.

Professional educators are classified as follows:

(1) "Classroom teacher" means a professional educator who has a direct instructional or counseling relationship with students and who spends the majority of his or her time in this capacity;

(2) "Principal" means a professional educator who functions as an agent of the county board and has responsibility for the supervision, management and control of a school or schools within the guidelines established by the county board.

The principal's major area of responsibility is the general supervision of all the schools and all school activities involving students, teachers and other school personnel;

(3) "Supervisor" means a professional educator who is responsible for working primarily in the field with professional and other personnel in instructional and other school improvement.

This category includes other appropriate titles or positions with duties that fit within this definition;

and (4) "Central office administrator" means a superintendent, associate superintendent, assistant superintendent and other professional educators who are charged with administering 3 Eng CS for HB 2832 and supervising the whole or some assigned part of the total program of the countywide school system.

This category includes other appropriate titles or positions with duties that fit within this definition;

(d) "Other professional employee" means a person from another profession who is properly licensed and who is employed to serve the public schools.

This definition includes:

(1) a A registered professional nurse, licensed by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, who is employed by a county board and has completed either a two-year (64 semester hours) or a three-year (96 semester hours) nursing program;

(2) A certified school counselor who holds a master's degree in school counseling from an accredited university and certification through the state board of education.

(e) "Service person" or "service personnel", whether singular or plural, means a nonteaching school employee who is not included in the meaning of "teacher" as defined in §18-1- 1 of this code and who serves the school or schools as a whole, in a nonprofessional capacity, including such areas as secretarial, custodial, maintenance, transportation, school lunch and aides.

Any reference to "service employee" or "service employees" in this chapter or chapter 18 of this code means service person or service personnel as defined in this section;

(f) "Principals Academy" or "academy" means the academy created pursuant to §18A-3a- 2b of this code;

(g) "Center for Professional Development" means the center created pursuant to §18A-3a- 1 of this code;

(h) "Job-sharing arrangement" means a formal, written agreement voluntarily entered into by a county board with two or more of its employees who wish to divide between them the duties and responsibilities of one authorized full-time position;

(i) "Prospective employable professional person", whether singular or plural, means a certified professional educator who:

(1) Has been recruited on a reserve list of a county board;

4 Eng CS for HB 2832 (2) Has been recruited at a job fair or as a result of contact made at a job fair;

(3) Has not obtained regular employee status through the job posting process provided in §18A-4-7a of this code;

and (4) Has obtained a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education within the past year;

(j) "Dangerous student" means a student who is substantially likely to cause serious bodily injury to himself, herself or another individual within that student's educational environment, which may include any alternative education environment, as evidenced by a pattern or series of violent behavior exhibited by the student, and documented in writing by the school, with the documentation provided to the student and parent or guardian at the time of any offense;

(k) "Alternative education" means an authorized departure from the regular school program designed to provide educational and social development for students whose disruptive behavior places them at risk of not succeeding in the traditional school structures and in adult life without positive interventions;

and (l) "Long-term substitute" means a substitute employee who fills a vacant position:

That the county superintendent expects to extend for at least thirty consecutive days, and is either:

(A) Listed in the job posting as a long-term substitute position of over thirty days;

or (B) Listed in a job posting as a regular, full-time position and:

(i) Is not filled by a regular, full-time employee;

and (ii) Is filled by a substitute employee.

For the purposes of §5-16-2 of this code, long-term substitute does not include a retired employee hired to fill the vacant position.

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify appropriate and inappropriate duties for school counselors while also providing the definition of a school counselor.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.