By Brad McElhinney, WV Metro News
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia lawmakers will consider a range of educational policies, including the addition of aides to classrooms for the youngest students.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said providing funding for those aides is a top priority for him. He cited public investment to support upper grade levels over the past few years but said that won’t pay off if younger students don’t have enough support to be prepared.
“What I know is the problem is student-to-teacher ratio in those early grades,” Hanshaw said while participating on a legislative preview panel Friday.
“That’s where my support for that comes from. It’s making sure that we are not sending kids into higher grades to take advantage of things we have been trying to do the last four years in such a way that they can’t reap the benefits out of it.” …