First lady discusses state education system
Vice President Greg Smith, Gayle Manchin, President Rich Schaffer
Photo by Clark Reese
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First lady discusses state education system |
Vice President Greg Smith, Gayle Manchin, President Rich Schaffer Photo by Clark Reese |
PARKERSBURG — West Virginia first lady Gayle Manchin touched on several keys to overcoming the state’s
educational handicaps as she addressed the Parkersburg Rotary Club Monday afternoon touting a
need to improve education. | Manchin said the system is close to a tipping point. “If something gets talked about enough then all of the sudden it bubbles up and takes over,” she said. “That’s what is happening in education. They are talking about how critical it is we take our kids to the next level.” Manchin said one of the things that drives her husband, Gov. Joe Manchin, crazy is meeting with leaders who want to grow their West Virginia business, but note the state’s lack of a skilled workforce. She blamed part of the problem on the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Manchin said it forced educational leaders to set standards at a mediocre level. “While we were talking our country is getting left behind,” she said. Manchin said India and China, which have already taken non-skilled jobs from American workers, will soon seize skilled labor jobs as well. “If the description of your job can be written on a sheet of a paper, you can be outsourced,” she said. Manchin said school children need to be taught communication, problem-solving and innovative skills to compete on a global level. She acknowledged that means asking teachers — who 15 years ago never heard of the Internet —to do more with the rapidly-developing technological advances. “We are asking teachers to do these things as part of their training,” she said. Manchin realizes the time constraints already placed on the state’s educational system. She acknowledged the government’s inability to flex the school calendar to allow teachers more time for training with new mediums and technology. “The calender is one issue,” she said. “The second piece of it is we need to take more advantage of online opportunities for teachers, so they don’t have to travel to get it.” Manchin said that may mean making changes to the educational system. The idea of year-round education, longer hours, even weekends — for adults — should be considered, she said. “We have to be more creative and committed to making every minute count,” she said. “We need to be proactive and stepping ahead of the curve. “To be more creative we are going to have to take a combination of avenues to make it work.”
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