Major West Virginia teachers unions merge to form ‘Education West Virginia'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Two major teachers unions in West Virginia are merging together into one organization.
Delegates from the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia (AFT-WV) voted on Saturday to merge the two organizations and starting Sept. 1, they will be known as 'Education West Virginia'.
Plans to merge the two organizations began back in 2018 when they worked together during the state's teachers' strike. 12 News spoke to the future leadership of Education West Virginia Dale Lee, President of the West Virginia Education Association, and Kristie Skidmore, President of AFT-WV.
'It made more sense for us to with the many commonalities that we had to join together to address these attacks on public education and just be a stronger unified voice for public education, for our employees, for our educators and our students,' Lee said.
12 local technical center students to compete in national SkillsUSA competition
Skidmore went on to say that regardless Education West Virginia will be an organization that listens to its members and their concerns.
'It's tough right now to cover all the bases in public education and to take even more resources away is definitely a concern for both organizations and especially the merged organization.'
Education West Virginia sees a number of emerging concerns in West Virginia public education, including the Hope Scholarship, which proponents say will offer West Virginia families greater choice in how to educate their children, but others say will draw resources away from public education.
The Hope Scholarship could cause a new expense for the state government to the tune of $100 million, and Education West Virginia worries about where that money will come from.
Lee said the planned dissolving of the Department of Education also poses funding challenges. Among the Department of Education's responsibilities is administering funds to Title I schools, and Lee says that 54% of West Virginia schools are Title I.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Lee Jae-myung, Trump speak on phone, reaffirm U.S.-South Korea alliance
New South Korean President Lee Jae Myung appears at a news conference at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, his first remarks after being inaugurated earlier in the day. Photo by Ahn Young-joon/EPA-EFE/pool June 7 (UPI) -- South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung spoke for the first time with U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday as both leaders agreed to further strengthen their nations' alliance. Lee, who took office Wednesday, talked with Trump in a 20-minute phone call, according to the presidential office of South Korea. The White House has not confirmed the conversation, and the president, who is in New Jersey this weekend, hasn't posted about the call on Truth Social. The two presidents agreed to strive toward reaching a mutually acceptable trade agreement, including on tariffs. Trump has imposed 10% baseline tariffs on most trading partners. On April 2, Trump said the Republic of Korea would face a 49% duty but one week later he paused it for three months along with the other worst offenders in the trade imbalance. South Korea's tariffs on imported agricultural goods average 54%. Trump congratulated Lee on his election victory, and the new leader expressed his gratitude, according to the office. Lee noted the importance of the alliance, which forms the foundation of Seoul's diplomacy. The phone call was "conducted in a friendly and candid atmosphere," as they shared anecdotes and experiences from their election campaigns, according to South Korea's presidential office. They exchanged views on their assassination attempts last year and political challenges, in addition to discussing their their golf skills and agreed to play a round together. Trump invited Lee to the White House and the Group of Seven summit in Alberta, Canada, from June 15-17. South Korea is not a G7 member state, but the nation attended them group's meetings in 2021 and 2023. Korea's neighbor, Japan, is a member of the G7. Yonhap reported the South Korea government is in consultations for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak to their leader. It has not been decided whether Lee will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders' summit in the Netherlands on June 24 and 25, according to the presidential office. Lee, the Democratic Party liberal candidate, won in a landslide over Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party. He was inaugurated the next day on Wednesday. South Koreans turned out in record numbers in a snap election triggered by the impeachment and removal of Yoon Suk Yeol in April after a botched martial law decree. Some 35.24 million voters cast a ballot, representing a turnout of 79.4% -- the highest mark since an 80.7% turnout in 1997.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Smithsonian Museum exhibit coming to Lee this summer
LEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The town of Lee has been selected to host the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition, opening this Saturday. Non-profit organization Mass Humanities selected Lee as the exhibit's host site last summer. This traveling exhibition, 'Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,' details the history of the U.S. government over the past nearly 250 years, examining how each generation has contributed to forming 'a more perfect union' in the country. Agawam community breaks ground on $230 million high school project Visitors will get the opportunity to view historical and contemporary American photos and videos, participate in games and multimedia activities, and learn about historical objects collected across two centuries. 'Lee, Massachusetts, with its rich historical roots and vibrant community spirit, stands as an ideal location to host an exhibit on the history of democracy,' said Town Administrator Chris Brittain. 'Lee's charming downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its deep connection to American heritage make it a perfect backdrop for exploring the evolution of democratic ideals.' The exhibit opens on Saturday, June 7, at the Lee Premium Outlets and will be available for viewing until July 18. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Lee is among six towns in Massachusetts to display 'Voices and Votes' across six weeks, alongside Buckland, Ashby, Douglas, Holbrook, and East Sandwich. The traveling exhibition is based on 'American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith,' which is currently on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Free community events will also be hosted in Lee for residents to consider how the town's history is connected to democracy, freedom for citizens, and government participation. To learn more about 'Voices and Votes' and additional Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
E&E News
a day ago
- E&E News
‘Narrow in scope': Daines clarifies land sale talks
Montana Sen. Steve Daines on Thursday insisted his public lands talks with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee of Utah are to minimize any potential broad sales in the GOP's megabill — not greenlight them. Daines' comments came one day after he told reporters he was working on language with Lee, who is trying to reinsert land sales into the Senate's version of the bill to advance President Donald Trump's domestic agenda. Roughly 500,000 acres of proposed land sales in Nevada and Utah were stripped from the House's version. Daines said on Thursday that his talks with Lee do not mean he is supporting public lands sales. Even so, he did not explicitly rule out that some select lands provisions could end up in the Senate bill. Advertisement 'I oppose the sale of public lands,' Daines said. 'Senator Lee has a provision that he wants to put in the bill, I'm trying to work with him [to get] something in there that's … narrow in scope.'
