West Virginia Department of Education
Institutional Education Programs
Principal/Lead Teachers’ and Central Office Administrators
MINUTES OF THE STAFF MEETING
Bridgeport Conference Center
Bridgeport, WV
September 20-21, 2007
Participants:
Matt Kittle – OIEP
Fran Warsing – OIEP
Gary Wingrove – OIEP
Duane Maxey – OIEP
Kari Rice – OIEP
Vicki Buell – OIEP
Dewayne Duncan – OIEP
Jacob Green – OIEP
Patricia Lucan – OIEP
Rhonda Mahan – OIEP
Joe Michael – Donald R. Kuhn/Tiger Morton
J. P. Tenney – Davis, Elkins Mt. School, WVCH
Bill DeRochers – Barboursville School/Robert L. Shell
Bill Ball – Davis Stuart/Sam Perdue
Abby Averill – Beckley Center/Gene Spadaro
Kent Moreno – Potomac Center
Lisa Hoskins – Pressley Ridge/ Northern Regional Juvenile
Katherine Blankenship – WVIHY/Lorrie Yeager Juvenile
Introductions:
Mr. Kittle welcomed everyone to the meeting. He introduced Dewayne Duncan who is the new
Coordinator for Curriculum and Instruction in the central office and Terry Brown who has assumed
the principal duties at the Board of Child Care during the recuperation of John Marra.
Day One –
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Juvenile Principal/Lead Teachers’ session:
Fran Warsing began by stating that a copy of the proposed Policy and Procedures Manual was in
the informational packets. This manual will be out for comment until November 1, 2007. A
comment sheet was emailed to all principals and can be used for submitting any comments or
suggestions that their staff may have. It was suggested that facilities use October 19 as a chance
for it to be distributed to all staff for discussion.
Four copies of information for applying for special accommodations for administering the GED
were handed out. These included physical/chronic health disability, emotional/mental health
AD/HD, and learning and other cognitive disabilities. When you have completed the necessary
form, send to Fran. The approval process may take from three to six weeks. This form can follow
the student to another location and is good for three years. If you have any questions, please call
or email Fran.
Patricia Lucas started her session with the subject of testing. A copy of testing dates was
distributed as well as a copy of the testing code of ethics to be signed by those present. Questions
and concern about testing were addressed.
There is a form that accompanies a student’s IEP that needs the parent’s signature, if it is not
possible to obtain the parents’ signature a social worker may sign for processing.
There are new special education screens for entering data in WVEIS. A data worksheet was
handed out which may help speed up data entry for secretaries. This form should have all the
necessary information for entry into WVEIS. A booklet of Standard Codes for Maintaining Student
Special Education and Medicaid Billing Records was also distributed.
The Special Education Conference will be held on October 29 and 20 at the Embassy Suites in
Charleston.
The 2007-08 booklet, which contains the contact information individuals in the state involved in
the education of students with exceptionalities, was also distributed
Dr. Kenna Seal, Executive Director, Office of Education Performance Audits presented a session
on the accreditation process for OIEP facilities. A draft copy of the procedures which will be used
for juvenile facilities was distributed. This manual is still under construction. If you have any
suggestions or comments, please submit them to central office by October 5, 2007.
An overview of the Office of Education Performance Audits was given as well as what can be
expected during an accreditation visit. House Bill 4306 – Process for Improving Education was
also discussed. This process should be viewed as a positive experience to not only see what
could be improved, but our successes.
Dewayne Duncan, provided additional insight into the accreditation process. He advised facilities
to document everything and to keep complete records. This includes any events that you may
have and student files, etc.
Afternoon Session: Adult and Juvenile Principals/Lead Teachers
Participants:
Jeanette Donohew – Northern Regional Jail & Correctional Facility
Robert Buckland – Denmar Correctional Center
Judy Burkle – St Marys Correctional/Pruntytown Correctional
Rowena Harman – Anthony Correctional
Lisa Hoskins – Pressley Ridge and Northern Regional Juvenile
Katherine Blankenship – WVIHY and Lorrie Yeager Juvenile
Marjorie Youngs – Martinsburg Correctional
Terry Brown – Board of Child Care and Vicki Douglas Juvenile
Standley Greene – Lakin Correctional
Kathryn Toler – Mt Olive Correctional
Matthew Kittle – OIEP
Dewayne Duncan – OIEP
Kenneth Holbrook – Huttonsville Correctional
Rhonda Mahan – OIEP
Duane Maxey – OIEP
Gary Wingrove – OIEP
Kari Rice – OIEP
Robert Buckland and Kari Rice provided a demonstration on the transition data base that has
been developed at Denmar. This data base will assist in the tracking of individuals in our facilities
and will be used to improve transition as well as provide hard data which could be used in
applying for grant monies.
Chuck Fuller gave an informative power point presentation on John Maxwell’s “The 360° Leader,
Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization.” Information was provided on
challenges faced by leaders as well as the myths often believed by those in the middle.
Leadership styles fall into three categories:
Leading down – follow me, I’ll add value to you
Leading across – follow me, I’ll walk with you
Leading up – follow me, I’m right behind you
Duane Maxey and Gary Wingrove updated everyone on technology and finance. PDA’s were
handed out with a copy of instructions. This should help with organization and scheduling.
Purchase order and receiving order directions were reviewed. Complying with these directives will
speed up the process and result in less time lost for everyone. Surplus property guidelines were
given to juvenile secretaries at the Juvenile Conference and will be given to adult facility
secretaries at the Adult Conference in September. These guidelines, if followed, should relieve
the stock pile of surplus property.
Jacob Green presented a session on new hiring procedures. These procedures will be included
in the Policy and Procedures Manual. Applications will be reviewed for qualifications and the ones
that are qualified will then be referred to the principal for an interview to be scheduled. Please
notify Jacob who will be on the interviewing committee and the dates of the interviews. If you
have a list of interview questions used for various positions, please send to central office and we
will maintain a master list of appropriate questions.
Leave issues were also discussed. Annual leave needs to be approved in advance. Sick leave
slips need to be submitted in a timely fashion. The monthly leave report needs to be verified by
the principal, dated, and signed. It is due to Vicki Rose by the 10th of the following month.
New dress code procedures from Division of Juvenile Services were distributed and discussed.
In order to increase communication between central office and facilities, minutes from our weekly
staff meetings will be emailed each week to administrators. Other ways to alleviate this problem
were also discussed. The agenda for the Adult Conference will also be emailed to everyone.
If you have long term subs that were originally charged to discretionary funds, you will need to
change them to your non-discretionary funds. If you have any questions, contact Jacob.
Meeting was adjourned. Meeting will continue with adult principals at 8:30 tomorrow.
Day Two: Adult Principals and Lead Teachers – September 21, 2007
Fran Warsing
Jeanette Donohew
Gary Wingrove
Jacob Green
Kenneth Holbrook
Kathryn Toler
Vicki Buell
Patricia Lucas
Dewayne Duncan
Kari Rice
Judy Burkle
Row Harman
Robert Buckland
Rhonda Mahan
Standley Greene
OIEP
Northern Regional Jail & Correctional
OIEP
OIEP
Huttonsville Correctional
Mt. Olive Correctional
OIEP
OIEP
OIEP
OIEP
St. Marys Correctional/Pruntytown Correctional
Anthony Correctional
Denmar Correctional
OIEP
Lakin Correctional
Welcome and introductions were given by Jacob Green.
Jeanette Donohew presented a session on End of Course Testing. Handouts were distributed on
WV Edge and list of tests that are available. Contact Fran a list of courses that you would like to
test.
Fran distributed forms to be used for special accommodations for GED testing. These were for
physical/chronic health disability, emotional/mental health, ADHD, and learning and other
cognitive disabilities. If you need original forms, they can be obtained from Fran or your GED
examiner.
Judy Burkle updated everyone on Transforming Lives Network (TLN). A state contract will be
needed to obtain rights to duplicate DVDs. The workbooks cannot be duplicated.
Fran led a discussion on the Tools section of the Policy and Procedures Manual. Jeanette
Donohew has been appointed contact person to gather information from facilities on the definition
of the various tools. We want this one policy to be inclusive of all facilities.
Since all business was concluded, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held in
December. Date and location will be announced at a later date.