Board to Pay Teachers to Recommend Books

Kanawha County school board members are planning to pay 50 teachers at least $400 each to recommend new math books for elementary school students.

That would represent a $20,000 expenditure for the advisory committee to narrow down a list of state-approved books. School board members voted unanimously Monday night to approve the committee.

Last year, the county also spent about $20,000 to pick math textbooks. But after county teachers rejected the book administrators wanted, and couldn’t decide on another one, the book adoption was put on hold for a year.

A state-approved waiver allows some schools in the county to teach math with different methods.

Cindy Daniel, assistant superintendent of instruction, said that teachers on the committee would scrutinize the 11 state-approved books in several sessions.

They would also be encouraged to try materials in classrooms and review at least one program on their own time.

Recommendations should be before school board members in February, she said. Final approval is planned for March.

Board members said more teachers on the committee would allow for more input.

“I appreciate the effort,” said Board President Jim Crawford. “It gets a larger cross-section of teachers from all over the county.”

In addition to the $400 stipend, the Board of Education will also pay for substitutes when teachers have to meet during a few day sessions.

On Monday night, board members also approved creating a new custodian position – a supervisor of maintenance for custodial services.

Board members will review the approximately $30,000-a-year position at the end of three years to determine whether it’s needed.