The West Virginia House of Delegates will go into a special session on Monday to take up an education omnibus bill passed by the Senate, a bill with many of the same provisions that the House defeated during the regular session. What has been missing from previous discussions of these policies is the connection between poverty and education outcomes.
Looking at education outcomes with poverty in mind shows the stark effect that it has on children in disadvantaged households. For example, when controlling for the share of students who are eligible for free/reduced school lunches, West Virginia’s 4th grade math test scores jump from 37th to 11th, according to data from the Urban Institute.
Watch Sean and Seth discuss the issue in this video in this week’s Facebook live event.
Read more about the impact of poverty on education in Sean’s blog post.
Ask your delegates to stand up for public education!
Last week, Gabrielle Chapman, Executive Director of Call to Action for Racial Equality (CARE) and Kelly Allen, the WVCBP’s Director of Policy Engagement, attended the Economic Analysis and Research Network’s (EARN) annual EARN in the South convening in Montgomery, Alabama. The convening brought together policy groups and grassroots organizations focused on racial equity from twelve southern states to strengthen relationships and build strategies to win state victories for workers.
Those at the convening had the opportunity to visit The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. Both served as a powerful reminder of the structural racism that remains in many of our institutions and structures today, and that all of our work on economic justice must put racial justice at the forefront.
Kandi Workman, 40 years old, lives in Madison West Virginia. She is a single mother with three kids, was previously a VISTA leader for Step By Step West Virginia, and is now finishing up her Appalachian Transition Fellowship. Kandi is constantly bringing light to her peers and the communities in which she works.
Read more here.
The need for paid family and medical leave (PFML) was featured at Morgantown NOW’s June Open House. Kelly Allen discussed the benefits of enacting a PFML program in West Virginia , and those in attendance watched Zero Weeks, a powerful documentary on the subject.
Have you ever taken paid or unpaid leave to care for a loved one or yourself, or had someone take leave to care for you? Have you ever needed to take family or medical leave, but found out this was financially impossible when unpaid leave was your only option? We want to hear from you.
Share your story here.
Please join the board and staff in welcoming Dr. Jim White, the newest member of the WVCBP Board of Directors. Dr. White is a Professor of Political Science at Concord University in Athens, WV, where he has taught since 1998. He earned his Doctorate in Political Science from American University, his Masters Degree in Public Affairs from North Carolina State University, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Duke University.
Before coming to Concord, Dr. White worked in various capacities for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administering child care and public assistance programs. He has also served as an aide to both New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean.
Spencer Moss is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition. She has worked with the Coalition since 2015 and has continued to develop their policy program during her tenure, procuring big wins for the WV food and agriculture community, including a farm-to-food-bank tax credit, a limited liability for agritourism farms, an expansion for rabbit production, and a new cottage food law.
Other policy endeavors include land access for farmers, institutional procurement of local products, state investment in local agriculture, reunification of mineral rights, defending access to SNAP, and fair and equitable forest farming.
As the daughter of a farmer, Spencer can’t ignore her roots when it comes to farming and agriculture. She’s committed to helping those who want to farm find the resources to do so. Spencer holds a B.S. in Communications from Missouri Western State University and a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Local Governance and Community Development from West Virginia University.
It seems like a long time ago, or just yesterday – we are proud to present a recap of our work in our 2018 annual report. Thank you to all of our supporters and coalition partners who make it all happen and help bring a shared prosperity to all West Virginians!
Juneteenth Celebration – Charleston
June 15. The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs is hosting Annual Juneteenth Celebration on the North Side of the WV State Capitol Complex.
Juneteenth Celebration – Fairmont
June 22, 10:00 AM, Windmill Park. More information here.
