West Virginia Education and Teaching Overview

Teaching in West Virginia can be a very rewarding experience. This state enjoys keeping their class sizes down so that all students involved receive a high quality education. With the exception of a few schools in heavily populated Charleston and Martinsburg, elementary classroom sizes generally stay below twenty students per teacher.


West Virginia Teacher Requirements

Middle school and high school class sizes in West Virginia are not much larger than in the elementary grades in most areas. Students tend to score very well on the skills tests that are required under the ‘No Child Left Behind’ act. Recently, this program has received an extra allotment of funding to allow for even better test scores than the good ones already being seen in this state.

West Virginia graduates over 77% of their high school seniors through traditional efforts and schooling. Many other students are also succeeding that are opting to take GED equivalency tests in order to proceed into college at an accelerated pace instead of enjoying the festivities that are often included in your last year of high school.

Those who have chosen a long-term teaching career in West Virginia, score the experience as a favorable one when asked for their opinion on internet polls. West Virginia has a respectable number of teachers who start teaching in their classrooms and stay employed with the schools until they reach retirement age.

West Virginia Teacher Requirements

West Virginia and many other states all share the same ongoing problems with their public education systems in that there simply are not enough teachers trained in mathematics, sciences, physics, and some special education areas to go around so that there are constant employment openings showing up in these areas.

For those teaching in West Virginia, another problem that has everybody a bit nervous is the fact that many of the long-time experienced teachers are reaching retirement age, and that while new teachers can be hired, the loss of experienced individuals can only be replaced through time spent in the actual gaining of long-term classroom experience.

However, some teaching in West Virginia may be in for a pleasant surprise in the future despite teacher shortage areas and retirement losses if our United States president follows through on his concerns being voiced in the media about the American school systems needing an overhaul.

Through logic, the only way to entice advanced degree holders in the shortage areas across the country into the teaching jobs that they are needed for is through an admirable paycheck that rivals the other employment areas that mathematics, sciences, technology, and special services to the disabled can enter into.

Today, many believe that if an American public school overhaul is ever put into action that pay, perks, incentives, classroom financing, and all benefits allowed to individuals involved in education will increase sharply and suddenly without a lot of advanced warning. The future for those choosing a career as a classroom teacher in West Virginia just might be an extremely nice future to look forward to.

Online Colleges Offering Education and Teaching Degrees

Accreditation  

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. .

Programs Offered  
  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Master of Arts in Teaching with Teaching Credential
Accreditation  

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Accreditation  

The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation  

Western Governors University is the only university to have received simultaneous accreditation by four regional accrediting commissions. Currently, WGU’s "home" accrediting commission is the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the same organization that accredits such leading institutions as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and other public and private colleges. WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU is the first online university to receive NCATE accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). WGU’s Health Informatics program is now accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). WGU’s Nursing programs are CCNE accredited.

Campus Colleges Offering Education and Teaching Degrees

Accreditation  

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. .

Programs Offered  
  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Master of Arts in Teaching with Teaching Credential
Accreditation  

Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation  

McCann School of Business & Technology is accredited to award occupational associate degrees and certification diplomas by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education,.

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Teaching Salaries
Elementary School Teacher
$40,584
High School Teaching
$42,802
Education Admin for Elementary School
$65,372
School Principal
$82,696
 Source: PayScale.com
 * Based on 5 years experience