Vocational Math Bill Unanimously Passes West Virginia House of Delegates
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WHEELING - The numbers added up Tuesday in the West Virginia House of Delegates for legislation establishing a vocational math option for the state's high school students.
House Bill 3055, introduced by freshman Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, passed the House with a vote of 97-0. The bill now moves on to the Senate.
The legislation calls for the establishment of a math class in the state's public schools that is geared toward students on a path toward a vocational career.
"This class (would) pertain to math curriculum in the fields of fractions, conversion from fractions to decimals, application of measurement, reading blueprints, geometry pertaining to workforce math and other math skills needed to succeed in the trades," the legislation states.
Students could opt for this class "as a personalized math credit to meet graduation requirements," it continues.
In order to be able to teach this class, an instructor must meet the same qualifications as needed to teach current trade classes in public schools, according to the legislation.
The measure is the first bill introduced by Willis, who is currently a senior at West Liberty University majoring in political science.
"I said when I was campaigning that I did want to do some things with vocational training," he said before the bill was presented to the House Education Committee. "I talked to some of my friends who are in the trades, and they said they wished they had had a class like this.
"Now I'm in a position to create what they were looking for. It will be a chance to get the math skills they will need in their working life."