INTERPRETATION
 
Interpretation's Date: April 17, 2001
by superintendent Dr. David Stewart
Section: V. Personnel
SubSection: A. Professional Personnel

 

Interpretation

April 17, 2001

Mary Kay Pepe
2200 Pleasant Avenue
Wellsburg, West Virginia

Dear Ms. Pepe:

This is to acknowledge the receipt of your letter on or about March 29, 2001 relative to requirements of nurses to take a coaching class. Specifically you asked:

I am requesting a superintendent's interpretation related to coaching while having a professional certificate (nursing). Do I need to take a coaching class to coach a high school sport?

According to West Virginia Code 18-1-1(g), "‘Teacher' means teacher, supervisor, principal, superintendent, public school librarian; registered professional nurse, licensed by the West Virginia board of examiners for registered professional nurses and employed by a county board of education, who has a baccalaureate degree; or any other person regularly employed for instructional purposes in a public school in this state" (emphasis added) Additionally, West Virginia Code 18A-3-2a(4) states that "Other certificates and permits may be issued, subject to the approval of the state board, to persons who do not qualify for the professional or paraprofessional certificate."(emphasis added) And "Within the category of other certificates and permits, the state superintendent may issue certificates for persons to serve in the public schools as athletic coaches or other extracurricular activities coaches whose duties may include the supervision of students."

It is this section that provides for the requirement of a "coaching class" as you call it. At West Virginia Code 18A-3-2a(4) subsection (C) it states that "such person completes an orientation program designed and approved in accordance with state board rules which shall be adopted no later than the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-one."

Therefore, if you are a registered professional nurse employed by the county board of education who has a baccalaureate degree, you would not be required to take the

Mary Kay Pepe
April 18, 2001
Page 2

Paraprofessional course work to be authorized as a coach. If, however, you do not meet the definition of "teacher" above, and you wish to enroll in the Paraprofessional Coaching course, please call the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission at (304) 485-5494 to obtain the dates, sites, costs, and registration information.

Hoping that I have been of service, I am,

Sincerely,

/s/

David Stewart
Superintendent of Schools

DS/mp

47036


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