MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After spending 33 years in the classroom as a teacher, Dan Berry is taking a step that often crossed his mind during his teaching career: running for the Monongalia County Board of Education.
Berry, running in the Central District, is among five candidates seeking three seats on the school board.
“It’s something I had always thought about, even as a teacher I thought I could do a lot of good on the board of education,” Berry said. ” I bring a lot to the table- a lot of classroom experience, a lot of experience with curriculum assessment and instruction.”
His classroom experience began in 1988 when he started teaching at University High School. He shifted to Morgantown High School in 2009 and more than three decades teaching history, civics, and Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography. In 2017, Berry was among just 50 teachers selected nationwide to serve in the American Geographical Society Geography Teacher Fellow Program. He is currently employed by the National College Board as the Course Lead for AP Human Geography.
Berry believes that a full review should be conducted for before any decisions are made regarding temporary coronavius relief funding.
“If a position funded with COVID relief money that is helping students we should pursue other avenues of funding like state or federal grants to keep those people on board,” Berry said. ” However, if a position is funded by COVID relief money, and they’re not helping students then the position should be eliminated once the fund expires.”
One program Berry wants to expand is the Student Resource Officer program, provides police officers in school buildings to assist with security.
“You have two very large high schools in Monongalia County – University High which has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students and Morgantown High with approximately 1,900 students – yet each school only has one SRO.”
Berry believes one of the most important assets the is the excess levy. Voters have continually approved the school excess levy since 1973. The five-year levy was renewed in Sept. 2021 and is expected to generate over $30 million in revenue over that time. Berry says the allocation of every dollar must considered carefully through the lens of how it will benefit students.
“I’m sure there will be differing views on how the money is allocated. However, any and all differing issues should be supported by data-driven research,” Berry said. ” If you’re going to spend more money on something we need to look at the data.”
According to Berry, one of the largest challenges in the county is growth. The 2020 Census named Monongalia and Berkley Counties as the fastest growing in the state. Berry believes recruiting and retaining quality staff members should be a priority.
“Short term I think we need to retain our employees while attracting and recruiting highly qualified personnel,” Berry said. “our county has much to offer- we have world-class hospitals, a top-notch university and a community that values and supports education.”
There are five candidates running for the Monongalia County School Board. Dan Berry and Jennifer Hagerty are running in the Central District. Incumbent Mike Kelly along with Cristy Moats and Brandon Myers are running in the Western District.
Voters can choose up to three candidates. The three candidates receiving the most votes will win seats on the board. Although, no more than two board members can be elected from each district.