The Virgin Islands Department of Education explained that they will utilize Proximity Learning, a company that provides online teachers to school districts with teaching vacancies across the world, after their priorities were questioned because they only had 21 vacant positions for teachers out of their 153 funded vacancies in the department's recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2022 during a budget hearing on Thursday.
Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory sought to learn why there was $8.2 million in proposed funding for vacancies but only 21 of the positions were for teachers and how many positions in the budget were for new positions. She said that 14 of the vacancies are for teachers in the St. Thomas-St. John District and 7 are for teachers in the St. Croix district.
Wendy Bailey, director of human resources, responded that there were 153 funded positions with 24 new positions in the STT-STJ District and 30 new positions in the STX district.
Ms. Frett-Gregory wanted to know of the funded vacancies that the department has; how many are non-teaching positions, how many are school based positions and how many are administrative positions because it was not available in the D.O.E.’s testimony or appendixes’. She stated “it’s important information for us to make a decision.”
Ms. Frett-Gregory was worried that testimony also provided a “wish list” of 138 positions that included positions for teachers in areas such as “elementary ed, vocational ed, P.E., art, librarian, paraprofessionals, etc.”
“Commissioner, I need to get an explanation as to what are the priorities of the Department of Education are if we are only considering 21 teaching positions of all of the vacancies.” stated the senate president.
Ms. Berry-Benjamin deferred the question to her deputy commissioner, Ava Penn, who said that in Fiscal Year 2021, 121 positions were not included in the budget from 2020. “We request that those positions be added in the budget for 2022.”
Ms. Frett-Gregory asked the commissioner if the Department of Education has conducted an assessment of their needs. Ms Berry-Benjamin said yes.
Still concerned, the senate president said “the reason why we are here is to ensure our students have teachers and the necessary supporting cast around the whole educational perspective to support them. I’m going to say again why is it that districts are saying they need 36 positions in St. Croix, 102 in St. Thomas, which I think is excessive… Why are we having this one off with our administrative type staff and our teaching type staff. The teaching staff should be given the priority.”
She added that there was not enough information provided to lawmakers about the positions “you said you have 21 teaching positions that doesn’t mean that you don’t have other school based type positions. That’s why I said you didn’t give us enough information...you may of had other non-teaching positions but what are they?”
Ms. Berry-Benjamin said that “we are going to definitely get it to you” and understood the concern. This information was not shared during the senate hearing.
Ms. Frett-Gregory said “We can’t continue to fund the department at the levels that we are funding it and hearing our superintendents come to us time after time and talk about the fact that they have all of these needs in the district. We have to weigh how we deal with admin as opposed to our teaching positions.”
Ms. Berry Benjamin responded “The applicants for teaching does not amount to the need as well, hence why we moved forward as well with our online provider to get some teachers.”
“I am not talking about applications, I am talking about what you have reflected in your budget to show clearly the direction that the department of Education wants to go in.” Ms. Berry- Benjamin said that she does understand Ms. Frett-Gregory’s concerns.
Ms. Frett-Gregory cited legislation that was passed “for the online program for areas where there were no teachers to teach the students, now we are talking about talking about this online program. Is it the legislation… or is it some other program?”
The question was asked because the Department is implementing a pilot virtual online program available for a select group of 189 students, 27 per grade level, for the 2021-2022 school year while also using an online service provider to fill vacancies in hard to fill subject areas.
Ms. Berry-Benjamin said “it’s for both” and the online service provider will be “filling vacancies and is also providing teachers for the pilot virtual program.”
The senate president asked if the Department of Education was having both in person and virtual learning and Ms. Berry Benjamin said “correct.”
St. Croix deputy superintendent Xiomara Ottley-Herman explained that the qualifications for a students for the pilot online program are that they a registered public school student and a task force will determine based on attendance, grades, a recommendation from teachers or a principal and if the student has a special circumstance with supporting documentation if they will be allowed to participate. Applications for the program closes at 8 p.m. on July 23,2021 according to the V.I.D.E website.
Chairmen on the Committee on Finance, Senator Kurt Vialet, wanted to know the cost of the online service provider for teachers for the online pilot program and for filling vacancies. Ms. Ottley-Herman said that they have received quotes from $400,000-$500-000 for students in grades 6-12.
Mr. Vialet wanted assurance that the curriculum standards of the districts would be meet by the online service provider and Ms. Berry Benjamin said that they would be.
Senator Kenneth Gittens asked who the online service provider would be and was told it would be Proximity Learning by the commissioner.
“For over 10 years, Proximity Learning has been making it easier for districts to connect their students with the teachers they deserve. We remove unnecessary barriers between students and teachers through our live-streaming virtual classroom, enabling young learners to receive a more equitable education.” according to the company's website.
Mr. Vialet sought to learn more information about the online program; how would the teachers be certified, if Proximity Learning is a certified education company, if a bid was put out, and how the grades will be done.
Ms. Berry-Benjamin said that the department wrote to the Board of Education to ask them to order the state certification of the state that the online teacher teaches in and they responded that they will support the online service provider.
According to the commissioner, Proximity Learning is certified and has begun “providing their services internationally” and a bid was put out.
The details around how grades will be done are being finalized however Ms. Berry Benjamin guaranteed that the finished policies would be the same in both districts.
Senator Janelle Sarauw sought to learn about how the online teachers would be evaluated, and Ms. Berry-Benjamin said it would be a “dual-role” between the principals of schools and Proximity Learning.
Mr. Vialet said that the usage of a online provider “has a lot of missing components and it would take four hours for us to get the answers that we are looking for” and he and Ms. Berry-Benjamin both suggested an additional meeting to explain more about how the department will execute using Proximity Learning.
According to the Fiscal Year Post Budget Analysis, “The Governor has recommended a General Fund appropriation of $184,438,881 for Fiscal Year 2022” for the V.I.D.E. Additionally the analysis said “The Department of Education is in line to also receive $3,145,654 from Other Funds, $29,740,728 in Federal Funds for a total funding level of $217,825,263 for Fiscal Year 2022.”
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