Frequently Asked Questions Are School Counselors entitled to a planning period and duty free lunch period? Yes, in West Virginia school counselors are classified as classroom teacher and are entitled to a daily duty free planning and lunch period. Duty free lunch: According to WV Code 18a “Every teacher who is employed for a period of time more than one‐half the class periods of the regular school day and every service personnel whose employment is for a period of more than three and one‐half hours per day and whose pay is at least the amount indicated in the "state minimum pay scale" as set forth in section eight‐a of this article shall be provided a daily lunch recess of not less than thirty consecutive minutes, and such employee shall not be assigned any responsibilities during this recess.” Duty free planning: According to WV Code 18a “(2) Every teacher who is regularly employed for a period of time more than one‐half the class periods of the regular school day shall be provided at least one planning period within each school instructional day to be used to complete necessary preparations for the instruction of pupils. Such planning period shall be the length of the usual class period in the school to which such teacher is assigned, and shall be not less than thirty minutes. No teacher shall be assigned any responsibilities during this period, and no county shall increase the number of hours to be worked by a teacher as a result of such teacher being granted a planning period subsequent to the adoption of this section (March 13, 1982).” Click on link below for more details: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/18a/code/WVC%2018%20A‐
%20%204%20%20‐%20%2014%20%20.htm For classification purposes school counselors hold the same rights as teachers because they meet the requirements for a Professional Teaching Certificate. See below excerpts from WVBOE Policy 5202 and State Code 126CSR136 specifying that all WV School Counselors hold valid teaching certificates. 10.3. Professional Student Support Certificate. 10.3.1. Professional Student Support Certificate for School Counselor. a. Temporary Professional Student Support Certificate. – A Temporary Professional Student Support Certificate is issued to eligible applicants for School Counselor who meet requirements specified in §126‐136‐10.1.1.a for a Temporary Teaching Certificate. b. Initial Professional Student Support Certificate. – The Initial Professional Student Support Certificate valid for three years is issued for School Counselor to an applicant who meets the following criteria: 1) M.A. in Counseling from an accredited institution of higher education as defined in §126‐136‐4.54; and 2) successful completion of an accredited School Counseling Program. c. Professional Student Support Certificate. – A Professional Student Support Certificate valid for five years is issued for School Counselor to an applicant who meets the requirements listed in §126‐136‐10.1.5.b‐d for a Professional Five‐Year Teaching Certificate. d. Permanent Professional Student Support Certificate. – A Permanent Professional Student Support Certificate is issued for School Counselor to an applicant who meets the requirements listed in §126‐136‐10.1.6 for a Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate. Note from School Counseling Coordinator: It is important for counselors to spend time planning the comprehensive school counseling program in order to meet the requirements of Standard 1 of the new School Counselor Performance Standards and to assure that all students benefit from a developmental, comprehensive school counseling program. School Counselor performance standards may be found here: http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/WVSchoolCounselorPerformanceStandards.html