Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on October 13, 2026, link to article HERE.
Berkeley and Morgan County have partnered with the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative to join Teachers Ascend, a new program designed to support out-of-state teachers as they move to work in West Virginia. Inspired by the Ascend West Virginia model, a non-profit organization made to support remote workers coming into the Mountain State, the relocation program offers a stipend to high-quality teachers while also giving them opportunities to connect and build a new community.
West Virginia Public Education Collaborative Program Manager Canyon Lohnas explained that the program first began when the advisor board looked at Ascend West Virginia and decided to start a similar program to help with the teacher shortage. It started as a program in Monongalia and Preston counties and helped place 11 new teachers. Now with the addition of Berkeley and Morgan counties, they aim to bring 40 new teachers across the four communities this next year.
“We started in Preston and Monongalia because our team is based here so it made the most sense for us,” Lohnas said. “However, in all our conversations we were told repeatedly that the area that has been struggling the most with the teacher shortage is the Eastern Panhandle.”
Lohnas and his team have worked closely with Superintendents Ryan Saxe and David Banks to create this opportunity. Teachers must come from out of state and must apply for a position in one of the partnering counites as well as the program itself. If accepted, teachers will receive a $2,000 payment to help with moving costs and an additional $4,000 spread out the two-year program. They will receive mentorship opportunities from outside the school building to help them adjust to their new home, funds for professional development and opportunities for social and outdoor community events that will connect them with others and show them what West Virginia has to offer.
In addition to helping solve the teacher shortage, Teacher Ascend also aims to elevate teaching as a profession. Lohnas said there are many initiatives that encourage new teachers, such as grow your own programs. They hope to stand out by focusing on out of state teachers while also showing people there are other benefits for teachers that go beyond the classroom. The program also aims to show people what West Virginia has to offer.
“We want to showcase what a great place West Virginia is to live,” Lohnas said. “There’s a lot of stereotypes that are just not true, and Teacher Ascend does a great job highlighting West Virginia and pushes back on those narratives.”
As the program continues to grow, Lohnas looks forward to see how it’s implemented in different areas. Though Berkeley and Morgan County are both in the Eastern Panhandle, he understands that they are very different. He believes it will be a great opportunity to see how things can be changed from county to county to better fit the region.
For more information about Teacher Ascend, visit https://wvpec.wvu.edu/events-and-initiatives/teachers-ascend.