Jack Wiseman is a special project coordinator/director for the West Virginia Partnership to Assure Student Success in Charleston. Under the aegis of the Office of the Secretary of Education and the Arts, the initiative is a partnership of national, state and local organizations to provide support and resources to West Virginia's children and families. Previously, Wiseman was executive director of the West Virginia Clearinghouse for Workforce Education. When he became principal of Ripley High School in Ripley, only 19 percent of the school's students pursued a college education; by the time he retired from Ripley, that number had risen to 76 percent. Wiseman's innovations included "Adopt an At-Risk Student," whereby teachers were asked to "adopt" one or more at-risk students, to closely monitor their progress and assure their academic success. Wiseman is determined to help all students "reach their maximum level of achievement no matter what the level of their ability may be." Wiseman was named Principal of the Year by the West Virginia Education Association in 1990 and by the West Virginia Coaches Association in 1987.
