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Charter school debate begins at Capitol

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Senate Education Committee is preparing to take up a controversial bill permitting public charter schools in West Virginia. The committee started work on the issue Tuesday, a public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday and legislation will be introduced later this week.

Charter schools are allowed to operate with greater autonomy, but they are also subject to more accountability.  They can be started by teachers, parents and community members.  West Virginia is one of just eight states that does not permit charter schools.

Dr. Lisa Grover with the National Alliance for Public Charter schools testified before committee members Tuesday. She said public charter schools allow communities to build schools from the ground up with flexibility and freedom that lead to better results.

“I think the data is becoming more and more evident that charter schools can raise student achievement for some of our most vulnerable children,” Grover said. “Certainly a high performing public charter school just raises the bar for everyone.”

But not everyone agrees. American Federation of Teachers West Virginia President Christine Campbell said charter schools are not a panacea.

“Just opening a charter school isn’t going to solve our problem of student achievement,” Campbell said. “Until we start attracting and retaining high quality teachers in every classroom and addressing the needs of the child, we’re not going to change student achievement by having charter schools.”

The charter school proposal has a better chance of passage this year compared with previous years because Republicans now hold the majority of both houses.





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