CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Leaders of West Virginia’s top education unions are voicing concerns regarding the selection of Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, as the next chairman of the Senate Education Committee, citing her support for homeschooling and private schools, in addition to allowing exemptions for vaccinations.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, announced the new title for Rucker, who has served in the Senate since 2017.
“Patricia is a tireless advocate for children and for families, and she understands that it will take bold reforms and landmark changes to truly make a difference in West Virginia’s educational landscape,” Carmichael said in a press release
Rucker led in the last legislative session an attempt to create “education savings accounts,” which would set aside public money for tutoring and enrollment in private and religious schools. She also successfully pushed the elimination of the requirement that home-schooled students earn a high school equivalency degree to be eligible for the promise scholarship.
She additionally supported multiple bills to allow more exemptions from vaccine requirements.
Rucker served two years as a teacher in the Montgomery County Public Schools system in Maryland and homeschooled her five children.
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said they prefer someone with more experience in education who takes a “moderate approach,” noting current Chairman Kenny Mann, R-Monroe.
“To take someone who has the extremist view of immunizations and the homeschooling and those kinds of things and to put them in charge of public education is really a slap in the face to the educators across the state of West Virginia,” Lee said.
Lee said his opposition to Rucker is based on concerns about the future of public education.
“The Senate Education chair should be there for the students of West Virginia. Public education, too,” he said.
Fred Albert, the president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said his organization also has concerns because of Rucker’s past policy positions.
“Homeschooling and anti-vaccination initiatives take the focus away from passing legislation that ensures a high-quality education for West Virginia’s children,” he said Tuesday in a press release. “The legislature has a constitutional responsibility to provide a free, public education to our students and I hope Senator Rucker will work with AFT-WV to make it the best education possible.”
Carmichael, appearing on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline,” defended naming Rucker as chairman.
“We have in the person of Patricia Rucker a trained person who has been in the public school system who has taught school. She is the only senator in the Republican caucus who has taught school,” he said. “For Dale Lee or for anyone in the education community to say a teacher is unable to lead the education system in our state is a slap in the face to the teachers, frankly.”
Carmichael added there are no plans to bring up legislation regarding exemptions for vaccinations during the upcoming legislative session.
“That is not the focus of our agenda. Our focus is improving education, investing in education, and if there’s anyone out there who wants to defend the status quo of our education system, then they’re just not completely informed as to our current performance,” he continued.
West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine said Wednesday he has met with Rucker, describing the meeting as positive.
“The first thing she led with is we have behavioral problems in schools. We need to find alternative programs,” he said. “She was very, very cordial. Just a really good discussion.”
The first day of the next legislative session is Jan. 9.