WINFIELD, W.Va. — State lawmakers on Thursday took part in a forum designed to hear from residents and educators on issues facing the state’s education system.
The event at the Putnam County Courthouse, in which around 40 people attended, comes after the state Department of Education and Senate Democrats held similar events over the last month. Lawmakers from both parties were invited to listen to constituents before discussing the upcoming special legislative session on education overhaul efforts.
Gov. Jim Justice called for a special legislative session to address education matters, including his proposed 5 percent pay raise. Lawmakers failed to pass an education omnibus during this year’s regular legislative session amid teacher outrage over multiple provisions on charter schools and education savings accounts.
Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, led organizing Thursday’s event.
“At this point, a lot of us have been to many hours of these education forums,” he said. “With the other forums that we been through, save one, is that legislators had to sit back and listen, and we were told we could not comment.”
Tarr said he wanted to give lawmakers the opportunity to discuss the options going forward, including provisions of the failed omnibus education bill.
“It’s a big bill and there’s a lot to explain. This helps explain some of the impotence for the education reform and to make sure it’s matching up with what the public wants,” he said.
According to Tarr, county boards of education held forums to listen to concerns regarding education with the exception of Putnam, leading to Thursday’s event.
Tarr said there are several misunderstandings of Senate Bill 451, including changing the state’s funding formula, allowing charter schools and starting education savings accounts.
“What I see is a lot of times comments start heated as people become emotional. It’s understandable,” he added. “As we get respectful and start explaining it and those type of things, then there’s a lot more understanding that happens.”
Tarr said he is not sure how much of the original education omnibus will be reconsidered, but he hopes lawmakers push a legislative package.
“I don’t think the problems that we see get fixed piecemealing it. We’ve been trying to piecemeal it for decades and it’s not fixed,” he said.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson; Sen. Glenn Jeffries, D-Putnam; Sen. Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier; Delegate Dianna Graves, R-Kanawha; Delegate Jim Butler, R-Mason; Delegate Geoff Foster, R-Putnam; Delegate Scott Cadel, R-Mason; Delegate Joe Jeffries, R-Putnam; and Delegate Jeff Campbell, D-Greenbrier, also took part in the forum.
Dale Lee, West Virginia Education Association president, was in attendance.