Often, if people took the time to listen and discuss the pressing issues of the day, they would find they have more in common than not. This is especially true in the recent discussion surrounding education reform in West Virginia.
State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty stirred controversy during the last school board meeting with a 15-minute speech addressing the deficiencies in the public school system, the burdensome regulations, and the impact the Hope Scholarship and expanded school choice options have had on public schools.
He highlighted that the state code governing the school system spans over 1,300 pages, much of which was established decades ago. Hardesty urged lawmakers to reconsider the school aid formula and evaluate the increasing costs associated with the Hope Scholarship.
This particular call for action sparked a sharp retort by Jason Huffman, State Director of Americans for Prosperity WV, who described Hardesty’s comments as “a brazen attack on parents by calling for guardrails on eligibility for school choice.”
Huffman even called for Hardesty’s resignation.
Huffman focused on only a brief portion of Hardesty’s remarks. Hardesty dedicated most of his speech to urging lawmakers to reform public education while granting public schools the same flexibility that makes private schools, public charter schools, and homeschooling appealing options for parents.
Hardesty’s speech was not an attack on school choice; rather, it was an acknowledgment that public schools cannot compete with school choice options if they are hampered by overregulation and an outdated funding formula. Fewer restrictions on teachers and more flexibility within the system—leading to better student outcomes—are all steps that most agree would positively impact the public education system.
Senate Education Committee Chair Amy Grady and House Education Committee Vice-Chair Joe Statler have both expressed, during separate appearances on Metronews Talkline, that there is potential for a strong school choice environment alongside a thriving public school system. However, they emphasized the need to understand why parents opt for alternatives outside the public education system.
“They need to ask them, ‘Why are you choosing this option?’—not in an adversarial manner, but rather, ‘What are we not doing that we could improve?’ That conversation isn’t taking place, and it needs to,” Statler said.
Through these discussions and others, we are likely to uncover common issues and potential solutions that can enhance the educational experience for all students, which should be our ultimate goal.
In the past seven years, state lawmakers have made significant strides in expanding school choice for families across the state. However, during this same period, public schools have continued to be governed and funded as if it were 1990.
Article XII of the West Virginia State Constitution mandates the establishment of a “thorough and efficient system of free schools.”
Advocating for public schools to operate on a level playing field with alternative education options is not an attack on school choice; it is a call to enhance all educational opportunities in West Virginia and fulfill constitutional obligations.
And that is something we should all agree on.