In the debate over K-12 education, Virginians often forget that the Old Dominion is afflicted with one of the most centralized, top-down school systems in the country. Nowhere is the ossified nature of the bureaucracy more evident than in the paucity of charter schools. With only five charter schools in 2004-2005 (one of which is no longer operating), Virginia has fewer than almost any state in the nation.
That may change. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $450,000 to support three charter schools in Virginia: on each in Norfolk, Richmond and Charlottesville. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the charter school in Richmond, the Leading Edge Academy, would serve 40 to 60 students who are behind academically.
Said Paul Goldman, senior policy advisor to Mayor L. Douglas Wilder: “This should be seen as a breakthrough in Virginia, which has been very slow to look at [charter schools] and see tremendous potential. This is an additive, another way to reach students and maximize their potential.”
Good for Wilder and Goldman. It’s fine to poor money into K-12 education, but money alone won’t solve what’s ailing Virginia’s school systems. We need some creative thinking and experimentation, too.
