Sen. Chap Petersen.
by James A. Bacon
Virginia has long been one of the most difficult states in the country in which to form charter schools — publicly funded schools independent of school board control. There are only seven such schools in the state, and they enroll only 1,300 students. But the odds of change look better than ever.
N0t only has Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin vowed to create at least 20 new charter schools in Virginia’s public school system — the first time a Virginia governor has made charter school reform a top priority — but two key Democrats in the state Senate are open to easing the restrictions.
Sen. Joe Morrissey
Virginia Democrats are nearly monolithic in their opposition to charters, which they regard as a threat to educational equity. With a 21- to 19-seat majority in the state Senate, they are in a position to block any legislative initiative proposed by Youngkin. But Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, are dissatisfied with the educational status quo and have signaled a willingness to work with Republicans on the issue.
Also critical to the political calculus, public opinion in Virginia may be more receptive to charter schools than ever in the past. A parents’ revolt against “progressive” policies that water down educational standards in the name of racial “equity” helped elect Youngkin. At the same time, the Northam administration has presided over the greatest collapse in public school learning since the implementation of Standards of Learning (SOL) testing, and, arguably, in the state’s history. Continue reading
