The Virginia Senate voted down an amendment that would have permitted more charter schools in Commonwealth. Â More children in failing schools could have had the opportunity to get a real education, but two Republicans crossed over to vote with the Democrats and defeat the amendment 21 to 19. Those two Republicans are Sens. Ben Chafin, (R-Russell), and Emmett Hanger, (R-Augusta). Â Be sure to thank those two when you see them. Â Thank them for not caring about inner-city kids in failing schools who are being left behind.
The sponsor of this Joint Resolution Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) said after the vote,
“We missed an opportunity to drop a lifeline to kids in failing schools in Va by rejecting Charter School Amendment. 2 GOP Senators voted No.”
The House of Delegates passed their version of the bill, HB 3, by a vote of 50 to 48. Â That bill was introduced by Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle).
Had the amendment passed it would be on the ballot in November and would have allowed the state to establish charter schools in areas where the teachers and the school boards prevent them. Â The defeat of this bill shows us once again how powerful teachers’ and school board’s organizations are. Â Once again they put themselves first and students suffer because of it.
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The fact here is Virginia’s state Constitution places tight limits on what kinds of schools can be established without the assent of local school boards. My less then scientific research on this issue that I strongly support for Virginia, having seen it’s great success in Florida, is that the main political blockage is NOT the diverse teacher base in the state that holds varying support positions on the issue BUT the local school boards themselves which typically oppose the charter school concept. That is where the pressure is coming from in my opinion and we need more pro charter school candidates running for local school boards. How many reading this blog could name their local school board members let alone be able to state their support position on the charter school approach? Let local individuals running for these positions know that charter school support is a key to your local vote and these boards could be fairly rapidly reshuffled to support the charter concept. These count board elections are generally low turn out, low volume affairs it wouldn’t take a major organizational effort to achieve this end. The bottom feeders in the GA will shift their tune if the local political winds change on this issue and the local school boards start pushing the concept.
I agree. “we need more pro charter school candidates running for local school boards.” But, any ideas on how such a candidate wins? School Board candidates typically run by saying they will do anything and everything for the school district proper. It is hard to see someone championing charter schools and getting elected to the School Board. I’d like to see those kinds of people win, but suspect the moment they say they are pro-[insert anything other than the public school] they will get shot down.
I really don’t see the hurdle. A recent Feb. 2016 Virginia statewide poll released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, based on likely voters found 72 percent favor having more charter public schools with only 22 percent opposed, 6 percent unsure. The sample was admittedly fairly small (600) but I have seen other polls that largely say the same thing. With the correct candidates and appropriate pressure on both local school boards and county Board of Supervisors this could be turned around.
Long term local elected officials may want to drag their feet on it but all the polling information points to a receptive voter base to anyone running on local charter school implementation. I question why it hasn’t drawn more local candidate and party support as it looks to have solid positive voter backing. This same poll reports that in the metro Richmond area fully 81 percent say they favor more charter public schools. The Republican controlled GA has taken what could have been a net positive situation and turned it into a negative with 70 plus percent of the base. Sounds like dumb bell politics to me.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Wait a minute!! Something is definitely not kosher here. The House version of this bill, HB3, passed by a vote of 50 to 48. That means 14 or 15 Republicans voted with the Democrats. Now, I can see a few Republicans in marginal districts bailing out, but 14 or 15? Jeanine, I think there is more to this bill than meets the eye.
Not quite, I know of at least one Republican delegate in a pretty safe district that voted against charter schools and another in a blue district that always votes with the teacher’s unions.
Democrats profess to be for the disadvantaged. Surely they all voted for a better education for the students. Right?
No, they vote for the interests of the Union bosses.
Guess Virginia’s Incumbent Protection laws have consequences.
If crossover has not happened yet, is there still a chance the HB3 bill will pass the Senate?
HB3 is not necessary if the amendment doesn’t pass. It can’t go on the ballot without passing both Houses
HJ1 ‘the Amendment’ has passed the House. It goes to the Senate after Crossover (Wed). The Senate will have to vote again … all hands on deck guys. Let them know you’ve got their back . They are under extreme pressure from the EDU Cartel. Encourage your Senator to vote for HJ1 ….the public favors by 70% (80% of Rs and 60%of Ds). The EDU monopoly in VA is over if we do what is necessary.
Let’s get ‘er done!
Wow. Disadvantaged kids in working poor or poverty households are now trapped in failing schools like a prison with no way out. This is very sad. Why not let kids find hope? John
The battle is not over. Some we win, and many we lose. But we keep fighting. Unions have their place. But, many have become too powerful, and in their arrogance, do not hesitate to trample on the specific interests of the unorganized, and on the general interests of the nation.
Is Emmett Hanger a racist? Why would anyone prevent kids (mostly in urban areas) in a failing school from moving to one that’s successful? What was his rational for voting against the amendment? Think of the life chances for these kids – so much the poorer if they go to bad schools.
They vote against things like this because the teachers tell them to. They are afraid of a backlash from the teacher and school board organizations/unions.
Bingo, I know of at least one Republican delegate who always votes badly on the homeschool and charter school issues.
And some of his biggest supporters? Teacher’s unions.
I’ll admit to be disappointed in Ben Chafin though, I thought he was better than this.
There there are no unions, no collective bargaining in Virginia by state law, doesn’t exist. The teacher’s Virginia Education Association (VEA) does lobby but it’s a fairly low membership organization regarding the total statewide teacher population and does not generate significant revenue for political investment. Virginia is not in any manner comparable to New York state and is more like Florida which also has no unions or collective bargaining. There are no Union bosses, this is all about school board politics at the local level.
Yes, and that association has endorsed Republicans who vote against things such as this. See Joseph Yost for an example.
Unions and associations have little power by law now, so they just rely on numbers and their ability as donors. Is it a lot? No, but it makes a powerful talking point if parents hear that such-and-such has been given a failing grade by the Teacher’s association or the volunteer union of concerned teachers.
Correct, they are called “associations”, not unions. Management (administrators) and teachers all belong to the ‘associations’. In Fairfax and Loudoun, and other counties, almost all teachers and administrators belong to the FEA and LEA.
Hanger is a disgusting scumbag. But I probably praise him too highly.
Yes, you do.
Indeed.