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Make your voice heard on charter schools – Deadline for public comment is Monday, July 12 at 4 p.m.


Make your voice heard on charter schools!

Deadline for public comment is Monday, July 12 at 4 p.m.

WVEA President Dale Lee is urging all public school educators to comment on charter school policy that will be reviewed by the State Board next week. The public comment deadline is than 4 p.m. on Monday, July 12!

The West Virginia Department of Education general public comment page is here (wvde.state.wv.us/policies). Look for Policy 3300.

The State Board will review policy 3300 next week.  WVEA’s concerns about the policy include providing for a virtual charter school in every county, despite connectivity and remote learning issues, and siphoning funds away from our public school. Lee notes that public schools educate all our students, and charter schools don’t have to.

“This policy allows for a virtual school in every county. Now, we know about the problems with connectivity and remote learning. Virtual charter schools don’t make sense – they’re not feasible,” said Lee. “In public schools, we take every child. That’s the way education should be.  Charter schools can limit the number of students they’ll accept.  They may say they’ll take every child – but only to a point.”

“We educate all students in West Virginia, not a select few. Public schools deserve and must have proper funding,” he added.  We cannot let this policy rob our public school children of resources. It hurts our students when that happens.”

State Board members need to hear the comments of educators, said Lee.  “You are the experts, the people who know education better than anyone in the state. Make sure you, as a professional educator, take time to comment and to make your voice heard.”