McDonnell Calls for Charter School Expansion

By Amber Lester Saturday, February 13, 2010

Gov. Bob McDonnell revealed his plans to reform education in Virginia in a press conference Wednesday.

The legislative package, called “The Opportunity to Learn,” calls for the expansion of charter schools, more usage of virtual classrooms and the incorporation of college laboratory schools into Virginia’s public school system. “The Opportunity to Learn” will be introduced into the current session of the General Assembly.

In his remarks, McDonnell said the plan fit in with the vision for education outlined by President Barack Obama’s administration. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is a longtime advocate for charter schools. Charter schools are often smaller than public schools and follow nontraditional, specialized curriculums. To attend a public charter school, students submit applications.

Virginia authorized the use of charter schools 12 years ago; since then, three schools have opened in the state, with a fourth set to open soon in Richmond. McDonnell would like to add to those numbers.

“We rank at the very bottom in studies of state’s charter school laws,” he said. “That represents a failure to follow through with the clear intention of the General Assembly to provide this additional educational opportunity for Virginia students.”

He proposes the state overhaul the charter school application system to make it easier for students and parents to gain access. A June 22, 2009 editorial in The Washington Post said states like Virginia and Maryland “ostensibly allow charters but have procedures so biased against charters that they have not been able to take hold.” There are 4,600 charter schools in the United States; 10 states do not have laws allowing public charter schools.

Under “The Opportunity to Learn,” the Board of Education will review all applications before they come before a local school board. “This will help provide needed guidance and direction and consistency in the approval process and will also add an appeals process, to allow charter school applicants an additional opportunity to receive approval,” McDonnell said.

McDonnell’s education legislation also calls for the implementation or expansion of virtual learning in Virginia classrooms. Virtual learning can give students the opportunity to take classes not offered in their own brick-and-mortar schools. Students in virtual classrooms are taught by Virginia-certified teachers, take all mandated state testing and have attendance requirements.

Finally, McDonnell called for more college laboratory schools in Virginia. He would like to see cooperation and coordination between higher education institutions and K-12 school systems to create lab schools. The lab schools would not be “limited by the administrative constraints of traditional public schools,” he said. Students would be taught by future and current educators; new curriculums and methods could be tested in these alternative schools.

Effect On Local Schools
In the Historic Triangle, many of the goals highlighted in “The Opportunity to Learn” are already in place. School administrators don’t know what changes to expect from McDonnell’s legislation, but it could mean more funding for their existing programs.

York County has one of the four charter schools in the state, York River Academy. York River Academy is an alternative school geared toward at-risk students in 9th-12th grades. It’s currently housed on the campus of York High School, but a combined York River Academy and Boys and Girls Club is under construction. The school currently has 59 students.

Since 2003, York has also had an in-house virtual program, with some of its teachers instructing students from across the region and state. Some students also take virtual courses that fell short of enrollment requirements in their home schools and home-bound students can participate through online courses. York County also offers virtual summer school.

“Each year, it’s expanded. First, we started offering it for children only needing alternate placement, but it’s grown,” said Betsy Overkamp-Smith, spokesperson for York County schools. “It gives us more options for providing education to students and gives them the opportunity to take courses that may not otherwise be available to them.”

Williamsburg-James City County Schools have a handful of students who have taken or are taking a virtual learning course, according to Superintendent Gary Mathews. “As we look to the future, we are considering the implications of virtual schooling for our students,” he said in an e-mail.

WHRO has developed and is developing virtual courses that might be available to WJCC students in the future, he said. It’s a great option because students can work whenever they want, as long as they finish their assignments. But virtual education has its drawbacks.

“Virtual schooling does not meet the learning preferences of some students who prefer or need to have face-to-face contact with his or her teacher on a daily basis,” Mathews said.

While none of the higher education institutions on the Peninsula have existing college laboratory schools, they work regularly with both school districts in the Triangle. Area colleges provide student teachers, mentors and work with some specialized programs.

Mathews, a Louisiana native, said the lab school concept has worked at Louisiana State University. Louisiana State University Laboratory School has operated for more than 80 years as an independent system providing training for teachers. Students are required to pay tuition; the current enrollment for the K-12 school is 1,342. The school is in the process of adopting a complete K-12 International Baccalaureate Program and has a state-of-the-art technology program.

“If such a college lab school is of the excellence that the lab school at LSU represents, then such an arrangement could prove promising as it brings together the expertise of the university with that of K-12 practitioners,” he said. “To say that this lab school concept is a positive haven for professional development is an understatement, given my knowledge of LSU’s lab arrangement.”