Story by David Beard, The Dominion Post
Charlston, W.VA-Senate School Choice Committee on Wednesday carried forward a bill to enable the construction of alternative high-risk population public charter schools.
The school will require an undesirable count of at least 70% of its total enrollment, at the first entry in the school, high -risk students, and the Charter meets the criteria certifying the school to obtain approval from the school board.
High -risk students are defined as those who have been expelled; Suspend more than 10 days in a school year; Dependent of ward or court; Recovered dropout; Habitan truant; Grade has been retained more than once in kindergarten; There is a shortage of credit; There is a high-level infection in the context of changing schools; Foster is young.
Students who are pregnant or parenting were originally on the list, but Sen Donna Bole, Plan, questioned why.
Committee Chairman Petricia Rooker, R-Jekshan said that sometimes they may not be able to continue going to school and some schedule may need flexibility, such as only two days per week.
But Rooker saw the concern of Bole that others were included, who have been suspended or expelled, it could appear as a stigma. The committee agreed to the pregnant and students to go down to the bottom of the list, replaced the language to change the language, which requires more flexibility in scheduling or require conditions that would benefit from this type of schooling.
He said that this new language will be found before the bill comes on the floor.
Rooker is the only sponsor of the bill and explained a little about some ideas behind it.
As far as attendance is concerned, some students may only be present for a short time, unless they are able to return to regular school. Other people may live and graduate from one. Schools provide such things in the form of individual instructions, small class size and greetings flexibility.
Sometimes these alternative charter schools are located inside a traditional school, but act as a charter, he said.
He said that he visited schools in Georgia and Arizona. “It just blown me up how amazing they are handling this special, very challenging population in a very efficient way.”
Rukar said that he believes that the state code allows for these alternative charters already, but the bill will assure the charters operating in other states that they are welcome here.
“I don’t know why we have so much difficulty trying to do something new in West Virginia,” he said. The Legislature has tried to encourage counties to share services, find capacity, run its schools and use flexibility in getting funding. This does not seem enough to just encourage public schools to try to do something different.
He hopes that the bill will encourage and support creative thinking in the public education system.
The committee approved the bill in a unanimous voice vote. It is ready to go next to finance, but Rooker said that the bill will not have any revenue effect, so it will try to forgive that it can go directly to the full Senate.