With
the passage of HB1672 it appears that VEA will likely succeed in our effort to
"Abolish A-F grading of schools."
Ironically, the bill's sponsor, Delegate Tag Greason, carried the bill
to create "A-F" in 2013 (HB1999).
Senator
Black carried the Senate bill to repeal "A-F" (SB727), but the
language that has passed out of the Senate is flawed, as it allows
"A-F" enactment for one year.
The
House language is an outright repeal.
Do
you believe the dead shall walk again?
Well that is certainly the case with the House bills to eliminate the
post-Labor Day opening requirement, Greason's HB1550 and Robinson's
HB1838. These two bills were pronounced
dead on 2/4, but rose again on 2/5.
Again, the House in on record in support of ending the post Labor-day
opening requirement.
Three
Disappointments
A public money to private schools bill, HB2238, passed the House today on a very interesting vote. One Democrat, Johnny Joannou voted wrong, and ten Republicans sided with us (Bloxom, Campbell, Helsel, Kilgore, O'Quinn, Pillion, Rush, Rust, Yancey and Yost). I'll be providing much more information about this bill in the future.
Delegate
Dickie Bell's HB1361, which opens the door to corporate virtual education
providers, passed the House 62-38. K-12,
the corporate provider thrown out of Carroll County when the academic
performance of student in their K-12 virtual school proved to be disappointing,
was deeply involved in writing this legislation. All Democrats and six Republicans (Edmunds,
Helsel, O'Quinn, Rust, Ware, and Yost) voted right.
Delegate
Rob Bell’s Constitutional Amendment (HJ577) to transfer the authority to grant
a charter for a charter school from local school boards to the Board of
Education passed on a 58-41 vote. Two
Democrats voted wrong (Filler-Corn and Joannou) while 12 Republicans voted
right (Albo, Bloxom, Campbell, Edmunds, Helsel, Hugo, Kilgore, Miller, O’Quinn,
Pillion, Rust and Yost). An identical
measure, Obenshain’s SJ256, already passed the Senate. We will have one more chance to defeat this
amendment in the 2016 session. It must
pass in two sessions with an intervening election if it is to go on the ballot.
