Black caucus opposes all McDonnell education initiatives

We told you in today’s T-D that the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus opposes Gov. Bob McDonnell’s charter school legislation, even after the plan was altered to appease education associations.

Today, the caucus announced it also stands opposed to the other two legislative education initiatives put forth by McDonnell—creating college partnership laboratory schools and expanding virtual schools.

“Upon review and extensive debate, members moved to oppose the governor’s entire education reform package,“ according to a caucus statement sent this morning. “Citing massive funding cuts to education resulting in substantial layoffs of teachers and staff, larger classroom sizes, and immediate cuts to programs for at-risk children the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus questioned the purpose of the governor’s proposed education reform bills and the resulting impact of state and federal funds taken from public schools as result.“

Two caucus members are carrying two pieces of the governor’s legislation—Del. Rosalyn R. Dance, D-Petersburg, is among the charter school bill patrons in the House, and Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, is among the lab school bill patrons in the House.

“Creating laboratory schools and promoting distance learning programs is an affront to families in localities where teachers are being cut, classroom sizes are growing, and Virginia’s commitment to providing all children with a first rate public education is rapidly fading,” Sen. Yvonne B. Miller, D-Norfolk, said in the statement.

The Times-Dispatch reported this morning that the McDonnell administration and state education groups have fashioned a compromise on charter school legislation that would leave final approval with local school boards and give one of the governor’s marquee initiatives a better shot at passage.

http://virginiapolitics.mytimesdispatch.com/