Charter School Process Gets an F

From the RTD we learn that “Virginia’s charter-school law is the second-weakest in the nation, earning an F in a new report by The Center for Education Reform” and get a little insight into the uphill battle that some of our neighbors have been waging to get the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts open.

The fact that only local school boards may authorize a charter school is seen as the biggest hurdle. But there are some things McDonnell could do in the short term.

He said during the campaign that he wants to reallocate resources in the Virginia Department of Education to build more charter-school expertise and create an advisory panel that would preliminarily review applications. That way, local school boards would know which charter schools already have been endorsed by the advisory panel.

Adding urgency to the conversation is a strong push from Washington; President Barack Obama is a strong supporter of charter schools. How a state handles this type of school is among the criteria for $4.3 billion in competitive Race to the Top grant money that state superintendents are seeking.