Thread by @BradMcElhinny

We're about to begin on The Big Education Bill. Streaming will be here: wvlegislature.gov/Stream/senatec…

There were a couple of guests on this topic on @WVMetroNews Talkline today. One was Senate Education Chairwoman Patricia Rucker:

https://twitter.com/WVMetroNews/status/1088817839186821122

The other was @AFTWV President Fred Albert:

https://twitter.com/WVMetroNews/status/1088824774950699014

There's a revised version of the Big Bill. I'm not totally sure what the changes were:

https://twitter.com/WVSenClerk/status/1088830458803163137

Senate Education Chairwoman Rucker: "We're gonna go through the bill, essentially part by part."

Senator Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, notes that there's now a fourth version of the bill (He cited three yesterday) and wants clarification on which is under discussion.

He says the one in front of him is 144 pages.

Staff counsel says the changes in the new version were technical in nature.

There's continued conversation about which is the proper version. Senator Romano says he has a different version than what was about to be discussed, based on page numbers.

Senator Rucker: "Does anyone else want a paper version? Please raise your hand."
"In the meantime, the committee will be at ease while we get copies."

Senator Baldwin was holding up all 4 versions in his possession. Photo is by pro Will Price

1:36 p.m. Rucker: "The committee will come back to order. Everyone now has a paper copy, and we can start."

Rucker: "So now we're gonna go through the bill."
Senator Romano, D-Harrison: "I have a question."
Romano: "It would be helpful if we could have all the versions of this bill down with minority staff so they can compare them."

Senator Romano: to staff counsel "Hank, since you brought it up, how many prior versions of the bill?"

The answer about how many versions there have been since the bill's original formulation remains unclear.

Senators were looking at an abstract. Senator Plymale says his version has no Page 2.

Senator Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, on open enrollment language in the bill. "What do we do about athletes? I can imagine some coaches would love that."

Here’s some of the open enrollment language

Senator Plymale: "What does a virtual charter school do?"
Staff counsel says he envisions an online component.

https://twitter.com/BradMcElhinny/status/1088627155502796801

Plymale wonders why the state wouldn't just do a virtual school, if it wants, rather than making a virtual charter school.

Plymale wonders how charter schools interact with retirement system: "So they're eligible to be in the retirement system and PEIA. Who pays for that?"
Counsel: "I don't think the bill really sets forth exactly who would be paying for that."

Romano: "This is a monster of a bill. We've tackled some bills in here, but this is a big one isn't it?"

Here's some of the language concerning charter schools and PEIA

Romano: "Regarding the funding one more time, there's no mechanism to replace the funding that's taken out when students go to charter schools, right?"

Romano wonders if public schools will have much or any oversight from local school boards once they're formed. The bill does call for a local school board representative to be on the charter school's governing board. But Romano seems to be asking if the full board would oversee.

Romano: "Why do we have so many things in this bill? Other than the obvious political reason that we vote it all up and down."
Rucker: "We want to take a comprehensive look at education reform instead of just piecemeal."

Romano: "It seems to me we have a lot of different subjects in this bill. Did anyone consider whether it meets the single subject bill in the constitution?"
Rucker says yes, that was considered.

Senator Finance Chairman Blair says there's a request out for a fiscal note on the entire bill. "Many of the items in this bill have been around for years and have had fiscal notes attached to them in the past."

Here's who can authorize a charter school

Senator Unger wonders what happens if one of the entities aside from the county board authorizes a charter but the county board doesn't want it.

Unger: "What would stop them from going into Jefferson County or any other county if the county board doesn't want it?"

The charter school governing board is independent of the county board

Here is who's on a charter school governing board. A county board has a designated member -- and can't veto a charter school by refusing to place someone

Up speaking now is Emily Schultz of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: publiccharters.org/about-us/staff…

Schultz: "Over all of the authorization is the state board of education."

Unger: "The chairwoman mentioned there were a lot of experts in on this. Were you one of those experts?"
Schultz says she helped out a bit.

Unger wonders if anyone from the state Board of Education is here. "I still haven't gotten my question answered. Because the answer is, it depends on the state board of education." "I also want to understand their input on this."

Rucker: "We will ask for the state board of education to come forward to answer the senior senator from the 16th's question."

Unger: "My answer is for the state board of education. If this commission that is created says we're going to have a charter school in County X, and the county board says no way, what is going to be the procedure?"

Sarah Stewart, government relations with WV Department of Education, was the (un)lucky person who was called to the podium.

10-minute break is called

This should have said "question" instead of "answer."

We're back with Emily Schultz of National Alliance for Charter Schools addressing the committee

Senator Azinger, R-Wood: "What makes charter schools different? Why are we going to have a charter school?"

Senator Sue Cline, R-Wyoming: "How would you go about setting up a charter school in a rural area?"

Cline is wondering who sets up the commission overseeing charter schools in states that have them. There's language about that in this bill

https://twitter.com/BradMcElhinny/status/1088633999092781057

Senator Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh: "Will our public schools suffer with the addition of charter schools?"
Schultz: "No. First of all, these are public schools."

Roberts: "A lot of people have a lot of fears in this."

Senate Finance Chairman Blair says he is receiving emails from teachers who are concerned about charter schools but also emails from parents who support

Schultz says she was a teacher and then an administrator and, at the time, did not like charter schools. "I certainly can understand why there is a fear."

Senator Plymale says he doesn't have a great impression of charter schools in Ohio. "The fear I have in some of this is, what groups come in and establish these types of schools." He makes a reference to far left and far right

Plymale: "You can have one individual who is quite wealthy who has one thing they want to do and they can establish a charter school under this bill..."

Plymale to Schultz: "We actually talked last night. Because you wanted to talk to someone who is 'a little off.'"
Schultz: "I enjoyed the conversation."

Senator Romano, D-Harrison: "I have nothing against charter schools. I think they unfairly compete against public schools, and that's my only problem."

Romano: "Charter schools compete for students, they compete for teachers, they compete for funding. Do you agree with me on that?"

Rucker points out that it's been about an hour for Schultz speaking with senators. She suggests a couple more questions.
Romano: "I'd like to go home eventually, too."

Rucker: "I'm thinking of giving everyone a 5 minute break. So we're going to recess for 5 minutes."

Schultz's presentation has concluded.

Rucker: "I just want to gauge the temperature of the committee. I am perfectly willing to continue discussion of the bill. But if committee members want to stop and come back tomorrow morning, then I am perfectly willing."

She says there is one more presenter today.

Romano: "What's the urgency that we're going to come back on Day 17, a Saturday?"

Romano: "Personally, if there is some urgent need, I'm more than willing to be here tomorrow but it seems kind of unnecessary."

Senator Stollings, D-Boone, asks if the committee is going to wrap up discussion and "put the bill on its passage tonight or tomorrow, is that correct?"
Rucker says it is.

Senator Unger, D-Berkeley: "This is a major piece of legislation. I'd like to take it back to my constituents and talk to some folks."

Unger: "I want to ask that you give me the courtesy to take this legislation back to the people I represent so they can have some input on this too."

Unger: "Very rarely do we rush this way on regular bills that are a couple of pages as fast as this major piece of legislation that we're originating today and not give opportunity for me as a representative of the Eastern Panhandle to ask the folks who sent me down here."

Rucker: "I appreciate your opinion. It is the intention of this chair to get this bill through. And afterwards, it's probably going to Finance, and there will be time for input."

Unger: "Madam Chairman, with all due respect, Finance looks at the money. The Education Committee looks at policy. I'm trying to understand the rush. What is the urgency?"

Rucker: "All I can tell you is, what my intention is, and obviously the opinion is taken into consideration, is that is not going to necessarily be the way we're going to do it."

Romano: "We should get the answer why we're in such a hurry to vote on this bill."

Romano wants an answer on whether it's going to Finance or not. Rucker says she left it open because the committee has to decide to make that recommendation. Romano makes a motion to do so. Blair says now is not the time for the motion. "Let's get back on track."

Rucker sighs

Roll call on the motion to second reference to finance.

7 nay, 6 yea, the motion fails. It was party line.

Staff attorney, who was discussing the bill again, is cut off. Introduced is speaker Rachelle Engen of Institute for Justice, discussing school choice: ij.org/staff/rachelle…

Engen's presentation ends quickly, and no senators have questions so Rucker says she will ask some.

The bill has passed out of the committee over the protests of Democrats who asked that their names not appear on it