The Virginia Board of Education today launched its lengthy review of the costly Standards of Quality, which outline the basic requirements for a public education in the state.
The action came after several school district superintendents reminded the board of its obligation to a quality education -- not to bean counters.
The General Assembly, having to make up a $3 billion budget shortfall, capped funding for school support staff in 2010 at one support position per 4.03 instructional positions funded through the standards. Lawmakers then asked the Board of Education to consider whether that cap should be made permanent. The board is supposed to have an answer by Nov. 1.
School district superintendents from Martinsville, Suffolk and Chesterfield County asked board members to consider the effect of such a cap on classrooms.
"We fully understand that the standards cannot be prescribed without regard to their costs. And we are not requesting that you engage in some type of subterfuge by assigning arbitrary costs figures to a particular standard," said Chesterfield Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome.
"On the other hand, we believe it is wrong for the primary factor in adopting standards to be their cost. The quality of the program should be the primary factor."
Board members told the superintendents that they understand their concerns and take the task of reviewing the standards seriously.
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