Education Legacy: . . . And Charter Schools Are the Way to Start

BETHESDA, Md. It's now official. After more than a year of hard-fought campaigning, Bob McDonnell is Virginia's governor-elect. As a candidate, McDonnell rightly focused his efforts on improving the common wealth's economy. As governor, however, he will have greater control not over economic conditions, but over the condition of schools and the quality of education in the commonwealth -- an issue that directly impacts the economy of the future.

While McDonnell wants to be a "jobs governor," he needs to also be an "education governor," and hit the ground running in a state that has seen too many false starts on school reform.

Despite a history of strong standards, only 36 percent of Virginia's eighth-graders were proficient in math on the nation's report card this year. In reading, students aren't doing any better -- with only 34 percent of the commonwealth's eighth-graders proficient.

If we're concerned about 21st century jobs, we need to get a 21st century education system. To begin, let's look at how we hire, pay, reward, and hold to account our teachers, who, next to parents, are proven to play the most important role in a child's educational success.

Right now, consensus is finally building on a age-old idea: that we break through traditional teachers' union contracts and adopt programs that provide incentives to teach, ensuring that pay follows a teacher's verifiable, objective success with students, and that teachers who cannot fulfill their responsibilities with excellence do not find themselves protected by seniority rights. McDonnell can lead on these issues.

McDonnell can also bring to Virginia an alternative path to certification through which highly talented mid-career changers can join the teaching profession, broadening the base of qualified teachers.

These won't be easy tasks -- but they'll be meaningful steps in the right direction.

Most important, McDonnell can finally address the Commonwealth of Virginia's embarrassing elephant-in-the-statehouse: the Old Dominion's pitiful lack of real school choice.

Virginia has all but ignored the demands of parents and the reality that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to educating students. Thus, large and small districts manage local schools at a distance, leaving no real authority for teachers or principals and little choice for parents if their zoned schools fail to meet their needs.

Charter schools are public schools open by choice, designed by educators and community leaders. They are held accountable for results, and they are not beholden to the unnecessary rules and regulations that have crept up on our traditional public schools over time.

Sadly, Virginia has a law that allows for charters in name only. Virginia has one of the nation's worst charter laws, despite the fact that the state's school boards association considers it the best. Why on both counts? Because it leaves the creation of charter schools to local school boards. Because of tradition and inertia, local school boards rarely allow charters schools to open or operate as intended -- with independence but public accountability. As a result, Virginia has only four charter schools.

This is not the way to ensure 50 percent of the commonwealth's students start performing at grade level, let alone 100 percent. Affluent families can buy their way into communities with good schools, or they can buy their way into private schools. There are no comparable options for poor or middle-class families.

The solution? McDonnell needs to champion and sign legislation to allow multiple authorizers -- colleges and universities, for example -- to sponsor and grow great charter schools. Higher education in the commonwealth is something to be proud of, and states like Indiana, Michigan, and New York have proven that great schools can come from this type of charter-authorizing system. With multiple authorizers come more operational freedom and protection from bureaucracy, so that charters are free to innovate and develop new best practices. And, while McDonnell is at it, he might want to make sure that charter schools receive equitable funding from the state, on par with the funds received by traditional public schools.

Make no mistake: if Gov.-elect McDonnell can reform Virginia's painfully antiquated charter school law -- while pushing through needed reforms to benefit the teacher work force -- he will leave his mark as an education governor in this term-limited commonwealth. If he fails to act -- and to seize on the political capital afforded him by his massive landslide victory -- education reformers will mourn an opportunity squandered.
Jeanne Allen is the president of The Center for Education Reform. Contact her at (301) 986-8088 or .