Richmond gets Charter Elementary School… for now
Back in September, we told you about the ongoing battle over allowing Richmond’s first Charter Elementary School. When the City School Board had tried to approve a charter that wouldn’t allow the school the flexibility to succeed, School Choice Virginia Board member- and Richmond School Board member- Keith West stood up and re-worked the charter to allow the school more of an opportunity to succeed.
Last night the Board voted again, on a revised charter, and in a 5-0 vote, approved the charter for the establishment of the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts.
“Tonight’s vote reaffirms the School Board’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to education,” said Antione Green, the president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters and, for the past two months, a member of the Patrick Henry board.
While there is still much up in the air (for example when the new school board takes office in January, they could vote to end the contract, which we believe would be a disservice to Richmond students and families), we are very pleased that the Richmond City School Board is giving this initiative a chance. The students and families of Richmond- and all of Virginia- deserve to have options when it comes to education, and this is an important step in allowing them those options.
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[...] Congratulations to Richmond school board member Keith West who carried this to fruition against the greatest of odds and through much travail — he’s often outvoted 8-1 — even to the extent of risking no charter school when he killed the first contract because it was a set up for the PHI to fail and thus discredit school choice. But he came back with a new contract and worked with the other board members who conscientiously did the right thing. (West, an education reform and choice advocate, and The Family Foundation, are members of the educa….) [...]
[...] told you about the Patrick Henry Charter School in Richmond a few months ago. For more information, we encourage you to attend the latest update meeting to be held tomorrow, [...]