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Innovation, Yes. Charters, Maybe.

Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell signaled Monday that he'll look for ways to increase the number of charter schools operating in Virginia.

McDonnell, who pledged his support for charter schools during his successful run for governor, will seek legislation to make it easier to establish charters, aides said. "The expansion of high-quality charter schools is a priority for the governor-elect," his spokesperson told  the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

On the day media outlets reported on McDonnell's plan, a conservative advocacy group issued a report giving Virginia a grade of "F" on its charter school scorecard, noting that the Commonwealth has only four operating across the state.

The Association's position on charter schools is slightly more nuanced than "more charters = better schools" and based on some verifiable facts about students, schools, school systems, and communities.

First, Virginia public school students achieve excellent results, ranking at or near the top in many national rankings. (See the November 2009 VEA News for more). And many local school divisions have launched specialty schools for students with different interests and talents: magnet schools, schools focused on technology or the humanities, centers for the gifted, and so on. Could it be that the demand for innovation in theme or school structure is already being met?

Second, contrary to what some charter school proponents claim, the evidence on charters' impact on student achievement is, at best, mixed. There's not a single credible study that proves that, simply by attending a charter school rather than a more traditional public school, students will achieve better results. In one of the most widely cited recent studies, researchers at Stanford University found that 46 percent of charter school students earned scores in math indistinguishable from their peers in public schools. Seventeen percent posted better scores-but 37 percent did worse.

Third, the list of changes that could aid public schools is a long one. It includes proven strategies like lower class size, better partnerships with parents, sustained, job-embedded professional development, and so on. Experiments with charter schools may be worth undertaking, but other reforms also warrant our support.

And fourth, public education is at its core a local enterprise. Virginia's current charter school laws rightly vests the authority to grant a charter with local school boards. As VEA President Kitty Boitnott has pointed out, when the state consistently underfunds its share of local education expenses, is it really fair for the state board of education to dictate to localities what schools it must create?