logomancer | Commonwealth Chartered Schools (Reply)

You may want to skip this if you don't live in Virginia.

yubbie posted to the vtsffc listserv a link to an article by Virginia Tech President Charles Steger on Commonwealth Chartered Schools and how they're the best thing since sliced bread. Thanks to my position in the VT SGA -- as well as some judicious web searching -- I managed to find the text of the House version of the bill introduced in the last session of the General Assembly (it was tabled to next year unanimously, probably because of the budget). The Senate bill is virtually the same.

Here's the summary, and here's the full text.

Thank goodness the Code of Virginia is online. Otherwise I'd never be able to look up the references.

NOTE: My analysis is based on the bill that was presented to the General Assembly this year. I've heard that the content of the bill may change.

Basically, a Commonwealth Chartered School (CCS) keeps much of the power it has now (exemption from local laws, exemption from taxes, etc.). There are, however, a few changes:

A CCS is no longer a state agency, but a "political subdivision of the Commonwealth." I have yet to find out the definition of a political subdivision WRT Virginia law, but I'm still looking.
CCSes are no longer subject to the Virginia Personnel Act, which establishes procedures for handling grievances and rules for the conduct of state employees WRT receiving gifts. In addition, CCSes are no longer subject to state hiring or firing procedures. This concerns me, since those laws protect a great deal of people. Plus, it really doesn't save the schools any money. OTOH, it would allow schools to seek more commercial donations, which also concerns me because those donations come with strings attached.
CCSes have a great deal more autonomy in buying property -- basically, such purchasing is not subject to government oversight. In addition, CCSes are not subject to state surplus property requirements. This seems like a good thing, but one part of me wonders whether or not school purchasers will go overboard in the short term with their new power. Plus, this would probably mean the end of state surplus auctions.
CCSes are not responsible for filing environmental impact statements when they start new construction. This alarms me, since such reports would no longer be produced publically, and nobody could see whether or not a school is destroying the environment with their constant development. Plus, with the necessity of producing these reports gone, the BOV would probably not consider the environmental impact of new construction.
If a student applies to a CCS to get a student visa and gets admitted, the CCS doesn't have to report if [s]he fails to enroll. This opens up the opportunity for possible terrorists to sneak through.
CCSes don't have to make annual crime reports available to the public. This is a problem, since without these reports, people can't see whether or not a school is safe.
CCSes can maintain their own funds -- no more giving it to Richmond. Probably a good thing, but there still remains the possibility of cooking the books...
CCSes can issue bonds without approval by the state. Good thing.
CCSes can set their own tuition and fees without approval from the state. Obviously, not a good thing, since tuitions would skyrocket -- Tech because they have to in order to fund their research projects, and UVA and William and Mary because they think it'll give them prestige.
CCSes are "exempt from any state legislative or executive branch rules, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to submission, review, approval or implementation of capital projects." Meaning Tech can field any research project they want, as long as they pay for it.

Also, another note: I had said before that only Tech, UVA, and William and Mary were affected by this bill. I was wrong; they eventually want to make all of the colleges and universities in Virginia into CCSes.

A great deal of these provisions concern me, since it means that government can't keep tabs on a number of the schools' activities. A lot of these powers currently held by the state would logically fall to the BOVs of the affected schools if this bill passes. Judging from my perception of the Virginia Tech BOV, I seriously doubt that they'll think of the impact to students and staff when making their decisions. Plus, unlike the General Assembly and the Governor, they're not elected, but appointed, meaning that a great deal more decisions will be put in the hands of political appointees -- many of whom are lawyers and CEOs. Thus, the motivations for actions affecting universities and colleges in Virginia will go from providing an affordable and decent education for the citizens of the Commonwealth to making the most profit they can.

And so, I must voice my oppositions to this idea, and I suggest you all do the same. Write your state legislators, and tell them what you think. Or even better -- go and see them yourself. The future of Virginia's schools is at stake.