Consensus still elusive on reforms

Timing isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
Last week, legislative leaders and the governor met on resumption of a special session on education reforms.
On March 9, the last night of this year’s regular legislative session, lawmakers immediately gaveled in  and then recessed that special session.
Ordinarily, there is a consensus on legislation before a special session gets underway. And resuming this  special session should not be any different.
Many assume this session on education reform will resume during regularly scheduled two-day interim meetings, to cut down on the added expense of about $35,000 a day.
Most bets are this special session will be scheduled for May 20-21 when interim meetings are set to convene.
That also happens to be the last full week of school in many counties, including Monongalia and Preston, which should at least preclude another teachers’ walkout.
However, if this session continues beyond that week things might get noisy real fast at the state Capitol, again.
If recent remarks by the state Senate president, the House of Delegates minority leader and the governor are any indication, this legislation could get complicated.
The two key differences on reaching a consensus continue to be charter schools and education savings accounts (ESAs).
It’s possible the issue of charter schools can be resolved with a pilot program that places a low limit on the number of such facilities.
The governor and legislative leaders, including minority leaders appear ready to meet in the middle on this issue.
However, on the issue of ESAs, which allocate taxpayer dollars for students leaving public schools for private education, no such agreement exists.
Some suggest these ESAs will also be directed at special needs students and students who are being bullied.
Apparently, some of the reform issues will be presented in separate bills while others will be lumped together. Sight unseen of these bills, that is a much smarter approach to any such comprehensive initiative.
Only a day after the regular session ended this year we expressed our reluctance about calling a special session on these reforms so soon. The level of mistrust then was at a place where no one was even talking, let alone compromising. We recommended a cooling-off period then and continue to until there is a general agreement.
To its credit, the state Department of Education sponsored a series of forums on education and some legislators hosted others since then. But we’re unsure if everyone was listening to what they didn’t want to hear.
There cannot just be a general prospect this can be done with a consensus. It must be done with a consensus or this session should time out.