West Virginia Senate may put public worker pay raise, education overhauls in same bill

West Virginia Senate President Mitch Carmichael’s proposed education overhauls, like charter schools and reducing seniority’s role in employment, might be rolled into a single bill that also includes the promised 5 percent pay raise for public school employees.

“We’re very much leaning in that direction,” Carmichael, R-Jackson, said Friday.

He called it “comprehensive” education reform, and said the legislation probably would be filed sometime this week.

The pay raise bill could include legalizing charter schools; providing public money for homeschooling and private schooling; allowing teachers in some subjects to be paid more than others; and reducing the protection that years of service offers school workers from being laid off or transferred.

“I think it’s a moral imperative for us to instill competition and flexibility and achievement into the school system,” Carmichael said at a news conference this month. “Through public charter schools is one option.”

Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-senate-may-put-public-worker-pay-raise-education-overhauls/article_bd067391-b245-5ad0-be4f-62dcc45ac6ff.html