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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Nearly a year to the day after West Virginia teachers went on a strike that launched a national "Red4Ed" movement, they're doing it again.
Unions have called a statewide walkout Tuesday over complicated education legislation that they view as lacking their input and as retaliation for last year's strike.
Monday evening, the Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan county school districts announced that they would be closed Tuesday.
Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Manny Arvon said he has "great concerns" about the work stoppage.
"I think the timing is poor," Arvon said. "They need to let the process work, because it's too soon."
How long this one goes on will be a day-to-day decision, leaders of three unions for teachers and school service workers said at a news conference Monday.
"We are left with no other choice," said Fred Albert, president of the American Federation of Teachers' West Virginia chapter.
Much of the teacher unions and school personnel association objections to Senate Bill 451 have centered on charter schools and education savings account. But Arvon said the school funding reforms put in the bill "are some of the best legislation during my tenure to help address a growth county and the uniqueness of Berkeley (County)."
"And it's always give and take in any negotiations," said Arvon, who is in his 22nd year as superintendent of the school district of more than 19,000 students.
In prepared remarks, Jana Woofter, co-president of the Berkeley County Education Association, told the school board Monday night that "outside lobbyists and political influences have been pressuring our legislators for the past several weeks to change education and gut the funding for the majority of our students."
"Tonight, as many of you may already know, Mitch Carmichael and the Senate leadership has pushed through amendments to the Senate's omnibus education bill which will only rip funding away from our schools and hurt the very students they say they are thinking of," Woofter said.
The 2018 walkout launched the national movement that included strikes in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington state, and more recently, Los Angeles and Denver. Teachers in Oakland, Calif., have authorized a strike starting Thursday.
Now the movement has come full circle.
In addition to the Eastern Panhandle districts, nearly all of West Virginia's 52 other counties called off public school classes Tuesday.
The unions have said lawmakers never asked for their insight into what has become a rushed process in the Senate, which narrowly passed an amended bill Monday night. It now goes back to the House of Delegates.
West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said based on the Senate's actions, "it appears that they are more interested in listening to the outside interests than they are the educators across West Virginia.
"We will work as closely as we can to get a resolution, but at this point, there doesn't seem to be a resolution."
One sticking point has been a provision to create the state's first charter schools, which the unions believe would erode traditional public education but bill advocates say would give parents more school choices. Charter school laws have been enacted in 43 other states and Washington, D.C.
The Senate version would allow for up to seven charter schools statewide and provide for up to 1,000 education savings accounts for parents to pay for private school. The accounts would be for special needs students and those who have been bullied.
The House version does not call for such savings accounts and would limit charter schools to one each in Cabell and Kanawha counties.
Among other things, the Senate removed an earlier clause that would invalidate the entire legislation if any part is struck down.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael said the bill found a middle ground and has "great provisions." It would give teachers additional 5 percent pay raises on top of 5 percent raises they received after last year's strike.
Carmichael said the bill's goal is "getting our education system out of the doldrums."
"Why would anyone want to stand in the status quo and stay in the past?" he said.
Staff writer Matthew Umstead contributed to this story.
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