| Advertisement |
|
|
Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to grade schools on the same A-to-F scale used for students has barely won General Assembly approval.
Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling cast a tie-breaking vote Tuesday to pass the bill in the 40-member Senate. The Republican-controlled House of Delegates approved the proposal Monday.
McDonnell says an easy-to-understand grading system will encourage more parental involvement in schools. Democratic senators called the measure a gimmick.
Roanoke City Schools Superintendent reacted to the news Tuesday. “If that’s what the General Assembly wants, we will grade our schools. It doesn’t negate the fact that our teachers and staff work every day to support the learning needs of our students and we will work hard to achieve good grades,” Bishop said.
Also, the House voted 66-34 to pass an administration-backed bill allowing the state to take over chronically failing schools. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.
Another key component of McDonnell's education reform agenda has cleared both chambers. It would revamp the teacher evaluation and grievance process.
Here is the statement from Governor McDonnell's office:
Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the passage of his A-F School Grading Bill by the Senate this morning. The legislation passed yesterday in the full House and is part of the governor's All Students K-12 Education legislation.
“With Senate passage, I’m pleased to see that this measure to bring accountability and transparency to Virginia public schools is on its path to being signed into law. I thank Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling for his tie-breaking vote in the Senate today to advance this measure and thank our legislators for supporting this tool to allow parents and teachers to better advocate for and improve the schools in their communities. This is a commonsense bill that will allow us to continue to improve the quality of education for all Virginia students, in all our cities and counties.”