Sunday, March 14, 2010
Editorial: Money does indeed speak
Students, don't forget to add a space for campaign donors to the how-a-bill-becomes-law diagram.
From the RoundTable blog
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There's nothing wrong with turning to the experts for advice when developing legislation that falls within their field. Governors and lawmakers can be enriched by such professional wisdom. Unfortunately, sometimes the campaign funds of public officials are the main beneficiary.
Such appears to be the case with legislation requested by Gov. Bob McDonnell that will greatly expand online schools in Virginia.
According to The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot, K12 Inc., an online school that last year gained a footing in the commonwealth, has given $57,000 to state lawmakers during the past year and, since August 2009, has donated $40,000 to McDonnell's campaign and inaugural committees.
Coincidentally, lobbyists for K12 represented the only private company invited by the governor's office to workgroup meetings in which lawmakers crafted bills for virtual schools, charter schools and laboratory schools. The meetings, which took place over 40 hours, were to settle differences between what the governor wanted and what the Virginia School Boards Association, the Virginia Education Association and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents could live with.
The newspaper reports that one public meeting was held in which other private companies could attend, but none did.
Still, giving K12 a seat at the table smacks of a pay-for-play scheme that taints the legislation, which otherwise seems innocuous. The bill calls for the Virginia Board of Education to approve and monitor virtual school programs, with key requirements that teachers be certified and the schools accredited.
Local school boards could then enter into contracts with the approved programs. While the move will not cost the state money, it could prompt local school boards to pay tuition. Those details most likely will need to be addressed in a future General Assembly session.
By then, look for K12 to have cornered the online teaching market in Virginia.
K12 entered Virginia last year with its first full online program in Carroll County and has plans to expand. The company's spokesman denied its involvement in the legislation had anything to do with its financial contributions to elected officials.
Perhaps K12 didn't actually buy a seat at the table, but would the governor have known to invite its lobbyists without their donations? It's a good question for students of civics to discuss.
