Parental Choice Group Forms in Richmond

From Richmond Magazine article:

A new organization has emerged from the seemingly perpetual public-policy dust-up surrounding Richmond’s first public charter school and last year’s state law changes that simplify the process of creating new charter schools in Virginia.

The Greater Richmond Education Reform Alliance will hold an organizational and informational meeting this Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Anointed Worship Center, at 4909 Government Road, located in the Fulton area of Richmond’s East End. The event is open to all, says Keisha Cummings, chairwoman of the board of the newly formed advocacy group.

“What it is is a call to action,” says Cummings, who previously served as the first Parent Teacher Association president at the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, where her daughter attends. “We want to inform people about what we’re talking about … and help them to advocate for whatever it is that they want for their children.”

By focusing its advocacy efforts on the more broad “whatever” that parents may seek, Cummings says, the new group seeks to avoid endorsing a single option — or even to risk appearing to be advocating against more traditional public schools.

“The organization was started to educate parents and to advocate for education reform, and to do that by educating parents in Richmond and the metro area,” she says. “It’s not so much we’re advocating for charter schools, but education options.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.