By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – A bill allowing for the creation of 'school districts of innovation' has cleared the Kentucky House Education Committee. Such districts would be given leeway to try innovative new ideas to improve student performance. Rep. Carl Rollins, who chairs the committee, has more faith in the district-wide concept, than the charter school concept.
"My opposition to charter schools is all pragmatic," Rollins says. "I don't think they work well. And I think it's that separation of starting new schools and a whole new level of bureaucracy that is the problem. And I don't see how it serves our students well."
The committee apparently agreed, voting unanimously to send the chairman's bill to the House floor. A Republican-backed charter school bill that won Senate approval in January continues to languish in the committee.