Amendment 4 would give West Virginia Legislature final say over education policy, including what students must learn

By Ryan Quinn, Charleston Gazette-Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Republicans won control of the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates in 2014. In 2017, the Democratic governor switched to Republican.

The subsequent state Supreme Court controversies, impeachments, elections and appointments established a conservative court majority. And in 2020, Republicans upgraded their legislative majorities to supermajorities and captured the last of the six statewide elected executive offices.

That’s all three usual branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. But, as West Virginia leaders sometimes say, there is a fourth branch here: the state Board of Education.

This group of appointees has the power to set statewide public education policies, like what students must learn in history and science classes, without lawmakers’ approval…

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