The West Virginia Press Association is working to arrange trainings, webinars and events to help our newspapers in all departments.
On the editorial side, we have a FOIA handbook in the works, will be promoting webinars and are working to arrange some interviews by telephone conference and webinar for statewide “hot button” issues that will impact your communities.
We are offering the next editorial “hot button” interview by telephone conference on Oct. 21 (a Wednesday) at 3 p.m. with the national representatives and state organizers of the Charter School Movement.
Your editor has been emailed the call-in information.
I’m encouraging you to participate and/or have a reporter participate. It improves the overall newspaper industry’s visibility and accessibility when multiple newspapers and regions of the state are represented on these calls.
These type of calls ensure that the largest to the smallest newspapers get to participate and that no one newspaper staff is required to carry the load of preparing and staffing meetings on these statewide issues.
The WVPA has no position on this issue. As always, it’s your decision as to whether your newspaper opposes or supports the topic, whether you file stories or do editorials from the information discussed during the call – although you certainly can as everything will be on the record – but we do hope you will at least participate in the call to show that we are one industry and have an interest on statewide issues.
Here is a little background on the Oct. 21 call:
West Virginia is one of seven states that does not have a law allowing public charter schools. Last year, during the session, Senate Bill 14, which would have allowed public charter schools, cleared the Senate and only failed in House on the final night.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools hopes to clear that hurdle this year. The NAPCS is now working to building a coalition of local partners to get the state to enact a public charter school law.
Around the state and in your communities, the NAPCS is working on the coalition. With state funding cuts and severance taxes down, education funding will be an even bigger issue at the legislative session.
It’s the WVPA’s goal to provide editors and education reporters with an update and some insight on NAPCS plans. We thought this was a chance to get ahead of the issue in West Virginia and your community.
During the call, editors and reporters will be given contact information to follow up on any issue or unanswered question.
We hope you and/or a reporter from your newspaper will participate. I will be sending out reminders and background material in the coming days.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR – Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. – and look for the call-in information in your inbox.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would confirm who from your newspaper will participate in the call. Please email me – [email protected] – the names and publications of anyone who will participate in the calls.
Thanks for your interest and support,
Don Smith
Executive Director
Executive Director
