Teachers gather to protest an broad-based education bill passing through the state Senate.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Teachers stood on familiar ground at the state Capitol, a reminder of what happened last year and what still could be in the weeks ahead.

The gathering outside the state Senate chamber on Thursday evening was meant to convey opposition to a big education bill.

A press conference involving the West Virginia Education Association, American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia and the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday. “The topic of the press conference will be SB 451 and actions moving forward.”

The bill that combines a variety of education measures from a pay raise to charter schools is set for amendment stage in the Senate on Friday. It could pass that house as soon as Monday.

Teachers say the elements of the bill — particularly the raises — should stand on their own.

The gathering evoked the nine days that thousands of teachers walked out of schools last year to protest for better pay and stable insurance.

Union leaders, Democratic legislators, a school board member and a fifth grader spoke before the crowd. A film crew, said to be from HBO, held aloft cameras and microphones.

The teachers object to how the bill has rolled out. It got an hour of discussion last Thursday in Senate Education and then was passed out after a five-hour Friday meeting.

The bill then would have gone to Senate Finance but was diverted to the rare Committee of the Whole.

Teachers also object to the spectrum of policy changes bundled in one bill.

The bill includes a long-promised payraise for educators.

It also opens the way for charter schools and educational savings accounts that would set aside public dollars for private schooling for a certain number of participants.

The bill would also let teachers bank personal days for retirement credit. It would give counties greater latitude in paying some teachers more for in-demand expertise.

The bill would require teachers to sign off annually on union dues. It stipulates that if there’s a work stoppage that closes schools, those involved would not be paid.

It’s all tied together with a non-severability clause, saying that if any part of the bill is struck down then it would all be void.

Educators associations have contended the many items in the bill may make it unconstitutional under the single-object clause.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey weighed in on that matter Thursday afternoon, saying the construction of the bill meets the standard.

“Senate Bill 451—at least in its current form—would likely pass constitutional scrutiny over the single-object test,” Attorney General Morrisey wrote.

“The bill relates to the general subject area of education reform, and although its provisions may have attracted considerable public attention and are currently the subject of significant legislative debate, a reviewing court would likely conclude that Senate Bill 451’s provisions are fairly classified as relating to a single object, and that its title provides fair notice of the important issues at stake.”

The education bill passed out of a rare Committee of the Whole — the entire 34-member Senate acting as one committee — on Thursday morning.

The vote was 18-16 with Republican senators Kenny Mann and Bill Hamilton joining the minority side.

There was already anticipation of the next big step in the process. The House of Delegates could begin to weigh the education measure as soon as next week.

The Republican majority in that body shut its chamber doors and caucused late Thursday afternoon, starting about an hour before the teachers gathered on the opposite end of the Capitol.

Most observers believe the House of Delegates is likely to make significant changes to the bill.

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw issued a carefully-crafted statement about the education bill at mid-week.

“We will carefully review all options and work diligently to build a consensus on how to provide our children with the highest-quality educational experience possible,” stated Hanshaw, R-Clay.

“We know this is a sensitive topic, and passions are heightened on all sides of these issues. It is my hope that we can move forward in a rational and deliberate manner to improve our education system for students, teachers and all involved.”