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Executive Orders: A Real and Presidential Danger to Public Education
Executive Orders Harming Public Education If you’ve been hiding under a rock (or your bed), you may have missed the news of the myriad of...

Vanessa Hall
Feb 6, 20255 min read


DEI is Civil Rights
DEmyst-I-fied from a K-12 Perspective Author's Forward: (January 31, 2025): Earlier this week, 4PE approached me about republishing my...

Anjy Cramer
Feb 1, 20257 min read


At the Virginia Statehouse: Priority Education Bills are In Play
This is the second full week of the 2025 General Assembly and all 4 Public Education’s priority education bills are still in play, either...

Marianne Burke, PhD
Jan 28, 20254 min read


Four Reasons the Governor’s Accountability Framework Should NEVER Be Implemented
The question of what makes a good school has never been more complicated, and questions like “What are we educating students for?” have...

Cheryl Binkley
Jan 28, 20258 min read


What You Need to Know about Family Life Education Curriculum
Sex Education in Virginia's K-12 Public Schools The Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum in Virginia is an abstinence-based curriculum...

Vanessa Hall
Jan 26, 20252 min read


Thane Glenn’s Fantasy Stories of Educational Horror
Part II of Governor Youngkin’s Magical Thinking series Once upon a time, in a land we all love, there was a Governor (or Thane if you are...

Cheryl Binkley
Jan 23, 20253 min read


Are Transgender Civil Rights Under Attack? A Look Back at the Past Week
A Tough Week for Transgender Students and Families After years of attacks on rights of transgender students, this past week has seen an onslaught of anti-transgender media, court cases, and federal and state activity. For parents of transgender students, transgender students, and the transgender community, it is just too much. They are exhausted, so all allies need to continue to step up to fight alongside them against such attacks. “Children's well-being now, ability to live

Vanessa Hall
Dec 13, 202412 min read


Governor Youngkin and Superintendent Coons' Magic Math won’t Fool Virginians or Fix Schools
When the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) rolled out its proposed Accreditation and Accountability Framework in June of 2024, they...

Cheryl Binkley2
Nov 24, 20244 min read


You Have Power! Use it Now!!
Ask your Elected Officials to Act before it is Too Late Most people are unaware of the power they have as constituents of senators and...

Marianne Burke, PhD
Nov 14, 20242 min read


Fordham and Petrilli on Virginia Public Schools: Desire, Influence, and Controversy
Michael Petrilli Wants Virginia and He Wants Her Bad The Thomas B. Fordham Institute labels itself as “America's leading education reform...

Cheryl Binkley
Oct 15, 20244 min read


Political Appointees Tip the Scales of Accountability
VBOE meeting report out from September 26th People drove from around the Commonwealth to have their voices heard in front of the Virginia...

Vanessa Hall
Sep 27, 20246 min read


We Must Reframe What We are Measuring In Public Schools
Please Note: This is an opinion piece. It is not filled with links to authoritative studies, or data analysis. I’m simply going to tell...

Cheryl Binkley
Sep 22, 20243 min read


Take Action: Make your Voice Heard by Virginia DOE by September 25th
Disruption is NOT Accountability The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) created disruptive accountability measures that will harm...

Vanessa Hall
Sep 13, 20243 min read


Despite Public Outcry, Youngkin's VDOE Passes Controversial Accountability Policy
Report Out on the 8/28/24 Virginia Board of Education Meeting Despite citizens across Virginia rallying to action , the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE), approved Governor Youngkin’s Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) amendments to Virginia’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan per Nathaniel Cline’s reporting in the Virginia Mercury . This is not surprising since VBOE is made up almost entirely of Youngkin appointees who overwhelmingly have voiced support for defu

Vanessa Hall
Aug 30, 202411 min read


Youngkin’s Privatization Team Makes Its Move on Virginia’s Public Schools
On Wednesday August 28, the Virginia Board of Education will hold a Special Session to consider the Statewide Comprehensive Support Plan . The Plan proposes the requirements that will be imposed on schools and districts when they do not meet the Board’s new rules for accreditation and accountability. Despite significant outcry, the board approved the new rules for schools, the School Performance and Support Framework , at their July 24 meeting. The Board projects that under

Cheryl Binkley
Aug 26, 20243 min read


VDOE's Accreditation Overhaul: An Unnecessary Risk for Schools
Accountability Standard Scheme Intends to Make our Schools Sub-Standard While the Commonwealth was preparing for the end of the school...

Vanessa Hall
Aug 8, 20245 min read


A Controversial Legal Attack on Students and Schools
Is a “Theocratic Veto” coming to Virginia? In a case ( see below ) brought this year in Fairfax County Circuit Court by America First...

Robert Rigby
Jul 19, 20245 min read


FCPS Pride Success, but there is Still Work to Be Done
Public Input at 6/13/24 Fairfax County School Board Meeting My name is Vanessa Hall. I am the proud parent of two FCPS students, one of...

Vanessa Hall
Jun 13, 20242 min read


There He Goes Again: More Gaslighting from Youngkin
The Gaslighting Continues while Youngkin Explains away his Vetoes Although Governor Glenn Youngkin claims to be making education his...

Marianne Burke, PhD
May 31, 20248 min read


A Coalition of Public School Advocates Demand Action from Governor Youngkin
In collaboration with the Virginia Grassroots Coalition , 4 Public Education initiated a letter to Governor Youngkin about the upcoming...

Marianne Burke, PhD
May 10, 20241 min read
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Trump’s “Patriotic Education” Edict Causes Harm and Citizens Should Object
Discover how Virginia's resistance to Trump's "patriotic education" edict sets a precedent for the nation. Learn why citizens should object to Trump's harmful edict, which attempts to rewrite American history.


At the Statehouse: Crossover is Complete as General Assembly Season Nears the End
Explore how the Virginia General Assembly's 2026 crossover was a success for bills from both houses. As the General Assembly session draws to a close, education and budget decisions continue to be made by legislators and Governor Spanberger. Learn more now.


Will They or Won't They? Congress Unlikely to Approve Closure of Dept of Education
Explore why Congress is unlikely to approve the closure of the Department of Education despite pressure from the Trump Administration. Discover impacts on our students' opportunities and education as the Trump Administration continues to defund and destroy the Department of Education.
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