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 defunding public education and/or work directly with groups that support charter schools and/or private education. 

The lone dissenting vote was Ms. Anne Holton, a Former Secretary of Education and board member appointed by Governor Northam, who echoed the concerns of many of the speakers during public input when she expressed that she felt the new VDOE system was “fundamentally flawed in a number of ways” including that it ignored “loud, persistent” feedback from parents, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), School Board Association, Teachers’ Associations, and assessment directors in the divisions, the folks who most understand this system and its implications,” all of whom represent thousands of Virginia voices. She added that the plan is not “fully fleshed out,” lacks modeling of potential impact on schools and families, and that it will be hard to implement because the associated VDOE offices are already “over-extended.”

As 4 Public Education has noted, this policy change makes schools all over Virginia ripe for takeover, reputational damage, and privatization. However, before that happens, all schools and educators will need to quickly adjust to new student measurement plans, which will change all of the curricula, supports, and education methodologies they’ve developed over the last decade. All of this is expected by Younkgin’s VDOE with no promised additional financial support to our schools and students.

Unfortunately, the meeting was delayed by an hour-and-a-half and was sparsely attended despite the importance of the accountability plans which will completely change how schools are judged by the Youngkin VDOE, and will have extensive and possibly devastating consequences in many communities. Citizens’ concerns regarding these changes are below. 

One cannot help but note that the atmosphere in the room was not welcoming, as Chair Grace Creasy seemed either annoyed or bored by the public feedback. She displayed extra irritation in the face of additional speakers and admonished participants for clapping. Her comments and behavior occurred after Ms. Creasy reminded the audience to “model professionalism, dignity, and respect for others.”

Inequity of Access to Advanced Courses

Dr. Scott Brabrand, former Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Superintendent and current Executive Director of Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS), thanked VDOE for their efforts and expressed interest in collaboration. He added concerns, including those about “the addition of advanced social studies and science coursework to Middle School just one year from now, as there are currently major inequities across the Commonwealth and [lack of] student access to that coursework, as well as Middle School teacher licensing issues. We understand virtual options are being explored; however, it's too early to agree to this incorporation until more defined supports are in place.” 

He shared that VASS “remain[s] concerned about the On Track/Off Track summary of categories even with your updated partial modeling using 23-24 school year data…we still see [that] the new framework suggest[s] over 55% of our schools are off track or need intensive support. We strongly believe at VASS [that] all of our schools can continue to improve. We don't believe the majority of our schools are in those two categories, as we said last month. Ask yourself if this new framework aligns with a state that just received a number one ranking for business from CNBC that included within its methodology a number one ranking for Education.”

"Ask yourself if this new framework aligns with a state that just received a number one ranking for business from CNBC that included within its methodology a number one ranking for Education.” -- Dr. Scott Brabrand

Does VDOE have the Analytical Skills after False "Honesty Gap" Allegations?

Dr. Marianne Burke of Fairfax County, 4 Public Education Board Member and mother of three children who have graduated from FCPS and Virginia colleges, shared “grave concerns” about the VDOE plan and whether VDOE had the chops to “appropriately analyze the data for the proposed accreditation plan:”

“In 2023, the GOP singled out Fairfax County schools as failing because SAT scores had declined. The truth was that Fairfax county SAT scores were above both the state and global SAT averages, and SAT scores dropped across all of Virginia, in other states, and around the globe at the same time.” In addition she said “Youngkin’s DOE used misinformation in their claim that there was an “honesty gap” in Virginia because SOL and NAEP scores differed. Published information had warned that the two tests measured very different things and scores can not be directly compared. Even now, the Governor refers to the honesty gap, showing the administration still doesn’t understand or does not want to give up this talking point that disparages public schools.”

"Even now, the Governor refers to the honesty gap, showing the administration still doesn’t understand or does not want to give up this talking point that disparages public schools.” --Dr. Marianne Burke

VDOE Ignored Parent and Expert Feedback

Vanessa Hall,Vice President of 4 Public Education and an FCPS alumnus and mother of FCPS students, first apologized for her disappointment before listing several ways that VDOE ignored feedback from parents, principals, educators, and other experts. In particular, she shared concerns about expectations that students take and excel at above grade-level courses:

“We asked for thoughtful measures, yet these measures judge our children based on college coursework rather than grade-level proficiency. Do you know how many students cannot access advanced classes due to language, disability, cost, or availability? We asked for support for English Language Learners, but these measures throw them under the bus. I’d love to see any of you learn a new language in 3 semesters sufficient to take science and history tests in it!”

She questioned whether this plan was an unfunded mandate since it is unknown where funding will come from “to flesh out this policy outline, implement it, and then support schools that can’t meet these draconian measures.” 

Thus far, VDOE has not provided answers to any of these questions.

"I’d love to see any of you learn a new language in 3 semesters sufficient to take science and history tests in it!" -- Vanessa Hall

Are these the Actions of Good Stewards of Public Education?

Speaking gently, but firmly, Ginge Sivigny shared that her children and grandchildren attended public schools in Fairfax County before reminding the VBOE members of the far reaching implications of their decisions on “Virginia’s children, families, school communities, and the very quality of life in Virginia” and that they have the choice of being remembered as a hero or villain:

“When people look back on these times, will the actions this board takes be looked upon with gratitude or shame? Will you be respected as champions of public education, supporters of the common [good], or will you be looked upon with dismay, the way we now revile those who dismantled our public schools in the 1950’s and 60’s?”

"Will you be respected as champions of public education, supporters of the common [good], or will you be looked upon with dismay, the way we now revile those who dismantled our public schools in the 1950’s and 60’s?” -- Ginge Sivigny

Is Youngkin’s VDOE Breaking Our Schools on Purpose?

Mike Karabinos, parent of children in Chesterfield, Virginia, likened the VDOE’s plan to breaking Virignia’s schools on purpose in order to remake them:

“Early on in my career I was delivering a new PC to a coworker who pulled a paper clip out of the power supply because he wanted a new pc. The unethical life hack there being if it ain't broke and you want it replaced, break it on purpose.”

He voiced the sincere concerns of many about this impact since Governor Youngkin and his allies on this board "have acted like they have a mandate to dismantle successful schools in order to sell voucher systems and Charters to enrich his friends in private education. Snitch lines, watered-down history standards, abusive model policies, underfunding, the empaneling of people from states with far worse records on education than this state on higher level boards, [and an] accountability crisis that's about to be manufactured by this new policy…These new consultant-written standards are crafted to provide a manufactured metric foundation to the false claim that this Administration keeps making, but our schools are not failing. Virginia has some of the best schools in the country in spite of his efforts over the last three years.”

Mr. Karabinos referred negatively to the backgrounds of most of the VBOE and the leaders of VDOE in his speech, indicating that they came from states “with far worse records on education” than Virginia, lacked credentials, or were involved in efforts to promote charter schools and/or privatize public education. Likely he was referring to the former and current appointed VDOE Superintendents of Public Instruction: 1) Jillian Balow, former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction, and 2) Dr. Lisa Coons who served as chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. Virginia is typically ranked in the top 10-20% of schools across the nation while Wyoming ranges from top 30-50% and Tennessee ranges from the bottom 20-40% of schools across the nation.

"These new consultant-written standards are crafted to provide a manufactured metric foundation to the false claim that this Administration keeps making, but our schools are not failing. Virginia has some of the best schools in the country in spite of Governor Youngkin's efforts over the last three years.” -- Mike Karabinos

Don’t Label our Students as Failures!

Cheryl Binkley, President of 4 Public Education and retired teacher, began by reminding VBOE that policy makers working in back rooms are not going to be affected by this policy, but it will be “the children: Brown children, immigrant children, Black children, poor children who do not have the luxury of living in the most affluent communities of the state yet the they are the people that you are going to hold accountable by calling them and their schools failing. Over half of the children in Virginia? That's how you're going to label them? These [policies] are not for the children or for our schools.”

She added, “This is a disaster. It is made to create chaos and made to create punishment. Please don't do this. This is not what Virginia does. We support our kids.” Her voice broke as she spoke these words.

“This is a disaster. It is made to create chaos and made to create punishment. Please don't do this. This is not what Virginia does. We support our kids.” -- Cheryl Binkley

Too Many Moving Targets for Schools and Teachers to Be Successful

Carol Medawar, who serves on the School Board in Spotsylvania County and as a math coach in Northern Virginia, offered a critical perspective from someone on the ground in education with 28 years of education experience. Her passion for students, teachers, and their needs was infectious.

She had intended only to listen so she could collaborate, but felt called to speak after the “moving targets and absolute misinformation campaign, and making it impossible for school divisions to know how they're being measured, what they're being measured on, when they're being measured on it with to no instructional Resources.”

This is after teachers and schools have worked hard to understand the current measures, to align instruction, and built in scaffolds for struggling students, they are being told that they need to change it all. Ms. Matawar went to the listening sessions where growth was the primary measure, but now VDOE has completely removed these measures, which pushes things back 20 years for teachers:

“Let's change it all…. You have now instituted new language, standards, new math standards with no crosswalk year to even go from the old standards to the new standards and you want to set new cut scores and you want to do a new accreditation system and you want to change the testing platform all at the same time so that you can say 55% … of our schools are failing and it's just not true. That is dishonesty. Our school buildings in Virginia are doing amazing things for kids every single day: kids who struggle, kids who are new [English] Language Learners, kids who are excelling, and we are working to make progress in every single one of those areas.”

"Let's change it all. You have now instituted new language, standards, new math standards with no crosswalk year to even go from the old standards to the new standards and you want to set new cut scores and you want to do a new accreditation system and you want to change the testing platform all at the same time so that you can say 55% … of our schools are failing and it's just not true." -- Carol Medawar

Failing Labels do not Define Student Experience or Success

Jeff Coupe of Richmond, VA said that he has participated in the listening sessions and shared his views. Like Ms. Medawar, he had not planned to speak but felt compelled to speak to share his reservations. He used a story of his kids’ experiences in so-called “failing schools” under the No Child Left Behind Act. He said that these kids, whether disadvantaged or English Language Learners, came away with great educations and attended colleges, despite being at schools labeled “failing.”

He echoed Ms. Medawar’s request to retain growth standards, and identified that although growth is important, some kids need more time for mastery and this is supported by educational research, thereby intimating that the new standards may not offer that time. Additionally, he offered suggestions to the plan, that he called the “nuts and bolts of teaching,” including: 

• Favoring internal responsibility of teachers and the community over external accountability

• Quality support that is asset-based, not deficit-based.

• As an asset-based system, VDOE needs to remember the drivers and factors causing underperformance at schools will be varied, so educators and the community need to evaluate theories of change.

• Any system will need to put an emphasis on formative assessment and quality of feedback.

"The educational research basically [says] what separates mastery for some students and from others is is is time. Some kids need more time" --Jeff Coupe

What can you do?

4 Public Education has been keeping a close watch on this issue, including four of us taking a day to "Roadtrip to Richmond."

Accountability is complex and appears uninteresting or irrelevant until you dig deep and realize that accreditation and accountability underpins all public education funding, initiatives, curricula, and success. As Dr. Presidio Sloan stated at a recent FCPS work session on the subject, “Like many things in large bureaucracies, I think the process has been quite complicated and pretty opaque and difficult…for community members to understand.” 

Many of the speakers mentioned that there is no additional funding provided by VDOE for revising accountability measures. Since Dr. Lisa Coons completely overhauled the accountability framework, it will be expensive to flesh out the full plan, implement it, and offer support to the more than half the schools that will require support after implementation. Taxpayers and legislators will be on the hook while students, families, schools, and communities will suffer the consequences. Unknown is the impact the ‘failing school’ designation will have on property values. 

Please consider learning more about this critical issue and letting the VBOE, VDOE, and your legislators hear your opinion.

You can message the Board of Education with your response to their plan via any (or all!) of these methods below.

Send Comments to VBOE

Contact your state legislators to let them know how you feel! If you need help on what to say, feel free to check out our blogs below, or review the list of critical concerns on our Facebook page.

Contact Your State Delegate

Contact Your State Senator

Additional Resources, If You Would Like to Know More

• VDOE’s Statewide Comprehensive Support Plan

• VDOE’s Performance and Support Framework 

• An examination of the VDOE accreditation and accountability system by the Fairfax County School Board.

• Check out the 4 Public Education blogs on this which have great links to more information (most recent at the top):

  • Youngkin’s Privatization Team Makes Its Move on Virginia’s Public Schools

  • VDOE's Accreditation Overhaul: An Unnecessary Risk for Schools

  • Does VDOE want Accountability or Disruption of Virginia Schools?

  • Ironically, the VDOE Accountability Listening Tour Lacks Both Transparency and Accountability

  • Keep Virginia DOE Accountable by Providing Input on Public School Accreditation and Quality!

  • A (Seemingly) Pleasant Surprise from Virginia's Department of Education: A Review of the Northern Virginia VDOE Accountability Listening Session