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The budget cycle has been pretty much the same for decades, and spring is the time of bickering and finger pointing. “Why do you want so much?” “Why are you taking from our programs and kids?” “Other programs need money too.” “Your system is top heavy.” “We deserve a professional wage.” “Why are taxes so high?” And the circular accusations and pleadings go around and around.  But what are the sources of our repeated dilemma and how might we finally and with some clarity begin to resolve the worst angst and agony? Here are some of the main reasons budget season is so difficult. The Philosophical Divide The Constitution of Virginia requires that a “high quality education” be provided for all Virginia’s children. Some believe the best way to provide that is for the government itself to publicly fund schools through collaboration between local districts and the state. Others believe that the best source of a high quality education system is free-market capitalism which provides public dollars to independent companies.  These are the mind-sets which legislators and Governor Youngkin struggle with right now. It’s not just about how much we should spend on schools. It is about the very type of schools we will have and literally whether all students should have full access to the same quality or the market should drive where resources go.  The Dillon Rule The Dillon Rule is a principle that restricts local governments by declaring they only have the powers directly bestowed by the state government. The Dillon Rule means a county or town cannot levy taxes or new policies unless the state gives them express permission to do so. The effect is that many of the ways by which a locality could raise money for their schools, such as hotel, restaurant, or entry fees, and even penny sales taxes cannot be levied. This leaves localities with only property taxes as a means to fund expenses, thus districts with lower property values or large carve outs for non-taxable properties with less money for their schools. The Dillon Rule essentially ties the hands of local county and city boards, while Governor Youngkin vetoed permission for a penny sales tax option for localities this year.  The Composite Index (LCI) and Costs of Living The Virginia formula that determines how much the state will cover is the Composite or Ability to Pay Index.  For many districts this formula means Virginians in their district will pay more while the state pays less. The districts who lose the most because they are deemed “able to pay” are those in urban centers like northern Virginia, the Newport News triangle and Richmond. Arlington, considered one of the districts most able to pay, received $3,113 per pupil in SOQ funds in FY2022.  The Cost of Living is a perennial frustration. All the employee raises offered by the state require local districts to produce matching funds; therefore, few of the increases offered across the last 30 years have resulted in employee raises that even met general inflation rates.    The Unfunded Mandate or Carrot-and-Stick Method There are few initiatives of recent years that don’t fit under this umbrella of policies. It has become the default that localities will be required to match or completely fund any new initiatives.  For instance the  Virginia Literacy Act  of two years ago requires all local districts to reconfigure their Pre-K-Elementary language arts classes and retrain all their elementary teachers to use the new literacy materials and practices. The cost of that re-adoption, just of the materials, for Fairfax County, the state’s largest district, is $25 million,  while most of the state funding for the implementation is going to consultants and district-level coaches rather than local classrooms.  IDEA  is perhaps the most notorious unfunded mandate. IDEA is the federal law establishing requirements for special education, which has never been fully funded. The cost to provide for IDEA students is 150% of that for non-IDEA students. Neither the federal nor the state have ever met that full cost.  Standards of Quality (SOQs) establish which basic courses must be offered and the basic staffing requirements for accredited schools in Virginia. Almost every district in Virginia pays for more staff  and services than required by the Standards of Quality, and the state has never fully funded the basic SOQs. Districts receive no credit for the sums they pay beyond the core courses in the SOQs, nor do they receive off-set for extra electives or services that raise the quality or ratings of Virginia’s education system.   Testing and Data Collection  has required that Virginia spend approximately $37 million a year for roughly 26 years. This is just to buy standardized tests administered to Virginia students, but does not budget for the cost of computers, training, wi-fi, or staffing such testing requires. Districts are on their own for these costs.  Individually, these requirements seem reasonable to lawmakers and the Governor, but taken together they create a major funding dilemma almost every year for localities around the Commonwealth. The JLARC study of 2022 on school funding had ideas for and urged major changes in the funding formula and practices Instead of moving forward with changes, the legislature voted for a study of their study, and Governor Youngkin vetoed virtually all of the funding options and changes that could have altered this year’s finger-pointing festival.   Before considering inflation, the governor’s budget appropriates $156 million less in FY25 and $138 million less in FY26 compared to current-year General Fund appropriations to Direct Aid for Public Education. That’s almost $300 million less across the two-year budget, and is a 1.7% reduction in FY25 and a 1.5% reduction in FY26. - The Commonwealth Institute, January 2024 This year instead of pointing at one another, stakeholders might want to turn their fingers to the Governor’s mansion and urge the legislators to hold their ground on supporting JLARC recommendations and school funding.

Vanessa Hall's public input to the Fairfax County School Board on February 20, 2025 . My FCPS budget input comes in the form of a story.  Because I knew transitioning to high school would be hard for my daughter, our first stop was to meet the school psychologist--we’ll call him Mr. D--when she started high school.  And I’m so glad we made that connection, because Mr. D has been the primary adult she has gone to time and time again. In fact, in the first month of 9th grade, she had an insurmountable problem in ASL (not uncommon for dyslexics by the way).  Mr. D and I worked together to empower her to make informed, good choices, which enabled her to advocate for herself to move into a class where she thrived. With Mr. D’s guidance, my daughter went from feeling like a failure–and having grades that reflected those feelings–to getting nearly all A’s her Freshman year. In other words, Mr. D’s immediate efforts and availability supported my daughter to begin her high school career with confidence by empowering her to succeed rather than fail. My daughter is one of hundreds, if not thousands, whose education outcomes have been improved by Mr. D.  However, due to last year’s budget cuts, Mr. D is splitting his time between Woodson and Lake Braddock High Schools, which means he is available half-time at each school, causing instability for students who don’t know when he will be at their school. It also makes it hard for Mr. D to serve the individual needs of 5,000 students! Of course students can always see someone else, but we know that's not the same as working with a trusted adult who has an open heart and great guidance.  Every single school from elementary through high school deserves a Mr./Mrs./Mx. D. But last year’s budget cuts eliminated trusted adults from across the county and students are suffering. I bet their parents are suffering too. Please do whatever you can do to ensure that there are mental health professionals placed back in each of these schools to support our students who need them now. Thank you. 4 Public Education is dedicated to support students, staff, schools, and the community. However, mental health really requires professionals in many situations. Since it is hard to access mental health care for many, families should know that they can access care at their public schools and through public health. Click on this Photo for 10 Ways Parents/Guardians Can Help Teens Manage Fear

Four of the earliest school houses in Colonial America, (clockwise from top left) The Bray school of Williamsburg taught enslaved and free black children, The St. Augustine Oldest Wooden School House, the Boston Latin School, and the Staten Island Voorlezer's House. All these schools were in operation decades, some even more than a century before 1776, and some were operated with local tax dollars. When John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson were writing the Declaration of Independence during the hot summer of 1776, they knew that their ideas would only catch fire and spread if the people could read their words. All three were strong believers in education as necessary for an informed populace.  We honor that understanding and that fervor for democracy today.  On this 4th of July the prospects for our public schools are dire. The Reconciliation Bill the US Congress passed on July 3, 2025 is designed to destroy public education as we have known it; to impoverish and starve both the public schools and many of the children who attend them. Current political leaders would instead replace our common schools with a for profit set of “choices.”  But for today, 4 Public Education opts to reflect on both history and the future, and our belief in the power and importance of both a strong free public school system for all, and a government by the people, for the people, and of the people.  Today we honor the day with reflections from Holly Hazard, our founding President, Board Member Vanessa Hall, and a personal video memoir from Margaret Morrison given at the 2025 Network NOVA Summit. Thank you all for your support and activism, and for carrying the ideals of July 4th, and Education as a universal human right into our communities.

Join Fuse4Fauquier  this February 13th, 2024 at 6:00pm  to hear from Katie Lang and Darcy Kreutz, founding members of FUSE, on how grassroots advocacy has taken hold in Fauquier Public Schools.  FUSE is a group that believes public schools are essential to the community and our democracy, and that educators and parents should work together as partners who treat each other with mutual respect. FUSE believes that students learn best when they feel safe and supported! Katie Lang is a passionate advocate for public education who believes that strong schools build strong citizens and foster democracy. She is a founding member of FUSE, and a mother to five children. The majority of Katie’s professional career has been in the nonprofit world, focusing on ways to promote ethical conduct in organizational settings. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Portland, as well as a Bachelor’s degree, with a double major in anthropology and theology, from the University of Notre Dame. Katie will happily tell you that working with FUSE is one of the great joys of her life. She never ceases to be amazed by the dedication, passion, and extraordinary gifts her FUSE friends bring to this work.  Darcy Kreutz is a mother, teacher, and founding member of FUSE. Darcy teaches high school English in Fauquier County and previously taught at the middle school level in Southwest Virginia, and graduated from Fairfax County Public Schools. Darcy received a BA in English and an MAT in Secondary Education from James Madison University. In addition to her classroom and her work with FUSE, she serves as PTO Vice President, and is the Secretary of the local chapter of the Democratic Party.  When FUSE is in action, they are raising awareness and recruiting people to support our schools, advocating proper funding for schools, supporting members who are serving on and attending county wide committees, conducting and assisting in volunteer projects to benefit their schools as well as their community, and much more! If you’d like to get more active in supporting your local public schools through FUSE, you can also attend their Banned Book Club the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30, at the Open Book in downtown Warrenton. Katie Lang, FUSE Presented by FUSE,  Fauquier United to Support Education. Education's Katie Lang and Darcy Kreutz.

We are in our third week of the Virginia General Assembly, and bills are moving steadily through the committees and chambers. This is a relatively short session, with Crossover Deadline on February 18, 2026 and Adjournment on March 14, 2026. 2026 Priority Public Education Bills   The status of priority education bills for 4 Public Education and the Virginia Grassroots Coalition can be found at this  link and current calls for action can be found here.  For a wider view of bills passing in each chamber, go to this link.  General information about the General Assembly is available here.   Much Ado about Nothing and Taxes   Readers may be hearing the much hyped concern emanating from conservative media about democrats raising taxes , which makes it clear that fact-checking is not their thing! In fact, none of the bills causing them angst have passed in the General Assembly, and only two have passed out of one chamber and are now being considered in the other chamber. One of those bills allows jurisdictions to impose an additional and temporary 1% sales tax, but only if voters in that locality approve the increase with a referendum. The revenue raised would go toward school construction and renovation. More than half of Virginia’s schools are greater than 50 years old, and it will cost $25 billion to replace them. The bill  would give localities the option to put it to a local vote to impose this tax, and the bill will go into effect only if the voters agree in that locality.  A number of jurisdictions in Virginia already have asked for and been given permission to use this referendum in their jurisdiction. This bill just extends the local option to all jurisdictions. Regardless of what you hear, this is not the Democrats raising your taxes as it has been a bipartisan bill.   Constitutional Amendment Status Regarding bills for Constitutional Amendments , all seven passed in both chambers, but there is a hiccup with HJ4 , the redistricting bill. Thanks to a successful court shopping  effort, the court that heard the case blocked the bill  from advancing based on what they determined to be a procedural issue.  Democrats in the General Assembly have sought an emergency halt with the Virginia Court of Appeals and they set a date  to ask voters to authorize redrawing congressional districts. Voters have to remember that HJ4 would go into effect only if other states undergo redistricting .

Trump Administration Pushes Patriotic instead of Trustworthy American History If the Trump Administration gets their way, truthful American History curricula will be replaced with biased Patriotic Education in public schools. The Trump Administration is concerned that public schools are not producing students that are adequately “patriotic,” so their plan is to allow only the uplifting and ennobling parts of our history to be taught in K-12 public schools. Not only would the exclusion of a large part of American history be a change to the substance of school curricula, it would remove the responsibility for curriculum development from the States to one of heavy-handed censorship by the federal government.  “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” — George Orwell, 1984 Historically, states control the day-to-day school operations, including setting curriculum standards and educational policy. But the Trump administration wants a radical change. His Administration is mandating that schools teach Patriotism, meaning that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will now interfere with state development of curricula. The intent is to force students to “ love America ” by downplaying truths that cast America’s founders and historical events in a dishonorable light. For example, American history includes terrible and inconvenient truths such as: Japanese forced internment during World War II, massacre of native peoples, Thomas Jefferson fathering six children with enslaved Sally Hemings , and the Tulsa massacre  that decimated the successful Black-owned Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921 by a mob of white vigilantes and elected officials. Trump and his administration were inspired to make this change in anticipation of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Trump was concerned that Americans were not patriotic enough, particularly after the publication of the Pulitzer prizewinning 1619 Project , because it revealed details about the slave trade and enslavement in our country. Trump claimed that the 1619 Project was not only "inaccurate” it was “ toxic propaganda ” that would negatively influence patriotism  in the US.  Another factor influencing Trump’s desire for change was nationwide protests after George Floyd’s murder  in 2020. Trump used those protests to generate fear and racial discord, warning that protests over racial inequality were dangerous and that they threatened the foundations of our political system . In response to those events, and what the administration alleged was “decades of left-wing indoctrination  in our schools”, Trump established the 1776 Commission  in 2020 to restore “American education that would be grounded in the principles of our founding that is accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling.” Subsequently, Trump threatened to cut off funding  from schools that taught from the 1619 Project; however, two months later, he lost the election and President Biden discontinued that initiative.  After Trump was re-elected in 2024, he picked up where he left off by insisting on patriotic education. He signed a number of executive orders including “ Ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling ” where he claimed: “Parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight;”  “Students are forced to accept these ideologies without question or critical examination;” and  This “erode[s] critical thinking but also sow[s] division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine[s] the very foundations of personal identity and family unity.”  He directed Secretary of ED Linda McMahon to develop programs to promote patriotic education, and to release a supplemental priority  on Patriotic Education that directed a funding priority to “be used in grant competitions across the Department to promote a civic education that teaches American history, values, and geography with [what she claimed was] an unbiased approach.”  The Hubris of American Exceptionalism American exceptionalism  is a main component of Patriotic Education. It is the belief that the United States is distinctive, unique, and exemplary compared to other nations. Trump’s plan  is to encourage students to love their country unconditionally by teaching only the uplifting parts and ignoring the darkest parts of our country’s past, including slavery, the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans, racial segregation, and crimes and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. "American Exceptionalism Is a Dangerous Myth." — New York Magazine headline   History experts have objected to this. According to Sarah Weicksel , Executive Director of the American Historical Association, “Doing that flattens the past into a set of platitudes that are not rooted in the broader historical context, conflicts, contingencies and change over time that are central to historical thinking” and that view “has a narrow conception of patriotism and patriotic education”. Washington Post contributor Theodore Johnson goes further, suggesting  that this planned change in how history is taught “should not be considered patriotism but instead a means of curtailing oversight and constraints on the president.”  Project 2025, Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise,  suggested on pg. 319 that students are taught to be hostile to exceptionalism and that rather than teaching students “to hate their country” and feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of “actions committed in the past”, those topics should be avoided. Of course, this was said without evidence or scientific basis. Others have pointed out that true patriotism results from taking a critical look at how our nation has been imperfect, yet we can still respect it and the people who came before us. For example, a recent editorial by Theodore R. Johnson pointed out that knowing how the nation and its people improved over time can give us a true appreciation and feeling of loyalty to the laws, principles, and institutions of our country. One might say that this would be considered true patriotism, versus Trump’s blind , uncritical patriotism. Many Americans already understand that teaching the ‘dark’ parts of history in addition to the uplifting parts is not unpatriotic, but instead helps to accurately document how our country has evolved and improved. Also, it helps identify where we may still have work to do. By providing the whole truth to students, they develop their own sense of patriotism and appreciate the values central to our country. In contrast, the view of the Administration is a very narrow interpretation of what is patriotic education and their push for patriotic education appears to be a politically motivated power grab  rather than education.  Trump’s attempt to Eliminate African American History and America's Ugly History of Racism   The term “patriotic education” has become code  for teachings that omit or downplay important parts of history, such as slavery and segregation. Since the publication of the 1619 Project, both Trump administrations have called teachings about racism “left wing indoctrination” and “child abuse” . One of the current administration's earliest executive orders  threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that taught topics that Trump considered divisive, such as slavery and systemic racism, which they incorrectly labelled Critical Race Theory (CRT). In fact, those topics are not CRT because CRT is actually a legal framework to understand why racial disparities exist, not lessons on topics such as slavery and the civil rights movement.  The 1619 Project created by Nicole Hannah-Jones and the NYT Magazine Until recently, history textbooks barely mentioned  African American history causing some teachers to rebel against that whitewashing of textbooks . Much to the credit of the 1619 Project, the truth about early African American history became part of K-12 curricula in many school systems. President Trump’s executive order “ Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History ” has called for a return to whitewashing history of African Americans , seriously limiting what students may be taught and censoring much of the truth about African Americans history. Instead, the Administration used misinformation to justify censoring this part of history education, going so far as to allege that ‘White Privilege’ and ‘unconscious bias,’ actually promote racial discrimination and “undermine national unity.” Another example of the misinformation they share is that slavery should be portrayed positively  because it provided education and trades to the enslaved and gave them homes, food, and equal rights. This language is no different than much of the pro-slavery framing in the 19th century U.S. that argued for the "essential" nature of enslavement.   There is a vigorous effort underway to hide the truth about American History, and Trump released an executive order  prohibiting federal funding for exhibits or programs that “divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.” Trump ordered a review of all exhibits hosted by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service, and as a result removal of multiple artifacts  that don’t support the patriotic whitewashing push have been removed from public view. The artifacts removed were exhibits that called attention to the brutality of slavery. Most recently an exhibit about George Washington’s slave ownership was removed from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall  but Philadelphia is pushing back with a suit  against the Trump administration.   The president has threatened to cut off funding from schools that continue to teach material that he considers propaganda, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). However, not all school systems are complying with that order. In 2025, there were court rulings that blocked schools  from enforcing the ‘CRT’ ban. However, other suits  have been filed against schools for teaching ‘CRT ‘and also against those who suggested ways to get around the ban. The outcome of these competing rulings and the future of African American history in K-12 is yet to be decided. Meanwhile the Administration has abandoned its appeal of a court order blocking Anti-DEI Guidance  that had required colleges to eradicate all race-based curriculum, financial aid and student services, or lose federal funding. The motion to dismiss was jointly approved  by both the American Federation of Teachers and the ED.  Also troubling is the Trump Administration’s order  to change the mission of the Civil Rights office  in the ED. At present, there is a large backlog of cases involving discrimination against African American and transgender students while the office is prioritizing investigation of discrimination claims from White and cisgender students.  Progressive Ideology and LGBTQ+ Youth Support and Protection The Trump Administration insists that K-12 schools end alleged indoctrination of students with progressive ideologies. On Pg 319 of Project 2025, Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise , a rationale is provided: “ The Department of Education is a convenient one-stop shop for the woke education cartel” which “is not particularly concerned with children’s education” and is responsive to “leftist advocates intent on indoctrination”. This statement illustrates the power of conservative intent to reform K-12 education. In addition, the ED has rescinded Biden era policies  on data collection methods by removing the “nonbinary” gender category from the Office of Civil Rights data collection authority, and the use of preferred pronouns. In one of the administration’s executive orders  they made the claim that “parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children …while deliberately blocking parental oversight.” and “students are forced to accept these ideologies without question or critical examination.” Support for LGBTQ+ people is one of the anti-American ideologies on which the Trump Administration is focusing. The executive order uses inaccurate and inflammatory rhetoric to describe ways schools currently may be supporting LGBTQ+ students.  According to the order, gender identity is a “radical-anti-American ideology” that encourages students to “question whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed.” Of course, schools are only trying to support LGBTQ+ and other marginalized students, as they would any student, but the Administration claims that merely addressing a student by their preferred name or gender can “undermine national unity”.  The intent  of that order is to disallow “gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology” by threatening to withhold federal funds from schools that show support for students with gender identities that do not match their gender at birth. Also, the order warns that teachers may be prosecuted if they encourage a student’s transition, and claims that support of transgender students is “anti-American, subversive, harmful” and “a false ideology.” The administration is using the opportunity to stoke fear and outrage, by claiming that teachers have been known to “steer” students toward gender changing surgery without parental consent or involvement, although there is no evidence to support that outrageous claim.  There are a wide range of laws and policies regarding the support of LGBTQ+ students in K-12 schools. “ Some states have laws on the books   that require K-12 instructional materials to include and represent LGBTQ+ people and identities.” Yet, other states and school systems within states have anti-LGBTQ+ policies.  Policies protecting LGBTQ+ students from anti-LGBTQ+ bullying and harassment also vary widely among states and school districts  The legal basis for supportive and unsupportive LGBTQ+ policies is far from settled because there are simply so many suits that are currently undecided. For example, the ED alleged that   Northern Virginia school districts  violated Title IX with supportive transgender policies related to the use of bathrooms and locker rooms. Currently, the ED is trying to withhold federal funds from those districts that won’t follow the federal order , and some of those districts are suing the ED for those funds .  Flagrantly Ignoring Separation of Church and State It is clear that Secretary McMahon  plans to instill Christian values in public school classrooms, ignoring the principle of separation of church and state  that is in the first amendment to the Constitution. Others in the administration are equally motivated, including Meg Kilgannon , currently the Director of Strategic Partnerships in the ED, who stated that “The most important thing we need to educate students about is God”. Certainly the intention and the anticipated success of the new school voucher tax credit program is to send students from public to Christian schools .  A tenet of the Republican agenda is the belief that America is a Christian nation  founded for its white Christian inhabitants and that our laws and policies must reflect this. Many agree with that belief: a recent survey  revealed that 60% of Americans believe the founders of our country intended for the U.S. to be a Christian nation, and 45% believe ours should be a Christian nation today. Christian Nationalists deny the separation of church and state that was promised by our Constitution , and also they oppose equality for people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, and the nonreligious.  "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." — George Orwell, 1984 Many aspects of the Project 2025 document visualize how the US should operate based on ideology of Christian nationalism. For example, the chapter on the Department of Health and Human Services points to a reform that would promote stable and flourishing married Families (pg 452). They state that the “conservative promise” calls for ending the alleged focus on LGBTQ+ and equity. Also it calls for an end to subsidizing single-motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage. The solution offered is that we should instead support only policies that support the formation of stable, married, nuclear families. It appears that the Christian nationalism ideology embraced by the Trump administration will become used in our schools if the planned changes are allowed. There is no question that if Christian nationalism and its beliefs permeate our public schools it should be considered   dangerous to our democra tic form of government  and it should be recognized that this would go against our Constitution.  Spreading Trump-Approved History to Public Schools   Secretary McMahon is visiting K-12 schools in all 50 states as part of the "History Rocks!" Tour.  The stated goal of this tour is to foster "informed patriotism" by teaching founding principles, American history, and civic duties, emphasizing a "unifying and uplifting portrayal" of the nation.  This tour is a kickoff of the “ America 250 Civics Education Coalition ”, a partnership of more than 40 conservative organizations including America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, the Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College and other ultra conservative organizations. This group is chaired by the Fairfax GOP chair (and Moms for Liberty board member) Katie Gorka, which highlights the purely political nature of the coalition. They are working to create programming on patriotism to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. All  indications are that products from this collaboration will be used with recommendations from the 1776 commission to develop the Patriotic Education curricula ordered by the Trump administration.  The so-called “patriotism” that President Trump is attempting to force-feed the country, and particularly our children, would lead to a vastly more ignorant society because it would diminish the history, values, and culture of a large percentage of Americans. Patriotism is learned and appreciated through historical knowledge of morally right and wrong actions, including how society’s characteristic spirit, guiding beliefs and fundamental values change over time. Americans should be outraged that the Trump Administration is pushing a brand of biased patriotism that disregards historical truth and punishes true patriots. Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.   — George Orwell, 1984

The Inauguration of Governor Spanberger The house phone rang--for you younger folks, it's the “land line.” Since it is usually one of my 80 year old plus friends, I tend to let it go to voicemail. It was Wednesday, January 14 th , from Richmond and I knew that the House of Delegates and State Senate were already in session. “Hi, this is Vivian Watts!” She had an extra ticket to the Inauguration, and it was important to her that she share it with another female, given the historic nature of the event. I looked at my calendar and really didn’t have anything that I couldn’t work around. I’m glad I went. Delegate Watts is one of the longest serving public servants in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in both the legislative and executive branches. She was on the Inaugural Committee. The seats were on the Portico, second row. I could read incoming Governor Spanberger’s teleprompter. We were delighted to hear her speak so eloquently, acknowledging the importance of the moment, and the men and women who have gone before her.  Probably more captivating to me was the certainty of her Executive Orders : rescinding the 287-g agreement that allows extra-legal agents to terrify our communities; removing previous appointees to the public university boards; directives to identify cost savings for families; health care funding; and EO – 4, for inclusive education and closing opportunity gaps for all students. The Order directs additional resources to schools with the greatest need, while implementing effective assessment tools.  Executive Order, Number Four (2026) Committing to Academic Excellence and Affirming the Commonwealth’s Commitment to Providing a High Quality Public Education for all Students, Effective January 17, 2026. The festive atmosphere of the event did not obscure her clarity of purpose. She pointed out that we are one of four Commonwealths among the fifty states. Our uniqueness is that, at our core, our goal is to better the education, health, financial freedom, and safety of all Virginians.  In summary, organizations like ours, 4 Public Education, stood in the breach for four years, resisting the degradation and privatization of our outstanding public school system. There is a lot of work ahead to ensure that staff and teachers have the resources they need; families are included in the process; and students get the education to which the Commonwealth has declared they are entitled. Governor Spanberger, the State House and Senate swore to it. Nancy D. Hall, EdD (January 21, 2026) Nancy Hall is on 4 Public Education's Board of Directors as Secretary. Not only does she take excellent notes, but she always has a great story to tell and a helping hand to lend. If you were lucky enough to watch the Inauguration of Governor Spanberger on television, you can catch a glimpse of Nancy and her friends to the right of the podium.

Special Election: Learn more Here! You may have noticed that there are special elections around Virginia after so many wonderful elected officials have been appointed to Governor Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet. Here in Fairfax County, we have an open School Board seat, after Rachna Sizemore Heizer won the Braddock District Board of Supervisor seat vacated by James Walkinshaw. There is a special election for her vacated seat on the school board. In perso n voting runs at select locations from 1/16-2/28/26 and election day on March 3, 2026. See more information at Fairfax County Elections here . You can vote at the following locations on the following dates below: Weekdays, January 16 through February 27 (8:00 am to 4:30 pm) @Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax Saturdays, February 21 and February 28 (9:00 am to 5:00 pm) @ Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax @ Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke Centre. Weekdays, February 23 through February 27 (1 pm to 7 pm) @ Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke Centre. Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Election Day (6:00 am to 7:00 pm) * Vote at your regular polling location* There are two candidates for Braddock School Board non-partisan position. Tom Dannan  is endorsed by the Fairfax Democrats  after winning a competitive Democratic caucus. Earlier this month, I had an hour-long conversation with Mr. Dannan during which he shared his vision for the Braddock district, which included safe, inclusive schools, and a community with great educational opportunities for all students.  Mr. Dannan has children who currently attend FCPS. He has never run for public office before, but has been elected PTA President where he nearly doubled membership in the first year and increased fundraising by over 40% in the second year.  His website and his many endorsements can be found here .  Saundra Davis  is running as an independent. Her signature collection was facilitated by the Braddock District GOP, and she appears to be endorsed by the Fairfax GOP . I have been blocked from Ms. Davis’s campaign Facebook page after being berated by her friends and supporters, and have had poor interactions with her campaign manager, Cameron Ward, at a September Winsome Sears event  outside the Fairfax County School Board. Ms. Davis has no children currently in FCPS. Shas ran and lost for at-large School Board in 2023 and Delegate VA15 in 2025 as a Fairfax GOP endorsed candidate. She ran an unsuccessful effort to recall three Fairfax County school board members in 2021. A judge ruled one of the recall petitions “ not based on facts establishing probable cause for removal.”   Her website and associated endorsements can be found here . Click to learn about the candidate attack that "went viral" at the Braddock District Back to School Night It is important to know how a candidate treats their constituents, so it feels timely to share a harrowing story from last fall about a local Moms Demand Action volunteer’s terrifying interaction with one of the above-mentioned candidates at a Braddock district elementary school. It is a reminder that one must know both the positions and personality of the people running for school board, because school board members are in charge of children, families, and staff. Finally, they need to be able to treat people with dignity, safety, and respect.   NOTE: 4 Public Education feels that relevant facts and events should be reported when they pertain to the safety and security of our neighbors, but is not providing an endorsement in this race.

The 2026 General Assembly (GA) session convened on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The calendar for the session is available at this link .  2026 Priority Public Education Bills   Already some education bills are advancing to the respective chamber floors. The progress of 4 Public Education’s priority bills, which are listed below, can be followed at this link . Please click on the "Calls to Action" , where available in the bill description, to ask elected representatives to vote for the priority bills below. We thank you for encouraging our legislators to vote for these bills:  HB92 Equity in public school funding and staffing; at-risk Program established, standards of quality. Sam Rasoul is the Chief Patron . Please answer this Call to Action  to ask the House Education Committee members to vote for this bill that will provide equity in public school funding for schools with at-risk students.  HB199   Through-year growth assessment system; alternatives during 2024-2028 school years permitted. Sam Rasoul is the Chief Patron . Please answer this Call to Action  to ask your delegate to vote for this bill that will extend the period of growth assessment to the 2027 to 2028 School Year.   HB206   College partnership laboratory schools; transparency. Karen Keys-Gamarra is the Chief Patron.   Please answer this Call to Action  to ask your delegate to vote for this bill that will improve transparency in College partnership laboratory schools. HB279 Teachers; timeline and process for increasing salaries to at least national average. Nadarius E. Clark is the Chief Patron. Please answer this Call to Action to increase the salaries of teachers and support staff to at least the national average. SB33   Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding. Barbara E. Favola the Chief Patron. Please answer this Call to Action to ask the Senate Education and Health Committee to help at-risk students succeed in school by addressing health issues. SB66   Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in all counties and cities to support schools. Jeremy McPike is the Chief Patron. No Call to Action available.  SB90   Equity in public school funding and staffing; at-risk Program established, standards of quality. Barbara Favola is Chief Patron. Please answer this Call to Action to ask the Senate Education and Health Committee members to vote for this bill that will provide equity in public school funding for schools with at-risk students.  Constitutional Amendment Bills The seven constitutional amendment bills have passed in both chambers in consecutive years, with a House of Delegates election between those General Assembly sessions, so these bills will now each go to a vote in 2026  to determine whether Virginia will change the Virginia Constitution with these amendments: HJ1  and SJ1   Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom.   This amendment would provide that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, as defined in the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means.  HJ2  and SJ2   Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote.   This amendment would provide that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting.  HJ3  and SJ3  Constitutional amendment; marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry.   This amendment repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges .  HJ4   Constitutional amendment; apportionment, congress districts, limited authority of the GA to modify.  Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia related to the establishment of congressional districts. The amendment provides explicit authority for the General Assembly to modify one or more congressional districts, outside of the standard decennial redistricting cycle, in the event that any other state conducts a redistricting of the state's congressional districts outside of the standard decennial redistricting cycle or for any purpose other than complying with a state or federal court order to remedy an unlawful or unconstitutional district map.

Meanwhile the Nation Loses Critical Functions and Oversight 4 Public Education has warned about the Trump Administration’s major changes to public education . As has been the goal of the Republican party for the last 40 years, they intend to shut down the Department of Education (ED) even though closure should require Congressional permission  which they do not have . Nevertheless, the administration has successfully gutted the ED by:  Outsourcing many of its functions to other government agencies, despite a lack of agency familiarity with K-12 education; and Reducing the ED workforce from 4000 to 2000 employees in 2025, with another 400 soon to be lost .  If the Administration’s changes stand, this nation will lose mission-critical functions and oversight by the ED.  In 1979, the ED became a cabinet level agency, after recognition that federal oversight was needed to ensure equitable access to education for all students. Other functions included providing federal funding and oversight to improve student achievement and global competitiveness, managing student aid programs, enforcing civil rights laws, supporting innovations in education, collecting and disseminating data, and helping to implement national education policy, especially for underserved groups. In fact these many responsibilities of the ED  provide a clear counter argument to the suggestion by the Administration and others that a federal education department is unnecessary . In response, many Democratic and Independent US Senators have called the Administration’s actions illegal and have demanded the reversal of those changes.  In addition to reforms at the department level, the Administration has initiated on-the-ground measures designed to weaken public education. Efforts are ongoing to encourage students to leave public school for private schools by propagating a negative view of public education . Public schools are being starved into compliance  with the republican agenda by threats of withholding funding. Also a heavy-handed effort is underway to influence school curricula including demands to include lessons on patriotic history and remove lessons on black history. At the same time, there are contradictory efforts. For example, there is a plan to “return” control of education to the state s at the same time the federal government is forcing compliance with federal curriculum changes.  More Gaslighting from the Trump Administration When the ED was first established in 1867 , it had only about four employees and a small goal: to collect statistics on the status and progress in education across the states. It started during Reconstruction in a volatile political period. The political volatility led to its quick dissolution since the department was associated with Reconstruction efforts to rebuild the South  and educate formerly enslaved people, which many in the country opposed. Thus the dissolution of the ED was framed as it being an “unnecessary investment” and an “overreach of federal power”  but many recognized that it was mostly about opposing the education of Black students. This is not dissimilar to the efforts today to l imit education of Black students , weaken programs that are meant to fund students in high poverty communities, and gut the office of Civil Rights. Members of the Trump administration and their allies have been gaslighting the public about public education using falsehoods to get parents to reject public schools. For example, they claim that public schools are failing students  but they don’t acknowledge that public education is a two-tiered system  with great inequity in student achievement between high poverty and affluent communities.  It is clear that better funded schools have better student outcomes , and this is a reason that the federal government has been providing supplemental resources to disadvantaged students under Title I  . This funding is to close achievement gaps, but (ironically) the federal government is withholding funds from many communities, including Northern Virginia. Merely sending more students to private schools will not solve the problem of low-achieving students in high-poverty areas. We already know that help offered via vouchers to provide “school choice” will not improve student achievement, because private schools tend to raise the price of tuition by the voucher check value. As a result voucher benefits will land unequally  across states and the country, with greater harm to students caused by voucher schemes in rural and low income communities .  “Public schools aren’t failing, they’re starving.” - First Focus on Children Some try to create a negative view by claiming that public schools are dangerous and that they impose a Marxist, anti-God and anti-family agenda to indoctrinate students. That kind of misinformation helps the lobby for privatizing public schools , which have economic rather than student-centered goals. Part of the Republican agenda is a free market economy, and public education is just one area they target for privatization. However there are many problems associated with the privatization of public schools . Many communities that have supported privatization by accepting voucher schemes can testify to the fact that privatization initiatives have a dismal record . As a result of those failures there is a nationwide effort by educators to demand that lawmakers support public education.  Why do we financially support public schools? Public education is structured to serve everyone regardless of ethnic background, income status, physical or mental abilities, special education or accommodation needs, English language proficiency, or citizenship status. Also, public school buildings and employees tend to serve as anchors in communities. We support public schools with our taxes because education is too important to leave it to chance. Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy and a thriving democracy needs citizens to be educated. In addition to helping children become productive members of our society, public education provides the knowledge and skills to understand civic responsibilities and participate in the democratic process.  A healthy democracy needs citizens who are engaged, can make well-informed decisions about their government, and have critical thinking skills so they can actively participate in the democratic process.  “Stripping the [Education} department of its resources and mission would be catastrophic for the millions of students in low-income communities who need educational services and support. Civil rights protections against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability would also be gutted.” – National Education Association