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Saturday, March 12 was the last day of the 60-day 2022 General Assembly. However, the legislature had not completed their work so there may be a need for a special session. In addition to dozens of bills left unresolved, the budget has not been passed. Here is a description of the status of each high-profile education bill and the K12 education issues left unresolved in the Budget. High profile education bills that were defeated in the Senate include the "divisive concept" ban (HB 787), the bill repealing protections for trans students (HB 988 / SB 20), the bill that limited sports based on “biological sex” (SB 766), and the Charter School bill (SB 125). The Governor’s School Admissions bill (HB127) passed with substitutions from both chambers that effectively weakened the bill and suggests its passage was only symbolic. Still, the bill can be amended by the Governor. Other bills ready for the Governor’s signature but remaining subject to amendments by the Governor include the bill on parental notification of certain books (SB 656) and the Math curriculum bill (HB 938). Bills in conference include the bill that would make changes to the standards of quality (SB490) and the two Lab School bills (HB346 and SB598). Both versions of the Lab School bills allow conversion of existing schools and in the Senate version there are blocks for-profit colleges & 3rd-party management. These bills also are subject to amendments from the Governor. The only education bill that has been signed by the Governor includes the bill on in-person instruction and masks (SB739). The budget has not yet been resolved. The House proposes funding for items that were not included in either Governor Northam’s budget nor the Senate version, including funding for Lab Schools , an increased number of Principal and assistant Principal personnel , a greater allocation to schools from the lottery PPA, and dramatically less funding to early childhood education (< 1/7 of that in Northam and Senate versions) , and maintaining current staffing levels for teachers of English Language when Governor Northam’s and the Senate budget call for funding increases. The main sticking point in the budget is Governor Youngkin’s effort to double the standard deduction on personal income taxes and to eliminate the state’s tax on groceries. Although the House with a GOP majority passed a version of the budget with these changes; the Democratic-controlled Senate wants to study the standard deduction issue for a year because of its long-term impact on revenue. Although the Senate agreed to eliminate the part of the grocery tax levied by the state. It left a 1 percent levy that goes to localities untouched. This 1 percent is important to the funding of K12 public schools. Because the budget and some of the bills are not yet resolved, grassroots activism may still be needed in April. UPDATE: A reconvened Session is scheduled for April 27, 2022.

“August is the Sunday night of the school year for teachers.” -Mrs. Kelly Love I’m just a parent, but that statement struck me like a Staples office supply truck. The week before the first week of school is a mess of school open houses, school supply runs, last minute playdates, and attempts to recalibrate my kids’ wakeup schedule by three or five hours. How hard must that be for teachers, many of whom are also parents? How are they able to balance their own family needs with their job while under fire from right-wing media and constant underfunding of public education? Honestly, I don’t know, but I do know that there are things each of us can do to make things a little easier for teachers and staff: Be kind to teachers and support them when they are under attack. Whether this means writing an opEd, speaking at a school board meeting, writing to your school board or school, or pushing back on misinformed folks and angry trolls on social media. Just do it. Sign up for your school’s staff back-to-school luncheon in August and make (or buy) something great. Sign up for open PTA leadership positions so that fundraising can be maintained while the students and teachers continue to be supported. Joyfully, send in supplies, gift cards, and thank you notes, as you are able. Commit to regular volunteering in the classroom for Elementary School teachers. Personally, my favorite is art room support, where I can quietly prepare art supplies or actively support the teacher and students in class. In Fairfax, VA, some parents have pulled together a Facebook group to share teacher and staff wishlists for technology, books, and other school supplies. The group is an amazing effort to link those who wish to support teachers with teacher and staff Wish Lists. In the 2020-21 school year, it is estimated that teachers spent an average of $750 out of pocket on school supplies, including basic supplies and inclusive/adaptive materials. Locally, many PTAs help fund teacher needs, but the most they can provide is about $100/teacher, which can cover some basics, but not all the needs in a diverse classroom that supports learning of as many as 35 students. The organizers have even identified Title 1 Elementary Schools for additional support. This is important, as Title 1 schools rarely have as much PTA funding or fundraising capability as schools with wealthier parents. The DC area saw a spike of teacher resignations at the end of the 2021-22 school year. There are a myriad of reasons, but one that I have heard over and over is echoed by Kimberly Adams, former President of the Fairfax Educators Association, “Teachers are just feeling attacked by the public on every front. I don’t think we’ve heard enough from the people who support us.” Unless we do our part, the teacher shortage is expected to intensify across the nation. It is imperative that you find time, energy, and (if possible) money to show your support for teachers this August and for the rest of the school year. The quality of your child’s education may depend on it. As one special education teacher, David Walrod posted on his social media account (used with permission): "There is no teacher shortage. There are plenty of teachers. What we DO have is a shortage of teachers willing to continue dealing with the below-market pay, the lack of respect, the expanded responsibilities, and the attacks from certain sectors of the political spectrum." Now, please excuse me while my kids help me choose some wish list items to purchase ;-).

Below are my comments to the FCPS School Board on July 14th, 2022. The meeting video follow at the end of this blog. See my colleagues comments at a previous meeting that also speak to co-ed FLE at this blog post. I’m a member of FLECAC, Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee. I’ve heard people, most of whom are not FCPS parents, grossly misrepresent the committee and curriculum. Frankly, they seem to want to eliminate FLE altogether, thus I must address their primary points. First, FLECAC is composed of FCPS parents and students and guided by health professionals. We volunteered because of experience, interest, and a desire to support students. We discussed subjects thoughtfully with varying viewpoints, then made decisions for the better emotional and physical health of the students. It was both an illuminating and mundane experience. Any controversy about the committee is fabricated. Second, claims made about FLE are incorrect: Minors are NOT “sexualized.” In fact, FLE does the opposite by giving students the tools to understand their rights and responsibilities, make good choices, and know the importance of consent whether it is to drugs, alcohol, or other risky behavior. Currently, gender identity and sexuality are not permitted to be discussed in K-6th, so claims otherwise are incorrect. The committee unanimously voted for mixed-gender FLE because: It has been successful around the country and in Virginia. Students feel underprepared by single-gender FLE and feel it causes suspicion and ignorance. It supports students who are gender-nonconforming or transgender. Most students will be in heterosexual relationships, so learning about and discussing reproductive health together will enable them to communicate about health and expectations…together. Finally, by law FCPS FLE curriculum is abstinence-based. Those who complain about it, ignore that point. Parents should talk to their students about sex and reproductive health, as well, but most don’t because their own education on the subject may be inadequate or nonexistent. Please support mixed-gender FLE. Empowering students to make good choices is key to their social, emotional, and physical health. FLE is a difficult topic that needs to be done with care. The FCPS professionals who teach it take their duty to students and families seriously. Vanessa's remarks start at 1:57 in the below video.

Conservative media is portraying public schools as indoctrination camps. They pejoratively call them “government schools” while continuing their attack on civics teachers and librarians. They make so many factually incorrect statements that no one has enough time to research and contradict them all. Suffice it to say, where the right-wing critics see indoctrination camps, I see public education’s critical role in our society, which involves teaching students to think for themselves and develop problem-solving skills that will serve them well in their future. Where they see indoctrination, I see independent thought. Public schools don’t hand out answers to students, they encourage students to question and reach for the answer; thus, problem-solving and critical-thinking are integral parts of most curricula and everyday learning. Of course, problem-solving involves developing good research techniques; therefore, students learn things many adults did not learn in school, such as: formal research techniques, inductive thinking, how to identify connections, solve problems, and the ability to assess the quality of information sources (e.g., how to spot biased/faulty information). Public education doesn’t tell students WHAT to think, it teaches them HOW to think for themselves. Where they see “indoctrination of our youth with controversial, ideological concepts,” I see that schools are finally teaching the truths about institutional racism and the power of identity. These are truths that ALL of our students deserve to hear, regardless of their race or ethnicity. If students are given the truth about the continued impacts of racism on our educational system, legal system, and financial system, then they can choose to help right those wrongs in the future through knowledge, power, and reform. Of course, teaching U.S. history has always been controversial–the cycle of whether curricula are “anti-American” is well-documented. Nevertheless, I think much of the current controversy results from the fact that older generations learned a completely different history than is taught today…Lost Cause, anyone? Older generations, including my own, were indoctrinated to believe that our country could do no wrong, while today’s generation is learning U.S. history that includes both success and failure. Unfortunately, it turns out that history curriculums vary widely across the country, so that some states barely mention historically significant topics like slavery or the civil rights movement, which means many students are still learning partial or questionable U.S. history. Ironically, the loudest critics of public education rarely have any stake in the schools: they didn’t attend, nor do their children attend these schools that they criticize so heavily. Some of the loudest critics of public schools, like Betsy DeVos, come from faith-based schools. At least faith-based schools are brutally honest about their intent to religiously indoctrinate their students. That is their right; however, those who attack our public schools while sending their children to religious schools should be honest about where indoctrination is truly occurring. Others, like Florida Governor Ron Desantis are pushing curriculums that fully intend to indoctrinate students to an older white-washed version of history that is founded on “God-given rights” versus U.S. history, warts and all. From the first day to the last day of school, our public schools work to foster independence in students. Whether that is independence of thought or action, educators and staff encourage students to move toward being thoughtful, educated adults who are as prepared for their next steps as any 18 year old can be. We must continue to protect independence of thought and action as a cornerstone of public education. Independence is not indoctrination.

We came from across Virginia, from the valley to tidewater and from northern Virginia to just north of North Carolina, to talk about public education and how we can protect it for our students, educators, and families across this Commonwealth. In our day-long Education Leadership Symposium at the beautiful Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Henrico, Virginia, parents, educators, and leaders from our Commonwealth were hard at work on a Saturday. We identified how to engage and motivate parents. We talked about how to recruit and help elect pro-public school candidates. We shared how to create positive and proactive messaging that will get our message out to people and encourage them to act. We gave tips for how to build influence and lobby for strong public education initiatives. We examined best practices to ensure that every student in every zip code has access to the resources and support. We discussed the threats and what we can do to protect Virginia’s public schools from those who wish to sell them to the lowest bidder. We identified how fake grassroots organizations and dark money have influenced the national discussion and how to combat them. Universally, everyone in the room supported that public funds should remain public and that those who use misinformation and culture wars to threaten our children’s education need to be opposed on our school boards, in the public forum, and at the voting box. We all agreed that our children should not be used as political pawns, our teachers should not be political punching bags, and our schools should not be battlegrounds. Each person in the room committed to organizing for action to combat efforts that harm our students, teachers, and schools. No matter whether attendees were parents, educators, officials, or activists, they all agreed that our families are worth fighting for. Despite politicians and profiteers who stand in the way, we know that our students and educators are worth the effort to stand up against those who want to defund our schools in order to line their pockets. We are ready to work together to fight for all of our communities across Virginia to ensure that all students have access to free and appropriate public education without fear of being targeted for their gender, race, religion, country of origin, income-level, or identity. Thank you for all your feedback so far. Here are a few of the emails we received: "Outstanding program! Thanks to all for organizing such an effective event." "Thank you for the informative and well-planned event! It was lovely and affirming to be there and it gave me a much-needed dose of hope for public education." Join with us and Raise Your Hand for Public Education! Here are 4 quick actions you can take to join us in this work: Sign on to the 4PE Education Bill of Rights Send the 4PE Statement on the new Proposed Model Policy to your School Board Members Extend a personal invitation to 4 new advocates to sign up for the 4PE Connecting Champions email newsletter, using this link: https://www.4publiceducation.org/join-our-list Like, comment or share on a 4PE social media post in the next 48 hours. Together, we are ready!

Censorship, book banning, gun violence, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, mental health challenges, charter schools, vouchers, tax credits and dark money… all are taking their toll on our public schools, including students, teachers, staff and communities. To explore these topics and more, with the inspiration of speakers who are experts in their fields, 4PE and VPEP have organized a day of panel discussions. “Raise Your Hand for Healthy School Environments” takes place on Saturday, September 30th, 8:30am-4:30 pm, at the Chesterfield Career and Tech Center, 13900 Hull St Rd, Midlothian VA 23112. Join us as we seek ways to counter these assaults that threaten the very existence of quality public education. Visit the website raiseyourhandva.org for more information and to register for the event. You may choose to attend in person or view virtually.

Families across Fairfax County are busy with supply lists and getting kids out of the house on time, while teachers are working hard to familiarize students with new classes, rules, and school year. It is a time of exhilaration and exhaustion. 4 Public Education wishes you a happy, healthy 2023-24 school year. To start the school year off right, we have some tips: Signup. It is easy to sign up for school or FCPS newsletters, calendars, or PTAs. Feel free to sign up for the 4PE newsletter while you are at it. Be mindful of School Bus Transportation and Safety. The first couple of weeks involve delays and other issues. If you are having problems, contact FCPS Office of Transportation Services (not your local school) to fix routes, delays, or other issues. To keep track of your student’s bus, you can use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app or check the School Bus Delays page. Everyone has a responsibility for school bus safety. Students, adults, and bus drivers have rules to follow to keep everyone safe. Give grace to yourself and others. It is common to feel overwhelmed during the first weeks of a new school year for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Everyone deserves some grace and forgiveness when things are new and confusing. Talk to school staff. If something is not working for your student, start a dialogue with the teacher and/or administration. Many families are surprised to find out how willing schools are to solve a situation, particularly if it is interfering with a student’s educational success. Exercise your rights. FCPS has clearly outlined parent's and guardian's rights. However, as 4 Public Education has noted in its blog, you only have these rights if you are willing to exercise them. Remember that change is hard. Change is hard for kids and adults. If things feel overwhelming, sometimes it helps to stop for a moment to center oneself and do some deep breathing. If kids can do it, so can adults! Know your School Board. Fairfax County has 12 school board members, one for each magisterial district and 3 at-large members. Sign up for their newsletter.You can contact them by phone or email with questions or comments. Also, you have the right to provide public input during school board meetings. 4PublicEducation.org will host a seminar on School Board public input in September. May you and your student(s) have a wonderful school year!

Virginia’s Governor has declared war on public education with a sleight of hand. While touting himself as the “education” governor, he’s strategically whittling away at parents’ confidence in our education system through a “tip line”, the lie about a lack of “parent’s rights”, humiliating LGBTQ+ students and banning books, and even appointing a charter school leader as chair of our state board of education. He’s ignored the clarion call of the recent study from our legislature that our schools are on life support financially and need strong decisive leadership ­­and an infusion of funds. And the funds are there. Virginia is 26th in the nation on per pupil education costs ($13,132 per year.) We’re 28th in average salary per teacher ($58,506 per year). We’re an abominable 32nd in contributions to higher education per pupil at $7,215 (lower than Mississippi or Alabama.) According to JLARC, the entity charged with non-partisan research for the General Assembly “Virginia school divisions receive less K–12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14 percent more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average, after normalizing for differences in cost of labor among states. This equates to about $1,900 more per student than Virginia.” The study indicated our standards for measuring local school needs are flawed to the tune of $1.3 billion for salaries and that our funding for special education students has actually declined over the past 10 years while the need has increased by 17 percent. This would be just a sad story if we were in the midst of a recession or, perhaps, a pandemic. But we’re not. In fact, the Governor just boasted about the staggering $5.1 billion excess in funds in our state budget. And this is after he gave away $4 billion in tax cuts the year before. This should be any politician’s dream­­‑‑an intractable problem with broad public support, a windfall of cash with which to solve the problem and a roadmap of exactly what needs to be fixed. So where is Glenn Youngkin? Our so-called “education” Governor is cavorting around the world from Asia to France, and sloughing off questions about his future professional aspirations. He wants to give more money to the wealthy and ignore the pleas of our schools with infrastructure crumbling, teachers fleeing and at-risk children afraid to attend. While we can’t do anything about the Governor this year, we can address this challenge at the local level. Every single neighborhood in Virginia has a school board race this year. And never has the choice been more clear. We have many strong, competent, committed advocates running to represent you and your children. We also have an unprecedented number of anti-public school, anti-LGBTQ+, anti book, anti-history advocates dressed up as “parent’s rights” advocates who have infected these races. Now is the moment for anyone who believes in a quality education for every child to do four things: Find out who is running for school board in your neighborhood and make your choice. Ask each candidate if they support public education for all, teaching truth in history, letting librarians run our libraries, and fully funding public education. Talk with 5 neighbors about the race (and how they can vote early and vote by mail.) Volunteer just 3 hours for a candidate, either by canvassing or phonebanking. Remember, these candidates get very little help from either Party and they are the most vulnerable to voter confusion at the ballot box. Donate. Even $10 will make a difference. If ever one vote made a difference, it will certainly be this fall. Help 4 Public Education help Virginia. Talk with your neighbors and vote.

Although the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action may have sweeping effects among colleges and universities, it is unclear whether it will affect the admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), a top ranked high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. Opinions range widely from some predicting that the revised TJ admissions standards are “doomed,” while other opinions feel the current ruling is not applicable to TJ admissions, because the reforms enacted in 2020 are consistent with Supreme Court recommendations of race-neutral admissions. Fairfax County (and the nation!) awaits word on whether the Supreme Court will take up the Coalition for TJ case, despite a recent ruling in favor of the Fairfax County School Board (FCSB). In May 2023, the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system won an expensive two-year legal battle with Coalition for TJ over the revised TJ admissions policy. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier ruling by a lower court that had ruled that the revised TJ admissions policy was illegal “racial balancing.” The appeals court noted that the admissions policy was, in fact, race-neutral and thereby legal, which followed recommendations by previous courts regarding the use race-neutral admissions criteria. The recent win for FCPS and FCSB came after a protracted fight by well-funded groups intended to upend the race-neutral admissions standards nationwide. Originally, the case was brought against the FCPS Board in 2020 by the Coalition for TJ, a small group of activists that were represented by Pacific Legal, a conservative foundation whose primary objective involves fighting against affirmative action in higher education. After the revised policy was upheld by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in May, the Coalition for TJ and Pacific Legal announced they planned to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, despite the fact that students from the original case are no longer involved, as they are sophomores and juniors in high school. The lawsuit by the Coalition for TJ does not name any current students in its case, yet it alleges that the revised TJ admissions policy discriminated against Asian American students, and that admissions decisions are not based on merit. It has been suggested that the Coalition for TJ lacks support of most current TJ parents and students after two years of protracted internal conflicts at the high school, as evidenced by the miniscule number of current TJ parents and students who attend Coalition for TJ rallies and events. In fact, there was considerable discussion among prospective TJ parents who considered suing the Coalition for TJ for holding up the TJ admissions decisions for the class of 2026. Whether this was a joke or not, it is clear that sentiment in Fairfax County has changed after protracted attacks on the TJ community and PTSA over TJ admissions and National Merit commended certificates. Additionally, there are a number of local and national Asian American organizations that support the race-neutral TJ admission policies, which increase diversity, provide fairer access to education, and agree with the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Some well-respected organizations like Hamkae Center, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, TJ Alumni for Racial Justice, Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development have signed on to an amicus brief in support of FCPS and the school board. Other local civil rights community groups that support the admission reforms include CASA Virginia, Hispanic Federation, and Fairfax NAACP. Despite the Coalition for TJ’s assertions otherwise, many Asian Americans are in favor of affirmative action, particularly students who would be directly affected by such policies. Similarly, national opinions on affirmative action also run the gamut, as recent polls show. Some polls show that the majority of Americans agree with the Supreme Court decision and other polls suggest that the majority of Americans do not agree with the decision. Not surprisingly, opinions tend to divide on political lines. In a recent Pew survey 77 percent of Republicans did not see a need to do anything to ensure equal rights for all Americans. Similarly, a 2022 survey conducted by FiveThirtyEight indicates that up to 25% of those surveyed think that discrimination against white people is greater than that against other ethnic groups (!). Nonetheless, the majority of Americans support affirmative action in both higher education and the workplace. Mildred García, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, shared concerns that “civil rights legislation has not been nearly enough to address or correct more than 350 years of discriminatory practices intended to keep people of color away from higher education institutions,” thus she is supportive of race-conscious admissions. Additionally, a recent Pew Research poll showed that more than one-half of Asians who have heard of affirmative action believe that it is a good thing. Regardless of one’s opinion, the considerable expense and effort allocated to end secondary education affirmative action programs aimed at helping underrepresented groups attend college should give pause to all in this debate, including the Supreme Court. The most recent Supreme Court decision is contrary to 45 years of precedent established by previous Supreme Court decisions. The Supreme Court has been ruling on affirmative action cases since 1978 when it upheld the use of race as one of the factors that could be used in admissions decisions. Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, stated that the recent decision showed the Court is “ignoring its own long-standing precedent, and distorting the legacy of the seminal decision in Brown v. Board of Education — which held that society must not turn a blind eye to racial inequality and an take necessary measures to address it.” The impassioned dissents by Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor have pointed out the potentially devastating impact of the Court’s ruling. Justice Brown Jackson noted that “deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life,” and Justice Sotomayor noted the decision rolled back “decades of precedent and momentous progress.” "Deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life." - Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court Justice John Roberts wrote in the recent majority opinion that colleges can still consider an applicant's essay and “how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise”. This gives institutions of higher education some ‘wiggle room’, but as Roberts cautioned, this can not be used as a way to get around the ruling. The biggest difference between the prospective Coalition for TJ case and those of the University of California and University of North Carolina is that the latter cases involved race-based admissions, while TJ uses race-neutral criteria to make admissions decisions. Since the recent Supreme Court opinion suggests that schools rely on race-neutral rather than race-based means of improving diversity, 4 Public Education is confident that the decision by the 4th Circuit Court should be upheld by the Supreme Court, if in fact the Supreme Court decides to hear the case. Cover photo by Chip Somodevilla for CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/us/affirmative-action-asian-americans-qa-cec/index.html

Meg, an eighth grader, has struggled with suicide. After seeking help, they bravely share their experience to the Fairfax County School Board on May 25, 2023, in order to help parents and other adults know how to support their own children and students in Fairfax County. This speech, research, and consultations with mental health experts are part of their Silver Award project for Girl Scouts. Please note that this speech contains sensitive content. “Don’t judge a situation you’ve never been in,” Mitchell Perry once said. Hi. My name is Megan, and I am a teen advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Do you know the famous Judy Garland, aka Dorothy? She was also suicidal despite the smile on her face in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, and in her everyday life. This shows that you can still be suicidal despite appearing “fine.” Your friend can be suicidal and show up to gatherings and their job. Your neighbor can be suicidal and still show up to annual ice cream socials and laugh along with you and the rest of their friends. Your very own child can be suicidal and tell you they’re “fine”. You might ask, “Megan, how do you know so much about this topic at such a young age?” The answer to that question: I felt this way, too, when I was 11 and 12 years old. Suicidal thoughts is like fighting with your very own mind every day and just begging for it to be over. I see my friends hurting every day, and it breaks my heart knowing that they’re hurting. But are too afraid to say something in fear that their parent(s) won’t believe them, or simply saying they’re overreacting, and it’s all in their head. And yes, I’m sure you might say “not my child”; I am here to tell you, yes, your child. Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 15-24? Did you know that almost 17% of teens, grades 8-12 throughout Fairfax County, have reported that they had thought of suicide in 2021, and about 6% of them going through with it? So yes, it could very much be your child. What I’m hoping is that parents not in this room, but throughout Fairfax County, understand and believe your children when they say they are struggling with suicidal thoughts; do not say they’re overreacting or are too sensitive. If you’d like more information, please look at the Instagram page, @yourmentalhealthisapriority, as they have great information on how to care for your loved ones with mental illnesses. Please click here, if you are a parent of a high schools student who would like to know more about the free online teletherapy services offered through FCPS. Additional mental health resources in Fairfax County and in public schools can be found here.