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Earlier this month, representatives for 4 Public Education met with Dr. Michelle Reid, the new superintendent for Fairfax County Public schools to discuss our programs, concerns and our commitment to working with her to confront the challenges facing our schools and to help our schools reach new heights. Several of us had already become familiar with the superintendent through participation at school board meetings and attending one of the many “listening sessions’ she is holding throughout the county. We were impressed. Early in our meeting she apologized as she read an urgent text. Another student at one of our high schools had overdosed and needed medical care. Dr. Reid explained her extreme concern with the numbers of students overdosing, and the availability of drugs at our high schools. We don’t have the necessary treatment bed for adolescents in our county. We have little support for students with addiction problems. This issue must be addressed. While this isn’t only an issue at our schools, it is an issue in our schools and our government should be working together to ensure every child gets the help they need as a baseline to protecting and educatiing our children. Dr. Reid also noted that since she’s been on the job she’s discovered that only 37% of income eligible children are enrolled in our pre-K programs. The issue isn’t due to funding—it’s due to a lack of space. Federal money is available for these programs. It is unconscionable that is a county as wealthy as Fairfax, and with so much empty commercial space, we have any children not in a pre-k program as these programs are the great levelers for all kids—ensuring that our children start kindergarten on a more level field. We can’t have the equity envisioned by the One Fairfax initiative if our youngest and most needy residents aren’t getting the lift up they need to succeed in school. She is setting her expectations for academic standards at a high level and has set clear goal for the system to ensure they are achieved. She also talked about the need to reinvent our conception of education as the careers many of our children will have don’t even exist today. Our world is moving so fast we need to become creative in the methodology of education so that we are teaching children skills that will be applicable for their work experience in the decades to come. As you would expect of any great teacher, she took complex concepts and, on a sheet of paper drew diagrams for us to make her points clear. When I pushed back on her resolve that all kids should learn algebra, noting that some kids may not be ready, she showed me, with grace, an algebraic equation that kindergarteners could solve. Dr. Reid is an intellect, a gifted listener, a bridge-builder and an educator committed to the ideal the every child in FCPS can and should excel. Our students are in good hands. Read Dr. Reid's weekly reflections here. Follow Dr Reid on Instagram Learn more about opioids in Fairfax County and how to get help here. Information and resources on FCPS early childhood education programs. Learn more about advocating for early childhood education and school readiness in Fairfax County.

On May 19, Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary Aimee Guidera, and Superintendent Jillian Balow held a press conference to release their report on education in Virginia. The themes in the 34 page report maintained that Virginia schools had “sporadic sharing of data, lowered expectations, and declining achievement.” The team put forward that Virginia schools were in such “alarming” shape that a serious re-alignment and changes they are prepared to make must be implemented. It was a shocking report for a state that has consistently been ranked in the top five in the country for performance in spite of the legislature’s continued underfunding (Virginia is 41st in funding). Unfortunately, the data used to produce the report was such a mis-matched collection of disconnected data points and inflammatory language that it is nearly impossible to connect the report to any reality about Virginia schools, students, or parents. A fact-check list of their incorrect assertions would be as long or longer than the report itself. For instance, the report uses percentage drops in individual NAEP test results without referencing that Virginia’s scores on those tests are higher than the national average. Much of their case uses recent Covid impacted scores that exist for all states and nations, juxtaposed with long discredited ideas about standards, testing, accountability, and rigor that have been debunked by the results of the very tests the Governor’s office seeks to use. The NAEP test which Gov. Youngkin’s administration puts forward as the standard of data, shows that 25 or more years of push to more testing, more rigid evaluations, and more school privatization has neither closed achievement gaps nor improved performance. Simultaneously, they ignore the need to fully fund Virginia’s public schools and provide badly needed infrastructure updates to facilities. Yet, Gov. Youngkin, Sec. Guidera, and Supt. Balow use old ideas from groups like Achieve, formed to push Common Core and more testing, as evidence that Virginia is not doing well. It is deeply disturbing that Gov. Youngkin and his team remain committed to using old failed ideas from commercially motivated sources to make their case to disrupt and dismantle one of the greatest school systems in the country.

Before we begin, please take the following multiple choice exam: On November 17th, when the Virginia Superintendent of Schools presented the state Board of Education with her revisions to the proposed Social Studies and History Standards of Learning for grades K-12, which entity called these changes, “hastily and irresponsibly prepared” and “flawed”? A. The Virginia Education Association B. The Senate Majority Leader C. The contractor who wrote the revision for the Department D. 4 Public Education If you guessed C). “the contractor,” you would be correct. Yes, the document she prepared was so unprofessional, lacking in important details, lacking in appropriate organization that, after a scathing 4-hour public hearing, she wrote a letter of apology for her shoddy work. She did manage to try to excuse her performance at the hearing by taking a dig at the 100s of citizens who drove for hours or wrote an email to plead with the Board not to accept these changes. She branded these activists as part of an “organized political attack.” The word “snowflake” comes to mind. The speakers included students from the College of William & Mary and University of Richmond asking the Board to reinstate the work on Martin Luther King and the civilizations of Africa into the curriculum as they did not see any people who looked like them in a history lesson until they got to college. An Asian activist broke down while testifying about her sense of otherness in the proposed curriculum as Asian Americans were largely excluded. A native American shamed the Board by noting that, despite the rhetoric in the proposed draft, he and his tribe are not “the first immigrants,” but rather, we were all convening the meeting on land that had belonged to his tribe. The morning of testimony was emotionally rich, personal and compelling. It’s quite telling that all this professional heard was cynical noise. The objections to the draft ranged from leaving out entire cultures that helped build the nation, to adding complicated and inappropriate lessons, to simple mistakes of basic grammar. The Commonwealth requires our children to sit for hours and memorize rote facts for standardized testing we call the “Standards of Learning” or the “SOLs” In the past two decades these tests have become ubiquitous and, many would argue both inequitable and counter-productive to a vibrant, creative, welcoming teaching environment–both for the students and the teachers. The Virginia Department of Education is charged with revising the SOLs every 7 years to keep pace with new priorities in education and to undo the biases that creep in. This year with the naked weaponization of testing to indoctrinate our children with an extreme Eurocentric bias, and whitewashing the contributions of people of color, AAPI and other cultural roots of American history, we should all take a look at what we gain and what we lose by championing these tests. The test companies make millions and they employ highly paid lobbyists to Richmond to ensure this business keeps expanding. As parents and community members we should be asking ourselves if these tests, especially at the elementary school level, bring more value than harm­ especially if they are now being used as tools of bias and inequity. Despite being almost 6 months behind in the revision process, the Board of Education did not adopt the proposed draft. Instead, it directed the Superintendent to go back to an earlier version that hundreds of experts worked on for over two years and to work with both that, and whatever she can glean from her proposal and present the Board with a new option. 4 Public Education will be watching and we stand ready to act when the new proposal is made public.

On Tuesday June 20, Virginians went to the polls in the preliminary stage of electing a new legislature. There are 140 seats in the Virginia legislature: all are up for election in November. Of those 47 were on the ballot Tuesday. Thirty-one were Democratic and sixteen were Republican. A large number of the state’s local school board and county board races are also in play this year, but most of those are happening in other non-partisan selection processes. Trying to make sense of the many reports covering the Virginia primaries is like coming into a competitive ball game in the 4th inning. Lots of people want to predict who will win in the end and make sense of the first four innings of play, but much of the discussion is slanted based on which team you are rooting for. Lots of Glenn Youngkin fans are touting that he won ten out of ten on his endorsements, but that overlooks that most of the Republican candidates were pre-selected in closed local conventions, and he did not endorse a candidate in nine of Tuesday’s Republican contests. It also ignores that when conservatives invested resources to exert influence on outside races, such as the three Northern Virginia states attorneys races, they failed. Progressive organizations are similarly pleased with their victories, like Emerge Virginia that promotes women candidates counting they now have 50 Emerge trained candidates in or running for the legislature in the fall. Similarly, Moms Demand candidates came out victorious in tough races in Northern Virginia. So what do the results of Tuesday’s elections predict for our children and their schools? Much as pro-public schools voters would like to cheer the departure of radical anti-schools candidates like Dave LaRock, Amanda Chase, and Tim Anderson, sadly the opponents who beat them may be less flamboyant, but they are just as radical in their voting records and position statements. So, though Republican candidates may be toning down the rhetoric around schools, they are not moving toward the center in their policy goals. For instance, Glen Sturtevant who beat Amanda Chase, voted in the past for all the same anti-schools bills and policies that she did. Also, unlike his opponent, Wren Williams did not brag about being at the January 6th insurrection, his website includes a tab insisting that “school choice” is the solution for rural education. On the Democratic side, there is a mixed bag of socially conservative Dems who lost, and new strong public school proponents who didn’t make it. Certainly, more conservative Dems like Chap Petersen and Joe Morrissey paid for movement too far into right field, but in Prince William County Ben Litchfield, a strongly pro-schools House candidate also didn’t succeed in the primary. Overall, we will need to play it out, and see what the score is in the last inning in November. What’s most important as voters is that we ask every candidate to support public money for public schools, and to provide adequate resources for all children of Virginia.

It is hard to describe how inspired we felt after last weekend's 2023 Network NOVA Women's Summit after: Rubbing elbows with those who make legislation to support, protect, and educate our students. Listening to those who are changing the education landscape by ensuring that we fully fund public education, empower citizens, and engage rural communities. Hearing stories of the culture wars that are overwhelming our beloved local schools and communities. Learning how to support our students, educators, and families through focused action and messaging strategy. Since it is hard to capture inspiration, we made a short video. Enjoy. Many thanks to Network NOVA for their leadership and coordination of this event, and great appreciation to all of the speakers, sponsors, and attendees who made this event so great.

Hi, My name is Emily Ocasio and the last time I was speaking here it was the 2nd annual women’s summit and I was just 14. You may remember, I shared a poem titled “I can’t vote, Here’s why you should.” Now I am here again, 18 years old and I just recently voted in this year’s democratic primary and I can't wait to vote in my first election. I’m also looking forward to heading to college in the fall, but as a student one of the things I’m most afraid of is the current attack on education. They aren’t just banning books, they are censoring teachers, editing curriculums, and defunding public schools. They are making higher education harder to obtain by being against relief for student loans, by removing affirmative action, and by keeping college unaffordable for most. They don’t really believe that college or education is unimportant, they KNOW how important it is, that's precisely why they want to keep US from going. But at the same time they are preparing the next generation of Kavanagh's, Ted Cruzs, Josh Hawley, all of whom went to schools they would claim are "breeding grounds for woke elitism" (Yale, Princeton, Stanford). Remember that a republican senator called Obama a “snob” for wanting to make higher education more accessible? The colleges that they want to convince you are bad for your kids, are their training grounds for their next lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, and supreme court judges. The ones who are going to be on the front lines of the battle against our rights. So at a time when education is under attack, seeking truth is revolutionary. Since I spoke last, I’ve been working on a lot. Until recently, I served as the CEO of a 501c3 nonprofit which helped empower marginalized students to pursue STEM careers. I also learned how science and technology helps us understand the world we live in. I used artificial intelligence to analyze millions of newspaper articles and look at the language used to describe homicide victims. I found that, in fact, the use of humanizing language to refer to the victims was related to the race, gender, and age of the victims. For example, black boys were 30 percentage points less likely to receive coverage that was humanizing than white children. I care about STEM and research and the scientific method, because it's one way I’ve learned to find truth in the world around me. But there are many ways to find the truth, and they are systematically hijacking all of them: We find truth in science, being pro life seems may seem more logical if you think someone can only be impregnated if they are consenting to the sex. We find truth by learning how to think and question from teachers who aren’t criminalized by teaching the curriculums they believe in. We find truth in history, which is why they are so afraid of AP African American history, and critical race theory. We find truth when we are able to go to school without living in fear of being harassed for our genders or sexualities, of being infected with a virus that could kill us, or of being slaughtered with an assault weapon. We find truth in stories, we are pushed the most by the ones that leave us uncomfortable, which is why banned books matter. I am proud to stand here, as a person who seeks truth, in a room of my fellow revolutionaries, because: We are the party of science when others are trying to spread misinformation. We are the party of openness when others are the party of banning books. We are the party of the truth when others are the party of fake news. Truth is the most powerful weapon we have. And only with the truth, will we win. Emily Ocasio gave this speech during the Change Makers Brunch at the 2023 Women's Summit. Emily is an accomplished 18-year old who will be heading off to college this fall. She leads the program operations of the Girls Computing League when she is not working to change the world.

Although it was nowhere on the Virginia Board of Education agenda, nearly all public input today, July 27, 2023, was about Youngkin's so-called “Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students.” Although it is hard to tell how many, but a number of the speakers who supported Youngkin's policies are part of a dark money network that have been attacking public education and the LGBTQIA+ community for years. A number of those in the room found their statements to be disturbing, inaccurate, and dehumanizing. The speeches of two 4publiceducation.org members (Mike Karabinos and Cheryl Binkley) were featured in this CBS 6 News story (video below) along with others rejecting the Youngkin policies. We at 4publiceducation.org reject Youngkin's "Don't Be Trans" policies and want to reaffirm our support for LGBTQIA+ students, staff, community, and their families and friends.

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 specia l educatio n 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 .