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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 .

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.