At the Virginia Statehouse: Priority Education Bills are In Play
This is the second full week of the 2025 General Assembly and all 4 Public Education’s priority education bills are still in play, either being heard on the chamber floor (HB1954), advancing through the committees on the way to the floor, ( SB977, SB979, SB1262) or still in Committee (HB 2118, HB2196) so far. Meanwhile work on the budget has begun.
The following are details about 4 Public Education’s six priority education bills in three categories, and the budget that pertains to K-12 public education.
Restorative Practices in Schools
Restorative practices in school are known to produce positive outcomes and it is time for the Commonwealth to make the investments to bring Restorative practices into more of its school systems. Focusing on positive relationships and using evidence-based approaches to guide student behavior are restorative practices that are designed to prioritize students’ safety by helping students to feel welcome and supported. These practices have been shown to lead to fewer disciplinary issues and a safer and more positive school environment..
Restorative practices emphasize conflict resolution and repairing harm rather than the more traditional and punitive discipline that sometimes pushes students out of the classroom. Restorative practices can help to promote respect, dignity, and mutual concern; repair harm within the school community; create emotionally and physically safe learning environments; give all students a voice, and; empower students and staff to take personal responsibility for the school community.
Two of 4 Public Education’s priority bills call for funding a pilot program on Restorative Schools and there are two quick and easy calls to action readers can complete to tell our legislators to pass the bills that support Restorative Schools. They are linked here for the House of Delegates and Senate. Both bills are important so please answer both calls to action.
New Accountability Framework
In 2024 the Virginia Department of Education approved a revised accountability framework scheduled to go into effect in 2025. However there are problems with that revised framework making it essential to conduct a thorough review and make any necessary changes before the revised framework is implemented.
There are two easy and quick calls to action telling our legislators to vote YES on the bills that support delaying implementation of the revised accountability framework until appropriate reviews are conducted. The bills are linked here for the House of Delegate and Senate. Both bills are important so please answer both calls to action.
Funding for K-12 public schools.
Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy, yet Virginia seriously underfunds its public schools, as was documented by Virginia’s Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission (JLARC). By way of example, the Commonwealth’s per student funding level is 41st in the United States, between that of Mississippi and Missouri. This problem is made worse by the fact that public schools are primarily funded by localities, largely through property taxes.
This means localities with lower income levels have less funding available for education. School divisions in rural areas, those that have large immigrant populations, or those that are in communities with a high share of poverty, have fewer resources per student to invest in schools, making it harder for their students to obtain a quality education.
The Commonwealth Institute reports “... over the past few years, community advocates in partnership with education champions in the legislature have made progress — winning historic investments in our P-12 schools, with more of it distributed in an equitable way. And with a system of intentional, equity-focused policies that includes investing in schools and families, we can make high-quality education a reality for every student in every zip code.” But we have a long way to go before schools in rural areas, in low income communities, with large immigrant communities receive the funding they need to support students in their communities the way they need to be supported.
The Education Budget
The money committees in the House of Delegates and Senate are currently evaluating the Governor’s budget amendment proposals for 2025-2026, and those committees will publish their proposed amendments on February 4. That will be followed by a period of negotiation between the Governor and legislature culminating in a revised budget.
As in past years and despite surplus revenues being available recently, the governor’s proposed budget amendments make very few substantive improvements in our public schools. Instead, most of the “improved funding” to education claimed by the Governor is actually an allocation to school construction using funds that were already set aside for that purpose or for public education in general, and some one-time funding for new tests. Most disturbing, in his amended budget the governor proposes that some of the public school funds be diverted to private schools. This is despite research showing mixed to negative outcomes on student achievement when states offer vouchers. Also, it is well known that the private schools receiving the money are not held accountable, are not prevented from discriminating against student applicants or those enrolled, and lack transparency measures. This proposed diversion of funds to private schools is consistent with the Governor’s recent efforts to move toward privatization of public education in Virginia.
The Commonwealth Institute explains:
Diverting public funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Using state dollars – whether in the form of tax credits or opportunity scholarships — for private schools leaves fewer resources available for public school students. And research shows that private school vouchers do not improve – and often harm – student outcomes. This $50 million (in the Governor’s proposed budget for private school scholarships) could instead go toward addressing the decades-long underfunding of the public school system.
There are bound to be some heated discussions over the budget this year, and 4 Public Education will relay any needs for advocacy. Meanwhile, for more information on Virginia’ budget, including the education component of the budget, readers can attend a webinar on Wednesday, February 5. 2025. Please register at this link.
Recap of the Calls to Action included above - please click to support!
THANK YOU FOR RAISING YOUR HAND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!
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