Report Out on the 8/28/24 Virginia Board of Education Meeting
Despite citizens across Virginia rallying to action, the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE), approved Governor Youngkin’s Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) amendments to Virginia’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan per Nathaniel Cline’s reporting in the Virginia Mercury. This is not surprising since VBOE is made up almost entirely of Youngkin appointees who overwhelmingly have voiced support for defunding public education and/or work directly with groups that support charter schools and/or private education.
The lone dissenting vote was Ms. Anne Holton, a Former Secretary of Education and board member appointed by Governor Northam, who echoed the concerns of many of the speakers during public input when she expressed that she felt the new VDOE system was “fundamentally flawed in a number of ways” including that it ignored “loud, persistent” feedback from parents, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), School Board Association, Teachers’ Associations, and assessment directors in the divisions, the folks who most understand this system and its implications,” all of whom represent thousands of Virginia voices. She added that the plan is not “fully fleshed out,” lacks modeling of potential impact on schools and families, and that it will be hard to implement because the associated VDOE offices are already “over-extended.”
As 4 Public Education has noted, this policy change makes schools all over Virginia ripe for takeover, reputational damage, and privatization. However, before that happens, all schools and educators will need to quickly adjust to new student measurement plans, which will change all of the curricula, supports, and education methodologies they’ve developed over the last decade. All of this is expected by Younkgin’s VDOE with no promised additional financial support to our schools and students.
Unfortunately, the meeting was delayed by an hour-and-a-half and was sparsely attended despite the importance of the accountability plans which will completely change how schools are judged by the Youngkin VDOE, and will have extensive and possibly devastating consequences in many communities. Citizens’ concerns regarding these changes are below.
One cannot help but note that the atmosphere in the room was not welcoming, as Chair Grace Creasy seemed either annoyed or bored by the public feedback. She displayed extra irritation in the face of additional speakers and admonished participants for clapping. Her comments and behavior occurred after Ms. Creasy reminded the audience to “model professionalism, dignity, and respect for others.”
Inequity of Access to Advanced Courses
Does VDOE have the Analytical Skills after False "Honesty Gap" Allegations?
VDOE Ignored Parent and Expert Feedback
Are these the Actions of Good Stewards of Public Education?
Is Youngkin’s VDOE Breaking Our Schools on Purpose?
Don’t Label our Students as Failures!
Too Many Moving Targets for Schools and Teachers to Be Successful
Failing Labels do not Define Student Experience or Success
What can you do?
4 Public Education has been keeping a close watch on this issue, including four of us taking a day to "Roadtrip to Richmond."
Accountability is complex and appears uninteresting or irrelevant until you dig deep and realize that accreditation and accountability underpins all public education funding, initiatives, curricula, and success. As Dr. Presidio Sloan stated at a recent FCPS work session on the subject, “Like many things in large bureaucracies, I think the process has been quite complicated and pretty opaque and difficult…for community members to understand.”
Many of the speakers mentioned that there is no additional funding provided by VDOE for revising accountability measures. Since Dr. Lisa Coons completely overhauled the accountability framework, it will be expensive to flesh out the full plan, implement it, and offer support to the more than half the schools that will require support after implementation. Taxpayers and legislators will be on the hook while students, families, schools, and communities will suffer the consequences. Unknown is the impact the ‘failing school’ designation will have on property values.
Please consider learning more about this critical issue and letting the VBOE, VDOE, and your legislators hear your opinion.
You can message the Board of Education with your response to their plan via any (or all!) of these methods below.
Contact your state legislators to let them know how you feel! If you need help on what to say, feel free to check out our blogs below, or review the list of critical concerns on our Facebook page.
Additional Resources, If You Would Like to Know More
An examination of the VDOE accreditation and accountability system by the Fairfax County School Board.
Check out the 4 Public Education blogs on this which have great links to more information (most recent at the top):
Youngkin’s Privatization Team Makes Its Move on Virginia’s Public Schools
VDOE's Accreditation Overhaul: An Unnecessary Risk for Schools
Does VDOE want Accountability or Disruption of Virginia Schools?
Ironically, the VDOE Accountability Listening Tour Lacks Both Transparency and Accountability
Keep Virginia DOE Accountable by Providing Input on Public School Accreditation and Quality!
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