New Coalition Launches: “Educators for Youngkin”
Political outsider, successful business leader, and Republican nominee for governor Glenn Youngkin announced today the launch of “Educators for Youngkin,” a coalition of teachers, parents, educators, and community members across Virginia that are committed to restoring excellence in education. Glenn Youngkin and the Educators for Youngkin Coalition will work to fix standards and underperformance in all Virginia schools.
New Poll Confirms Widespread Support for School Choice
According to a new poll from Echelon Insights, polling more than 1,100 registered voters, a majority of voters are supportive of school choice (65% vs. 19% opposed) while 16% are unsure. This is true across party lines, with 75% of Republicans, 60% of Independents, and 61% of Democrats saying they strongly or somewhat support school choice.
New Poll: Support for School Choice Soars
Parents and families have been on a rollercoaster when it comes to K-12 education in the time of COVID-19. A new poll from Real Clear Opinion Research finds overall support for school choice is increasing as parents need more options than ever.
71% of voters back school choice. This is the highest level of support ever recorded from major AFC national polling with a sample size above 800 voters.
West Virginia Wants to Change the Game on Education
After 2020, Americans are coming to terms with the fact that the United States is splitting into two different countries culturally and politically. The red-blue divide is a divide between free states and counties and increasingly repressive and authoritarian blue states and counties.
The freedom divide is particularly clear in the area of education. Republican states and counties have been more likely to open up their schools with safety measures
Fairfax GOP Demands Open Schools, Parental Choice in K-12 Education
Citing the “systemic failure” of the status quo, Fairfax GOP Chairman Steve Knotts today demanded that county schools immediately reopen on a full-time, in-person schedule. “The results are in,” Knotts said. “We have seen troubling learning losses and severely detrimental effects on the mental health of students in Fairfax County. Our schools need to reopen — five days a week, for all students — without any further delay”
Presidents’ Day – Don’t Let Others Define America for Your Children
Many years ago, schools in my home state of California used to celebrate two of our greatest presidents’ birthdays, February 12 for Abraham Lincoln and February 22 for George Washington, as holidays. Children would learn stories about how a poor boy who grew up in a log cabin became the president who held our nation together against all odds, and about a surveyor, soldier, planter who risked everything to bring our great nation into being.
Virginia Families Want Alternatives to Closed Public Schools
With public schools in Virginia failing to offer in-person classes five days a week, a majority of residents support measures for the state to provide financial support for parents who have opted to enroll their students in alternative education systems, according to a poll released this week. The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found that 61% of registered voters would support giving parents a portion of the state’s K-12 funding to use for home, virtual or private education if public schools remain closed for in-person classes.
Executive Order on Expanding Educational Opportunity Through School Choice
While some families, especially those with financial means, have been able to mitigate school disruptions through in person options such as homeschooling, private schools, charter schools, and innovative models like microschools and “learning pods,” for many families, their children’s residentially assigned public school remains their only financially available option. Unfortunately, more than 50 percent of all public-school students in the United States began school remotely this fall. These children, including those with special needs, are being underserved due to the public education system’s failure to provide in-person learning options.
Students whose families pay tuition for their education are also facing significant hardships due to the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Group Says Fairfax County Teachers Violated Virginia’s Anti-Striking Law with ‘Sick Out’
A nonprofit organization that advocates for families is accusing Fairfax County teachers union officials of violating Virginia law that prohibits public-sector strikes when the union organized with hundreds of teachers to take a mental health sick day in October.
According to Virginia law, a public-sector employee is deemed to have terminated his or her employment if the employee refuses to perform his or her duties as a means to obstruct, impede or suspend an operation of the government employer in concert with two or more employees. The law states such a person will not be eligible for employment by a public agency for 12 months after the strike.
Fairfax Republicans Stand With County Families
Citing the “detrimental effects” of the educational status quo, Fairfax GOP Chairman Steve Knotts is calling for the county’s government-run schools to reopen their doors — or give out vouchers so families can find alternatives.
“For too many students, virtual learning has been a disaster,” Knotts said today. “Sadly, the detrimental effects of long-term school closures are not confined to academics — the mental health consequences of social isolation are very real.”