Education
Representation Matters: Why and How Virginia Should Diversify its Teacher Workforce
Strong relationships between students and their teachers are vital to a healthy learning environment. One of the most immediate ways these relationships are built is by students connecting with teachers who look like them.
New IRS Rule Narrows Tax Loophole Abused in Virginia
Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) finalized a new rule helping to narrow a tax loophole that had been abused here in Virginia. The rule prevents people or corporations from “double-dipping” when making donations to private or religious schools as explained here by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
4 Ways to Celebrate Teachers Beyond Appreciation Week – With Fair Compensation and Sufficient Support
Monday marked the beginning of teacher appreciation week. Teachers certainly deserve the gestures of appreciation they will receive this week in the form of gift cards, flowers, and discounts at the local fast food joint. However,
What’s Equitable When It Comes to School Funding: A National Report Sheds Light for Virginia Schools
Every parent, every teacher knows that each child is not the same. They have different strengths, interests, habits, and yes, different challenges too. So when it comes to allocating resources to schools,
General Assembly Weighs Incremental Progress on K-12 After the Tax Fallout
The Senate and House have named the budget conferees that will be negotiating the General Assembly’s proposed changes to the state’s two-year budget. Having negotiated away a $975 million tax deal that severely limits the resources lawmakers have to fund proposals put forward in December, they will now
House and Senate Slash K-12 Funding Proposals Targeted to Students of Color — A Division by Division Analysis
On Thursday the Virginia House of Delegates (73 Y 25 N) and the Senate of Virginia (40-Y 0-N) approved their chambers’ amendments to the state budget. Both proposals fall far short in their K-12 investments from what the governor initially put forward in December with the House investing $143 million less
Teachers March and Some General Assembly Leaders Vote…For Tax Giveaways, We’ll Know More Sunday
Revelations of Virginia lawmakers’ pasts have overwhelmed state and national news stories this week. The public as well as elected leaders and lawmakers have responded by denouncing racism and looking toward more fully reckoning with the racist legacies that persist in the commonwealth.
Counselors, Not Checks: A Look at School Safety Bills Before Lawmakers
Students should be able to attend schools where they feel safe and have adequate access to counseling and mental health services. Yet that is becoming an increasing challenge
Governor Northam Sets the Stage for Improving K-12 Investments
This week Governor Northam announced a series of investments in Virginia’s public schools that he will include in his amendments to the state’s 2018-2020 budget.