Virginia’s top education officials were in Alexandria on Wednesday as part of a statewide listening tour on public education needs.
Secretary of Education Jeffery O. Smith was joined by Virginia Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway, Alexandria City School Board members and approximately 100 participants at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. House of Delegates Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4) attended an earlier roundtable with the officials.
“The listening tour is about an opportunity for us to lean in and to hear from you directly in terms of those things that are working well,” Smith said, “and what are the opportunities as we go forward that we can build from places of strength, but also, what are some of the challenges, what are some of the promising practices that are in place, and what are some of the specific needs that might exist within your community?”
The Alexandria visit was one of eight listening sessions that Smith and Conway have held across Virginia. A VDOE report summarizing the sessions is expected later this month.
Conway said she was directed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to conduct the tour.
“Governor Abigail Spanberger charged our Secretary of Education, Dr. Jeffrey Smith, and myself with getting out there and hearing from folks across the Commonwealth about public education,” Conway said. “She wanted us to go on a listening tour and to hear from people across the Commonwealth about what is working and where we can improve.”
Participants at the event sat at tables where they discussed the following questions:
- What is working at your schools and what isn’t working?
- How can Virginia strengthen student learning in literacy and mathematics?
- As we reflect on the first year of the School Performance and Support Framework, what parts are working well?
- What do you believe are the most important factors or barriers that can affect our ability to attract and retain excellent teachers and leaders, and what solutions should we prioritize moving forward?
- Think about your daily school experiences like schedules, transportation, building routines and lunch. What aspects are working well? Where do you see opportunities to better serve students and their families?
- As we consider how the Virginia Department of Education can best support student success in all classrooms and all schools, we would welcome your thoughts on what we can do better. Is there anything we should start, stop or continue doing?
Alexandria City School Board Vice Chair Christopher Harris was cautiously optimistic that Spanberger’s Democratic administration, which took office in January, and the Democratic majority in both chambers of the state legislature will result in increased funding for ACPS.
“I would like to see some action behind some of these initiatives, or at least address the questions and concerns from these families, parents, administrators and educators,” Harris told ALXnow. “I don’t want this to be something where we’re giving feedback and nothing comes out of it, except for just another round robin.”
In 2023, Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found that the state underfunds public education in its review of Virginia’s K-12 funding formula.
“Virginia spends about 14% less per student than the national average, despite having above-average fiscal capacity,” Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt and School Board Member Ashley Simpson Baird wrote in a January blog post. “Depending on the model used, Virginia school divisions need 6% to 33% more funding than the formula currently provides … In FY2021, the [Standards of Quality] formula estimated schools needed $10.7 billion statewide, but divisions actually spent $17.3 billion. That $6.6 billion difference was paid by local governments.”
Harris said he was pleased the conversation was happening after four years under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), during which ACPS refused to comply with the former governor’s policies restricting transgender student rights. He added that governing bodies often listen without taking action.
“On top of not having action, there’s no feedback as to why the action is not happening or where it’s happening,” Harris said. “I would like to kind of get some kind of direction of where these things are going, and not just jotting them on a piece of paper.”
A statewide virtual parent session will be held from 6-7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, and teacher session from 5-6:15 p.m. on April 20. Families and teachers may register to receive a participation link. Public comments on the statewide listening tour are also being accepted through Friday (April 10).
