Right now, lobbyists for for-profit charterization are hitting the General Assembly, pushing for Democrats to back Youngkin’s far-right agenda on public education. We need our elected officials to know that we won’t let our public schools lose funding to for-profit charter chains, private school vouchers, or counterfeit “lab” schools. Read 3rd District School Board Rep and Board Vice Chair Kenya Gibson’s analysis of the stakes in this fight.
The stakes are high, and it will take parents, educators, and students united to win! That’s why this week Richmond For All joined the Network for Public Education, a national team of educators and parents who believe—like us—that public schools have a mandate to provide an equitable, world-class education to ALL students, not just a select few. Fighting privatization means fighting segregation, inequality, de-professionalization, and disenfranchisement of parents, students, and teachers. We’re so proud to join NPE in this fight!
We are asking you to take action with us! We need you to tell your representatives in the House and the Senate that you oppose privatization of Virginia Public schools:
Send a letter to your state Senator opposing SB 598, which would take our university lab school program and allow businesses and colleges WITHOUT an accredited teacher preparation program to participate. This bill creates counterfeit lab schools that de-professionalize our workforce and would drain $150 million from our public school budgets.
Send a letter to your delegate and your senator opposing SB 125 and HB 356, which would strip our local school boards of the right to approve or deny charter schools in their district. This bill denies parents and communities the right to choose for themselves if they want to expand charters, and could lead to mass, forcible charterization of schools across our state.
As always hard fights need resources! Every contribution makes it easier for us to stay in touch with our partners, staff our communications infrastructure, and provide necessary PPE for our canvassers and advocates on the ground at the General Assembly. Support that work with a contribution today:
In Solidarity,
Richmond For All’s Public Education Campaign Committee
