Advocating for Virginia Students

Educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. VEA members advocate for funding, staffing, services, and policies students need to thrive, and work to stop proposals that would weaken Virginia’s public schools.

Standing Up for Students and Public Schools

Not every victory is a new law. Sometimes the most important work is preventing policies that would divert resources from public schools, weaken student protections, or undermine the ability of educators to meet student needs. VEA has consistently worked with members, parents, coalition partners, and legislators to stop proposals that would have harmed Virginia’s public schools and the students they serve. In addition to advancing positive changes, VEA has worked to protect students and public schools by opposing legislation that would have had harmful or unintended consequences. That work has included:

• Opposed school voucher and privatization proposals that would redirect taxpayer dollars away from public schools and reduce funding available for the students who remain.
• Protected students from unnecessary high-stakes testing proposals while supporting assessment reforms that provide meaningful measures of student learning.
• Defended inclusive, welcoming public schools by opposing legislation that would marginalize or discriminate against students based on their identity.
• Opposed efforts to weaken public education funding or shift additional costs to local school divisions without providing adequate state support.
• Protected educator voice by opposing proposals that would undermine professional judgement or unnecessarily restrict classroom instruction.
• Advocated against policies that would reduce access to student supports, including efforts to scale back services that help students succeed academically and emotionally.
• Preserved local decision-making by opposing proposals that would shift important education decisions away from locally elected school boards. VEA supports keeping decisions about public schools in the hands of the communities they serve. 

Together, these efforts reflect VEA’s commitment not only to improving Virginia’s public schools, but also to protecting them. Whether advocating for new investments or preventing harmful policies, VEA works to ensure every student has access to a strong, well-supported public education.