The Latest from VEA

VEA members, your voice, advocacy, and solidarity made all the difference in this legislative session! Together, we secured historic victories that significantly benefit Virginia educators, students, and public schools. These achievements are proof of the incredible power of your membership and our collective strength.

Here’s why your membership matters more than ever:

1. Eliminating the Support Cap
   • After 16 years of relentless advocacy, VEA members helped fully eliminate the harmful “support cap” in the General Assembly-passed budget, unlocking $223 million in new funding next year. Once the final budget is signed, schools will be able to hire essential additional support staff, from instructional aides to custodians, and pay more competitive wages, ensuring better support for every student.
2. Historic Special Education Funding
   • Thanks to your tireless efforts, VEA led the way to secure a groundbreaking $53 million investment for special education students. This creates a permanent funding mechanism to better support students with disabilities, laying the foundation for continued progress. Funding can be used for things like more adequate staffing and competitive wages.
3. Teacher and Staff Bonuses
   • Your advocacy helped win a state-funded $1,000 bonus for teachers and school staff, delivering overdue recognition for your unwavering dedication and hard work in our public schools.
4. Critical Mathematics Support
   • Your push for addressing learning gaps resulted in VEA designing and securing a significant $12 million investment in math education initiatives, ensuring our students get the support they need to recover and excel academically.
5. Protecting Public Education
   • Together, we defeated every privatization initiative proposed by the Governor, including voucher schemes and unneeded lab school expansions. Public dollars will remain where they belong: in our public schools.

Your Advocacy by the Numbers:

• ✅ 47 Bills Supported by VEA Passed: Strengthening public education and protecting educators.
• ✅ All 79 Opposed Bills Defeated or Modified: Blocking harmful legislation targeting public schools.
• ✅ Stopped Hundreds of Millions in Regressive Tax Cuts: Protecting crucial school funding.
• ✅ Secured $428 Million More for K-12 Schools in General Assembly-Passed Budget: Compared to the Governor’s proposed budget.
• ✅ Won $280 Million of $300 Million Recurring Discretionary Surplus for K-12 Priorities: Ensuring sustainable funding.
• ✅ $110 Million Increase for English Learners: Building on last year’s advocacy success.