The Latest from VEA

Strong Schools mean Strong Communities. Protecting school funding is vital to creating and sustaining strong schools.  With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven programs like vouchers and education savings account schemes that have poor track records for improving student outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap.

WE CALL ON LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH-BACKED MEASURES TO:

• Fully implement and fund the revised Standards of Quality and Lift the Support Cap. SUPPORT HB 2111 AND SB1325. SUPPORT BUDGET AMENDMENTS 137 #31h & #34h AND 137 #5s. FACT SHEET
  • Every student needs access to a high-quality education, and we have a clear evidence-based guide developed by the Virginia Board of Education (the SOQs) over the past decades outlining the school staffing levels and professional development needed to provide that high-quality education.
  • All of the prescriptions, from investing in principals, reading specialists, English learner-instructor ratios by language ability, and additional support to our highest poverty divisions through the At-Risk Add-On are highly effective with strong returns on investment for improving student outcomes.
  • Fully funding the SOQs has been a long-time priority of virtually every education advocacy organization in the state because the recommendations are seen as indisputably effective and high yield for improving student outcomes. The estimated cost of fully funding the SOQs next year is $366 million.

• Provide funding to ensure teacher salaries are at or above the national average and that school employees earn a livable wage. SUPPORT HB 1566 AND SB1215. FACT SHEET
  • At a time of major staffing shortages, we need prudent investments that improve retention and real investment in the education workforce. A reasonable starting place would be proposals that get Virginia educators to the national teacher pay average and pay our school support staff a livable wage.
  • According to the most recent state-by-state comparison, Virginia’s average teacher salary is $6,787 below the national average, which ranks our state 25 nationally. In contrast, Virginia continually ranks among the richer states in the country, recently ranking 12 among the states in per capita personal income.
  • Teachers in Virginia are paid an average of 67 cents for each dollar paid to their similarly educated peers in other professions. This is the third largest teacher pay penalty in the country. State funding is currently in place for a five percent salary increase for SOQ-funded positions this year and next. (And based on the increase in average salaries over 2021-22 levels, it looks as though many divisions are participating in the compensation incentive this year.) Unfortunately, we are so far behind that even this potential 10.25% increase (assuming full participation by divisions in both years) is unlikely to get Virginia’s average teacher salary to the national average. In fact, VEA estimates an additional six percent increase will be needed in the second year of the biennium (for a total increase in FY24 of 11%) to achieve that goal.
  • The good news is that the state is currently in an excellent position to make much-needed consequential improvements to teacher salaries (as well as other areas of school funding), having closed out FY22 with a record $1.9 billion surplus and now anticipating up to $3.6 billion in excess resources this fiscal year. State policymakers must protect and enhance the ability of local governments to pay their share of school costs, including the local share of teacher pay increases. Fully lifting the school staff support cap would be a major step to assist local school divisions to meet this goal.

• Scale the initial and continuing state supplement for National Board Certification Incentive Awards and cover fees for educators seeking certification to encourage high-quality professional development. SUPPORT HB 1424 AND SB1260.  FACT SHEET

• • Multiple studies demonstrate students with a National Board Certified have learning gains of up to 2 months more than peers who do not have an NBCT teaching them. These outcomes are even more prevalent among minority & lower-income students. Studies also suggest students of NBCTs experience deeper learning than their counterparts with non-NBCT teachers.
  • A study examining teacher retention in South Carolina found significantly lower turnover rates among NBCTs compared to non-NBCTs. Many NBCTs refer to the National Board process as their most impactful professional learning experience. Financial Barriers Remain for Many Educators.
  • Although Virginia offers a stipend for eligible NBCTs, many educators simply cannot afford to pursue National Board Certification which costs a minimum of $1975 (if all components are successfully completed in one year—the process can cost some educators more than $4000 if more time or additional attempts to achieve certification are required). Our neighbors Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia provide financial support for the certification process.

• More adequately fund and support for English Learner services and expand the flexibility of state support. SUPPORT HB 1823, HB1824, SB1118, AND SB 1109. FACT SHEET
  • More than 1 in 8 Virginia K-12 students are current or former EL students.
  • For state supplemental support of EL students, Virginia only contributes a third (13.5%) of the national average (39%) beyond the baseline allocation. Virginia’s budget for this and next fiscal year failed to include any new targeted EL funding, despite including $22 million on first draft.
  • Unlike other states, Virginia fails to fund training for general education teachers who work most with EL students and doesn’t support EL learning materials.
  • Provide more adequate state funding to support EL students, similar to the national average for state supplemental support – this would be a supplement around $132 to $169 million annually.
  • Fund Virginia Board of Education updates to the Standards of Quality to increase EL instructor to student ratios more for students with less English proficiency, as national experts recommend.
  • Follow the example of states like Maryland and Michigan, and commission independent studies to assess adequate state-funding levels for EL students.