VEA Statement on Gov. Youngkin Halting Teacher Diversity Grants
July 18, 2023
July 18, 2023
The Virginia Education Association released the following statement in response to Gov. Youngkin halting the dissemination of grants intended to help provisionally licensed teachers of color receive their full teaching license, despite funding from the state legislature:
“Many of us want a strong teaching force in Virginia with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. Unfortunately, the Governor’s arbitrary decision to remove this grant opportunity to bring more teachers of color into the field will limit these efforts. While the Governor may not value diversity in the Virginia teaching core, he absolutely should not stand in the way of state lawmakers that collectively decided they do.”
– Dr. James J. Fedderman, President
“While half of the students in Virginia are students of color, more than 8 in 10 of our teachers are white. We know that all students benefit from diverse teachers, and these benefits are particularly pronounced for our students of color.”
– Taisha Steele, Director of Human & Civil Rights
According to the Economic Policy Institute, teachers in Virginia earn 67 cents on the dollar compared to other (non-teacher) college-educated workers. Virginia’s teacher wage penalty is the worst in the nation.
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