The Latest from VEA

Virginia’s Standard of Learning test results for 2023-24, released this morning, show that the Commonwealth’s students are bouncing back from the widespread effects of the global pandemic, improving pass rates and getting closer to pre-COVID scores in several subject areas.

“Virginia educators and school staff worked tirelessly to help students recover academically from the pandemic and deserve the credit today for the improvements we saw,” said Carol Bauer, president of the Virginia Education Association. “It also must be said, because it’s clear from the results, that funding matters for student outcomes—which raises concerns for the immediate future. With the fiscal cliff of the federal pandemic aid running out next month, coupled with the Youngkin administration’s plan to penalize schools dollar for dollar for all of the aid they received, school finances are in a precarious place moving forward. It’s up to pro-education state lawmakers to keep fighting for fair and adequate funding for all of our students, especially those who face the most barriers. When Virginia educators and school staff have the resources they need, there’s no limit to their ingenuity and drive to help students achieve their dreams.”

SOL assessments were made public earlier today and, in line with states across the country, Virginia students continued to boost standardized test scores as they continue to recover from the drop in achievement spurred by the pandemic. The role of adequate funding in getting our children back on track cannot be overlooked. The infusion of nearly a billion dollars of federal funding over the past few years, paired with Virginia finally moving inflation-adjusted state spending per student above 2008 levels, starting in the 2021-2022 year, has contributed to more resources for wrap-around services in schools and intensive tutoring. Still, it’s critical to acknowledge that not all students have recovered from the pandemic. Major gaps remain in pass rate averages for several student groups who face additional barriers to education, including English learners, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students.

The Youngkin administration, contrary to its taking of credit in today’s press conference, has actively worked to undermine public education, proposing budgets with K-12 state funding that didn’t keep up with inflation, setting up the infamous “snitch line” for the public to report teachers thought to be instructing on “divisive Critical Race Theory” subjects, and actively promoting policy changes to allow for state-sanctioned bullying of LGBTQ+ students in schools. These culture war politics have led to an exodus of experienced educators from our classrooms and critical teacher shortages statewide. Students in the state are doing better on the SOL exams because of the relentless work of educators, school staff, and pro-education lawmakers who fought for fair funding in the state budget—our students actually made progress despite the governor’s efforts to weaken our schools.