The Virginia House and Senate released their proposed budgets this afternoon, both of which include important investments in our public schools. Rad our full statement here: www.fundourschoolsva.org/statement-on...

We’re now over halfway through this year’s #VaLeg session! This Weds was "crossover", after which bills that have passed their original chamber move to the other chamber for consideration. You can read some updates on our priorities here: www.fundourschoolsva.org/2026-general...

What do tax policies have to do with #affordability? A lot. Key proposals could lower everyday costs for many Virginia families, and requiring the wealthy to pay their #FairShare could fund critical services that reduce costs elsewhere. Some examples ⤵️

Good news! Today SB 685 and HB 1278 both passed their chambers of origin. Both of these bills would expand language access for public school parents and therefore boost parent involvement in schools!

Millionaires shouldn't be paying the same tax rate as teachers and firefighters. HB188 would provide much-needed revenue for public schools, childcare, and housing without costing middle and working-class Virginians anything. www.13newsnow.com/article/news...

The improvements our public schools need require major financial investments - which requires creating new, sustainable sources of revenue. Take action: www.fundourschoolsva.org/take-action/

These tax proposals would bring in more money to support our students' learning without burdening the working class. Take action: www.fundourschoolsva.org/take-action/

Finally some good news on the federal level! The federal fiscal year 2026 education budget that was signed on Tuesday largely maintains (or slightly increases) current levels of funding. You can read more here: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

In order to give educators and students the support that they need, lawmakers must make bold choices to make sure there are enough resources available. Contact your reps to urge them to support common-sense revenue-raising measures to invest in public schools: www.fundourschoolsva.org/take-action/

“If we can catch young people early enough, we can help change their lives. We can bring about transformation changes, so they are able to live a successful life," McQuinn said. "But just expelling and suspending them is not the answer.” www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02...

Thank you to all the youth, parents, teachers, school staff, and advocates who joined us for our Advocacy Day and restorative practices press conference yesterday! We had a great time and made our voices heard for public school funding.

""At its core, a school voucher is a way for public money to help pay for private education instead of public schools. Voucher programs can look different from state to state." vadogwood.com/2026/01/30/v...

Supporting and engaging our young people is an important part of making our schools and communities safer. Newport News has had success in addressing root causes of violence, and additional funding support could help communities across VA do the same. www.pilotonline.com/2026/01/25/n...

"The House bill passed Tuesday, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, R-Roanoke, would allow any locality to levy a 1% surcharge on top of current sales tax collections to cover school construction projects if voters approve that in a referendum." richmond.com/news/state-r...

Want to make a difference for our public schools? Join us next Tuesday in Richmond for our annual Advocacy Day! Get more information and register here: www.fundourschoolsva.org/2026-advocac...

More good news from the General Assembly! Yesterday the Senate Education & Health Subcommittee voted to advance SB90, which codifies additional funding support for students facing the highest barriers, and SB685, which sets statewide standards for school language access plans.

We need to be working towards safer and restorative schools so that our students can have learning environments where they feel valued and supported. Learn more about why funding the Restorative Schools Pilot Program this year is crucial: richmond.com/opinion/colu...

"It never made sense that the Assembly granted nine localities this option but denied it elsewhere. Legislators and Spanberger should approve the measure for the rest of the state. Students, educators and administrators would thank them." virginiamercury.com/2026/01/20/g...

Good news from the General Assembly! HB 334 (Del. Rasoul) to give localities the freedom to enact a sales tax via referendum to support school construction has reported out of House Finance Subcommittee!

Every single child deserves a high-quality public education, but some student groups consistently don’t receive the support that they need. VA needs to invest more in state funding for students with disabilities, English learners, and low-income students. www.fundourschoolsva.org/resources/im...

The 2026 Virginia Legislative Session starts today! These are the priorities that we'll be advocating for this session:

Join @colorofchange.bsky.social and @neatoday.bsky.social for their virtual "Vouchers Disguised as 'Scholarships'" Town Hall on 1/21! www.mobilize.us/colorofchang...

"The VEA on Jan. 9 said the announcement is 'an attempt to lock VA into a program before the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service have finalized the rules that will determine how the program works and how it will affect VA students and communities.'" www.wric.com/news/virgini...

These are our 2026 Ins and Outs: Public School Funding Edition 👩‍🎓 🎒 📚 💵

#TBT to our 2025 Public School Funding Advocacy Day! You can sign up for our 2026 Advocacy Day here: www.fundourschoolsva.org/2026-advocac...

Governor Youngkin’s proposed budget, released today, includes changes to state support for public education, but once again fails to make the sustained, meaningful investments needed to meet the needs of VA’s students and educators. Our full statement: www.fundourschoolsva.org/governor-you...

"Levi Goren, director of research and ed policy with @tcifiscal.bsky.social, said some of the bright spots potentially favoring K-12’s budget is VA’s 'strong' economy, as reported by the governor’s office, and increased public interest in raising new revenue." virginiamercury.com/2025/12/16/v...

Join us in Richmond on 2/3 for our annual Advocacy Day! We'll spend the day connecting with our elected representatives to urge them to give our public schools the funding that they need. Anyone is welcome, you can register here: bit.ly/FOSAD26

"The public benefit of the education of any one individual — and the collective of all students — is profound in terms of social cohesion and economic success, so society has a vested interest in supporting public education as a public good." www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/why...

All students should have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has. We'll be focusing on in these priorities in the upcoming #VaLeg session to get us closer to that goal. Read more: www.fundourschoolsva.org/2026-legisla...

Why do #PublicSchoolsMatter? 📲 Revisit #LearningForJustice's article: https://bit.ly/4rqIHcz 1 reason ➡️ Unlike private schools, free #PublicSchools accept all students — regardless of ability to pay, identity, disability or immigration status — and are an example of #Democracy in action 💪.

90% of students in America attend public schools—and they deserve the resources to thrive. When we fund our schools, we invest in our future. 💡 #WeBelieveInPublicEducation #AEW2025

"The Trump administration unveiled a sweeping plan Tuesday to sidestep Congress and outsource large pieces of the U.S. Department of Education" www.whro.org/2025-11-18/t...

It's scary when our schools don't receive enough funding to: 🎃 be fully staffed 🎃 maintain and update buildings 🎃 support mental health and community engagement That's why we're fighting for the state and federal governments to do their part and fund our schools!

Youth and allies - join the Safe & Restorative Schools Learning Tour! The Black Youth Mental Health Collaborative is recruiting youth to lead convos with decision-makers and gain leadership skills. We're also looking for adults and orgs to support. Learn more: transformativechanges.org/safer-schools

Curious how the ongoing federal shutdown is impacting our public schools? Check out this handy tracker from @edweek.org for a breakdown: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

"Some U.S. schools are facing an immediate funding threat due to the government shutdown, while others are nervously eyeing their cash reserves and wondering how long the closure will last." thehill.com/homenews/edu...

"The students and schools that will be immediately impacted by the halt in federal funding are schools that receive Impact Aid and are located on tax-exempt federal lands, such as military bases and Native American reservations" abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/g...

"Officials shuttered seven of the 12 regional offices of the agency's Office for Civil Rights, leaving a skeleton staff to investigate thousands of complaints filed each year, according to attorneys and advocates for the disabled." abcnews.go.com/Health/paren...

"According to the Virginia Department of Education Teacher Vacancy Dashboard, updated on Mar. 12, Virginia public schools had more than 3,200 unfilled teaching positions in the 2024-25 school year." vadogwood.com/2025/09/04/v...

"The delayed funds, which were frozen just weeks before the start of the school year this year, had left many communities and school districts uncertain if they would be able to sustain programs." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

We are excited to announce our 2025 Education Champions: @senatorhashmi.bsky.social, Senator Pekarsky, Delegate Bulova, Delegate Coyner, Delegate McQuinn, and Delegate @samrasoul.bsky.social! Learn more about these legislators and why they were chosen: www.fundourschoolsva.org/announcing-o...

We believe strongly that the US Education Department should not be weaponizing federal funding to punish our public schools, and we stand with the five school divisions in NOVA that are having their federal funding threatened. Learn more: patch.com/virginia/ash...

Please join us in welcoming our newest coalition member, the Virginia Association of School Social Workers! VASSW is dedicated to promoting excellence in school social work, supporting student and family well-being, and advocating for quality education across VA. Learn more: vassw.org

It's crucial for everyone to be involved in the fight for public school funding, including through events like our town halls! If you want to share your input for our 2026 legislative priorities, you can do so using this survey: bit.ly/FOSSurvey2025 www.cbs19news.com/news/fund-ou...

Coming up tomorrow, don't forget to register!

Access to support staff helped DJ graduate high school and think about his future in new ways. Now, thanks to advocates' hard work, increased support staff funding means even more students will be able to reach their potential. #FundOurSchools 🔗via @wric.com

Coming up next week!

Even though the Trump administration has now released the more than $6B in public school funding that they temporarily froze, the freeze and the uncertainty that came with it created lasting impacts for many school districts. This is how some programs were affected: stateline.org/2025/07/31/d...

We are holding another Town Hall on 8/12 - virtual this time! If you missed our Richmond event this is a great opportunity to learn more about what's happening with school funding policy and give your input for our 2026 legislative priorities. RSVP: bit.ly/FOSVirtual