Nothing levels our national playing field for young people quite the way public education does. Our schools are cornerstones of both our communities and our nation, the providers of equal opportunity to the next generation. That’s why I consider it a privilege to have spent 30 years teaching in the public school classrooms of York County, and feel equally privileged to serve as president of the Virginia Education Association, representing public school educators across the Commonwealth.
My love for this work is also why I believe that this November’s elections here in Virginia are absolutely critical to the future of our public schools. Just about any candidate for any public office is likely to tell you that they, too, love public education, but when many are elected, they show their “love” in very unconvincing ways. Lip service doesn’t create world-class schools. Commitment does.
We need to elect leaders, both statewide and locally, who will fight hard for the kind of equitable funding our students and school divisions deserve. Money is not the end-all or a magic solution, but let’s be honest: Adequate funding is how our communities get well-resourced classrooms, up-to-date technology and school buildings that are conducive to learning — not ones that sometimes endanger the health of those who learn and work in them.
We need to choose officials who understand that perhaps the largest factor in the success of schools is attracting — and retaining — the highest-quality teachers and support staff that we can. However, our state’s traditionally low pay remains an obstacle to that.
Many people who work in our public schools do so because they feel a calling to be there, but should that mean inadequate wages? Virginia’s educators may have altruistic bents, but does that mean we should pay them below the national average salary for their peers? That’s something that need not and should not happen in a state with the financial ability of Virginia. And it doesn’t help our kids, or help us retain educators.
We need people in office who know that the teachers in Virginia’s public schools are trained professionals. They have the judgment and insight to teach our history and other subjects honestly, without sugarcoating some of the difficult parts or being forced to toe lines created by political interference. We can trust our teachers and our leaders must let them do the work they’ve prepared to do.
We also need to elect people who have developed a grasp on the real world as a result of being raised with good teaching and truthful values. People like that know that schools, for way too long, have been asked to tackle way too many of society’s challenges, usually ones over which educators have no control. Our schools need to be better equipped to face the growing mental health issues of young people, the lack of access to quality health care faced by many families, and more. That means putting more nurses, counselors and mental health professionals on school staffs. We’ve never needed them more than we do today.
We also need people in office today who understand that public education stands as a bulwark against government overreach and autocracy.
So, when you vote this year, please keep our public schools in mind. Those of us who teach and care for your children and grandchildren face more obstacles than most of us have ever dealt with before. To do it right, we must elect candidates who mean it when they say they care about our public schools. Please investigate the education positions of the candidates on your ballot, and do all you can to find out if they truly intend to follow through on what they say about our schools.
Do it for the people you love, and for the people who love working in public education. We believe in it, and in your kids, with all our hearts.
Carol Bauer of Yorktown is president of the Virginia Education Association.