Category: Education (K-12)
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Pax Virginiae: Preparing Virginia’s Future Leaders for Service in War and Peace
by Kenrick Brown The Washington, D.C.–Maryland–Virginia super-region — amusingly known as the “DMV” — is a vital center of American national security and the Free World’s global governance. If there is a “Pax Americana,” an American-led global order, then the “DMV” is arguably analogous to a modern-day Ancient Rome, but with nice suburban outskirts. How…
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Graph of the Day: K-12 Enrollment Projections
See the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service analysis here.
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A Dangerous Mission Creep for Virginia’s Public Schools
by Derrick A. Max Virginia parents should be alarmed that the Virginia General Assembly just passed House Bill 355 which mandates annual mental health screenings for all public school students in grades 6 through 12. While framed as a compassionate response to a very real “mental health crisis,” it represents a fundamental shift in the mission of public education: from academic instruction to clinical surveillance. By…
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A Dangerous Bill
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The General Assembly has passed, and has sent to the governor for her review, legislation that would require that any “program of instruction on or relating to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol” shall: “1. Not describe, portray, or present as credible a description or portrayal of the…
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Albemarle School Board Moves to Shut Down TPUSA Chapter
by Victoria Manning The Albemarle School Board is trying to shut down the largest TPUSA chapter in the nation after the TPUSA club scheduled Erika Kirk to speak at its April meeting. Current district policy allows outside speakers on campus. But the school board recently attempted to shut down another conservative speaker attending the TPUSA…
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Losing Trust
Fairfax County Public Schools: more money, fewer students by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora There has been a significant decline in enrollment in Virginia’s largest public school district. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) experienced the largest drop in student enrollment of any district in the state from 2015 to 2025, according to the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper…
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Virginia School Officials Should Not Be Their Own Regulators
by Todd Truitt As Virginia’s new Democratic Governor, Abigail Spanberger will soon shape the direction of public education statewide through five appointments to the Virginia Board of Education. Based on her longstanding focus on transparency and eliminating conflicts of interest, her administration can chart a different course with respect to a recent Virginia practice. The…
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Extended Teacher Leave Entitlement Could Hit Schools Hard
by Derrick A. Max The Richmond Times-Dispatch ran my guest column this morning that warns of the significant learning loss that will likely occur from the Paid Family and Medical Leave bill (SB2) that is quickly winding its way to the Governor’s desk for her promised signature. As I have written previously, the Virginia General Assembly is…
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Fairfax International Teachers Program Costs More…
… but, hey, it reduces whiteness! by Stephanie Arora-LundquistRepublished with permission from IWFeatures It’s no secret that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is trying to socially engineer its hiring practices to reduce the number of white teachers and administrators with the aim of increasing racial diversity. In a December 2025 report, senior leadership proudly displayed pie charts showing…
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Finally, a Law to Help Teachers!
by Matt Hurt This year HB568 was introduced in the General Assembly. The bill aims to reduce the amount of work required by educators to comply with the Virginia Literacy Act by leveraging technology. If enacted, this law would significantly reduce the time teachers and reading specialists spend on paperwork, allowing them to devote more time…
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Best of Intentions, Unintended Consequences
by Matt Hurt Maintaining an appropriate level of orderliness in school is a delicate, nuanced balance when done well. Without discipline learning can’t take place. Good teachers are loath to remain in schools that do not maintain appropriate student behavior. Students respond to some practices by some teachers and administrators, and run roughshod over others. Many…
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Administrative Bloat in Fairfax County Schools
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures Julie Perry, a high school history teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), told IW Features that she spends thousands of dollars each year on her students’ school supplies, classroom essentials, and decorations. Perry, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, argues, “Education…
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It’s Not Just an Act
Loudoun School officials really do think unhappy parents are potential terrorists. Don’t go — there’s more!
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Fairfax Schools Crack Down on Absences — Except When Suspending Politically Inconvenient Students
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures There rightfully has been a lot of attention paid to radical Virginia Democrats’ day-one blitz as soon as they took back control of the state’s governorship this year. But those of us who live in the deep blue havens that control Virginia politics know that, for our part of…
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Political Activism Over ICE Creeps into Virginia’s Public Schools
The anti-ICE crowd is taking the fight against federal immigration enforcement to a school near you. by Shelly Norden Political activism attacking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasingly showing up inside Virginia’s public schools, raising questions about where education ends and national political campaigning begins. In recent days, union-aligned posts have encouraged educators…