Great stuff this evening from Delegates Schuyler VanValkenburg, Charniele Herring, Elizabeth Guzman and other Democrats, who ripped Del. Glenn Davis (R)’s false claims about Del. Roslyn Tyler’s HB2305. Specifically, the Democratic delegates hit back at Davis’ claims that Tyler’s bill – which provides guidelines to localities aimed at increasing diversity at Virginia’s “Governor’s schools” 0 somehow is about lowering the “admissions bar” to those schools. Which, of course, is not true at all. See below for video and highlights, including:
Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg: “…this is the third time I’ve now talked after Del. Davis to explain why he has misread the bill and doesn’t understand what it does…We want to ensure that every kid in the Commonwealth has an opportunity to show their excellence so that they can get into the Governor’s schools…What this bill is set up GUIDANCE – key word, guidance, not a mandate – to provide to localities to show them best practices for how to get all kids access, so that all kids can show their talents and that all kids have an opportunity to excel in a school that is based on excelling.”
Del. Charniele Herring: “I hear the delegate [Davis] say ‘lower the admissions bar’, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…I guess to the good delegate, prioritizing underserved and underrepresented students is somehow ‘lowering an admissions bar’. I would say…not only is that shortsighted, it’s very offensive…”
Del. Elizabeth Guzman: “Del. Tyler’s bill…will ensure that all of Virginia’s children have a stake in the admissions offices of our Governor’s schools…families who may not have computers and printers…families who may not know that Governor’s schools even exist…the students who may not yet realize the fact of their own potential because noone has ever stopped to see it. I was disappointed one of my colleagues [Del. Glenn Davis]…not say it once, twice but three times that this bill would somehow, and I quote, ‘lower the bar’ of admissions to our great Governor’s schools. That phrase is an offensive dog whistle that completely ignores the barriers to entry that currently exist for Black and Latinx students, who make up only 7% and 1% of the student body of Maggie Walker, respectively.”
P.S. The bill was engrossed and passed on to its third reading, which means it should pass the House of Delegates shortly…presumably tomorrow.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
