Spot-on by VA Lt. Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi:
Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi Emphasizes Solutions, Not Distractions, in Response to VDOE Release of Performance Metrics
RICHMOND, VA — Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi released the following statement in response to the assessment of public education under the Youngkin administration’s Department of Education:
“Yesterday’s release of scores provided by Governor Glenn Youngkin’s new School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) highlights the significant disparities that exist across Virginia’s education system. The reality is that an unacceptable number of Virginia’s schools are struggling, and many of our students are not receiving the high quality education that they deserve.
“Governor Youngkin and his Department of Education (VDOE) have had four years to bring meaningful change by focusing on improving learning outcomes. Instead, his VDOE has struggled to find its footing under three different Superintendents within the span of his administration. Further, this administration chose to focus on culture wars rather than on the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics. Student learning improves when class sizes are smaller, when teachers are supported in their profession, and when parents and communities are engaged with the schools in their neighborhoods.
“As it exits the stage, this administration leaves behind a legacy of division, distraction, and decline. I look forward to working with our new General Assembly and administration to deliver results that are built on supporting our educators, expanding tutoring programs, providing after-school and summer learning, modernizing school buildings, and investing in student mental health. Our focus will be on classrooms, not culture wars. Our children deserve solutions, not distractions.”
