Video, Photos: Supporters of Virginia Public Education Rally in Richmond

McElveen Marches for Education Funding in Richmond
Fairfax Chairman candidate joins parents, teachers, and students in #RedforEd movement

RICHMOND, Va. – Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman candidate Ryan McElveen announced today his support for the #RedforEd campaign. He will join parents, teachers and students in a march and rally on Monday, Jan. 28 in Richmond.

“Haven’t we had enough of candidates who speak out of both sides of their mouths, who say they’re for families, and then underfund schools year after year? They’ll drag us backwards if we let them,” McElveen said in a videoposted on social media.

During his two terms on the Fairfax County School Board, McElveen has led the school system to overcome years of underfunding by the Board of Supervisors. Along with his colleagues, McElveen worked to pass budgets that invest in our schools and workforce, initiate policies that strengthen civil rights, and adopt strategic plans that ensure that everyone benefits from the innovation and opportunities in Fairfax County.

The school system’s FY2019 budget was the first since FY1995 to be fully-funded, marking almost a quarter-century of underfunding county schools. This underfunding has had important consequences for the Fairfax County community, causing schools to fall behind on key achievement metrics and the loss of many of the county’s best educators to neighboring jurisdictions.

“Public schools are the innovation engine of our local economy and the cornerstone of our democracy. As Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, I’ll stand up for public education, because every child deserves an opportunity to succeed.” McElveen said.

This year, Fairfax County Public Schools stands to gain $36.4 million in FY2020 from the budget proposed by Governor Ralph Northam. McElveen believes that this additional funding is critical to ensure that the School Board completes its multi-year effort to make educator salaries competitive and keep Fairfax County schools the best in the nation.

Looking to the future, as part of the FY2020 budget process McElveen will partner with his School Board colleague Ilryong Moon to propose a study examining the strategies for recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and the impact of providing above-market salary levels to teachers.

More information about McElveen’s campaign is available at www.McElveenForChairman.com.