The candidates for Virginia lieutenant governor have made education a central campaign pillar.
Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi’s website describes the need to fully fund public schools so children in Virginia “have access to top notch public schools with modern technology and sufficient staff including career counselors, mental health professionals and subject area specialists, no matter the zip code.”
Former conservative radio host John Reid’s “Academic Excellence Agenda” calls for “a clear, conservative approach to bring back common sense in our schools, raise expectations, and put students and families first.”
The candidates do not have a debate scheduled, which has led to criticism from Reid. But both discussed their education proposals with The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
School funding
Hashmi said her priorities included modernizing Virginia’s public education funding model.
“It’s about a 50-year old funding formula that we follow, and it’s based on the staffing ratios as identified in our standards of quality,” Hashmi said.
She said the formula does not take into account localities serving students with the greatest support needs.
“Those student populations include students from low economic backgrounds, our English language students, as well as students with special needs,” she said. “As we modernize the funding formula, the dollars will be based not so much on staffing ratios, but really on ensuring that the localities that are serving the greater numbers of these distinct student populations are adequately supported.”
Meanwhile, Reid said he was skeptical of whether underfunding was the primary issue for public schools.
“I’m concerned that we’re spending $21 billion every two years on public schools, and that’s a dramatic increase in the investment we’re making in public schools,” Reid said. “We’re dumping huge amounts of money into the system, and I’m not at all convinced that there has been that level of thought put into where the money’s going and how we’re going to track outcomes.”
Reid said he didn’t know if that was too much funding to public schools, but said there should be better data.
“It’s double what we were spending five years ago,” he said. “I guess we could wait another 10 years and see whether this huge expenditure fixed anything. I think that’s too late. That’s another generation of young people that’s lost if it’s not working.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has touted the increase in funding to education as a key accomplishment of his time in office. Reid said he didn’t think of his position as a deviation.
“I think the governor has listened to parents,” he said. “I’m just a little more hyper-scrutinizing on this.”
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Alternatives to public schools
Hashmi has criticized Reid for wanting to close public schools, a position he does not dispute.
“Some schools probably should (close),” he said. “I mean, if you’re just a total failure … I’ve always been held accountable to a ratings system in television and radio, even at the government relations firm you had to hit your numbers … when you put the (teacher’s) union in between the people who are hiring and firing, and the people who are making an evaluation, suddenly it’s no longer about the actual results, it’s about the union negotiation.”
Reid said some of the public funds for education should go to public school alternatives, which could include vouchers for private schools or funding for homeschoolers.
“You’re a parent and you don’t want to be in the public school system, I think we should be bending over backwards minimally to let you leave, if that’s what you want to do,” he said.
“I think we should be amenable to providing some of that public assistance that goes into the school system for you to have options, and I’ve been shocked at that hostility.”
Hashmi criticized that position, saying that school vouchers take away public funds for education.
“What’s at stake in this election is protecting public education here in Virginia,” she said. “Without any evidence or without any kind of credibility in his own background, (Reid) has declared that he wants to shut down public schools …Our parents want to have strong public schools where their children’s futures are nurtured and they’re able to play a strong part in the education system.”
Parents’ rights
In 2021, Youngkin campaigned hard on parents’ rights.
Reid’s website says content related to “gender identity, sexuality, or political ideology, should require parents to opt in,” as opposed to opting out.
Hashmi said parents should absolutely be involved in the learning and work of classrooms, but said Youngkin’s administration had demonized teachers by implementing a teacher tip line for parents to report on “divisive” classroom practices. The tip line was shut down in 2022.
Other issues
Hashmi said she planned to bring back efforts to provide universal pre-K and would support legislation to expand internship and apprenticeship programs.
Reid said an important part of his platform involves restoring discipline to classrooms.
“That’s why part of my proposal has been to restore immediately a certain level of discipline in a classroom, which I see in the nicest schools and in the schools that aren’t really producing score results,” he said. “One of the things that I proposed is the school uniform plan, and I’m shocked at how many people are really hostile to me about that.”
Both described a desire for smaller classrooms.
Reid said the pressure on teachers in public schools could be alleviated with more “escape valves,” if more parents are home schooling or enrolling their children in private schools. Hashmi wants to see more adults in a classroom, including more teaching aids or counselors available. She said that can be achieved through better compensation and more opportunities for professional development and mentorship.
Role of the lieutenant governor
The lieutenant governor does not introduce or vote on legislation, except in tie-breaking situations in the state Senate. But they can still play a role in advocating for policy.
Hashmi, a former educator and an academic administrator, said the role was an opportunity to highlight education.
“I’ve been working strenuously for the last six years in the Virginia Senate on the issues around education, and I will continue to have that strong focus as LG,” she said. “I have the opportunity to continue to meet with our parents and our educators and our administrators and continue to push for the legislation that is going to respond to the issues at hand.
Reid said he intended to be an active presence around the state and in Capitol building and if elected, would continue talking to Virginians about policy ideas.
“I have no intention of sitting across the street from the capitol and lieutenant governor’s office, having cocktails and then showing up to bang the gavel for a couple hours a day and then going home,” Reid said.
“I told the members of the Senate Republican Caucus, at least they should expect to see me in their meetings.”
Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881, [email protected]