Virginia Capitol Connections Winter 2019

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Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E

INSIDE Education Issue Equal Rights Amendment

Winter 2019

Roanoke, Virginia

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C O N T E N T S VIRGINIA CAPITOL CONNECTIONS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

Winter 2019

4 Letters to the Editor 4 Enhancing Student and School Safety in Virginia 5 The Speaker’s “Do-Something” Committee Issues Recommendations 6 Thoughts From The Classroom 8 The Schools Students Deserve 9 The Importance of Civic Education 11 Virginia’s Lottery: Where did it come from and where does the money go? 12 The Case for Homeschooling 13 Virtual Education: A Path of a Level Playing Field 14 Pathways to a College Degree—  More Confusing and Complex—Than Ever Before 16 The Photography of Wanda Judd 18 Will Virginia Put the ERA over the Top? 18 “It really began to resonate” 20 Juvenile Justice: Witness it from Those Inside 23 Kids don’t quit; neither can we 23 Virginia Women’s Monument 24 Republican Declines in Virginia 10 25 Will gerrymandering cost Virginia Republicans in the House of Delegates? 26 Danica Roem Honored as Newsmaker of the Year 27 Virginia’s Veterans: A Great Resource to Fill State’s Expanding Workforce 28 Update for VCU Wilder School 30 Association and Business Directory

Education Issue moran Qarni cox page 4 page 5

On The Web www.vccqm.org

Cover: Art by Kate DeCiccio Photo by David Bailey

Volume 25 Number 1 • Editor-in-Chief –Bonnie Atwood • Assistant Editor –Hayley Allison • Student Editor –DeForrest Ballou • Staff –Olivia Ratay, Nefari Steele, Publisher –David Bailey Art Director –John Sours • School Distribution –schools@capitolsquare.com • Advertising –Ads@CapitolSquare.com • Printer –Wordsprint • Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine (ISSN 1076-4577) is published by: Virginia Capitol Connections • 1108 East Main Street • Suite 1200 • Richmond, Virginia 23219 • (804) 643-5554 • Copyright 2018, Virginia Capitol Connections, Inc. All rights reserved. The views expressed in the articles of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine , a non-partisan publication, are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

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Enhancing Student and School Safety in Virginia By Brian J. Moran, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Atif Qarni, Secretary of Education

Virginia Capitol Connections welcomes Letters to the Editor. Please keep them brief and send to: bonatwood@ capitolsquare.com. Due to space considerations, VCC does not promise to publish each one. Only you know how much time and effort you have put into this publication over the decades. However, I know that it is enjoyed by many throughout our Commonwealth. David G. Brickley Woodbridge, Virginia As the time of Thanksgiving is upon us, I wanted to personally thank you for continuing to publish Virginia Capitol Connections over these many, many years. I can vividly remember your support as several of us championed the legislative issue of Elected School Boards in the General Assembly. After I left the legislative and executive branches of state government, I continued to look forward to the next issue of the Capitol Connections . That same feeling of joy continues to this day. Since the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, the issue of school safety has received significant public attention. In the months following, many state and local governments, and the federal government, have engaged in thorough reviews of school and student safety practices in order to identify innovative and effective strategies to enhance the safety and well-being of our children. While Virginia has long established itself as a national leader on school safety due to strong legislative mandates and investments in education and training, Governor Northam recognizes the need to build upon our foundation so that our schools remain safe learning environments for our children. That is why Governor Northam signed Executive Order 11 on June 21, 2018, which reestablished the Children’s Cabinet and directed us to co-chair a Work Group on Student Safety. The Work Group on Student Safety convened a diverse, interdisciplinary group of stakeholders and subject matter experts and met three times. At our meetings, work group members heard numerous presentations from experts, engaged in facilitated discussion, and developed 20 recommendations that were submitted to Governor Northam on October 1, 2018. Recommendations addressed: the role, prevalence, and training of school resource and school security officers; existing ratios and staffing levels for school support staff; training for a variety of school-based personnel; suicide awareness and prevention; and physical security measures. We are thrilled to share that Governor Northam recently announced a $39.3 million investment in his budget to support a number of the recommendations of the work group. Keeping our students safe is not as simple as focusing just on physical security.We must take a holistic approach that promotes positive school climates and cultural competence. As a physician, Governor Northam also understands that we need to promote trauma-informed approaches and increased supports for students. Our school counselors play a critical role in achieving this goal. Our work group consistently highlighted the role these professionals play in fostering strong relationships, creating a positive school climate and engaging with our students to ensure they are on a Letters to the Editor Editor:

path to success. Recognizing that there is a need for additional school counselors, Governor Northam has included $36 million in his budget as part of a multi- year plan to fund additional positions in our school divisions. This is an ongoing commitment to help our school divisions achieve the recommended 1:250 ratios of school counselors to students, because our students need our ongoing support. Maintaining school and student safety

moran

also requires that we equip our school- based professionals with the training and resources they need. Accordingly, Governor Northam included $3.3 million in his budget to fund critical positions for the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety at the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services; create and offer additional training for school, and public safety professionals; expand access to training for school resource and security officers; fund the annual school climate survey; and provide additional age-appropriate active shooter preparation trainings throughout the Commonwealth. Since its creation 20 years ago, the Center has been responsible for developing and administering training for school and public safety professionals. It also has been a source of technical assistance for local school divisions. This investment will enable the Center to create online training modules for hard-to-reach school-based personnel on important school and student safety topics, including threat assessment teams. Threat assessment teams are multi-disciplinary teams of professionals comprised of individuals with expertise in counseling, instruction, school administration and law enforcement. These teams allow schools to intervene before a tragedy occurs by creating a mechanism to identify individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others and connecting them with the support and services they need. In addition to expanding access to training, Governor Northam’s budget will also support the development of a threat assessment case management tool, which is intended to create consistent tracking and reporting of threat assessment data. The data collected through the annual school climate survey provide leadership in every school, as well as in the highest levels of state government, with an understanding of the issues facing our schools and students. The survey has historically been grant- funded, and all grants have expired. We believe in making data- driven decisions and investments, and these survey results will continue to help us determine how to direct limited resources. Virginia’s schools are indeed safe learning environments for our students. However, this investment will expand access to important resources and provide our hardworking school, mental health, and public safety professionals with additional tools and resources they need to do their jobs. We want to thank Governor Northam for his commitment and dedication to supporting our youth, and we are confident that these proposals will be met with bipartisan support from the legislature. The Honorable Brian Moran assists the Governor in the development and implementation of public safety and homeland security policies. Atif Mustafa Qarni is an American teacher and Democratic politician who was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to be Virginia Secretary of Education. Qarni

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The Speaker’s “Do-Something” Committee Issues Recommendations By Speaker M. Kirkland Cox

Having taught in our public school system for 30 years, I know there is nothing more important as a teacher than ensuring students are able to learn in an environment free of distractions. In recent years I fear that students concern for safety has become a distraction therefore limiting their ability to learn and apply themselves to their fullest potential. In March, following the shooting in Parkland Florida, I knew the House of Delegates could make a difference. That is why I formed the Select committee on

I am proud to say once again, while Virginia has led the nation in recent years in school safety, I am confident the work of this committee will help in protecting our students while still affording them the opportunity to learn in an inviting and nurturing environment for generations to come. Speaker M. Kirkland “Kirk” Cox is a Republican representing the 66th House District, which includes Colonial Heights and Parts of Chesterfield County.

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School Safety, the first Select Committee to be formed in more than 150 years. The House of Delegates led the effort in recent years to make our schools safer, but the tragedy in Parkland showed us that we must be ever-vigilant when it comes to school safety. The Select Committee comprehensively reviewed state and local policies on school safety and made recommendations to the General Assembly. InNovember, after the full committee and the subcommittees hadmet more than a dozen times in locations across theCommonwealth, the Select Committee received nearly 60 recommendations from the three subcommittees all focused on improving school safety in schools across Virginia. From there the committee released a final report outlining 24 priority recommendations. These recommendations are the product of the collaborative, consensus-driven approach taken by the Select Committee in 2018. The priority recommendations focus on re-aligning our school counselor duties to better serve students, addressing mental and behavioral health in schools, improving training and school security infrastructure, and providing a list of best practices for localities. One recommendation is to re-align the roles and responsibilities of school counselors to emphasize direct student services including emotional, behavioral, career, and life counseling and guidance. Right now, school counselors are often doing a number of other duties—like test proctoring—instead of focusing on the needs of our students. If we allow counselors to actually counsel, they will have more time to connect with more students. Another recommendation is to create a statewide tip line application for mental health and suicide prevention so students can access real- time crisis-intervention counseling and report threats of violence. This is modeled after a concept in Utah that has proven successful at stopping school violence in real time. The priority recommendation list also includes increased funding for the Center for School and Campus Safety, new School Resource Officer positions, and additional School Security grants. These targeted investments will help us provide educators with the knowledge they need, make sure our students are protected by qualified law enforcement professionals, and make sure our schools are safe and secure. The list also includes best practices for localities on mutual aid agreements, school design and security planning, and infrastructure improvements. While we do not want to create unfunded mandates, these proposals are smart and should be implemented by localities. Another key recommendation includes the creation of a Student Mental Health Commission to continue to study additional aspects of mental and behavioral health. These are complicated and multi-faceted issues that don’t have easy answers. We can continue to work together in a collaborative way to address some of these topics. In my opening remarks at our first Committee meeting, I stated that my goal was for this to be a “do-something” committee and that our final product was going to be comprehensive and consensus-driven. I believe we have accomplished this goal. The priority recommendations are indicative of the creative and thoughtful process the subcommittees and committee as a whole undertook as we conducted our work.

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Thoughts From The Classroom Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11th) spent some time substitute teaching in Virginia Schools. These are his notes.

Patrick Henry High School (4th of 24 Roanoke City Schools )

We had a mild surprise with a lock-down drill. We had to lock the door, turn off the lights and huddle in a corner. I kept thinking it only takes one upset child to give away that we are in the classroom. During the drill, someone comes around and shakes the door to ensure it is locked, and I know would be tough to keep 19 third graders calm during a real incident. I am so thankful for:

My latest visit took me to subbing ninth grade English. Upon checking-in, I was told to go up one flight of stairs, take a deep breath, and then go up one more. Without saying the words, people were preparing me for a fun ride. Patrick Henry is a good school with very nice facilities, and the layout has administrative offices on each floor. This helps spread out administrators around the school, which is vital for a school with around 1900 students! It was clear that the teacher I was substituting for has a good relationship with the students and has earned their respect. He is finding a balance by providing certain concessions so long as the students are good. For example, he provides a large cell phone charging station for students but they are not allowed to become distracted by playing games. Unfortunately I had to change the lesson plan again. The first student who walked in asked “Are you a sub?” Then he went straight to the door and announced that to each person who walked in, as if to say “time for some fun!” So I came up with a deviation, which kept their attention for the most part. They do love testing us...just as I did in school. (wink!) Teachers have to spend so much time dealing with behavioral issues; it is clear why they struggle with so many standards to teach to. I believe Virginia should do the minimum we need to do to please the Feds for education funding, and the rest of our time needs to be focused on the holistic socio-emotional growth of a child. A renewed focus in this direction will help with mental health, self-confidence, and teamwork, not to mention helping the teachers focus more on teaching! Thankful for all of the teachers who work so hard to breakthrough in challenging environments! Heroines and Heroes. Fairview Elementary (3rd of 24 Roanoke City Schools) Friday’s adventure took me to Ms. Sweet’s Third Grade Class. Across the street is Greenvale School where I went as a child. Life coming full circle in a way. I have volunteer taught Junior Achievement here in the past, but the student body has changed a good bit in recent years with many refugees and immigrants living near by. Several students who fled war-torn regions and some ELL students were in this class. I imagine this makes it hard on teachers trying to plan lessons for students who read on very different levels. They all love Ms. Sweet and were sad to see her go. A great group of kids and well-behaved. The class does not have a discipline corner or seat, rather she has them go back to their seat and reflect.

• So many teachers and staff who really have a “village” approach at Fairview Elementary. • Having water fountains in the classroom! (It’s the little things when you are trying to make sure one of the 19 has not escaped.) • Healthy weekend snacks that are given out on Fridays. Lincoln Terrace Elementary (2nd of 24 Roanoke City Schools) “Make it a great day, it’s your choice.”–young female student closing morning announcements I was very intimidated going into Ms. Shelor’s Fifth Grade Classroom. I was not a great 5th grader, so I felt karma was coming back around. My saving grace: Ms. Shelor left meVERY well prepared and a neighboring teacher, Ms. Thorpe, who has been teaching for 39 years, offered excellent guidance and support. Ms. Shelor also wrote in the lesson plan that we could discuss government. They wrote a journal entry on a bill they want to introduce and the class then voted on the idea. Much like the real world, classmates kept track of who voted for whose bill. The lesson plan was extensive and written completely to the SOLs. I had three class rotations, and I did not complete the plan in any class. When the kids took to something, we spent a few more minutes on it which took away from something else. This was a tougher assignment as much of the time I was working on classroom management. The fact that I was a sub, coupled with that age, made me appreciate further the struggle teachers go through trying to balance a firm hand and a compassionate mind. I would like to formally apologize to my 5th Grade Teacher Ms. Lori Anne Hall for all I put you through.

Roanoke Academy For Math & Science (1st school of 24 Roanoke City Schools)

Substituting took me into pre-k special education. Funny, my first gig is where my mom has done most of her substituting. My three- year-old class was awesome!

The lead teacher, Ms. Jamison, knew everything about these children. It helps she was involved in the initial evaluation for many of their placements. Clearly, there was a big disparity in the children’s development, which can be difficult for teachers to plan for. My main duty was to assist the lead teacher. As I watched her interact with the children, I was amazed to see how she knew exactly what each child needed in every moment. Happy to see this kind of work happening in our Star City! Delegate Sam Rasoul is a Democrat who represents the 11th District, which includes part of the City of Roanoke.

chipdicks @ gentrylocke.com 804.225.5507 gentrylocke.com/chip CHIP DICKS Legislative Counsel

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The Schools Students Deserve By Jim Livingston All children in Virginia deserve the best public school the Commonwealth can give them. But some of our students attend schools

with modern labs and courses in Russian or Chinese, while others go to classrooms outfitted with a single electrical outlet or substandard heating and cooling. The Virginia Education Association, which represents more than 40,000 public

school teachers, support professionals, and administrators, has been advocating for schools for more than 150 years. From compulsory attendance to teacher training to the institution of the Virginia Retirement System, VEA has helped to lead the fight for quality public education in the Commonwealth. This session, the VEA will be backing legislation that provides additional support for Virginia students. In the wake of too many school shootings, we’ll be supporting efforts to enhance school safety by bolstering threat assessment teams and adding additional counselors and other staff members in a position to enhance student success and prevent tragedies. We will also support legislation that implements, improves, and funds programs and staffing to counteract student behaviors that lead to suspensions and expulsions. State funding for Virginia public schools has declined 12 percent since the Great Recession in inflation-adjusted dollars, even as student enrollment has grown. As Virginia continues its recovery from recession, we believe substantial new investment is needed to equip our students to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow. We’re calling on legislators to fully fund the Standards of Quality approved by the Virginia Board of Education to more accurately measure the cost of quality education in the Commonwealth. We are seeking increased funding for at-risk students. VEA members in small and rural schools want the best for their students. But schools in Abingdon simply lack the resources to offer schools comparable to those in Arlington. So VEA will be supporting legislation that addresses inequities experienced in those areas. The Virginia Department of Education recently reported 1,000 teacher vacancies across the state—an indicator that we must do much more to ensure that teaching is a profession of choice and adequately compensated. The General Assembly is on the record as supporting the goal of liftingVirginia teacher salaries to the national average.We remain well short of that standard. Virginia ranks 34th in average teacher pay, with our professionals earning $9,218 under the national average. In 1990, Virginia was within $400 of the national average. Since then, the gap has grown. We’re trending in the wrong direction! VEA members report that low salaries are a leading cause of decisions to leave the classroom for higher-paying careers. Students deserve so much more than a revolving door of emergency-certified or long-term substitutes teaching them English or biology. To establish and maintain an excellent teaching force, the state must do its share and partner with local school divisions to ensure that we recruit and retain the very best professionals for our classrooms. We need a long-term plan and a long-term commitment. We can wait no longer. Jim Livingston, a middle school math teacher from Prince William County, has served as president of the Virginia Education Association since 2016. At press time, Governor Ralph Northam has announced that he will propose a number of school items as amendments to his proposed budget. These proposals, yet to be taken up by the legislature, include $268.7 Million in new money for K-12 education, and proposals to add school counselors and improve school safety.

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The Importance of Civic Education By Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg

George Mason opposed the ratification of the Constitution, saying it would destroy the rights of Virginia citizens. He led by example, though; so, when the document was ratified after days of hot argument, he worked with his friend James Madison to propose a bill of rights to the new federal congress, rather than stalking off the field in partisan anger. How did they achieve this feat? Through the power of mutual discussion and deliberation, a shared idea of citizenship.

in the Civil Rights Movement to the women who fought in court to gain admission to the University of Virginia, our citizens have showed the nation how to engage in advocacy and dialogue for political change and live up to our political values. But Virginia isn’t doing enough today to prepare its citizens to inherit and continue that legacy of leadership. Though we require 8th and 12th grade civics classes, these requirements are neither well developed nor do they require Virginians to take their education off the page and into civic society. There are many ways to deepen this education and show Virginians how to become part of the deliberation our system prizes. Schools could ask seniors to participate in a campaign or interest group of their choice before graduation—after all, Virginia has a campaign every year, unlike most states. Or students could visit with their Delegate or Senator when the Assembly is out of session. We can have students visit their local officials at work, like Henrico’s Citizens Academy program, which teaches people about the policies and practices of county government so they can be better advocated. We often fail to see that workforce education and preparing people to be democratic citizens can go hand in hand! There are plenty of programs in Virginia, like the We The People program, which puts students face-to-face with adults to talk through hard policy and constitutional values questions, or the Virginia History Day program, which encourages a deep investigation of our state’s past. Groups like the Virginia Bar Association, the John Marshall Foundation, and Virginia Civics are ready to partner with the state if it asks them. Virginia’s pioneering Portrait of a Graduate goal already includes citizenship standards, but the portrait is only a rough outline. To that end, we can and should revise our Portrait of a Graduate to include specific goals, like helping graduating seniors with voter registration. As a state, we must lead the nation not only in job development, but also in the development of active, engaged citizens who can keep our nation’s ideals thriving. It’s a Virginian tradition worth maintaining in today’s world. Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg is a Democrat representing the 72nd District, which is part of Henrico County. He teaches government to seniors at Glen Allen High School in Henrico County.

Virginians played a crucial role in building a deliberative model of citizenship that the early republic, which Americans—learning how to be citizens rather than subjects—could use. James Madison fought tooth and nail in Congress for a Bill of Rights he hadn’t supported at first, which he had called a mere “parchment barrier.” He did so because he knew his fellow citizens demanded it. He had been moved by their demands in the ratification processes and made promises to them during that deliberation. For weeks in Congress, he fought against people who wanted to move onto other practical priorities—ships, ports, hiring tax inspectors—because he believed in the primacy of the outcome of that public debate over private concerns. Another Virginian, John Marshall, when he took on the mantle of Chief Justice, inherited a destabilized and purposeless institution. Chief Justices had been a revolving door, and through the early 1790s the Justices rarely met to discuss their cases. However, Marshall knew that the Court could help to channel the issues of the nation through its Constitutional deliberation, as an equal partner to the other two branches in the process of governing. George Washington, a third Virginian to build this civic character, understood the need for deliberation in advising the nation’s highest office. He deliberately appointed people who disagreed with one another and represented different streams of thought about the new Republic’s future so he could benefit from their dialogue. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton fought tooth and nail in his drawing room, and the nation’s policies came out stronger for it. The role of Virginians in modeling citizenship for the nation didn’t stop in the 1700s, though—from Oliver Hill’s leadership

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VIRGINIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | @ VEA4Kids | veanea.org

2019 VEA LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

VEAWILL INITIATE LEGISLATION TO:

VEA SUPPORTS LEGISLATION THAT:

VEA OPPOSES LEGISLATION THAT:

• Use a teacher evaluation model with multiple measures, reduced reliance on standardized test scores, and an accurate reflection of a teacher’s effectiveness. • Give the Virginia Board of Edu- cation the option to reprimand in professional license action instead of only suspend, cancel, or revoke. • Implement and fully fund a statewide, reliable, nationally- validated school personnel climate survey. • Reinstate state funding dedicat- ed to capital improvements of our public schools. • Establish a duty-free lunch period for all teachers during the regular school day. • Expand Virginia Retirement System membership to include part-time school employees.

• Provides resources to ensure that school employees earn a living wage and that teacher salaries are at or above the national average. • Attracts and retains high-quality teachers and school personnel and improves professional devel- opment opportunities. • Fully funds the revised Standards of Quality (SOQs), as adopted by the Virginia Board of Education, to accurately reflect what it costs to educate Virginia students and support their mental health needs. • Implements and funds school safety measures and the effective use of threat assessment teams. • Maintains designated school property as gun-free zones. • Increases funds directed towards Virginia’s most at-risk students. • Supports the needs of and addresses the inequities in Virginia’s small and rural school divisions. • Implements, improves, and funds programs and staffing to counteract student behaviors that lead to suspensions and expulsions. • Protects professional teaching licenses.

• Undermines the Virginia Board of Education’s efforts to meet its Constitutional authority to define the standards for a high-quality public education in our Com- monwealth. • Provides public dollars to non-public schools. • Transfers the authority for grant- ing charter schools away from the local school board. • Undermines the health or retirement benefits of school personnel.

We’ll Keep You Informed

Keep up with all the latest legislative news affecting schools by reading VEA’s daily updates during the General Assembly session. You’ll find them at www.veadailyreports.com .

10 KATHY BURCHER | GOVERNMENT RELATIONS | 804-651-4192 | kburcher@veanea.org

Virginia’s Lottery: Where did it come from and where does the money go? By DeForrest Ballou The lottery in Virginia is nothing new.

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The Virginia Company of London was granted a charter to establish colonies overseas by King James I, in 1606. One of the ways theVirginia Company raised money was through a game where citizens could buy tickets for prizes, called a “lottery.” In the past, lotteries were a form of painless taxation. A game where the real thrill was the small chance of winning. Today, the Virginia Lottery serves the

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same purpose. From Powerball to scratchers, every time we buy a ticket, we help the children that attend public schools in the state. “By selling tickets we generate profits—and in that way the lottery is—it runs very much along the lines of a business,” said John Hagerty, spokesperson for the Virginia Lottery, “—in creating a product, marketing a product, selling a product, and in doing so, raising a profit,” The Virginia Lottery was created in 1987, and the money raised, early on, went to capital projects. Then in 1999, theVirginia constitution was amended. “In the business world, profits would go to shareholders. For the lottery, all profits, by law, go to K-12 education,” said Hagerty. While theVirginia Lottery handles the business end of lottery, they have no control over where the money is dispersed. That is determined by a formula used by Virginia’s Appropriations Committee in the General Assembly and the state’s Department of Education. Summed up, the goal for everyone is to maintain a 40 percent threshold. That is, 40 percent of all money gained from the Virginia Lottery goes toward public education. The rest goes toward maintaining the lottery system. “The biggest challenge you have is, you have to apply state policy and state education legislation to school systems as small as Highland County, of the 132 school systems, to a school system as large as Fairfax County,” said Delegate Steve Landes (R-25th). Landes is Chairman of the House Education Committee and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He said the formula in place is more than 50 years old. “It’s based on who plays the game and based on those criteria that partly run through the funding formula,” said Landes. TheVirginia Lottery generates nine percent of the public education budget and while the more games Virginians play, the more money goes to those youths in public education. TheVirginia Lottery understands that the games it offers are a form of gambling. They take pains to tell players to play responsibly, and they always offer resources for those who may need help. If you think a family member has become a problem gambler, call the Virginia

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problem gambling helpline, toll-free, at 888-532-3500. DeForrest Ballou is a student editor attending VCU.

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The Case for Homeschooling By Patricia Marie

Homeschooling was the principal model used to train and educate children for most of recorded human history. Although this heritage has gradually drifted from the greater U.S. consciousness since the 1800s, it has seen a resurgence in recent decades. Naturally, as homeschooling becomes a familiar educational option, homeschoolers are more often asked why they have returned to this bedrock of pedagogy. “I wanted to instill a love of learning and exploring,” said homeschooler Amanda Matthews, “so my children can learn for learning’s sake.” Added Amanda Hoyle, “We keep doing it to accommodate an out-of-the-box learning style, to personalize our children’s education to their needs and interests, and to build a family culture centered on a love of learning.” Studies reflect these sentiments—and more—and confirm that the reasons families decide to homeschool are as varied as their demographics. Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., an internationally recognized scholar and president of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), groups the most common reasons for homeschooling into six categories 1 . 1. To customize the child’s education (curriculum, environment, instructional approaches) 2. To accomplish more academically 3. To provide a safe learning environment 4. To offer healthy and guided social interaction 5. To enhance family relationships 6. To teach a particular set of values, beliefs, and worldview to their children Homeschooling’s expanse, opportunity, adaptability, and family- friendly qualities are not the only factors wooing parents to this option; it is also the results. Studies continue to prove that, whether it be standardized achievement test scores, SAT scores, ACT scores, or dual-enrollment rates, homeschoolers reliably outperform the national norm—and often by a great margin. Additionally, as they function

above average on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development, homeschoolers grow up to make for a solid citizenry. Not only are they more engaged in civic life than the general population, but they also report higher levels of overall life satisfaction. In addition to current assessments, history presents the lives of homeschoolers from the past as evidence of its success.

Parents do well in recognizing that it is this model that has contributed to the development of individuals the likes of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, MacArthur, Patton, Einstein, Pascal, Edison, Franklin, Wright, Monet, da Vinci, Berlin, Mozart, Dickens, Anderson, Frost and thousands of other brilliant and well-known “movers and shakers” whose undeniable impact remains alive and active to this day. One must consider the lives of these extraordinary human beings and wonder how they may have fared had they attempted to develop their unique gifts within our present industrial model. We may look to these as examples of the individual potential available to all when the soul is left to grow freely beyond grade levels, beyond textbooks, and beyond the four walls of the classroom. To say it differently, one size should not—and does not—fit all; humans, by nature, are not standardized creatures. It is in this fact where homeschooling serves the reality that industrial models cannot. The renewal, reinvention, continued success, and history of homeschooling stand on its own value, for at the root of this method we find the family. It is, and has always been, the family that possesses the greatest potential in setting a child’s course on a sustainable and boundless journey toward the exceptional. Patricia Marie lives with her husband and two children, whom she homeschools. She is the Facebook administrator for the Home Educator’s Association of Virginia, and she blogs at www.mamashomeed.com, a resource for homeschooling mothers.

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1 Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., Home Education Reason and Research, 2009

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