Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

As the proud parent of two children who attend Fairfax County Public Schools, I know first hand the importance of quality public education. I was proud to accept the Virginia Education Association's "Solid as a Rock for Public Education Award" for my efforts on the House Education Committee in 2011. This year I introduced legislation (HB1674) to provide our localities with more flexibility to innovate while maintaining high standards of accountability. I also spoke on the House Floor against attempts by the Governor to take away education funding for Northern Virginia that recognizes that our cost of living is by far the highest in the state. Finally, I was a co-sponsor of legislation (HB 1871) to enhance efforts to fight bullying in our schools.

As your delegate, my priorities include:

*Keep class size low in order to maximize the ability of teachers to provide individualized attention to students.
*Retain and recruit highly qualified teachers and support staff.
*Provide students with modern educational facilities that maximize the use of technology.
*Promote parental involvement in our schools as a key component to learning.
*Continually look for opportunities to streamline operations and assess the effectiveness of existing programs.
*Revise the State's Composite Index so that our schools get a fair share of funding. Fairfax County currently received only 26% of its base-funding from the State, while the City of Fairfax only receives 20%.

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