Comments Document

The League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWV-VA) supports HB1423 School Readiness Committee; renaming as Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education. Currently, the LWV-VA is completing a study of child care in Virginia. We have found there is a dire need for more quality child care in Virginia. We believe this bill and the creation of a Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education would offer solutions to many of the critical problems besetting quality child care in the Commonwealth. Here is a link to our recent study report. https://lwv-va.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Final-Study-Report-Child-Care-Issue-Group-2022.pdf

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

Please oppose HB 1423 as amended. HB 1423 as amended has traded a governing committee made up of teachers and those with direct educational delivery experience for educational administrators and private business representatives. It is hard to imagine how the expertise and insight of those in the business sector will have bearing on the many challenges facing the youngest and most vulnerable students in the Commonwealth. Certainly, private sector business input is valuable when considering how secondary education can benefit from and contribute to real world economic challenges, but the challenges of our youngest citizens center around readiness to learn, trauma informed models of educational delivery, reading readiness, and mathematical fundamentals. The individuals addressing these concerns should be those intimately familiar with how these challenges are manifesting in the students of today and what proven methods there are to mitigate them. The earlier draft of this bill comes closer to meeting those challenges. It is also difficult to discern how a data tracking system to link student performance with specific educator information will do little more than burden an already overwhelmed teacher force with more documenting and reporting tasks resulting in even more student face time and critical delivery planning time lost. Please oppose HB 1423

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

Comments Document

HB 1461 oppose see attachment Hb1497 support Hb1507 oppose Hb1731 support HB 1967 support Hb1980 Support Hb1982 support

Middle Resolution supports this bill.

HB1461 - This proposal is fair to all. HB1497 - Too expensive, major cities like Chesapeake/VB/Norfolk taxpayers can't afford more taxes to pay teachers. We need to pay for bus drivers. Get rid of 1/2 the administrative bloat, then you would have more $$$ to pay teachers, nurses and bus drivers. HB1507 - This is the main driver of the elections: constitutionally protect parent control. HB1691 - This would help with SRO's and given the fights in schools, is desparately needed. Please move to report. HB1704 - Needed now, given the rapes in LCPS. HB1733 - Not needed, they already can and do this. HB2021 - Always love to see parents provided with information. HB2264 - No more mission creep. Educate the kids: leave the psych stuff to another groups w/that focus. HB2405 - Excellent suggestion!

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Please vote in favor of this bill. I know most parents of children are in favor of this. We brought children into this world to be raised by their parents. Thank you. Debbie Vreeland

I support HB1507, and would like to add that parents should be able to receive not only attorney costs refunded, but damages also. Many people, however cannot afford attorneys to fight the endless funds the School Boards seem to always have, with lawyers at their disposal using taxpayer funds against parents and/or students. This is not equality nor equity.

Chair Coyner and members of the Education Subcommittee Early Childhood Innovation: My name is Alex Nester and I’m the political director of PDE Action. We are a nonpartisan organization working to reclaim schools from divisive political activism through policy reform. Parental rights in public education is one of our top issues, and we believe it should be a bipartisan one. And so, I am here to share my support for House Bill 1507. If the recent National Merit Scholarship story doesn't speak to the importance of legislation like House Bill 1507, then I don't know what does. Fairfax and Loudoun County decided to not tell students or parents about National Merit Scholarship Commended Student status. It is clear now that this was no clerical error, but yet another example of school officials thinking they knew what’s best for children. And yet again, they could not have made a worse decision. House Bill 1507 is aligned with Virginia's parental rights law: “A parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent’s child.” The bill would ensure that school districts are creating policies that codify and support that very simple, yet vital, statute. There are countless incidents in addition to the one noted above that speak to the necessity of House Bill 1507. For example, past model guidance for transgender students explicitly stated that schools should not be required to notify parents if a child decides to identify as the opposite sex at school. Fairfax County, Harrisonburg, Loudoun County, and other districts have adopted policies that say parents may not need to be notified if their child decides to adopt another gender identity at school. These are troubling policies, which essentially mean young people will be living a double life . This will create increased mental health issues as students struggle with keeping secrets from their parents. In the end, it is the parents, the families, that will support these young people well into adulthood--not the teachers or school administrators. Barring all judgment on modern concepts on sex, gender and gender identity, it is unconscionable that Virginia public schools have adopted policies that explicitly seek to exclude parents from these conversations. Schools have shown time and time again that they are incapable of making the right decisions for a child’s wellbeing. Yet, schools tell us that parents can’t be trusted. Parents play a lifelong role in raising their children. Teachers, administrators and counselors come and go. They do not cheer children on like their parents. They do not have a lifetime commitment to our children. Parents love unconditionally. Parents were the first to sound the alarm bells about the harmful effects that months or year-long school closures had on their children’s academic performance and mental health. But experts, teachers union top brass, and corporate media drowned them out and demanded that schools remain closed in the name of safety, long after we knew that Covid-19 did not impact children in the same way it affected the elderly. In some northern Virginia districts, those school closures lasted more than a year. Virginia parents deserve to be in the drivers’ seat when it comes to the education and upbringing of their children. House Bill 1507 is a vital piece to this puzzle. I proudly support House Bill 1507.

You do not get to choose any part in raising my children. Hands off!! We've had enough!

I write to support HB 1507. Both the U.S. Constitution and the Commonwealth of Virginia Constitution clearly support parental rights. It is time the local School Boards and all Virginia educational policies support those rights of parents by providing complete transparency and making available to parents all curricular, counseling, and policy changes that are implemented. It is this lack transparency that has led to the confusion and obfuscation of parental access and caused much of the confusion and distrust on the part of parents. This clearly written bill will end this problem. Please pass HB 1507.

I support this bill 100% and this bill is detrimental to insuring parental rights will not be trampled upon any more and that the parent and only the parent will parent their child's social-emotional well-being and lifestyles that align with their children's and parents' beliefs and helps hold officials accountable for any violations. Parents do not need the government as co-parents to their children. This bill will "Provide opportunities for parental involvement in several ways, including providing parents of students enrolled in the local school division direct access to and an opportunity to review, upon request, the complete curricular content in the local school division and the option to opt out of policies, surveys, research studies, or programs of instruction that are inconsistent with the parent's beliefs, values, or goals and standards for his child." I support this bill 100% as written and must go through.

I support this bill 100% and this bill is detrimental to insuring parental rights will not be trampled upon any more and that the parent and only the parent will parent their child's social-emotional well-being and lifestyles that align with their children's and parents' beliefs and helos hold officials accountable for any violations. Parents do not need the government as co-parents the government. This bill will "Provide opportunities for parental involvement in several ways, including providing parents of students enrolled in the local school division direct access to and an opportunity to review, upon request, the complete curricular content in the local school division and the option to opt out of policies, surveys, research studies, or programs of instruction that are inconsistent with the parent's beliefs, values, or goals and standards for his child." I support this bill 100% as written and must go through.

HB1507: I support the constitutional rights of parents to direct childrens' education. HB1575: I support Delegate Walkers SWAT bill. HB2269: I support using these pandemic relief funds for schools.

Edu-Futuro’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty in immigrant communities largely through educational support. Our beneficiaries come from fully 61 different countries of origin, and most of our beneficiaries are English language learners. By incentivizing the acquisition of an endorsement in English as a Second Language instruction, HB 1824 will necessarily improve the staff to student ratio for ELLs. To that end, Edu-Futuro wholeheartedly supports Delegate Avoli’s HB 1824. I also support this bill as a private citizen and second generation immigrant myself, and I am very pleased to see that on the Senate side, my own Senator, Jennifer Boysko, is this bill’s chief co-patron. I also want to express my support in my personal capacity as a former public school teacher for Delegate Simonds’ HB 1696. Thank you.

These bills are so important to the family, to our children. Please pass these bills!

I fully support this bill.

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

I fully support this bill.

I fully support this bill.

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

How soon we forget the nightmare that was distance learning. Or maybe none of you experienced that. These school aged children that lost time in the classroom for reading instruction will be MISSED if this FULL expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act is not passed. There are a key group of children that, yes, are soon to be in middle school (in school year 2024-2025) and struggle with reading due to the havoc caused by Covid. Please support and fund this HB1526 bill in its entirety. All of these house bills go to strengthen our schools with providing parents the knowledge they need to advocate for their children and better equipping teachers to teach within their large and neurodiverse classrooms (1:5 students are dyslexic). thank you for your service to our great Commonwealth.

I urge you to passing both HB 1526 and HB 2137. Both of these bills promote literacy programs and support desperately ended for Virginia students, especially those who struggle with reading.

As you may be aware, dyslexia a common learning disability for students of average to above average intelligence. Dyslexia affects a student's ability to read accurately and fluently and communicate his/her thoughts in writing. Since kindergarten, our son struggled with reading skills and was never accurately identified as a dyslexic in elementary school. We have spent thousands of dollars in evaluations and before-school tutoring. We pulled him from Chesterfield County public schools after 6th grade because his teachers were unable to address his IEP goals and none of his teachers nor the special education administrators were aware of specific interventions for dyslexic learners. My husband and I had to assume an unexpected private school tuition debt of $28,000/year which is truly a financial hardship on us. Thank you for unanimously passing the Virginia Literacy Act last year. Please support HB1629 and HB15265 to provide the much-needed support and interventions for dyslexic students and their families. Parents of dyslexic children, many educators and neurobiologist understand the nuances of dyslexia. As our state representatives, we hope you understand this disability to better support our kids in their most critical stages of learning! Reading is such a foundational skill to ensure a country of productive citizens! Thank you for your concern and support.

My name is Rebecca Warner and I am a founding member of Decoding Dyslexia Virginia DDVA. Ten years ago a group of mothers in Virginia started the Virginia chapter of Decoding Dyslexia. We were the 12th state to join what is now a national movement with chapters in every state as well as other countries across the globe. The dream was to not only raise dyslexia awareness and create laws to support our young children in grade school, but it was also to recreate how literacy is taught in the state of Virginia. We knew it meant a deeper conversation with higher education, policymakers, and researchers who truly understood the science of reading. HB1526 and SB1175 embody what I had fondly called the "Cadillac" of legislation. Our group envisioned doing away with teaching methods that were not evidence researched and replacing these methods with proven strategies that were backed by science. We knew we needed teachers trained in these methods, we parents needed full transparency, and we needed it all done with fidelity. This is what HB1526 and SB1175 offer. It will take time. It will take resources. It will take a cultural shift and a great deal of patience. I knew 10 years ago that my legislative effort and DDVA work would not benefit my then 10 year old son, but I knew it would help other families and perhaps my grandchildren. Finally. The Cadillac just pulled up.

My name is Shannon Duncan and I am a founding member of Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. We can't thank you enough for coming together to pass and fully fund the Virginia Literacy Act last year. I am writing to ask for your support of: HB1526 - Delegate Carrie Coyner's Virginia Literacy Act Expansion bill will expand evidence-based literacy instruction, teacher professional development, and increase reading specialists for our 4th through 8th graders. (Mirroring bill in the Senate SB1175) HB1629 - Delegate Carrie Coyner's Parent Data Portal bill will provide parents with timely access to their children’s state-sponsored assessment data so that they can participate in data-informed decisions about their children’s education. HB2137 - Delegate Karrie Delaney's bill will empower parents with the knowledge of what core/intervention curriculum is being used by each school, in addition to the job description and contact information for reading specialists/dyslexia advisors. This data must be shared publicly on the VDOE website. We are in the midst of a literacy crisis in Virginia and we need to invest in our children's literacy by ensuring they receive a curriculum rooted in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction. We must pass HB1526/SB1175 into law and fully fund this enormous undertaking so that the children hardest hit by the pandemic (those K-2 students during the pandemic) aren't forgotten because they will be out of reach of the Virginia Literacy Act when it takes effect 2024-2025 school year. ALL children, K-8, deserve teachers who can hit the ground running and impart foundational literacy skills during their academic careers without the current wait-to-fail model that was in place for my own daughter who couldn't learn to read. Parents are their children's first and best advocate and it's important that data relating to their literacy is easily and equitably accessible no matter what district their children attend in Virginia. Reading is a right!

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

I support HB1526 because our schools are failing to teach children how to read. Thanks to years of research, we now know absolutely the right way to teach reading. Passing HB1526 ensures all of our teachers in Virginia in grades 4-8 will be using the techniques proven to foster literacy and STOP using the techniques proven to hamper literacy. Voting 'yes' for HB1526 will be the easiest decision our lawmakers will have in this legislative session.

ExcelinEd in Action is pleased to support the expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act contained in HB 1526. A comprehensive early literacy policy that includes strategies to support teachers and administrators, students and their families will ensure that students have the foundational reading skills needed to learn, graduate and succeed. Virginia took a huge step forward with the passage and enactment of the Virginia Literacy Act last session, but this expansion to grades 4-8 ensures that struggling readers won't slip through the cracks as they progress in their educational career and that teachers have the training and tools necessary to serve all students. Thank you for your consideration and support.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1526 support: I have trained hundreds of publicly schooled kids who have fallen through the cracks to read more proficiently through core cognitive skills strengthening overlayed with a structured and explicit reading program based on the Science of Reading, delivered via a one-on-one brain training approach. I know how the brain learns to read and how to train it to read. The meta-analysis research is very clear, if kids are not reading on grade level by forth grade, around 75% of those never read on grade level. In at-risk populations, that lowers their opportunity to get a quality education and reduces their choices in life, further reducing the chances they can break out of the poverty cycle in which they were born. Thus, it is justifiable that reading is a civil right, and one which doesn't stop at 3rd grade. The 4th-8th graders contemplated in this bill are very segment most at risk of giving up on learning as a way up because there is very little remedial reading intervention today, only accommodations. If we don't intervene, we will see these numbers reflected in our public assistance and penal system down the road. Deal with the problem up front (high ROI), or pass the buck and chronically manage the symptoms downstream year after year. Thanks for your support.

I have trained hundreds of publicly schooled kids who have fallen through the cracks to read more proficiently through core cognitive skills strengthening overlayed with a structured and explicit reading program based on the Science of Reading, delivered via a one-on-one brain training approach. I know how the brain learns to read and how to train it to read. The meta-analysis research is very clear, if kids are not reading on grade level by forth grade, around 75% of those never read on grade level. In at-risk populations, that lowers their opportunity to get a quality education and reduces their choices in life, further reducing the chances they can break out of the poverty cycle in which they were born. Thus, it is justifiable that reading is a civil right, and one which doesn't stop at 3rd grade. The 4th-8th graders contemplated in this bill are very segment most at risk of giving up on learning as a way up because there is very little remedial reading intervention today, only accommodations. If we don't intervene, we will see these numbers reflected in our public assistance and penal system down the road. Deal with the problem up front (high ROI), or pass the buck and chronically manage the symptoms downstream year after year. Thanks for your support.

HB1526 asks that we expand the Virginia Literacy Act to include grades 4th through 8th so that they may receive evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research. As an intake coordinator for a psychology practice, I hear too many stories from parents who are just realizing that their children can not read at grade level during their first year in high school. Schools miss non-readers too often. Most parents are not told about a literacy problem until 4th grade or later, so we must include these grades within the scope of The Virginia Literacy ACT. This is especially true after the COVID years. Thank you.

The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce strongly supports HB 1526 introduced by Del. Coyner. It is critical that we provide funding to ensure that students who struggle with literacy have an equal opportunity at a quality education. On a personal note, I did not learn to read until the 6th grade. I was fortunate enough to have a mom who fought for me to get the resources in public school that I needed. When the public schools couldn't get me caught up, thanks to my mom's advocacy and dedicate research, my parents found a school that was dedicated to help children who struggled with literacy. Furthermore, I was also fortunate enough to have a father who taught me that failing doesn't define you, but it makes you stronger. Unfortunately, many children who struggle with literacy, do not see this. Even with my positive influences, it was not until I was in my thirties that I truly began to comprehend my father's teachings and see my failures in the classroom as a badge of honor, not a stigma. If it weren't for parents, I wouldn't be here today. I am outliner in the community of those who struggled with literacy as a child, not because I am special, but I have been very lucky. Delegate Coyner's bill will help ensure that all students have the opportunity to an equal education like I did. I deeply appreciate her effort and I hope the rest of the subcommittee can find it in their hearts to make the same investment in the next generation of Virginian's that my parents made in me.

Good morning members of the Education - Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee, my name is Kathryn Haines and I am Vice-Chair of the Chesterfield County Public Schools School Board, a Board firmly committed to the science of reading. I would like to share a few words of support for HB 1526 and HB 1629. If you have read the “2022 Across the Aisle Report: What Voters and Parents Want in Education by the Hunt Institute,” (https://hunt-institute.org/resources/2022/11/2022-across-the-aisle-report-what-voters-and-parents-want-in-education/) you know that these days there seems to be a larger than usual discrepancy between the desires of the loud minority and the silent majority (for example, the silent majority does not support vouchers). I am grateful to the Hunt Institute for reaching through the political noise to capture the concerns of this majority. The Hunt Institute report surveyed parents to judge support for various proposals to improve public education. One of the proposals that received exceptionally strong support? To implement evidence-based literacy programs in classrooms to improve student reading levels. When I testified on behalf of the VA Literacy Act last year, I threw out several facts on why evidence-based literacy programs are critical to the future success of our kids. I am going to assume everyone is now familiar with those facts and so I will emphasize instead that this bill is the kind of support that your constituents need and expect. In Chesterfield, where we are deeply aware of the widespread support for kids reading on or above grade level, our top performance objective is that CCPS students (including reporting groups - Black, Hispanic, FRL, SPED) will demonstrate on approved SOL assessments an English performance (reading and writing) of at least 80%. Expanding and FUNDING the VA Literacy Act will help us meet our goals as a board. I would like to draw your attention to the need to fully fund this bill. The VA Literacy Act last year came with a price tag of two million for Chesterfield (the State covered about 1 million). I am pleading with this committee to either fully fund the expansion or to free up dollars for local funding by lifting the support cap. Lifting the support cap would result in an additional ten million dollars to Chesterfield from the State. The money is there, all you have to do is to urge your colleagues to put kids before politics. I will close by offering a warm thank you to Delegate Coyner for championing this bill.

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

I don’t care that these bills are not listed here. This needs to be heard. For Bill 1707 and 2432. A bill that outs queer students to their families forcibly is one of the most dangerous, absurd bill propositions I’ve ever seen. This bill has no regard for the safety of queer children and instead prioritizes parents without any sort of understanding of what life is like for queer people and how often being outed leads to queer children being kicked out, abandoned, injured, and even killed by bigoted family members. It is disgusting to see my government propose a bill like this. A government which passes this bill cannot claim to care for its citizens- it only cares about furthering an anti-queer agenda and a bigoted belief system which is based on nothing. To force children into being outed by their school systems is incredibly disgusting and dangerous. If passed, I believe firmly that that teen mental health will decline and suicide rates will spike, kids will be forced onto the streets- either by their own families or running away, and life for queer youth will become exponentially harder than it already is. The government should be helping its young people, not prioritizing bigoted anti queer views for the older generations. This is disgusting, ineffective, and horrifying to see.

Stop attacking these families and their kids. Gender dysphoria is real, and these children need to be accepted and supported. Their classmates need to learn to accept and be kind to those who are not exactly like they are (so when they grow up, we don't continue to have to deal with the ignorance and cruelty we see here today). Everyone deserves to be who they want to be, this is America, right?

To the Education - Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee. I am here in the committee room and would like to speak if permitted. I am writing on behalf of the Virginia Moose Association (VMA) to respectfully ask you to vote YES on HB1575, which will be coming before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood/Innovation today. HB1575 would have the Department of Education, in conjunction with law enforcement agencies and internet safety specialists, develop a program for internet safety protocols in Virginia’s Public Schools. The VMA and its parent organization, Moose International, has long supported educating youth about the dangers that social media usage, cyberbullying, and volunteering personal information can pose to their physical safety and mental health. The Safe Surfin Foundation, which was created by Sheriff Mike Brown (Bedford – retired) is one of the programs that VMA and Moose International support, partially with the use of charitable gaming proceeds. Virginia has 83 Moose Lodges and over 66,000 members throughout the Commonwealth. The Moose is one of the largest, and most charitable, fraternal service organizations in Virginia and the country. Your support of our efforts on behalf of the safety of children in our local lodge communities is greatly appreciated. Please vote to support this important legislation, HB1575. Respectfully yours, David W. Jones Virginia Moose Association 804-228-4502 202-439-2631 (cell)

As a mother to 5 children, some who are lgbtqia+ this is harmful to all of my children. My straight kids have more rights than my non straight children. How is this justifiable? At what point are all people created equal? Why am Ibfirced to have different survival conversations with each of my children because of laws like these? Why are my LGBTQIA+ kids worth less than my straight kids to my state government? At what point will you work to protect all of my children equally?

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1507: I support the constitutional rights of parents to direct childrens' education. HB1575: I support Delegate Walkers SWAT bill. HB2269: I support using these pandemic relief funds for schools.

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

I believe that HB1593 will place a heavy and unfunded burden on both the VDOE and individual schools if the School Accreditation Frequency is increased. Not only will this require additional staff for the VDOE, individual district and school administrations will have to devote more resources to the process which is already burdensome.

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

How soon we forget the nightmare that was distance learning. Or maybe none of you experienced that. These school aged children that lost time in the classroom for reading instruction will be MISSED if this FULL expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act is not passed. There are a key group of children that, yes, are soon to be in middle school (in school year 2024-2025) and struggle with reading due to the havoc caused by Covid. Please support and fund this HB1526 bill in its entirety. All of these house bills go to strengthen our schools with providing parents the knowledge they need to advocate for their children and better equipping teachers to teach within their large and neurodiverse classrooms (1:5 students are dyslexic). thank you for your service to our great Commonwealth.

As you may be aware, dyslexia a common learning disability for students of average to above average intelligence. Dyslexia affects a student's ability to read accurately and fluently and communicate his/her thoughts in writing. Since kindergarten, our son struggled with reading skills and was never accurately identified as a dyslexic in elementary school. We have spent thousands of dollars in evaluations and before-school tutoring. We pulled him from Chesterfield County public schools after 6th grade because his teachers were unable to address his IEP goals and none of his teachers nor the special education administrators were aware of specific interventions for dyslexic learners. My husband and I had to assume an unexpected private school tuition debt of $28,000/year which is truly a financial hardship on us. Thank you for unanimously passing the Virginia Literacy Act last year. Please support HB1629 and HB15265 to provide the much-needed support and interventions for dyslexic students and their families. Parents of dyslexic children, many educators and neurobiologist understand the nuances of dyslexia. As our state representatives, we hope you understand this disability to better support our kids in their most critical stages of learning! Reading is such a foundational skill to ensure a country of productive citizens! Thank you for your concern and support.

My name is Shannon Duncan and I am a founding member of Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. We can't thank you enough for coming together to pass and fully fund the Virginia Literacy Act last year. I am writing to ask for your support of: HB1526 - Delegate Carrie Coyner's Virginia Literacy Act Expansion bill will expand evidence-based literacy instruction, teacher professional development, and increase reading specialists for our 4th through 8th graders. (Mirroring bill in the Senate SB1175) HB1629 - Delegate Carrie Coyner's Parent Data Portal bill will provide parents with timely access to their children’s state-sponsored assessment data so that they can participate in data-informed decisions about their children’s education. HB2137 - Delegate Karrie Delaney's bill will empower parents with the knowledge of what core/intervention curriculum is being used by each school, in addition to the job description and contact information for reading specialists/dyslexia advisors. This data must be shared publicly on the VDOE website. We are in the midst of a literacy crisis in Virginia and we need to invest in our children's literacy by ensuring they receive a curriculum rooted in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction. We must pass HB1526/SB1175 into law and fully fund this enormous undertaking so that the children hardest hit by the pandemic (those K-2 students during the pandemic) aren't forgotten because they will be out of reach of the Virginia Literacy Act when it takes effect 2024-2025 school year. ALL children, K-8, deserve teachers who can hit the ground running and impart foundational literacy skills during their academic careers without the current wait-to-fail model that was in place for my own daughter who couldn't learn to read. Parents are their children's first and best advocate and it's important that data relating to their literacy is easily and equitably accessible no matter what district their children attend in Virginia. Reading is a right!

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1526 asks that we expand the Virginia Literacy Act to include grades 4th through 8th so that they may receive evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research. As an intake coordinator for a psychology practice, I hear too many stories from parents who are just realizing that their children can not read at grade level during their first year in high school. Schools miss non-readers too often. Most parents are not told about a literacy problem until 4th grade or later, so we must include these grades within the scope of The Virginia Literacy ACT. This is especially true after the COVID years. Thank you.

Thank you for this opportunity to be heard and for your service. A parent cannot affect a child's education if they do not know how they are doing at that moment, not several months from a light bulb moment. COVID created a light bulb for many parents. Their children sat next to them as they learned. Too many parents realized that their child could not read, write or calculate even near grade level. Let's change that with HB1629. Virginia's current approach to data sharing with parents is not in compliance with federal law, which requires that every parent receive individual reports about their child's assessment results as soon as possible after an assessment and in an understandable format. When children move to a new school this is also a problem and wastes time as they enter a new school. Our kids need to hit the ground running. We need VDOE to provide every parent with access to the Virginia Parent Data Portal containing all state-supported assessment data for their child. This needs to happen in a timely and understandable manner. Thank you.

Please support Bill #1396! So important for the children of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

Edu-Futuro’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty in immigrant communities largely through educational support. Our beneficiaries come from fully 61 different countries of origin, and most of our beneficiaries are English language learners. By incentivizing the acquisition of an endorsement in English as a Second Language instruction, HB 1824 will necessarily improve the staff to student ratio for ELLs. To that end, Edu-Futuro wholeheartedly supports Delegate Avoli’s HB 1824. I also support this bill as a private citizen and second generation immigrant myself, and I am very pleased to see that on the Senate side, my own Senator, Jennifer Boysko, is this bill’s chief co-patron. I also want to express my support in my personal capacity as a former public school teacher for Delegate Simonds’ HB 1696. Thank you.

I strongly oppose the Virginia Board of Education supplying pornography to any school system in the state. Those individuals including county, school, superintendents, librarians, school administrator and teachers.must know they are breaking VA State code(s) on the distribution of child pornography . Clearly, it ‘ is against the law, and they must resign and face criminal prosecution.

HB: 1556 k-9 detection team setting dogs loos on children, studies show that dogs can attack when they sense fear (walking dog behavior.com) (BCA animal hospital) . $50,000.00+ price tag! And this doesn’t include housing food. Not included in the cost is the direct cost of the trainer and law enforce t personal. Where will the funding come from?! The children will become scapegoats, unwarranted CPS cases, what schools will be targeted. Canines can be trained to be anti black (the Marshall project june 23, 2021. This brings an uncomfortable sense of Birmingham, Alabama. A VAST amount of students would benefit from mentors rather than a K-9 unit. As Chesterfield county has the MEGA MENTORS PROGRAM which has been successful. thus will be helpful to allow parents into schools rather than K-9 units HB 1695: Public high school Career Coach the following amendments should be implemented to this Bill. there should be no less than 3 staffed job coaches, collaboration with parents , school counselors, SPED COORDINATORS , apart of the IEP team, expanded to 7th grade, HB1696: teacher lunch : in order for myself to support this bill these are the questions I have. where will the additional staff be obtained while the teachers take their breaks? Has the teacher shown that they have provided direct substantive support to their students/families , attended and provided support during iep meetings. HB 1733 I do not support this bill the student shall be allowed to speak by simply providing their first and last name, grade and school name. Either verbally and or writing their name on the sign up sheet. (Assistance shall be provided by parent or caregiver) ( if needed.) the student may not have access to signing up online.

HB 1695 addresses the need for career coaches for each high school and would be an asset in preparing students for the future workforce. The career coach would work with the school counselor in assisting the student with the following: *information, career planning, and academic career plans related to the student's career goals and/or interests *performed in partnership with local businesses and organizations. *assist students with career awareness and exploration relating to internships, apprenticeship programs, and high-demand credentials *apply and refine knowledge, attitudes, and skills through professionally coordinated and supervised work experience directly related to career goals *work collaboratively with school counselors in assisting students *address the Profile of a Graduate and the 5 C's by allowing students to apply these skills in a real-world business or service-oriented work environment. Secondary students would have the exceptional opportunity to enter postsecondary and/or the workforce having already acquired skills and knowledge related to the field as highly qualified students and/or employees. Having these opportunities in high school provides students to be a "step ahead" in a competitive workforce or postsecondary setting. I urged you to vote yes for HB 1695 which would require career coaches in each high school. Sincerely, Brenda D. Long, Ed. D.

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

In the past I have provided continuing education for child care educators. I believe that continuing education is critically important for the people charged with the care of our most vulnerable population. It makes no sense to me to eliminate licensure. Licensing not only protects little children, it can protect the business providing care from law suits that might grow out of neglect of safety practices. In short, I am opposed to HB1713.

As a mother to 5 children, some who are lgbtqia+ this is harmful to all of my children. My straight kids have more rights than my non straight children. How is this justifiable? At what point are all people created equal? Why am Ibfirced to have different survival conversations with each of my children because of laws like these? Why are my LGBTQIA+ kids worth less than my straight kids to my state government? At what point will you work to protect all of my children equally?

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

As a mother to 5 children, some who are lgbtqia+ this is harmful to all of my children. My straight kids have more rights than my non straight children. How is this justifiable? At what point are all people created equal? Why am Ibfirced to have different survival conversations with each of my children because of laws like these? Why are my LGBTQIA+ kids worth less than my straight kids to my state government? At what point will you work to protect all of my children equally?

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

NA

Comments Document

On behalf of the Virginia members and supporters of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, I urge you to oppose HB 1821, which would expand eligibility for the so-called “education improvement scholarship” voucher program that funds private school education. This bill should be rejected because it would send money to parents who can already afford to send their kids to private schools and does not address the systemic problems with vouchers.

Please do not support HB 1821; The state is already behind in its requirements to fully fund the SOQs for public education. Public monies should only be spent for public institutions like our public school systems. Some private schools discriminate against students they feel do not subscribe to their beliefs; there should be no discrimination against any student who has a desire to be educated. Public schools do not remove students because of their religious or no religious beliefs; public funds should support public schools only.

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

Please oppose HB1821 that expands the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credits (EISTC). The Scholarship foundations, such as RenewaNation, that receive these tax credits can provide funds to students at schools that have policies that do not support a student's stated gender identity. They can refuse enrollment or expel a student who professes to be a homosexusal/bisexual/transgender person. Faith Christian Academy www.fcavirginia.com states that it reserves the right to expel a student who practices or condones gender identity different than birth sex chromosomal level or promotes such practices. Tax credits, that support scholarships that allow such discrimination, should not be allowed in Virginia. The tax credit program does decrease general funds that are needed for public schools where students with all beliefs are supported. Certainly the tax credits allowed should not be increased. Please oppose HB1821.

Please oppose HB1821 that expands the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credits (EISTC). The Scholarship foundations, such as RenewaNation, that receive these tax credits can provide funds to students at schools that have policies that do not support a student's stated gender identity. They can refuse enrollment or expel a student who professes to be a homosexusal/bisexual/transgender person. Faith Christian Academy www.fcavirginia.com states that it reserves the right to expel a student who practices or condones gender identity different than birth sex chromosomal level or promotes such practices. Tax credits, that support scholarships that allow such discrimination, should not be allowed in Virginia. The tax credit program does decrease general funds that are needed for public schools where students with all beliefs are supported. Certainly the tax credits allowed should not be increased. Please oppose HB1821.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

I am writing to support HB1821 because I believe in the power of school choice to better our communities and the entire Commonwealth. I believe that, since the pandemic, there is ample evidence to demonstrate that comprehensive education must include a variety of models rather than a single system. By expanding the tax credit program, families who believe that private education will best fit their child's needs will be able to achieve their hopes without burdensome costs. As a father of four school-aged kids, I am grateful that this program has made it possible for my children to receive an excellent education at St. Pius X Catholic School and Catholic High School. I know there are many other families that, for a variety of reasons, believe that private education is best for their child(ren), and I am hopeful that by expanding this program their dreams may be realized. Thank you for your work to pass this legislation.

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

To Whom It May Concern: I am currently an ESOL teacher in Prince William County Schools. The school in which I work is nearly 65% English learners. I can attest to the fact that our current funding model is leaving English learners behind. I urge you to pass HB 1823 and HB 182 to provide better opportunities for our English learners. If these bills pass, we could provide more adequate state funding to support EL students and come closer to the national average for state supplemental support. It would also provide more academic rigor to our English learners. These students have the potential to be our next leaders if they are given the right support. Additionally, the opportunity to increase funding for community schools and wraparound services to support immigrant families is essential to English learners' success. Finally, as an educator, I strongly urge you to fund Virginia Board of Education updates to the Standards of Quality to increase EL instructor to student ratios more for students with less English proficiency as national experts recommend. This could make all the difference in the success of English learners. Thank you for your consideration, Emily Kubiak

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

I, Juan Santacoloma support both bills as consider they crucial for the professional, personal and community future of many English Language Learners. We in Virginia provide all children K-12 education and we cannot abandon those who are in an extra need of support. These students deserve the opportunity to success, demonstrate they are good members of the Commonwealth and when possible pay back with their jobs, taxes and in many cases offering job opportunities to others in our communities. As an English Language Learner I exactly know how important is to receive any support from others. Believe me, it is crucial for our future development. When children receive positive support and help, they are going to return the same to our Commonwealth.

Edu-Futuro supports HB 1823, which expands access to college & career readiness programs for English Language Learner students (ELLs), as it provides school divisions the ability to better support ELLs students enrolling in a certain career, technical & apprenticeship programs, and college readiness and preparation programs and courses for high school ELL students, will help make sure ELLs students have meaningful access to these important programs.

Greetings Chairman and members of the Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee. It is my honor to introduce myself as Fabiana Parker, a dedicated teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Spotsylvania County Public Schools and the proud recipient of the Virginia Teacher of the Year award for 2023. I am honored to address you today in support of bills H1823 and HB1824. As an ESL educator, I am keenly aware of the pressing concern of the shortage of educators who possess the skills and qualifications to effectively support English-language learners (ELLs) in Virginia's public schools. Despite the challenges that we have faced in addressing this issue, the reality remains undeniable, that ELLs constitute the fastest-growing demographic among public school students, currently making up approximately 10% of the total student population in the United States. It is projected that this number will reach as high as 25% by 2025. These statistics serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the inadequate support and resources provided to our ELL students. While it may appear that we are currently managing to cope with this issue, the reality is that we are on the brink of a crisis that demands immediate action. To address this pressing shortage of educators, it is imperative that we take action to recruit and retain more highly qualified ESL educators in the Commonwealth to effectively meet the unique needs of ELL students. As nearly a quarter of all public school students in America will soon be English-language learners, it is essential that aspiring educators receive exposure to diverse schools and classrooms. However, this alone is not enough. As the number of ELL students continues to grow, policymakers at both the local and state levels must engage in candid and courageous discussions about ways to increase funding for ESL programs and to recognize and compensate the dedicated educators who work tirelessly to support these students. Although funding is only one aspect of the equation, it is a crucial foundation for ensuring our most marginalized students - including ELLs - receive the support and resources needed to succeed. In order to ensure that English-language learners have the opportunity to succeed, it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources and support by offering funding for the implementation and expansion of career, technical, apprenticeship, and college readiness programs and courses specifically tailored to the needs of high school students who are limited in their English proficiency. These programs and courses provide a vital foundation for the students' future success and should be made widely accessible to them. In conclusion, I strongly urge the Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee to support bills H1823 and HB1824, as they are crucial in addressing the pressing concern of the shortage of educators who possess the skills and qualifications to effectively support English-language learners in Virginia's public schools. It is our responsibility to ensure that these students are given the opportunity to succeed, and it is imperative that we take action to recruit and retain more highly qualified ESL educators, increase funding for ESL programs, and provide funding for the implementation and expansion of career, technical, apprenticeship, and college readiness programs specifically tailored to the needs of ELL students. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Good Morning everyone, My name is Micael, I was an ELL student in high school, and now I’m a student at Richard Bland College of William e Mary. I’m sending this to emphasize the importance of ELL resources. Virginia’s state supplemental funding for ELL students is 13.5%, just one-third of the national average (39%). I was 14 when I got to the U.S. and started my freshman year in high school, only being able to speak a few words and greetings. I had so much to say, but couldn’t let it out, because if I had spoken, no one would understand what I was saying, it felt like I had to not just translate my words but also myself to a new country and culture. Some days I would feel so stuck, like a recently born bird that just wants to fly and whistle around, but can’t because it hasn't learned how yet, so it is forced to stay on a single tree. I was fortunate enough to have ELL resources in my high school, including all four-course levels of what was called ESL classes back then. If it wasn't for those classes and the teachers that were teaching them, I wouldn’t have passed my college preparatory classes and my SOLs, and therefore I couldn't have graduated. Perhaps I wouldn't even be speaking here today without the help of an interpreter. It’s because of those teachers and classes that I was able to succeed in my courses in my first semester of college, including Honors English. Now, why am I telling you this? Why is there a need for me to brag about the amazing ESL system I had in high school? Because not everyone in Virginia has access to those resources, I actually happened to have friends who had to come to my school, because their school didn’t offer certain levels of ESL, or just didn’t have them at all. In a traditional school year, Henrico County Public Schools have around 3,500 ESL students enrolled throughout the school district. This past year, however, the system saw around 4,400 ESL students enrolled. ESL needs to be expanded within those schools and more teachers need to be hired to face that demand, which requires support from the state. I come here today to emphasize the importance of those resources and how much they help those students and their families whether it is by helping their parents understand what a paper says, managing their business, or asking a question at a grocery store. These resources play a big role in the graduation rates of Virginia schools and their accreditation. I today on behalf of my family, friends, and students without English proficiency who have just recently come to Virginia, ask that support for ELL education increases. Thank you

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

To Whom It May Concern: I am currently an ESOL teacher in Prince William County Schools. The school in which I work is nearly 65% English learners. I can attest to the fact that our current funding model is leaving English learners behind. I urge you to pass HB 1823 and HB 182 to provide better opportunities for our English learners. If these bills pass, we could provide more adequate state funding to support EL students and come closer to the national average for state supplemental support. It would also provide more academic rigor to our English learners. These students have the potential to be our next leaders if they are given the right support. Additionally, the opportunity to increase funding for community schools and wraparound services to support immigrant families is essential to English learners' success. Finally, as an educator, I strongly urge you to fund Virginia Board of Education updates to the Standards of Quality to increase EL instructor to student ratios more for students with less English proficiency as national experts recommend. This could make all the difference in the success of English learners. Thank you for your consideration, Emily Kubiak

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

I, Juan Santacoloma support both bills as consider they crucial for the professional, personal and community future of many English Language Learners. We in Virginia provide all children K-12 education and we cannot abandon those who are in an extra need of support. These students deserve the opportunity to success, demonstrate they are good members of the Commonwealth and when possible pay back with their jobs, taxes and in many cases offering job opportunities to others in our communities. As an English Language Learner I exactly know how important is to receive any support from others. Believe me, it is crucial for our future development. When children receive positive support and help, they are going to return the same to our Commonwealth.

Edu-Futuro’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty in immigrant communities largely through educational support. Our beneficiaries come from fully 61 different countries of origin, and most of our beneficiaries are English language learners. By incentivizing the acquisition of an endorsement in English as a Second Language instruction, HB 1824 will necessarily improve the staff to student ratio for ELLs. To that end, Edu-Futuro wholeheartedly supports Delegate Avoli’s HB 1824. I also support this bill as a private citizen and second generation immigrant myself, and I am very pleased to see that on the Senate side, my own Senator, Jennifer Boysko, is this bill’s chief co-patron. I also want to express my support in my personal capacity as a former public school teacher for Delegate Simonds’ HB 1696. Thank you.

Edu-Futuro supports HB 1824, as it incentivizes teachers to obtain appropriate credentials to teach English as a Second Language to English Language Learners (ELLs), similar to Virginia’s existing National Board Certification incentives. This program would increase the number of Virginia teachers who have the skills to assist ELLs to adjust quicker to American Society.

Greetings Chairman and members of the Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee. It is my honor to introduce myself as Fabiana Parker, a dedicated teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Spotsylvania County Public Schools and the proud recipient of the Virginia Teacher of the Year award for 2023. I am honored to address you today in support of bills H1823 and HB1824. As an ESL educator, I am keenly aware of the pressing concern of the shortage of educators who possess the skills and qualifications to effectively support English-language learners (ELLs) in Virginia's public schools. Despite the challenges that we have faced in addressing this issue, the reality remains undeniable, that ELLs constitute the fastest-growing demographic among public school students, currently making up approximately 10% of the total student population in the United States. It is projected that this number will reach as high as 25% by 2025. These statistics serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the inadequate support and resources provided to our ELL students. While it may appear that we are currently managing to cope with this issue, the reality is that we are on the brink of a crisis that demands immediate action. To address this pressing shortage of educators, it is imperative that we take action to recruit and retain more highly qualified ESL educators in the Commonwealth to effectively meet the unique needs of ELL students. As nearly a quarter of all public school students in America will soon be English-language learners, it is essential that aspiring educators receive exposure to diverse schools and classrooms. However, this alone is not enough. As the number of ELL students continues to grow, policymakers at both the local and state levels must engage in candid and courageous discussions about ways to increase funding for ESL programs and to recognize and compensate the dedicated educators who work tirelessly to support these students. Although funding is only one aspect of the equation, it is a crucial foundation for ensuring our most marginalized students - including ELLs - receive the support and resources needed to succeed. In order to ensure that English-language learners have the opportunity to succeed, it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources and support by offering funding for the implementation and expansion of career, technical, apprenticeship, and college readiness programs and courses specifically tailored to the needs of high school students who are limited in their English proficiency. These programs and courses provide a vital foundation for the students' future success and should be made widely accessible to them. In conclusion, I strongly urge the Early Childhood/Innovation Subcommittee to support bills H1823 and HB1824, as they are crucial in addressing the pressing concern of the shortage of educators who possess the skills and qualifications to effectively support English-language learners in Virginia's public schools. It is our responsibility to ensure that these students are given the opportunity to succeed, and it is imperative that we take action to recruit and retain more highly qualified ESL educators, increase funding for ESL programs, and provide funding for the implementation and expansion of career, technical, apprenticeship, and college readiness programs specifically tailored to the needs of ELL students. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Good Morning everyone, My name is Micael, I was an ELL student in high school, and now I’m a student at Richard Bland College of William e Mary. I’m sending this to emphasize the importance of ELL resources. Virginia’s state supplemental funding for ELL students is 13.5%, just one-third of the national average (39%). I was 14 when I got to the U.S. and started my freshman year in high school, only being able to speak a few words and greetings. I had so much to say, but couldn’t let it out, because if I had spoken, no one would understand what I was saying, it felt like I had to not just translate my words but also myself to a new country and culture. Some days I would feel so stuck, like a recently born bird that just wants to fly and whistle around, but can’t because it hasn't learned how yet, so it is forced to stay on a single tree. I was fortunate enough to have ELL resources in my high school, including all four-course levels of what was called ESL classes back then. If it wasn't for those classes and the teachers that were teaching them, I wouldn’t have passed my college preparatory classes and my SOLs, and therefore I couldn't have graduated. Perhaps I wouldn't even be speaking here today without the help of an interpreter. It’s because of those teachers and classes that I was able to succeed in my courses in my first semester of college, including Honors English. Now, why am I telling you this? Why is there a need for me to brag about the amazing ESL system I had in high school? Because not everyone in Virginia has access to those resources, I actually happened to have friends who had to come to my school, because their school didn’t offer certain levels of ESL, or just didn’t have them at all. In a traditional school year, Henrico County Public Schools have around 3,500 ESL students enrolled throughout the school district. This past year, however, the system saw around 4,400 ESL students enrolled. ESL needs to be expanded within those schools and more teachers need to be hired to face that demand, which requires support from the state. I come here today to emphasize the importance of those resources and how much they help those students and their families whether it is by helping their parents understand what a paper says, managing their business, or asking a question at a grocery store. These resources play a big role in the graduation rates of Virginia schools and their accreditation. I today on behalf of my family, friends, and students without English proficiency who have just recently come to Virginia, ask that support for ELL education increases. Thank you

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1423, HB1424, HB1514, HB1526, HB1554, HB1593*, HB1629, HB1700, HB1701, HB1713, HB1820, HB1821, HB1823, HB1824, and HB2124 because our students are having problems in public schools. More parents are removing their kids and sending them elsewhere. Previous attempts at helping only wasted tax dollars and we're not seeing anything but kids who don't know facts and can think critically. Time for a change. Lets move to report these bills and push our Virginia students to a better, more educated and equipped future! Please move to report these bills. Thank you.

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

As a mother to 5 children, some who are lgbtqia+ this is harmful to all of my children. My straight kids have more rights than my non straight children. How is this justifiable? At what point are all people created equal? Why am Ibfirced to have different survival conversations with each of my children because of laws like these? Why are my LGBTQIA+ kids worth less than my straight kids to my state government? At what point will you work to protect all of my children equally?

"I support HB 1396 as introduced, and it deserves a vote." Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the School Choice fight! Quick Links: Join the Rapid Response Team of Virginia for Educational Freedom School Choice petition to legislators Donate to Virginia for Educational Freedom For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom PS- It is vital that you sign our Petition for School Choice today. The thing politicians fear most is large numbers of angry voters, and your signature on the petition will be added to the thousands that have already signed. This Petition will be delivered to the House Educational Committee, and they will be told they must support full and complete School Choice. So click here to sign! Copyright © 2023 Acton Advocacy Group, All rights reserved. Fighting to restore freedom in education in the Commonwealth Our mailing address is: Acton Advocacy Group 11895 Folly Lane Lovettsville, VA 20180 Add us to your address book

HB1507: I support the constitutional rights of parents to direct childrens' education. HB1575: I support Delegate Walkers SWAT bill. HB2269: I support using these pandemic relief funds for schools.