RPS Advocacy Priorities

RPS advocates for policy change, resources and investments needed to ensure the success of our students, staff, and schools. Advocacy for our community now, is advocacy for a better future. Our strategic plan, Dreams4RPS, illuminates the 5 core priorities which we believe to be the most pressing matters in fortifying access to an exceptional education. We encourage you to review Dreams4RPS, our Legislative Agenda, and Policy Positions to learn more about how we structure our goals and the specific ways that we believe, as a community, should be investing in our students and staff.

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First page of the PDF file: 2024RPSLegislativePrioritiesIG

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Weekly Advocacy Updates

February 20, 2024

RPS Legislative Advocacy Update - February 20, 2024

Greetings RPS advocates! This advocacy update is full of great news regarding the state budget. On Sunday, February 18, the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee released their respective proposals for changes to the state budget. These proposals were the focus of our advocacy over the last two months following Governor Youngkin’s budget proposal that he released in December.

Both the House and Senate budgets have proposed significant additional investment in K-12 education to support local school divisions across the state. The House proposed about $1 billion in additional funding and the Senate proposed about $1.6 billion in additional funding. The Senate budget is more favorable, both due to it being a larger investment but also due to the inclusion of more programs that support RPS.

In the House budget, RPS can expect approximately $10.4 million more than anticipated from the Governor’s proposed budget. In the Senate budget, we would expect approximately $14.3 million more than anticipated from the Governor’s budget.

While there has been much discussion of the 2023 report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) and their recommendations to the legislature, most of the JLARC recommendations were not included in either budget proposal. There is a joint committee being established through a resolution to further consider the JLARC recommendations before the next session.

We are very excited to see both the House and Senate propose reforms and greater investment in the At-Risk Add-On program based on the JLARC recommendations. The At-Risk Add-On program is the state’s funding program that supports school divisions with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students. The proposed changes will infuse almost $400 million in new funding into this program and support many RPS students. This is a huge win to making public education funding more equitable and we are grateful to the House and Senate for advancing these proposals.

Below are some of the additional highlights of the House and Senate budget reports.

House Budget Details

Approximately $1 billion in new K-12 public education funding. RPS would receive approximately $10.4 million more than anticipated under Governor Youngkin’s introduced budget.
$628.2 million to implement a four-year plan to bring the Commonwealth’s teacher pay to beyond the national average by providing two 3 3/8 percent pay increases, at the start of each fiscal year.
$384.6 million to comprehensively and strategically reform the way the state provides funding to support these At-Risk students by using up to date data and increasing the size of this fund by over 30 percent.
$95.1 million over the biennium to shift to a teacher-to-staff ratio based on the level of English each student has mastered (this is a major win, RPS first requested this legislation in 2020).

Senate Budget Details

Approximately $1.6 billion in new K-12 public education funding. RPS would receive approximately $14.3 million more than anticipated under Governor Youngkin’s introduced budget.
$402.0 million to provide a 3 percent salary increase each year.
Approximately $395 million increase in At-Risk Add-On funding.
$26.7 million to increase the English Learner teacher ratio from 20 to 22 per 1000 students.
$400.6 million to fully remove the cap on support positions that was implemented during the Great Recession.
$243.1 million to restore the grocery sales tax supplemental payments that the Governor removed.
$400 million from the Literary Fund for construction loans.

Now that each chamber has proposed a budget, a conference committee of members from the House and Senate will be organized to negotiate their differences and prepare a conference report that all 140 members of the General Assembly will vote on. If both chambers pass the budget conference report, it will be sent to Governor Youngkin for his approval or veto.

A more detailed update will be provided to the School Board at their March 4 School Board Meeting. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact me at mstanley@rvaschools.net.

🚨What can you do today? 🚨

We are grateful for the House and Senate budget proposals and encourage everyone to email legislators to thank them for their advocacy and investment in K-12 education. There is still negotiating that will occur between the House and Senate so let’s keep up the momentum and encourage them to pass the best possible budget for our schools.

If you previously contacted any legislators this session, please send them a follow up thank you email. Otherwise, please contact your own legislators to thank them as your representatives (you can identify your legislators by using this map tool). Here is a sample email that you can copy, paste, and modify with your own personal message:

Dear XXX,

I am thrilled to see the House and Senate prioritize our students, staff, and schools by committing significant new funding towards K-12 education. Thank you for your advocacy and all of your efforts to introduce legislation and convey the importance of this topic to members of the appropriations committees. As you and your colleagues work to negotiate a final budget, we ask you to pass the best possible budget for our schools. Thank you again for all of your efforts.

Sincerely,

XXX

Looking Ahead 🗓️

Here are some key upcoming opportunities and dates to add to your calendar:

Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 21 at 11 am - The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis is hosting a “Virginia Budget Breakdown” webinar to learn more about key differences in the House and Senate budgets in the areas of K-12 education, health care, tax choices that impact our ability to invest in our shared priorities, and more. Register here!
March 9 - Adjournment Sine Die - this is the last scheduled day of the 2024 Regular Session

February 15, 2024

RPS Legislative Advocacy Update - February 15, 2024

Hello and happy Crossover! On Tuesday, February 13, the General Assembly passed the mid-point in their session where no new legislation can be introduced and anything that has not already passed the House or Senate can no longer be considered. In addition to the many bills that have crossed over to the other chamber, the House and Senate will release their budget proposals this coming Sunday, February 18. Stay tuned next week for a budget update comparing the House and Senate proposals.

Over the next two weeks, legislators will be making critical final decisions on what bills to pass on to the Governor and what to put into their final budget so we need all of RPS to do a final advocacy push now! We encourage everyone to attend the Fund Our Schools rally for school funding on President’s Day, Monday, February 19, 2024. The rally will be held at 1pm on Capitol Square, be sure to join us and wear red! For more information and to RSVP, please visit the VEA’s website or the Fund Our Schools registration form.

RPS students and staff have been advocating for the 2024 RPS Legislative Priorities! Llast week, two groups had the honor of visiting with legislators and being introduced on the floor of the House and Senate! We encourage everyone in the RPS community to visit the legislature and advocate for funding our schools. If you are interested in organizing a trip to the Capitol, please contact me at mstanley@rvaschools.net.

Budget Updates 💵

The House and Senate will release their budget proposals on Sunday, February 18 and we will have an update early next week with a comparison of what is included. We are hearing that both chambers are making significant investments in public education and are excited to dig in!

Highlighted Legislation 📃

We are very excited that many of our legislative priorities have been favorably considered by the House and the Senate. To view a list of bills that we support, view this report from the Legislative Information System. Each bill number is linked to more information about the legislation.

The Commonwealth Institue for Fiscal Analysis (TCI) is a non-profit that advances racial and economic justice in Virginia by advocating for public policies that are designed in partnership with people most impacted, and shaped by credible, accessible fiscal and policy research. Here is an update on legislation they are advocating for this year that would provide more state support for community schools:

Bills to expand access to comprehensive services through the community school model advanced in both the House and Senate this week. Community schools offer a holistic model for providing essential services to families — such as mental and physical health services, nutrition and housing support, tutoring and expanded learning time, family engagement, and community collaboration — so that children are able to focus on learning and not on other pressing needs. SB608 and HB625 as amended by the respective “money committees” will establish a state Office of Community Schools to provide technical assistance and coordination and outline the structure for development and implementation grants for local school divisions, with a focus on high-poverty schools. Funding for the development and implementation grants will still need to be provided in the budget. Supporting the development and continuation of community schools was a major priority for TCI and the Fund Our Schools coalition this year, and support for these bills in both chambers is a welcome development.

To help advocate for this legislation, check out their Take Action tool to contact your legislators!

🚨What can you do today? 🚨

We need as many students, families, community members, and staff as possible to come out to the Fund Our Schools rally on Capitol Square on MONDAY (President’s Day). Your presence will show legislators how important this topic is for our schools. Please RSVP to attend and join us at the Fund Our Schools lobby day and rally on Monday, February 19!

Looking Ahead 🗓️

Here are some key upcoming opportunities and dates to add to your calendar:

February 18 - House and Senate publish their budget proposals

February 19 - RSVP for the Fund Our Schools Rally and Lobby Day
- Lobbying: 8:30 am, meet at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (815 E Grace St, Richmond, VA 23219)
- Rally: 1pm-2 pm, Bell Tower at Virginia State Capitol, Richmond (101 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219)

March 9 - Adjournment Sine Die - this is the last scheduled day of the 2024 Regular Session

February 5, 2024

RPS Legislative Advocacy Update - February 5, 2024

Hello and thanks for being a part of RPS advocacy efforts during the 2024 Virginia General Assembly. Complete the Google Form on this page if you would like to receive these updates in your inbox!

The Virginia General Assembly is in full swing considering over 2600 pieces of legislation and hundreds of budget amendments. Committees are meeting consistently and advancing legislation towards floor votes and consideration by the other chamber. Committee meetings are open to the public and the schedule may be found on the Legislative Information System website. You can also livestream their daily floor sessions from the Virginia Assembly website (click the drop down + at the top of the page).

Tonight, I am presenting a more detailed update on the legislative session at the School Board meeting. Tune in via YouTube to watch - the meeting starts at 6pm and I will be presenting later in the agenda.

On Wednesday this week, RPS will be hosting an advocacy day to visit members of the General Assembly from 9am to 1pm. To RSVP, please email Matthew Stanley at mstanley@rvaschools.net and additional information will be provided.

Budget Updates 💵

Of the $15+ billion in amendments introduced by legislators in the public education section of the budget, Richmond legislators introduced over $3 billion in amendments addressing RPS priorities. We are grateful to the Richmond legislative delegation and many others for their support of public education funding reform. Here is a Google Sheet with all of the budget amendments that we support.

The recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) reports on Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula and Virginia’s K-12 Teacher Pipeline have spurred legislation and budget amendments incorporating many of their recommendations. The House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over education policy have begun vetting the bills before referring anything with a fiscal impact to the House Appropriations Committee or Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. These two budget committees will likely hold them in the committee as they prepare their respective budget proposals.

While many of the JLARC recommendations have been introduced this year, the legislature is also considering next steps on JLARC’s longer-term recommendations, including the transition to a student-based funding model instead of a staffing-based funding model. Click here to watch video of the hearing of the legislation creating a new Joint Committee to recommend next steps to the legislature.

Highlighted Legislation 📃

RPS partner Greater Richmond Fit4Kids has been championing legislation (HB 937) that would help encourage innovative alternatives to school buses for student transportation, including walking and biking school buses. The bill has passed the House Education and House Appropriations Committees and will likely be voted on by the full House of Delegates tomorrow!

If you would like to advocate for this legislation, contact members of the General Assembly via email or phone. Here is some sample language but please feel free to personalize your own message!

Please vote YES on Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling's HB 937, to encourage the implementation of innovative low-cost or no-cost transportation alternatives for students, including organizing and facilitating biking or walking school buses. If passed, this bill would give school districts more flexibility to support, organize, and facilitate biking and walking school buses for students.

Walking and Biking School buses help encourage students to learn and practice pedestrian safety, reduce chronic absenteeism for students, and promote daily physical activity, helping students arrive on time to school safely and ready to learn. Investing in active transportation has health and safety benefits for students, as well as benefits that extend to the whole community.

Please vote YES when HB 937 comes to you for a vote, and thank you for reading!

Thank you Greater Richmond Fit4Kids for advocating on this important topic! Contact Justine Blincoe, Policy Director, at justine@grfit4kids.org if you would like any more information or want to get involved.

🚨What can you do today? 🚨

Contact legislators to ask them to prioritize public education funding in the budget! Check out our form letter templates for examples of what to ask legislators when emailing or calling their offices. Key legislators serving on the budget committees should be prioritized, see slides 15-16 for a listing of key contacts.
RSVP to attend the Fund Our Schools lobby day and rally on Monday, February 19.

Looking Ahead 🗓️

Here are some key upcoming opportunities and dates to add to your calendar:

February 6 & 9 - ‘Fund Our Schools’ Advocacy Training
- Tuesday, February 6 at 6pm
  - Click here to join Zoom Meeting
  - Meeting ID: 811 4688 9103
  - Passcode: 280899
- Friday, February 9 at 11:30am
  - Click here to join Zoom Meeting
  - Meeting ID: 851 9390 2400
  - Passcode: 779109
February 7 - RPS Advocacy Day including a legislative briefing and visits with legislators
- RSVP by emailing Matthew Stanley at mstanley@rvaschools.net
February 18 - House and Senate publish their budget proposals
February 19 - RSVP for the Fund Our Schools Rally and Lobby Day
- Lobbying: 8:30 am, meet at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (815 E Grace St, Richmond, VA 23219)
- Rally: 1pm-2 pm, Bell Tower at Virginia State Capitol, Richmond (101 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219)

January 16, 2024

RPS Legislative Advocacy Update - January 16, 2024

The Virginia General Assembly kicked off the 2024 regular session of the General Assembly on Wednesday, January 7. This year’s session will be a “long” session of 60 days, with expected adjournment on March 9.

Democrats hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate; with Governor Youngkin, a Republican, in the executive mansion, they will have to find bipartisan agreement on significant policy changes or risk their legislation being vetoed (learn more about the legislative process here). Governor Youngkin delivered his State of the Commonwealth address to the legislature last week - you can review his remarks here.

Budget Updates 💵

The Governor presented a proposed budget for the end of the current fiscal year and for both years of the upcoming 2024-2026 biennium. Unfortunately, his budget proposals do little to better fund public education and we expect the legislature to make significant changes over the coming weeks.

Based on the RPS Legislative Priorities, Richmond Public Schools has requested over $3 billion in budget amendments to better fund our schools. The budget amendments will all be available to the public on Thursday, January 18, and will be found on the budget website here.

Next week, we will share more details on the budget amendments so that you can advocate for specific funding priorities. In the meantime, take a look at this overview of K-12 education funding from the House Appropriations Committee and the report from JLARC on Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula that outlines over $3 billion in additional funding needed to support public education.

Highlighted Legislation 📃

One of our legislative priorities is to better support English Learner students and we are asking the General Assembly to approve proficiency-based ratios for English Learner teachers. The current flat ratio of 1 EL teacher per 50 EL students does not recognize the varied needs of EL students and stretches teachers thin. Data demonstrates the stark achievement gaps for English Learner students, which is compounded by proficiency level and reinforces the need for differentiated instructional support.

You can support this legislative priority by advocating for legislators to support SB 272 (Hashmi) and HB 828 (Cousins).

Check out our form letter templates for examples of what to ask legislators when emailing or calling their offices.

🚨 What can you do today? 🚨

Sign up for weekly email advocacy updates from RPS Director of Advocacy & Outreach Matthew Stanley using this Google Form.
Find out which Senator and Delegate represents you using the Who’s My Legislator tool on the Virginia General Assembly’s website and email them to express your support of public education funding. Form letter templates and more instructions are available here.

Looking Ahead 🗓️

Here are some key upcoming dates to add to your calendar:

January 19 - The Virginia PTA is hosting a Capitol Day! More information can be found here
February 6 - RPS will hold an Advocacy Workshop with screenprinting and an overview of RPS legislative priorities, stay tuned for more details
February 7 - RPS will host a Lobby Day! Stay tuned for more details
February 18 - House and Senate publish their budget proposals
February 19 - RSVP for the VEA Fund Our Schools Rally and Lobby Day

Advocacy Partners & Resources

RPS is proud to advocate alongside many organizations in our city, state, and nation that are advocating for students, teachers, and public education. Visit the organizations below to learn more about public education policy and other opportunities to get involved.

Fund Our Schools

Fund Our Schools is a statewide coalition of parents, students, teachers, and organizations who believe that every child in every zip code across the Commonwealth of Virginia should have access to a high-quality public education. The campaign officially launched in December 2019, and advocates quickly began mobilizing and organizing across the state at budget hearings and throughout the General Assembly legislative sessions.

Virginia Education Association

The VEA represents more than 40,000 teachers and school support professionals working for the betterment of public education in the Commonwealth. They have a robust legislative advocacy program and online action center.

Virginia School Boards Association

The Richmond City School Board belongs to the Virginia School Boards Association, a voluntary, nonpartisan organization of Virginia school boards, promotes excellence in public education through leadership, advocacy and services.

The Council of the Great City Schools

The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) brings together 76 of nation’s largest urban public school systems in a coalition dedicated to the improvement of education for children in the inner cities. The Council keeps the nation’s lawmakers, the media, and the public informed about the progress and problems in big-city schools. The organization does this through legislation, communications, research, and technical assistance.

The Commonwealth Institute

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis provides credible, independent and accessible information and analyses of fiscal and economic issues with particular attention to the impacts on low- and moderate-income persons.

Voices for Virginia's Children

Founded in 1994, Voices for Virginia’s Children is the commonwealth’s only independent, multi-issue child policy and advocacy organization.

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Virginia News & Politics

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Visit VPAP and learn more!