• About
  • Contact

Virginia Municipal League

Building Better Communities Through Sound Government

BETTER COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOUND GOVERNMENT

  • Organization
    • About the League
      • Strategic vision and goals
      • Benefits of VML Membership
      • Directions to the VML office
    • Board of Directors
      • Executive Meeting Packets
      • Serving on the Executive Board
      • VML Past Presidents
    • League Staff
    • Local Government Members
      • Benefits of VML Membership
    • Affiliate Organizations
    • VML/VACo APCO Steering Committee
      • VML/VACO APCo Steering Committee Board
    • Partners
  • Member Resources
    • General Assembly
    • ARPA Resources
    • Publications
    • Presentations
    • General Forum
    • Account
    • Reset Password
  • Education
    • Events >
      • 2023 Local Government Day
      • Virginia Local Elected Officials Conference
      • Annual Conference >
        • 2022 Annual Conference
        • 2021 Annual Conference
        • 2020 Annual Conference
        • Past Annual Conference Programs
        • Future Conference Dates
      • Virginia Mayors Institute >
        • 2022 Virginia Mayors Institute
        • 2021 Virginia Mayors Institute
        • 2020 Virginia Mayors Institute
      • 2022 Hurricane Season Briefing
      • ARPA Monitoring & Reporting Compliance Webinar
    • Essay Contest
      • Essay Contest Past Winners
    • Civility. Respect. Solutions.
    • American Rescue Plan Act Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Innovation Awards
      • Innovation Award Past Winners
    • Virginia You Love: 2022 Survey Contest
    • Racial Inequality – Local Statements
    • Wallerstein Scholarship
  • Advocacy
    • 2023 General Assembly
      • 2022 GA Resources
      • 2021 GA Resources
      • 2020 GA Resources
    • 2023 Local Government Day
      • 2022 Local Government Day
      • 2021 Local Government Day
    • Legislative Program
    • Legislative Committee
    • Policy Statements
    • Policy Committees
      • Community & Economic Development
      • Finance
      • General Laws
      • Human Development & Education
      • Infrastructure, Transportation & Environmental Quality
    • State Budget Overview Session
    • Local Federal Issues
    • Federal Advocacy
  • Media
    • VTC Magazine
    • eNews Newsletter
    • VML Voice Podcast
      • Subscribe: The VML Voice
    • Get the VML APP
    • Legal Resources
    • Local Officials’ Resources Series
    • Other Publications
    • News Releases
  • Calendar
  • Classifieds
    • Job Openings
    • Create Jobs
  • Corporate Engagement
    • Community Business Membership
      • Community Business Members Listings
    • Advertising with VML
    • Terms & Conditions
  • eNews
  • Town and City
  • Subscribe: The VML Voice
  • Legal Resources
  • Local Officials’ Resources Series
  • Other publications
  • News Releases

Action Alert – Feb 11 2016

Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 05:45am

Action alert 1: Support increased state investment in public education

 

Action needed this week: Voice your SUPPORT for a state budget that will increase state funding in public education without placing crippling new requirements on local governments.

Deadline: Call or email your senators and delegates this week.

Who to contact:  

  1. Your member(s) on the House Appropriations or Senate Finance Committees
  2. If you do not have a member on these committees, email the Appropriations Committee Chairman and Finance Committee Co-Chair 1 /Co-Chair 2 and copy your delegation members.
Talking PointsTell legislators you SUPPORT:

  1. Increased flexibility in regards to the proposal to fund 2,500 new instructional positions.
    • Statewide, local governments spend more than $3.6 billion beyond the required local match.  Every school division in the state puts up more local dollars than required under the state’s own funding formula.
    • Only about 67 percent of the K-12 positions employed in school divisions are funded in part by the state.  And that state funding varies based on a locality’s composite index.  The positions not receiving any state dollars (33 percent of K-12 positions) are paid solely with local dollars.
    • It’s important that the state put more money into the classroom and be responsive to the burdens placed on school divisions by maintenance of effort provisions.
  2. Increased flexibility in the proposal to increase teacher salaries by 2 percent in FY18.
    • Allow up to two percent of any local salary increase in FY17 and/or FY18 to be used as the local required match for FY18.
    • Local government budgets will be under pressure to increase teacher pay and fund health insurance increases in FY17, and will also be required to fully fund VRS certified rates in FY18.
  3. The proposal to fully fund VRS certified teacher rates in FY18.
    • Although local governments will end up paying about 60 percent of these additional costs, the certified rates will lower the amount of unfunded liability and should help lead to future lower rate increases.  This benefits both the state and localities.
  4. The proposal to increase At-Risk Add-on funding by $50 million.
    • The percentage of free lunch qualified students has risen from 26 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in 2015.
    • There is a statewide 20-point SOL achievement gap for economically-disadvantaged students and minorities in Virginia.
    • At-risk add-on funding can be used flexibly to attract and train teachers, reduce class size, emphasize math and reading, prevent students from dropping out and offer after school wrap-around services.
  5. Prioritizing available funds for critical classroom expenditures not covered under the existing Standards of Quality.  For example, VML recommends that the state recognize prevailing practices for assistant principals and teacher aides.
    • Since 2003, the State Board of Education has recommended 1 assistant principal (AP) for each 400 students be funded in the SOQ. The Board reasons that AP’s “have become a necessity in this age of test-based accountability, and with mounting concerns about school safety and discipline”.  Currently, the SOQ covers only 950 out of 2,500 AP’s.
    • Currently, the SOQ covers kindergarten and special education teacher aides.  Only about 2,650 out of 19,000 employed teacher aides are supported, in part, by the state.  Teacher aides help provide individualized education to students who otherwise may have difficulties passing SOL tests.
Comments and questions about this website or the data provided may be addressed to Manuel Timbreza
©2023 Virginia Municipal League
Virginia Municipal League
P.O. Box 12164, Richmond, VA 23241
13 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219
804-649-8471

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Terms and Conditions