THE THOMAS JEFFERSON INSTITUTE Public Education in Virginia: Challenges and Opportunities Michelle Easton President Virginia Board of Education 8107 Long Shadows Drive, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039 Phone: (703) 690-9447 • Fax: (703) 690-5763 Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy is a nonpartisan research and education organization devoted to improving the lives of the people of Virginia. The Institute was organized in Virginia in 1996 and, at the time, was the only state and local government focused public policy foundation based on a philosophy of limited government free enterprise and individual responsibility in the state. It is a "solutions tank" seeking better ways to accomplish the policies and programs currently being undertaken by state and local government -- always based on the Institute's underlying philosophy. The work of the Institute is geared toward educating our political, business and community leadership to the issues facing our society here in Virginia. The Institute offers suggested solutions to the problems facing our commonwealth in a non-partisan manner. The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy is a fully approved foundation by the Internal Revenue Service. It is designated a 501 (c) 3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible under the law. Individuals, corporations, foundations and associations are invited to contribute to the Thomas Jefferson Institute and participate in our programs. For more information on the programs and publications of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, please contact: Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy 8107 Long Shadows Drive Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039 703/690-9447 This Issue Brief is published by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and is sent to elected leaders, business executives, policy experts, community leaders and to the media in order to offer ideas and information to further the public debate in our state. The ideas and recommendations presented in this Issue Brief are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy or its Board of Directors. Nothing in this paper should be construed as supporting or opposing specific legislation by the Thomas Jefferson Institute. Briefing Paper Education (K-12) Foreword The state of Virginia spends about a third of its annual budget on public education. Public education is one of the core responsibilities of state government and, thus, is one of the major responsibilities of our elected officials. The results of public education impacts on all of us. A great debate is going on about the goals and purposes of public education. This debate would not be occurring if there wasn't deep concern about the current status of our educational system here in Virginia and nationwide as well. The time for finger pointing and "test bashing" has passed. We need to improve Virginia scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests as well as increasing the number of students who pass the Literacy Passport Tests. It is unacceptable that less than 50% of students pass this Literacy Passport Test in our capital city of Richmond. The enclosed paper by the Chairman of the Virginia School Board, Michelle Easton, deserves your close attention. Much of what is said is based on the cold, hard facts of where Virginia's students stand in their academic abilities. All candidates running for office, and those who hold office today, talk about better education. Improving academic excellence in Virginia's public schools is on the top of most agendas of those running for, or holding, public office. It is important that this debate continue and that it is based on facts and the proper use of those facts. This Issue Brief is presented in an effort to add to the public discussion on education. The information is presented in order to have a positive impact on that discussion so that our public policy leaders will make better informed decisions. Each Appendix to this report is important. They will help the reader to better understand the overall educational status of Virginia and how each locality is doing. Appendix 3 is of particular importance since it shows how each public and private high school is doing as far as preparing our students for college. This Appendix is a reprint of a recent report by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) showing the percentage of graduating seniors who have to take remedial courses as college freshmen. All elected officials, school officials and parents should be particularly interested in this. We hope this Issue Brief helps all who read it to better understanding some of the underlying issues that need to be confronted in this debate. Michael W. Thompson Chairman and President Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy September 1997 Public Education in Virginia: Challenges and Opportunities By Michelle Easton, President Virginia Board of Education "... free government rests, as does all progress, upon the broadest possible diffusion of knowledge, and •.. the Commonwealth shouM avail itself of those talents which nature has sown so liberally among its people by assuring the opportunity for their fullest development through an effective system of education." Virginia Constitution, 1869 Language adopted from Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virginia Public Education in Virginia: Its History and Its Mission In 1869, the Virginia General Assembly adopted a Constitution providing for a system of free public schools. The Constitution also provided for a Superintendent of Public Instruction and a Board of Education having broad authority over the public school system and responsibility for setting statewide educational policies, standards, and regulations for public schools. Consistent with the Jeffersonian belief that the responsibility for education should rest "in the hands of the people themselves" Virginia's present system of public education gives the Board of Education the state's leadership role in establishing overall policy and in providing direction and technical assistance while preserving local autonomy. Only the State Corporation Commission shares the Board's unique position of having constitutional status. The Board of Education consists of nine citizen members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the General Assembly. Members may serve two consecutive four-year terms. The Board president, elected from its members, serves a two-year term. Among its primary duties, the Board supervises the operation of the public school system, and it prescribes the state's Standards of Quality, subject to revision only by the General Assembly, The day-to-day management of the schools, however, rests with the local school boards. Thus, Virginia's constitutionally mandated system of public education is jointly run and administered by the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and local school boards. The mission of Virginia's public education system, first and foremost, is to educate students in the fundamental knowledge and academic subjects that students need to become capable, responsible, and self- reliant citizens. Hence, the mission of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction, in cooperation with local school boards, is to increase student learning and academic achievement. The Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction must ensure--through setting high academic standards and public accountability-that an effective educational program is established and maintained in Virginia's elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Today, Virginia's 137 school divisions-governed locally by 134 school boards--operate a total of approximately 1,900 public schools enrolling more than one million children each year in kindergarten through grade 12. Currently, they are taught by more than 75,000 classroom teachers and served by 40,000 administrators, teacher aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and custodians. Funding for Public Education Support for public education represents the single largest expenditure at both the state and local levels, with more than 35 percent of state general funds dedicated to public education, and on a statewide basis more than 55 percent of local funds. The outlook for student enrollment in the 1990s and beyond has changed fundamentally from the relatively fiat growth of the 1980s. Average daily membership in public schools in Virginia increased from 978,194 in 1980-90 to 1,051,555 in 1994-95, an increase of more than 73,000 or nearly 8 percent. During the same period, the number of students classified as special needs students increased at a much faster pace. Students receiving special education services increased 28 percent and enrollment of students for whom English is a second language increased 42 percent. Total per pupil spending over the period from 1989-90 to 1994-95 increased nearly 16 percent- from $5,636 to $6,534. Due to the significant increase in funding for public education in the 1996-98 biennium, spending for 1996-97 was budgeted at $7,047 per pupil. The 1996 Virginia General Assembly appropriated a total of more than $6 billion for public education in the 1996-98 biennium, an increase of more than $600 million over the 1994-96 state budget. This budget dedicates 62 percent of all new state spending to education, three-fourths of which is earmarked for elementary and secondary education. Funds were provided to expand several