Bacon's Rebellion

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Youngkin for Education Dictator?

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Dick Hall-Sizemore
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Glenn Youngkin. Photo Credit: NBC News

by Dick Hall-Sizemore

Republicans, the advocates for smaller governor and for not having Richmond dictate to localities, seem to be running a would-be dictator for governor.

In Halifax County recently, Glenn Youngkin announced, “We will not teach Critical Race Theory in our schools” and, according to the South Boston News and Record, “on day one as governor, he vowed to launch 20 charter schools around the state to provide educational choice for families. He declared that Virginia’s schools will never close again, and will be open five days a week.”

At another forum in Stafford County, he called on all school districts to have a law enforcement officer in every school or lose state funding. “If you are a school board and you refuse to equip your schools with school resource officers to keep our children safe, you will need to find your funding for your school on your own.”

The last time I checked, the Virginia Constitution vests the supervision of schools in local school boards and state law sets out a procedure for establishing charter schools. The Constitution also requires the state to provide funding for “the cost of maintaining an educational program meeting the prescribed standards of quality.” Nothing any there about having to include police in school buildings.

Unless Mr. Youngkin has come up with a way of legally waiving the provisions of the state constitution and state law that he has not revealed, it seems that he intends to govern by fiat.

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43 responses to “Youngkin for Education Dictator?”

  1. Publius Avatar
    Publius

    So dictatorship is only good when done by Dems? $3.30 gas is better than $2 gas. Green New Deal baby!
    Closing schools? Mask mandates? Essential workers?
    Or it’s OK when done through nameless, faceless, overpaid bureaucrats?
    I hate the election stupidity every year and the ridiculous statements. When I was governor, I created 500,000 jobs… I’m for more money for education. I’m for not killing kids. I guess the American people, and Virginians currently, are that stupid.
    Yes, everything should be done via a process directed by the people through their representatives.
    Would you please write Joe Brandon and Governor Blackface and tell them that?

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      All the actions you complain about were done in accordance with provisions of law. Where in the law could Glenn Youngkin “on day one” launch 20 charter schools or compel school districts to have a policeman in every school or lose its state funding?

      1. Publius Avatar
        Publius

        It’s election puffery. Every single ad (D&R) is in my opinion an artful lie.
        Everything has not been done in accordance with law. And even if the emergency and executive decrees are technically lawful, you’re good with that – I thought we fought to not have a king?
        As JB says above – the policy goals…actually getting it done? Well…there we turn to SH’s comment.
        And we can look at Trump’s presidency for internal resistance. I suspect if somehow Youngkin wins outside of the Fairfax turn in the vote last (Why do we allow that?) cheating margin, that the entrenched bureaucrats will neutralize and resist reforms he wishes to make.

  2. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    Dick, you raise fair points. Youngkin cannot enact those goals on Day 1 through executive decree. Most of what he advocates can be enacted only by local school boards. If he is elected, he will be informed that he does not have the power to unilaterally do what he wishes.

    I am in total accord with his policy goals. But they should be regarded as aspirational. It will take a lot of work to put them into effect, and he should be honest with voters about that.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      As I’ve said – I’m on board with what Youngkin proposes – as long as those schools are limited to kids with academic deficits AND they test and report the data the same way is done for other public schools.

      When I DON’T hear this as part of a proposal, I see it as more dishonest and obfuscation from folks who are pandering this for votes and not really serious about it.

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    So do Youngkin supporters want him to “rule” like Trump and other Red State governors?

    You bet! Screw those local school boards.

    Oh , and of course what political leader would “mandate” gas prices?

    hmmm… yes from “day one” , Youngkin will be their guy!

  4. Super Brain Avatar
    Super Brain

    Neither gentleman has run on real issues. Hall-Sizemore, Haner, and Bacon are far more qualified. Problem is voters don’t value honestly.
    Regardless of who wins, there will be lots to write about here.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      what they hey… you’re implying pandering to the ignorati works better?

      geeze.

      1. Stephen Haner Avatar
        Stephen Haner

        EVEN HERE on Bacon’s Rebellion, if the readership stats are noted….the real policy debates are boring to most people and harder to find even on this blog.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          so we have how many posts on the bogus CRT issue?

          1. RKW Avatar
            RKW

            Gaslight much?

        2. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          Note the irony of his reply and how your statement sailed way over his head.

    2. Steve Gillispie Avatar
      Steve Gillispie

      If school curriculum, Virginia jobs, illegal immigration, and mandates are not real issues, what are your real issues?

  5. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    Youngkin will start the charter-school program, not implement it immediately. The state can easily control the schools by altering the amount of money it sends the schools — a trick used by all government offices. What Youngkin proposes will improve K-12 education.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      The Governor cannot control schools by altering the amount of money they get. That is the function of the General Assembly. He can’t start any charter-school program; that is up to local school boards.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        lots of misunderstanding and wishful thinking… and/or if the GOV is their preferred political party, give him dictatorial power. This is a problem with some “right” thinking folks these days.

      2. killerhertz Avatar
        killerhertz

        Why can’t he declare a state of emergency redeclaring that the loss of education requires drastic measures and redirection of funds?

  6. tmtfairfax Avatar
    tmtfairfax

    Dick – let me tell you about charter schools in Fairfax County. A number of years ago, parents with autistic children requested that FCPS institute a then-novel approach to teaching. I don’t remember whether it was called ABC or ABA. But that matters not. The approach, which was tested on 10 children with autism, required substantial resources (i.e., an extremely costly teacher per student ratio). In the trial, two students improved substantially; two declined substantially; and the remaining students stayed just about the same. FCPS first said the new method was too speculative and too costly.

    Next the parents attempted to form a charter school that would use the parents’ preferred manner of instruction. Not wanting to see any weakening of its control over all public schools in the County, despite the GA authorizing charter schools, and aware of the teachers unions’ opposition to charter schools, the FCPS school board did a 180 and ignored both the poor results of the trial and the extremely high costs by adopting the requested teaching method.

    I had an opportunity to discuss this matter with the then-assistant superintendent. I asked her how the Division would measure success for the very costly and controversial program, which, in the face of increasing class sizes for general education students, often required a one-to-one student teacher ratio for the children with autism. I was told that FCPS had no way of determining whether the program — designed solely to kill the charter school effort — was successful. But that the administration was going to do it anyway.

    I don’t see charter schools as a panacea but experience around the country shows that they can work to help so-called “children at risk ” in many instances. It has also been determined that parents of children in charter schools, often lower-income and from minority groups, are generally more involved with their children, the school and the teachers than are parents from similar demographic groups. These are good things.

    McAuliffe is owned and operated by the teachers unions. F them. Let’s concentrate on educating kids and giving their parents choices. Some of us believe that choice is important for many issues and not just for female reproductive rights.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      I agree with you. I am a fan of public charter schools. My point was that the law lays down a procedure for establishing charter schools in which the school board has inordinate authority. I don’t necessarily agree with that law, but it is the law and neither Glenn Youngkin nor any other governor can “launch”charter schools on his own initiative.

      1. tmtfairfax Avatar
        tmtfairfax

        The goal should be to weaken the authority of local school boards over the establishment of charter schools. I have no problem with fair oversight but that does not mean oversight for the basis of pleasing the teachers unions so as to keep the campaign contributions coming.

        Indeed, if Virginia were to outlaw any political contribution except from a living resident of Virginia and eliminate bundling of contributions and PACs, even collective bargaining could be reasonable. But it’s no more than a bribe for a labor union PAC and its leaders to make campaign contributions to the very people who need to approve a bargained-for contract.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          the goal of “weakening local authorizes” sounds not good.

          Are you advocating that the state, the Gov mandate? Would you be okay with that if the Gov was Dem?

          And conflating education for autistic kids with kids that are not autistic but have other learning issues – just demonstrates how complicated it is and no I do not think parents “know” as much as professionals in the field.

          Finally, I’ll say it again – I’m fine with taxpayer money spent on Charters as long as they are held to the same transparency and accountability for academic performance as public schools.

          Why not support that rather that demonizing public education in general?

          1. tmtfairfax Avatar
            tmtfairfax

            State law allows for charter schools. Dirt-bag school board members are improperly hindering their formation. This means that they cannot be trusted with the authority over charter schools. Board members should be sued under Section 1983 of the federal civil rights act for violation of constitutional rights under color of state law. And the GA should strip local authorities of their power to approve charter schools.

        2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          It seems to be assumed that teachers in charter schools would not be members of the “teachers unions”. Why wouldn’t they be?

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            If they are indeed paid employees of the school system? yes.

            But ideologues don’t think clearly about these issues anyhow. They’re looking for a situation so totally different from now they get way, way out over their skis.

            I can just see Youngkin promising that Charter school teachers would not be like other public school teachers… as if they would be subject to different work requirements, teach differently, and not follow professional standards.

          2. tmtfairfax Avatar
            tmtfairfax

            So long as right to work is the law, everyone should get the choice to join a union or not.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            They’re not forced to join the union , right?

  7. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    If you would like to see what the Virginia government has done in the past two sessions, look at http://www.fcta.org. I summarize the actions in four reports, numbered 273, 274, 275 and 276 (based on the topic). The reports include the bill numbers and other references.

  8. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Yes, Dick, I tend to smile whenever I hear “Day One.” Day One, the Saturday of the inauguration, he can sign a few executive orders….Day Two (Monday. Sunday is for hangovers), the General Assembly will be meeting but it’s MLK Day so state offices will be closed. It’s about four weeks to the legislative deadline known as Crossover and the money committee decisions on the budget bill, so by day 30-something perhaps some things might be taking shape. 🙂 Maybe he will fire and replace some boards en masse, but even those new appointees will often need legislative blessings….

    When we get a Governor who never served in the Assembly, a learning curve ensues….

  9. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    I have never thought Mr. Youngkin was a particularly great candidate or that he has solutions to all of our problems, and I definitely do not think he fully understands what’s in store for him if he wins and has to try to keep some of the promises he has made. But compared to the alternative? Glen Youngkin could tell 5,000 outright lies and make 10,000 unfulfillable promises between now and next Tuesday and he’d still be more honest, sincere and public-service-minded than that political hack Terry McAuliffe.

    McAuliffe is so crooked that if he ate nails he would sh!t corkscrews.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Sadly, I must agree. Terry 2.0 has a different position on just about everything than Terry 1.0, except for the lack of any real honesty or consistency. That he sticks with.

      As with any new Governor, of any party, personnel is policy. He or she wields the greatest influence and sees success or failure based on the people in the inner circle, and the people put in charge of the key secretariats and agencies. (Yours truly will not be sitting by any phones, trust me.)

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        I don’t think there is any real unknowns with McAuliffe in terms of what his policies would be. OTOH, there are lots of unknowns with Youngkin. No?

        I think the “fears” from the right are than McAulifee will pretty much continue what the Dems and Northam have started.

        what exactly would McAuliffe do that is MORE than the current path?

        What Youngkin will do is not really well stated. The folks on the right think he will do what they want but Youngkin is not about to make clear because it will lose him votes.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          If you are saying even I assume it would be hard for TMac to make things worse than the last two years, I agree!!

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            😉 So, you AGREE, there’s really not many unknowns with McAuliffe !

            OTOH – there are MANY unknowns with Youngkin and he has not exactly laid out a cogent agenda – just mostly sound-bite stuff and always a bad sign with the GOP!

          2. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Compared to McAaulife’s but Trump and stream of attack adds.

            You’re delusional.

            Your comment might as well say “Have you heard the good news about our Lord and Savior .”

          3. RKW Avatar
            RKW

            The fact that we know what TMac will do or that he will continue what GovBF started scares the hell out of me.

          4. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I agree with Larry.

            There are very few unknowns with McAuliffe. That is why I said he is so crooked he could eat nails and excrete corkscrews.

            I know a lot about him and everything I know says he is a reprehensible, amoral, self-centered hack who has not had a new idea in 50 years, has never had a good idea, and has nothing positive to contribute to our Commonwealth.

        2. LesGabriel Avatar
          LesGabriel

          The problem is that there is no limiting principle for the Left, and there is no indication that Terry McAuliffe has the temperment or the guts to resist pressure from the Left. So there are unknowns in any 4 year administration of any Democrat.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Naw… the Dems have been clear as to what they favor – they do not hide their agenda or plans, unlike the GOP.

            Name some far left ideas that you’d think Tmac would be “forced” to do by Dems – that a majority in the state would oppose.

            Youngkin could end up with far right folks in his administration and move Virginia to be more like Texas or Florida. Some of you guys might like that but I assure you much of Virginia would not.

            The issue is that GOPpers want Virginia to move much further right but they simply do not really represent a majority in Virginia and this is why we don’t really much of Youngkins plans. He knows if he reveals them, it will cost him votes.

            He has done a masterful job of winning over independents but he’s not won over many Dems and even the independents are not going to like far right governance.

          2. LesGabriel Avatar
            LesGabriel

            Name some far left ideas that you’d think Tmac would be “forced” to do by Dems – that a majority in the state would oppose.

            1) Pushing the LBGT agenda in the schools even further than the current DOE guidance. End of girl’s athletics. More rapes in girls restrooms/locker rooms. There is no majority that will support those moves.
            2) More anti-police actions, including funding cuts. These are the result of elitist thinking in Richmond and Washington, but inner city residents are the ones paying the price, and they know it.
            3) phasing out fossil fuel usage faster than alternative technologies come on line, resulting in higher fuel and electricity rates for everyone, especially low-income wage earners.
            4) Undermining our educational system by pushing programs that indoctrinate students with the latest woke ideas that divide students into groups based on criteria that none of them are responsible for, and at the expense of the basic skills that have been the bedrock of our educational system for generations.

            This is not a complete list, but I will stop here while you look up some polling data that show that Terry and the Dems are on the same side of these issues as the people of Virginia. I realize that it will take a while because the Left is not very comfortable citing real world data.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Is it true the “far” left will force TM to move Va even farther left, i.e. that Northam pushed far left and TM will accelerate it?

            not likely IMHO, the GA would need to go along and that will be the issue especially if the GOP makes inroads in the HD and/or Senate (which is 21-19).

            You may recall on the transgender thing that it actually was a court case in a conservative county that forced changes.

            ” Supreme Court rejects appeal to reinstate Virginia school’s transgender bathroom ban
            Politics Jun 28, 2021 1:55 PM EDT
            WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Virginia school board’s appeal to reinstate its transgender bathroom ban.”

            I expect some counties to not do anything unless a transgender threatens court action.

            This issue is not really driven by “far left” – it’s actually more driven by individual transgenders that TM won’t likely push.

            And I expect some movement towards unisex bathrooms… the courts are clear, even SCOTUS – accommodations will have to be made and SCOTUS is not exactly “far left”!

            on 2. – the “defund” left has been largely discredited by most Dems. They will continue to seek changes in community policing but that’s not far left – even some conservatives think there are some problems and the GA actually INCREASED funding:

            ” Virginia State Police have over 334 vacancies out of 2,164 and a pay scale that starts at around $48,000 for new officers. The Virginia Beach police department is attempting to plug roughly 100 vacancies with $5,000 bonuses; neighboring Chesapeake is set to follow suit. The state’s jails have nearly 700 vacant positions, according to a March presentation from the Virginia Sheriff’s Association that drew from state data.

            The budget drafted by top Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Ralph Northam offers immediate bonuses of up to $5,000 for state police alongside “compression bonuses” between two and eight percent of salaries, as well as $1,000 for state-funded sheriff officers and workers at regional jails. It also includes $20 million in compensation increases for VSP officers that would go into effect after a planned salary study due October 15.”

            not exactly “defunding” there

            3. – most dems are not going to go along with the far left on fossil fuels. Many Dems support nukes and support the use of gas until we actually have something better and less polluting. The bill that did pass the GA was more aspirational than mandate in that it has significant waivers to dates if grid reliability is at issue.

            4. – on the schools , Dems and GOP are on totally different planets but there really is no “far left” on the Dems – they basically support public education and telling the truth about our history.

            It has very much become a potent issue on the right and the GOP has done a good job of moving the independents to their view.

            So the school won’t move further left if the Dems retain the Gov because most of this is actually done at the local level and most SBs in rural Va will continue to operate as before. It’s the Schools in the urbanized districts that are at issue and even though conservatives are very vocal , the question is, do they have enough in numbers to oust most school boards and turn them red? I doubt that a Dem gov/ga will do much other than continue to let local SB determine policies.

            But – you DO make good points..that are credible….

  10. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    You could make a good case that the state of education in Virginia is a disaster. Why not use powers granted?
    https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title44/chapter3.2/section44-146.17/

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      If it were actually true. Virginia ranks in the top 10 in the nation but the GOP is the party always arguing against top-down mandates and in favor of local-control , until they don’t.

      1. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        No, it doesn’t.

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