Education Platform

We, the Virginia Young Democrats, affirm our belief that high quality, publicly funded education is the cornerstone of our economy, our democracy, and our commonwealth. We recognize that education is the key to future opportunities, equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to compete in a global economy. We believe strongly that public education must be preserved and supported, as it opens the door to opportunity for all young people regardless of their walk of life.

Support for Teachers

We support Virginia's many dedicated educators, who are frequently underpaid and overworked. We acknowledge the ongoing shortage of qualified teachers and recognize that public schools increasingly face stiff competition from the private sector when it comes to attracting and retaining skilled employees. We believe that teachers should be treated as professionals and compensated fairly. In order to recruit and retain the best teachers, we support increasing teacher salaries to reach and exceed the national average.

Support for a Public Education System that Delivers Results

We acknowledge that publically-funded schools are an investment, and that Virginian's deserve results. Virginia has been a national leader in demanding high standards for our teachers and students. Virginia should not have to change its current high standards to meet the unfunded federal mandate known as the No Child Left Behind Act. We support innovative approaches in education, including promotion of public school choice and integrating technology into the classroom. We believe that music, art, theater, physical education, vocational and technical education, and family life education classes are important components of a well-rounded curriculum and should be taught in our schools. We acknowledge that learning is a lifelong experience which must be supported from pre-kindergarten through adulthood. To that end, we support quality, universally accessible pre-kindergarten programs and continuing education programs, to best ensure that young Virginians are prepared for the demands of the global economy and engaged citizens in our society.

Full Funding for Virginia's Colleges and Universities

We strongly support Virginia's world-class institutions of higher education. For many young people, success in the 21st century economy will mean pursuing a college education. Thankfully, Virginia is home to some of the finest colleges and universities in the nation. We recognize that Virginia's students deserve the very best faculty possible in classrooms and laboratories and we must ensure that those professors are properly compensated. We acknowledge that rising tuition costs and unaffordable student loans have become a significant barrier, putting college out of reach for many young Virginians. We support measures that afford students fair and equal access to Virginia's institutions of higher education, and a comprehensive state effort to restore college affordability so no Virginian's who dreams of a college education will find it out of reach.

Do you agree? If so, Pledge to Vote for Democrats on November 4!