Our 2026 Legislative Priorities
All of our students should have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has. But for that to become a reality we need our legislators to significantly increase investments in our public schools.
Right now the federal government is working on dismantling the Department of Education and taking other actions that threaten our public schools. Our priorities for Virginia’s legislative sessions complement our federal advocacy, and we will be fighting for available state interventions to protect our schools from federal harms.
These four priorities will help guide our advocacy during the 2026 legislative session:
Improving funding for students facing the highest barriers
All of our students deserve access to a high-quality public education that sets them up for success. Different students face different challenges, and creating schools where every student has the opportunity to thrive means investing in supports that help students who face the highest barriers. Lawmakers should increase funding support for students with disabilities, English language learners, and students from under-resourced communities to get us closer to a Virginia where every student can succeed.
Making sure the state pays its fair share
For years, the state hasn’t been funding our schools at the level that is needed. That was confirmed in a 2023 report from JLARC (the nonpartisan research arm of the General Assembly) on public school funding in Virginia. Without enough support from the state, many localities don’t have the resources necessary to adequately fund their schools – especially in a time when many federal funding programs are under threat. JLARC laid out a pathway forward for addressing this issue in their report, so we are advocating for lawmakers to implement JLARC’s near-term recommendations and some of their longer-term recommendations.
Boosting community involvement and supportive school environments
Making sure students feel welcomed and valued is essential for their safety, well-being, and academic success — and so is engaging families and communities in their children’s education. Setting our students up to succeed means investing in research-backed ways to improve school environments, support students’ mental health, and increase family and community involvement in our schools. Lawmakers should provide more funding to our public schools for restorative practices, mental health supports, and initiatives like community schools and wraparound services.
Increasing revenue to support our students
Our students should walk into classrooms with up-to-date curriculum, fairly paid teachers, and supports to help meet the needs of each student in a building that inspires learning, not asthma attacks. In order to get our preK-12 public schools back on track and give educators and students the funding support that they need, lawmakers must make bold choices to make sure there are enough resources available. That includes making sure the rich and powerful corporations pay their fair share. This session we’ll be advocating for common-sense revenue-raising measures to invest in our public schools and fix our upside-down tax system without overburdening working and middle-class Virginians.