Resolutions & 2020 General Assembly
Last week at our Annual Meeting, Virginia PTA members from across the state discussed and approved seven (7) resolutions. These resolutions are now automatic Virginia PTA advocacy priorities and were included in the materials we shared with legislators on Capitol Day. Below are tips on using resolutions as well as research articles you may find helpful to learn more about these important topics.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Capitol Day last Monday! We had more than 50 appointments with legislators and two PTAs brought large groups of students to meet their legislators. Check-out our Capitol Day video below and see which bills we are following this session.

If you have questions or concerns regarding an advocacy issue, please don't hesitate to send me an email at Advocacy@VAPTA.org. I look forward to seeing many of you for PTA Hill Day in D.C. on March 11th.

Thank you for the work you do everyday to support your children and school community.

Jenna

Jenna Alexander
Vice President of Advocacy
Virginia PTA
BILLS & PRIORITIES:

Next week marks the half way point for the 2020 General Assembly session. By February 11th, each chamber must finish voting on bills brought forward by their own members and be ready to start reviewing bills that were passed by the other chamber.

Although Virginia PTA Capitol Day is over, you can still #TakeAction4Kids! Write to your legislator or an entire House or Senate Committee to share your concerns and/or support for bills being considered.




APPROVED!
Resolutions provide talking points that you can reference when speaking with elected officials. Resolutions also guide the bills Virginia PTA supports in the General Assembly, the coalitions we join and the discussions Virginia PTA has with the Department of Education and Board of Education on behalf of you and your school community.
Tips to use Resolutions:

  • Whereas statements are factual statements validated by three (3) references that are no more than six years old. You can use them word for word (if you want) when writing a letter or providing public comment.

  • As an individual: You can speak on your behalf as a member of the body that passed the resolution (e.g. Virginia PTA or National PTA). "As a member of Virginia PTA, which has 200,000 members, I want to bring your attention to a resolution adopted by our membership that affirms strong support for << resolved statement of choice>>. This is important because <<whereas statements>>. I am personally concerned about this because...."

  • As a local unit officer: FIRST, TAKE A VOTE in your General Membership meeting to confirm your members want to make a public statement for/against an area of interest. With approval from your members, you can then introduce yourself as a leader of your local PTA and use the resolution or position statement to make a statement on behalf of your local members. You can always share social media posts as an FYI to your members.

  • Consider forming a coalition with other associations in your area who have a shared interest based on a resolution.
Electric School Buses

Replacing diesel school buses with electric buses will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality; save school districts money in gas and maintenance costs and provide a healthier, safer, quieter ride to school for students. Virginia PTA supports funding, grants and incentive programs that enable school districts to purchase electric school buses and install charging stations and electric transportation infrastructure.    


Solar Energy for Schools

 The number of Virginia schools embracing solar power has tripled over the past two years because solar offers significant cost savings, clean energy and opportunities for hands-on STEAM lessons. Ninety percent of Virginia's schools use a third party Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) when they shift to solar because these agreements allow schools to have little to no upfront investment and pay lower rates for electricity. Unfortunately, there are legislative restrictions on the volume of energy that can be generated via solar panels and purchased from a third party Power Purchase Agreement. This resolution directly addresses the need for legislative action to allow schools across the Commonwealth the opportunity to consider solar by lifting the cap on school use of Power Purchase Agreements.



Agriculture Education, School Gardens and Farm to School

Agriculture is the largest private industry in Virginia and plays an essential role in our everyday lives, contributing food, fiber for clothing, fuel and stewardship of the land. Farming today uses advanced data collection, sensors, automated machines, biomimicry, drones and other sophisticated technologies. This resolution supports providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in school gardens, access to agriculture curriculum and programs that increase locally grown foods served in school cafeterias through farm to school programs.


Equal Taxing Authority for Counties & Education Funding

County governments have the same responsibility as city governments to fund their local share of K-12 education as prescribed in the Virginia Standards of Quality (SOQs) and to provide public safety, social services, and public health programs for residents. However, city local governments have the ability to offset real-estate tax income by collecting meals tax, cigarette tax, transient occupancy tax, and admissions tax without limitations or voter referendums. This resolution reaffirms Virginia PTA's long standing ask that the General Assembly return to the practice of funding schools based on actual prevailing practices and fund the SOQ recommendations made by the Board of Education. It concurrently acknowledges the over-reliance on local taxes to fund Virginia's schools and seeks to provide counties with equal taxing authority.


Early Childhood Education

Well established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education during the first five years of a child’s life. Virginia currently ranks 33rd in the nation in investment in early childhood education and almost half of Virginia's children enter kindergarten without the basic skills they need to succeed in school. To ensure every child has equitable access to early childhood programs, this resolution supports funding and programs that increase access to and improve the quality and regulatory oversight of Virginia's early childhood care and education system.     


Discontinue Sale of Competitive Foods During School Hours

Competitive foods are any food, excluding beverages, sold during regular school hours that are not part of the school breakfast or school lunch program. The availability of competitive foods can result in students selecting to eat competitive foods rather then the school meal or being stigmatized for not being able to buy those foods along with other students. Virginia PTA asks that the Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Health, discontinue the practice of allowing competitive foods to be sold during school hours alongside the school meal. 


Limit Frequency of Lock Down Drills

In 2016, the Commonwealth of Virginia changed the lock-down drill requirements to four lock-down drills per school year, with two of those lock-down drills required within the first twenty days of school. No research has been provided that having this many lock-down drills better prepares students to respond to threats such as active shooters. Yet there is evidence that excessive lock-down drills undermine student perception that school is a safe place. This resolution seeks to reduce the number of mandatory lock-down drills, increase the mental health support for students post lock-down drill, provide training for teachers and require notice to parents regarding the lock-down drill. Additionally this resolution calls on the Board of Education to conduct research on the effectiveness of lock-down drills to support student safety.     


Wednesday March 11, 2020
Washington D.C. Capitol Area

Join us for a day in Washington D.C. to meet with United States congress representatives and senators to share Virginia PTA legislative priorities.

Virginia PTA will schedule ALL legislator appointments, group you with an experienced team of PTA advocates and provide you with talking points. All you need to do is show-up and bring your stories and personal insights.

Meetings with legislators and/or their aides will span the day from 9am-5pm and allow for a lunch break in one of the congressional cafeterias.

If you would like to bring a bus of students, please send an email to Jenna Alexander, Vice President of Advocacy, so we can ensure the needs of your group are met.

Additional details will be provided via email to registered participants.
Thank you for your support and work on behalf of our children! If you have questions about Virginia PTA positions or resolutions or how to address an advocacy concern of your community, please send an email to Jenna Alexander, Vice President of Advocacy at Advocacy@VAPTA.org