Please contact your senator and urge them to support HB 1548!

The bill, patroned by Delegate Kaye Kory (D-38, Fairfax), simply would require schools to notify parents if their child violates a school policy or misses school and that action “is likely” to lead to the child’s suspension from school. The hope is that the earlier parents are involved, the better; and perhaps suspension or more serious consequence can be avoided.

Unfortunately, the Virginia School Boards Association and other educrats oppose the bill because it would be “too burdensome” on schools. One would think schools want to have parental involvement as soon as possible to avoid escalating discipline problems and, as mom used to say, “nip it in the bud” before it becomes a serious problem.

We’d say their opposition is incredible (literally, without credibility), not to mention the conventional meaning of the word (i.e., shocking), but nothing the education establishment does to block reform surprises us and never will. But this just might be (as in a very close vote) one common sense reform that escapes the educrats’ grip. The bill should be voted on by the full Senate as early as Monday or Tuesday.

Contact your senator by e-mail.

Contact your senator by phone.

Learn who your senator is.

Please contact your Senator and urge him or her to vote NO on SB 967.

The patron of this annual assault by the abortion industry on abstinence education is Senator Ralph Northam (D-6, Norfolk). For years Planned Parenthood has sought to advance legislation that would require sex education curriculum to be, in their words, “medically accurate.”  Of course, it’s difficult to argue against such a concept because all of us want our children to be given accurate information in school (if we allow the state to educate them about sex). Legislators that vote against the bill could be criticized by abortion advocates as being against “medically accurate” information, when nothing could be further from the truth.
 
Planned Parenthood and its ally, the National Abortion Rights Action League, (see Liveaction Blog) have made it their national agenda to stop abstinence education and they consistently assail abstinence programs as being medically inaccurate. Unfortunately, even the medical community differs on what is accurate and Senator Northam’s bill would force the Department of Education and local schools to make the decision about what is correct. (Of course, we’re sure Planned Parenthood and NARAL will joyfully help them make these decisions).
 
Senator Northam’s bill would also change the long standing policy that allows Virginia localities to make their own decisions on whether or not to offer Family Life Education, effectively eliminating parental involvement in the decision making on whether a school district offers FLE.   
 
According to polls, the vast majority of parents want their children to be taught abstinence. In addition, recent studies (published in peer reviewed medical journals) indicate that abstinence centered programs are effective. All the more reason to contact your senator.

Mr. Rajah also is the first teacher from the Matoaca District and the first African-American to be elected to the Chesterfield County School Board. The Chesterfield County Public Schools system runs 62 schools which enroll more than 58,000 students, making it one of the 100 largest school systems in the country.

Mr. Rajah holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland and a master’s degree from Virginia State University in Ettrick. He is the first local government official interviewed at familyfoundationblog, but won’t be the last. We will continue to spotlight successful local government officials and policy makers who are making a difference where it counts. We think you will find this interview very interesting and refreshing and hope you take the time to read it and reply with some comments.