Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“Are you going to move so they can go to better schools?”

Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of people get asked that same question, which is usually followed by a vague criticism about the quality of our schools’ administrators, teachers, facilities or even students. The message, intended or not, is that our local public schools are not worth improving. They are the way they are, they’ll never be any different, and it’s easier to just go somewhere else where the grass is greener. 

Such conversations are both a cause and symptom of a false, self-sustaining and apathetic narrative about our public schools. They have scared off many would-be neighbors from moving to our wonderful communities, they have caused our institutions, businesses and organizations to lose good employees, and they have caused our towns and counties to lose out on many potential economic opportunities. 

However, perception is not always reality. The reputation of our local K-12 school systems seems out of step with the reality of our students’ experiences and even more so with vague criticisms about the state of our schools. 

First, some quick data points. According to the Virginia Department of Education, 92% of our area schools are fully accredited. 1 Comparatively, just 36% of Richmond Public Schools achieved that distinction in 2022. The average student-to-teacher ratio across all of our schools is 11.45 students for every teacher. Meanwhile, Newport News Public Schools has an average student-to-teacher ratio of 13.92 to one. 

To be sure, our schools are facing significant challenges. Many of the buildings where our children learn are in desperate need of renovation, having not experienced major updates since 1963 – the year President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Our school systems are fighting the massive issue of chronic absenteeism, with one division’s rate spiking to 43.8% last year. On top of those issues, all public school divisions are facing an unprecedented reduction in funding thanks to a mistake by the Department of Education.

These are, admittedly, big challenges. Overcoming them may seem beyond the influence of the parents and citizens in our community, but I’m here to tell you they absolutely are not. 

Every person in our community has a voice. Unfortunately, many misdirect the power of their voices by complaining to neighbors or to echo chambers on social media instead of channeling it in a positive direction for change. I and many of my Farmville neighbors have spoken at school board meetings, walked the halls of the Virginia General Assembly and lobbied leaders around our Commonwealth to take notice of the state of our schools. Real, tangible change has come from those efforts, as has transparency from and accountability of our local leaders. 

Imagine how loud we can be if we all channeled our voices in the same direction and demanded change from the people who are in power to make it happen. 

That is what has led me to put my name on the ballot as District 50’s delegate in the Virginia General Assembly. My voice has been developed by years as a public speaker, pastor and a father, but I have found I use it best when amplifying the words of others. We – as neighbors, as parents and as a community – have the opportunity to pull together and make all our voices heard by the Virginia General Assembly, a level where our words will spark change. Our schools need help and support, not derision, and this is what that support looks like. 

Together, we will advocate for our overworked and underpaid teachers. Together, we will fix our schools. Together, we will advocate for our children, our community and each other. And, as your delegate, I will tell the story of Southside Virginia.

Josh Blakely is a candidate for Virginia’s 50th House District in the November election. He can be contacted at blakelyfordelegate@gmail.com.