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In the matter of changes for the better with local public education: It is excellent to read and hear residents, taxpayers and voters, business owners, employers, and employees, talking about making changes for the better. Because it does take persistent, applied effort from all of us to achieve, and then to sustain excellent public education. Keep informed and get involved.

But too often I hear the absolutely wrong opinion that ‘it’s all up to the school administration/school board’ or ‘it’s all about the teachers’ or other excuses people give to relinquish public responsibility for public education. Read more below how this is a wrong opinion.

In truth, we cannot ‘make America Great Again’, or ‘keep our freedoms’ unless and until we have public education that builds skills for youth to be healthy, successful and prosperous, in ways that support the health and prosperity of the families they live with, and the community they live in. Many social studies show that ‘negative partisanship’ (treating others – in a different political party, in a different congregation, or different religion, or with different points of view – as a threatening enemy) has divided us against one another in destructive ways. Negative partisanship can make us believe silly things. Or dangerous things. I know many on ‘the Left’ who think education is about ‘finding your identity’, ‘learning to be who you really are’, ‘getting ahead in order to get back at those who hurt you’, etc. This is a road to personal and social dysfunction, disguised as personal fulfillment. I know many on ‘the Right’ who think education is about ‘getting what you need to be the boss’, ‘mastering the seven mountains’, ‘knocking people you don’t like off their high horses’, etc. That is a road to moral disorder and violence, disguised as righteousness. In the current political season we see – or at least I see – all these bad behaviors on ‘the Right’ and on ‘the Left’. So what now?

Fortunately, the Virginia Code requires us to give up silly and dangerous ideas when it comes to local Comprehensive Planning. Jurisdictions are required to have a Comprehensive Plan that emphasizes ‘harmony’, ‘prosperity’, and ‘general welfare’. Public education is integral to all of these: social harmony, prosperity of individuals, households, and the community as a whole, and the general welfare in which each individual has skills and motivation to contribute and serve others, and when in need to find and use services beneficially and not wastefully.

Prince Edward County officials are currently in a 2-year series of re-writing its Comprehensive Plan. The final chapters are under review later this fall before the entire draft is presented for public review, discussion and comment. All of us should be part of the Comprehensive Planning, and the County has provided opportunities for public participation. But I have not seen many of the public attending the meetings.

I have been providing data (health data, economic data, business data, population data, etc) to the county. That data tells a story that informs us about the prospects for success or lack of success with local public education.

Our county has far too high proportions of the community living with impressive disadvantage, without public infrastructures and household resources to be healthy, successful and prosperous. For example, no or poor Internet connectivity, no or poor access to transportation to get to employment/health care/library etc, substandard housing including unsafe water and/or poor or no indoor plumbing, no or substandard recreation or community facilities near where they live, etc. Many data sources report on high levels of disadvantage, poor health access and resources, etc in our Southside region and in Prince Edward County. One reports that over half (54%) of Prince Edward County students are ‘economically disadvantaged’ and that when comparing Third Grade SOL Reading ‘Pass Rates’ 72% ‘not economically disadvantaged’ third graders pass (and, btw, 72% is not good, even compared with other Southside jurisdictions) but only 39% ‘economically disadvantaged’ pass. Disadvantage matters significantly for achievement in public education.

Can public education students with disadvantages achieve and succeed in school? Certainly, yes. We should all encourage that, with every student. But the responsibility of county officials – Supervisors, Planning Commission, School Board – through its Comprehensive Plan is to overcome persistent disadvantages where and how it can.

The Virginia Code requires that the Plan “accomplish(es) a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory” in a ways that SHALL “best promote … health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare”. The public – parents and grandparents, businesses and service organizations, employers and employees, congregations and school personnel, etc – should take an interest in how Prince Edward County meets this mandate in the Virginia Code for Comprehensive Planning. Learn how here: https://www.co.prince-edward.va.us/departments/comprehensive-plan.