Welcome to Chesterfield Democrats
School superintendents: ‘It is time to be alarmed’
Superintendents and other education representatives from all 133 school districts in Virginia held a press conference this week to announce the budget reduction strategies they are considering to address proposed state and local budget cuts.
Increased class sizes and cuts in programs and services are chief among the options they are considering, according to a survey conducted by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) in which over half of the superintendents responded.
Among the superintendents who responded:
- 89% said that they are considering increasing pupil:teacher ratios.
- 91% are considering cutting teacher positions.
- Half are considering bud-get cuts in programs such as summer school remediation, assistance for at-risk students, and education for 4-year-olds to name a few.
To minimize the negative effects of the budget cuts on the quality of education, the superintendents requested that the Governor and the General Assembly do the following:
- Delay new state mandates such as the new graduation requirements, the implementation of a Financial Literacy course, and the development of middle school career plans.
- Maintain the number of school support personnel currently required by the Standards of Quality.
- Allow local school boards to retain their authority over charter schools in their districts and oppose vouchers and tuition tax credits that further drain money from education funds already being proposed for cuts.
Painting a bleak picture of the net effect of proposed budget cuts on Virginia’s school districts, VASS President and Superintendent of Suffolk City Public Schools Milton Liverman said, “It has been suggested that it would not be inappropriate to say that we are now facing a ‘Doomsday Budget.’ All you have to do is look at the drastic actions being considered by the superintendents in the Commonwealth. None of us want to make any of these cuts, but this is our current reality. If the term ‘Doomsday Budget’ sets off an alarm—good. It is time to be alarmed. “
For a copy of the survey questions and responses and the press conference remarks, contact the VASS Office at (434) 924-0568 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Research 2000 Poll Results, January 19, 2010
A poll was conducted immediately after the election last night of 1000 registered Massachusetts voters who voted for Obama in 2008. Half of the respondents voted in the MA special election for Republican candidate Scott Brown; half of the respondents did not vote at all. The poll definitively shows that voters who stayed home and voters who switched party allegiance share very common frustration and anger at an economy that continues to work better for Wall Street than Main Street.
There's a real populist anger out there. Voters worry that Democrats in power have not done enough to combat the policies of the Bush era. Both sets of voters wanted stronger, more progressive action on health care reform, as well. In summary, the poll shows that the party who fights corporate interests—especially on making the economy work for most Americans—will win the confidence of the voters.
- 95% of voters said the economy was important or very important when it came to deciding their vote.
- 53% of Obama voters who voted for Brown and 56% of Obama voters who did not vote in the Massachusetts election said that Democrats enacting tighter restrictions on Wall Street would make them more likely to vote Democratic in the 2010 elections.
- 51% of voters who voted for Obama in 2008 but Brown in 2010 said that Democratic policies were doing more to help Wall Street than Main Street.
- Nearly half (49%) of Obama voters who voted for Brown support the Senate health care bill or think it does not go far enough. Only 11% think the legislation goes too far.
You can see full, cross-tabbed results here.
Transcript: President Obama on Haiti
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I've directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti.
The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity -- our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country. And this morning, I'm joined by several members of my national security team who are leading this coordinated response.
I've made it clear to each of these leaders that Haiti must be a top priority for their departments and agencies right now. This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership. For the sake of our citizens who are in Haiti, for the sake of the Haitian people who have suffered so much, and for the sake of our common humanity, we stand in solidarity with our neighbors to the south, knowing that but for the grace of God, there we go.
This morning, I can report that the first waves of our rescue and relief workers are on the ground and at work. A survey team worked overnight to identify priority areas for assistance, and shared the results of that review throughout the United States government, and with international partners who are also sending support. Search and rescue teams are actively working to save lives. Our military has secured the airport and prepared it to receive the heavy equipment and resources that are on the way, and to receive them around the clock, 24 hours a day. An airlift has been set up to deliver high-priority items like water and medicine. And we're coordinating closely with the Haitian government, the United Nations, and other countries who are also on the ground.
We have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, and we've airlifted injured Americans out of Haiti. We're running additional evacuations, and will continue to do so in the days ahead. I know that many Americans, especially Haitian Americans, are desperate for information about their family and friends. And the State Department has set up a phone number and e-mail address that you can find at www.state.gov -- www.state.gov -- to inquire about your loved ones. And you should know that we will not rest until we account for our fellow Americans in harm's way.
RTD Healthcare Conversation with Bobby Scott and Eric Cantor
On Monday, September 21, 2009 The Richmond Times Dispatch sponsored a Healthcare Conversation with Rep. Eric Cantor (VA-7) and Rep Bobby Scott (VA-3). David Martin of MartinImages News attended the event and provided this video.
Video 1 - (Bobby Scott) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MX2_1P4Xa0
Video 2 - (Eric Cantor and Audience Questions) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhcSZHAh0B4
Video 3 - (Audience Questions and Answers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCYhuxAaHMY
Video 4 - (Audience Questions and Answers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDbeltKSHrw
