The Issues

Education Freedom

Fight to Help Underserved Children Playing out in Richmond

Virginia’s public school system is among the nation’s best, but there remain geographic pockets of underserved children. Of the 94 schools denied accreditation, 55 percent are in just five school...

Jefferson Forum
February 16, 2017

A Charter School Proposal That Can Help Children

During my four years on the Virginia State Board of Education the most frustrating question was “What can we do about school divisions that persistently fail to effectively educate their...

Christian Braunlich
February 15, 2017

Military Families Deserve Choices

Military dependent children move 6-9 times during their K-12 years, according to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Although there is much uncertainty in every move, Military families typically begin...

Jefferson Forum
February 15, 2017

“Why Would We Not Want to Do More?”

Attracted by their “Free Breakfast for Children” and community health clinic program, Lois Bias joined the Black Panthers in college. Today, having long abandoned the Panthers after they turned violent,...

Jefferson Forum
February 1, 2017

Tax Credit Scholarships Help Children Succeed

Virginia’s Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit helped more than 2,400 children get a better education last year. In states with a higher tax credit, even more children are helped, and...

Jefferson Forum
January 25, 2017

Virginia as Best-Educated State – A Worthy Goal?

The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, the strategic plan for Virginia’s public colleges and universities, has set a bold objective: to make Virginia the best-educated state in the nation by...

Jefferson Forum
December 15, 2016

Censoring Jefferson to safeguard ignorance: President's legacy misunderstood

The recent demand by nearly 500 faculty members and students that University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan stop quoting UVa founder Thomas Jefferson in her emails reminds us that,...

Jefferson Forum
December 14, 2016

Virginia shouldn’t waste its unique opportunity to overhaul its school accountability system

Virginia needs to improve its accountability system for K–12 education. A relic of the No Child Left Behind era, it has a critical flaw: It encourages schools to narrowly focus...

Jefferson Forum
November 30, 2016

"We Were Encouraged to Make the Student Fail"

If you thought the scandal of the Alexandria school principal weeding out weak students from the Standards of Learning (SOL) exams was bad, you ain’t heard nothing yet. In a...

Jefferson Forum
September 13, 2016

Jefferson Forum concentrates on policies that affect everyday life in Virginia

Economic Freedom

Lower taxes and fewer regulations

Education Freedom

More choices for Virginia families

Energy Freedom

Reliable, affordable energy

Worker Freedom

Protecting Virginia’s right-to-work tradition

These are the building blocks of a more competitive and prosperous Virginia.