My message to voters was that our public school teachers are not expendable, replaceable or disposable. To value our public schools is to value our teachers. To value our public schools is to value democracy.

We want fully funded public schools, fairly compensated teachers and staff, and modernized school buildings. Corporate charter schools would drain the resources needed to achieve these goals.

But the problems that Brown Grove faces are not theirs alone; they are shared. Our history, our rural land and our environment is not just threatened within one set of boundaries—Brown Grove must be preserved and protected because that’s what’s best for all of us in this area.

“I’ll tell you this doesn’t bode well, because these two are educators first and foremost with deep knowledge, relationships and qualifications, and they’re also two very moderate leaders,” said Rachel Levy of Hanover.

I was glad you voted two months ago to require staff to use names and genders consistent with students’ gender identities, but I was disappointed when the majority of you voted to disapprove the required-by-law policy to allow students to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identity, which opened our school district up to a lawsuit

Virginia, yes, we need good faith bipartisanship now in the face of Putin’s white Christian nationalist fascism, invasion of Ukraine, and threats against democracy. But first we need good faith bipartisanship in the face of these attacks on democracy and the same fascism right here at home, in the U.S. and in Virginia.

Levy said at-risk populations are being let down. “Trying to teach our kids to take care of their friends and neighbors who are more vulnerable is going out the window.”