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Ralph Northam on Education
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Pay raise for teachers, to retain the best and brightest
I am eager to work with you to give our teachers the largest single-year pay raise in 15 years. This isn't just about the educators who deserve to be paid more. It's about improving the education we offer our children by ensuring that we
can attract and retain the best and brightest educators to classrooms in every corner of our Commonwealth. Raising teacher pay is only part of the puzzle when it comes to making sure that every Virginia student is able to reach their full potential.
Schools, educational leaders, and parents across the Commonwealth have been clear that students need a variety of services to succeed in the classroom.
That's why I've proposed to fund more positions for
school counselors statewide, and additional flexible funding so that school divisions can make their own decisions about which services will most benefit their students.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Virginia legislature
, Jan 9, 2019
More tuition assistance; protect consumers on student loans
We need to work even harder to make postsecondary education more affordable and accessible to all students. We're working with the Virginia Community College System to reframe their programming, so that students can get the skills they need on the
front end for 21st century jobs. Our training certificate programs and our higher education system need to work hand in hand. And they need to be affordable.
Expensive tuition and high student debt can close the door to opportunity for too many people.
My budget would offer more tuition assistance, and requires our institutions to create tuition predictability plans.
It is high time we began regulating the companies that service our student loans. While people may not be able to avoid taking on debt to get an education, they should be able to count on basic consumer protections.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Virginia legislature
, Jan 9, 2019
Borrower's Bill of Rights to manage student debt
Yesterday, Governor-elect Northam and I stood together and outlined several pieces of legislation that we hope the new General Assembly will pass this year. They include:- Giving Virginians the tools to manage student debt and hold predatory
lenders accountable by passing a Borrower's Bill of Rights and creating a state ombudsman for student debt.
- Building on the executive actions my administration is pursuing to cut carbon and create clean energy jobs by becoming the first Southern
State to formally join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
- Closing a loophole in our ethics laws by prohibiting the personal use of campaign funds.
- Reducing obstacles to voting by doing away with barriers to absentee voting.
None of these
items are inherently political. They are proposed solutions to real policy problems. It could well be the case that there are better ideas to solve these problems & make life better for Virginians. Those are the questions we were all elected to consider.
Source: Terry McAuliffe's 2018 Virginia State of the State address
, Jan 10, 2018
Federal grant to create 3,000 pre-K education spots
Dr. Northam chairs the Commonwealth Council on Childhood Success where he helped secure a federal grant to create over 3,000 pre-K education spots for children in low-income families and advocated for greater access to pre-natal care. He also chairs the
Governor's Task Force on Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response and led a team tasked with identifying challenges and suggesting improvements to the state's complex system of mental health services.
Source: 2016-17 Virginia gubernatorial campaign website
, Nov 1, 2015
Invest in early childhood education
Democrat Ralph Northam will run for Virginia governor. "We need to continue investing in early childhood education," Northam wrote, "creating jobs in the new Virginia economy, protecting women's reproductive rights and expanding access to
Medicaid for 400,000 of our citizens."
Source: AMI Newswire on 2017 Virginia governor's race
, Oct 20, 2015
Historically strong commitment to public education
Because of our historically strong commitment to elementary and secondary education, and recent investments in our community colleges and universities, Virginia has repeatedly been named the best state for a lifetime of learning.
Unfortunately, the recent nationwide financial crisis has left less in our state budget for our schools.I believe strongly that our children are our future, and that all of them deserve a world-class education.
In order to ensure that they are prepared to take on the jobs of tomorrow, and to compete in a global economy, we must restore and increase funding for K-12 education, including teacher salaries.
We must also continue to develop a strong workforce in Virginia by supporting career and technical education at our outstanding community colleges, and take advantage of the economic development potential of innovation at our research universities.
Source: 2016-17 VA gubernatorial campaign website SenatorNortham.com
, Nov 1, 2011
Restore and increase funding for K-12 education
Because of our historically strong commitment to elementary and secondary education, and recent investments in our community colleges and universities, Virginia has repeatedly been named the best state for a lifetime of learning.
Unfortunately, the recent nationwide financial crisis has left less in our state budget for our schools.I believe strongly that our children are our future, and that all of them deserve a world-class education.
In order to ensure that they are prepared to take on the jobs of tomorrow, and to compete in a global economy, we must restore and increase funding for K-12 education, including teacher salaries.
We must also continue to develop a strong
workforce in Virginia by supporting career and technical education at our outstanding community colleges, and take advantage of the economic development potential of innovation at our research universities.
Source: 2017 Virginia Gubernatorial website, SenatorNortham.com
, Jan 17, 2011
Page last updated: Mar 11, 2019
