The Republican governor fielded questions from students, teachers and parents across the commonwealth
(The Center Square) – Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin outlined and defended his stance on a range of education topics, including Critical Race Theory and transgender students in sports, during a CNN town hall Thursday night.
The Republican governor, who is just over a year into his term, fielded questions from students, teachers and parents across the commonwealth in a town hall titled “The War Over Education.”
At several points during the evening, the governor doubled down on his stance of parental involvement in education – a position that became a central part of his gubernatorial campaign.
“Parents matter, and parents deserve not only to be at the table, but they deserve to have the head seat at the table,” Youngkin said at the start of the event.
The town hall came as speculation grows over whether Youngkin is mulling a presidential run in 2024. When asked directly whether he was planning on running for higher office, the governor did not rule out a presidential run, but responded that Virginia is his “focus” right now.
Youngkin touted investments in education several times during the event, including $30 million in federal pandemic funding announced this week that qualifying families can use to pay for tutoring for their children to combat pandemic learning loss. Youngkin’s office also announced this week the first 13 grants to develop “lab schools” in the commonwealth, which are formed by a partnership between public K-12 schools and colleges.
The governor fielded several questions surrounding the first executive order he signed when taking office, which bans “inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory,” from being taught in schools. Critical Race Theory is an academic framework that teaches racism is systemic in law, policies and institutions.
“Parents matter, and parents deserve not only to be at the table, but they deserve to have the head seat at the table,” Youngkin said at the start of the event.
The town hall came as speculation grows over whether Youngkin is mulling a presidential run in 2024. When asked directly whether he was planning on running for higher office, the governor did not rule out a presidential run, but responded that Virginia is his “focus” right now.
Youngkin touted investments in education several times during the event, including $30 million in federal pandemic funding announced this week that qualifying families can use to pay for tutoring for their children to combat pandemic learning loss. Youngkin’s office also announced this week the first 13 grants to develop “lab schools” in the commonwealth, which are formed by a partnership between public K-12 schools and colleges.
The governor fielded several questions surrounding the first executive order he signed when taking office, which bans “inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory,” from being taught in schools. Critical Race Theory is an academic framework that teaches racism is systemic in law, policies and institutions.
The governor also defended the state’s history standards, which have been subject to pushback. Youngkin said he is “pleased” with the standards, and said they teach “all of our history – the good and the bad.”
The governor also defended the state’s history standards, which have been subject to pushback. Youngkin said he is “pleased” with the standards, and said they teach “all of our history – the good and the bad.”
“I don’t think that biological boys should be playing sports with biological girls,” Youngkin said. “There’s been decades of efforts in order to gain opportunities for women in sports, and it’s just unfair. And I think that’s not controversial.”
In response to other questions, Youngkin said he would have signed a bill that was killed during the legislative session that would have directed the Department of Education to create model policies for the “selection and removal” of books from school libraries. The governor also highlighted proposed funding to increase Narcan supplies in the commonwealth in response to a scourge of fentanyl-related overdose deaths.
Originally published by The Center Square. Republished with permission.
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