On July 23, 2021, then democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe made one of the biggest political blunders in Virginia political history. Mr. McAuliffe stated, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
In a subsequent interview he expanded on his statement saying “we have a Board of Education working with local school boards to determine the curriculum of our schools. You don’t want parents coming in every different school jurisdiction saying, ‘This is what should be taught here, and this is what should be taught here.’”
Mr. McAuliffe’s remarks made national news, infuriated Virginia parents and, according to most political analysts, cost him the governorship. While the election delivered a clear message to Mr. McAuliffe, the Democratic Party has not shifted course. In fact, over the past four years, it has doubled down on policies that continue to sideline parent’s voices in their children’s education and aligned itself even more closely with a radical agenda.
In the past years we have seen school systems across the country fighting to keep parents and parental choice out of their children’s schools. Montgomery County, Maryland, right across the river from Virginia, took their fight all the way to the United States Supreme Court to prevent parents from opting their children out of mandatory LGBTQ+ training.
In at least a dozen states, Democrats and teachers unions have actively opposed legislation aimed at bringing curriculum transparency to public schools. They have fought against “Parents’ Bill of Rights” laws that would ensure parents are informed when sensitive topics are taught. In Virginia, House Democrats even voted against a widely supported bipartisan bill that would have required schools to notify parents within 24 hours if a student dies from a suspected drug overdose from drugs obtained on campus or at school activities—a measure designed to keep families informed and students safe.
Why are democrats fighting so hard to keep parents from being involved in their children’s education, when study after study shows that parental involvement improves educational outcomes?
A 2005 Johns Hopkins study shows that family encouragement in student academic achievement resulted in higher math scores. Studies by the National Literacy Trust show that increased involvement from parents results in higher reading scores.
A common argument from the left is that parental involvement in education amounts to censorship—especially when it comes to teaching opposing views on racial issues. However, research by the American Psychological Association shows otherwise: when families from diverse racial backgrounds are actively engaged in their children’s education, it fosters greater mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration among communities. Far from being divisive, parental involvement builds bridges.
It appears that Democrats want to maintain their control of the educational system so they can continue their indoctrination and social engineering of Virginia’s students in Critical Race Theory, Gender Ideology, Climate Ideology and Atheism-progressive policies opposed by the majority of Virginia parents.
In a press release in February of 2025, Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger said, “Virginians deserve a Governor who is committed to making our schools the best in America.” This was in response to report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showing that Virginia ranks last in recovery of math scores from 2019 to 2024. Her plan to bring back Virginia’s educational system is to throw more money at the problem and “support our teachers.”
What Representative Spanberger fails to mention is that the sharpest declines in test scores are concentrated in Northern Virginia—where per-student spending has risen significantly. Unfortunately, much of this increase has gone toward ballooning administrative costs, which have grown sevenfold, while student performance has stagnated or even declined, particularly in lower-income communities.
What Virginia truly needs is a Governor—and an education system—that puts parents back in the driver’s seat. Families deserve full transparency into classroom materials and curriculum, and strong partnerships with teachers and schools to identify and address concerns early. Parents should be promptly notified when their child is struggling with issues like gender dysphoria, so families can respond with care and according to their values. And when a school no longer aligns with those values, parents must have the freedom to choose better educational options for their child.
Schools should reflect and reinforce the values, goals, and beliefs of the communities they serve. They ought to partner with families—not replace them—by supplementing the foundation built at home. When parents, teachers, administrators, and students work together, children are far more likely to thrive. Unfortunately, in Democrat-controlled school systems, the prevailing philosophy fosters division and distrust between schools and families, rather than collaboration.
It’s time for Virginia Parents to take back their children’s education and their future. Virginia Parents must show up at every school board meeting in every county to demand complete transparency to our children’s education. We must show up in record numbers at every polling location across the commonwealth this November to throw out the status quo and elect strong conservatives who support parental rights in every position from local school boards to the governor’s mansion, to return the focus of schools to education and not social engineering.
Perhaps the greatest Virginian in history, Thomas Jefferson, once said “The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.”
