The 12-member board for the association, made up of all 133 of the state’s public school division superintendents, sent the letter to Jillian Balow, the state superintendent of schools, on Thursday. It said the state government’s conclusion that “discriminatory and divisive concepts have become widespread in Virginia school divisions” is unfounded.
The letter comes after Youngkin’s sweeping executive order in January banning critical race theory, even though such ideas about systemic racism are not in Virginia’s K-12 curriculum, and his announcement of a “Help Education” tip line email address. In the months since the tip line’s announcement, Youngkin has received backlash from teachers and others.
When Youngkin announced the tip line, he said it was implemented so parents could report “instances where they feel that their fundamental rights are being violated, where their children are not being respected and where [there are] inherent divisive practices in their schools.”
In the letter, Howard Kiser, executive director of the superintendents’ association, wrote that measures against racial equity teaching were taken “without having provided evidence to support that position” and without consulting the superintendents.
The letter, while adopted by the board, does not reflect all 133 superintendents’ beliefs, VASS Executive Director Ben Kiser told WRIC-TV.
The letter specifically responds to a February 23 report that Balow released to show certain programs and policies the government rescinded for allegedly drawing on critical race theory in the 30 days since the executive order was issued.
The theory’s core idea is that “racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies,” according to the newspaper Education Week.
“School division superintendents, along with their communities, know best their curriculum, personnel, and student services, and they believe that gross assumptions have been made, without evidentiary support, in the development of the 30-day report,” the letter said.
The letter also urged Balow to “establish a working group soon” with superintendent representatives from across the state, including superintendents of color, to “discuss the process, objectives, and data that will be incorporated” in Balow’s upcoming 90-day report on the executive order.
Balow’s report also took issue with the idea of “equity,” which it defined as students receiving the same outcomes rather than focusing on giving them the same opportunities.
According to the Milken Institute School of Public Health, while equality means giving everyone the same resources and opportunities, equity acknowledges the person or group’s circumstances and provides resources that line up with their level of need to reach the same outcome.
“Your use of ’equitable opportunities’ in lieu of ’equitable outcomes,’ without considering those factors that impact student achievement in underserved communities, can set public education back many years,” the superintendents’ letter said. “Quality education in Virginia has to be more than providing opportunities and hoping for the best. Virginia’s accountability system relies heavily on student outcomes, not opportunities.”
In a statement responding to the letter, Balow wrote that it “fails to reflect the good faith efforts” she and Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera made to speak with the superintendents, according to the Washington Post.
“The specific requests listed in the letter are actions that the Secretary and I offered to the superintendents as a way to keep open productive channels of communication that could lead to partnership and ensure we are serving all students in Virginia,” Balow wrote.
The tip line received a similar backlash from the Virginia Education Association shortly after it was announced. James Fedderman, the organization’s president, previously told Newsweek the measure was meant to “intimidate educators simply trying to do their jobs” and to “pit educators against parents for political gain.”
Newsweek contacted Youngkin’s office for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
Update 03/14/22, 4:45 p.m. ET: This story was updated to add more information and background.
