Virginia, Valley teachers to stage day of mourning over funding cuts

Shenandoah Valley and other Virginia public school teachers will don black attire on Friday to mourn the commonwealth’s lack of commitment to public education.

Billed as a statewide day of mourning, the flier distributed by the Virginia Education Association addresses cuts in state funding for education, an attack on teacher retirements and legislation that would phase out teacher tenure.

Rosemary Wagoner, the co-president of the Waynesboro Education Association, said she anticipates many teachers donning black on Friday.

She said the cumulative effect of all the actions in the Virginia General Assembly would make it difficult to recruit new teachers and those from other states.

“People won’t come to Virginia when they can go to neighboring states and get more job security,’’ Wagoner said.

She said it is necessary to recruit teachers from neighboring states because Virginia colleges and universities do not graduate enough teachers to fill the state’s needs.

Karen Olivares, the Virginia Education Association’s Valley UniServ director, said Friday’s event is symbolic.

“But symbolic acts translate,’’ she said. “Now, it is very obvious folks in Richmond making these policy decisions don’t care much about public education.”

Olivares said K-12 education has been cut $1.4 billion since 2008.

And she said the dressing in black on Friday is preferable to the state’s 100,000 teachers calling in sick, or walking out of their school buildings.

Olivares said it is also important teachers set an example of citizenship to their students.

“If school employees do not not step up for this, what is the lesson we are teaching our students?’’ she said. “Every day a teacher steps in front of a class, they are modeling what it is to be an engaged citizen.”

Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, reacted to the news of Black Friday with a posting on his Facebook page Wednesday.

Bell’s posting said: “So the VEA thinks grade school antics like this will gain teachers the respect they deserve … really? How much instructional time will be lost explaining to students why you played ‘dress-up.’ Behavior like this does not enhance your professionalism or bring you the kind of positive attention you seek from the general public. This speaks loudly of VEA leadership.”

Reached by phone later in the day in Richmond, Bell said he believes the day of mourning is mainly in response to his legislation regarding teacher and principal tenure that passed the House earlier this week.

Under the legislation, tenure would be phased out for teachers not eligible for continuing contracts by 2013-14.

They would receive a three-year term contract that would not automatically renew.

Probationary periods for new hires would stretch to five from three years, and all teachers and principals would have annual evaluations.

Bell said he saw VEA President Kitty Boitnott on television immediately after his bill passed the House, and believes the day of mourning was in response to the passage.

Bell his legislation makes “the profession more accountable.”

And as for the day of mourning, Bell said it is the wrong approach and a waste of instructional time.

The Bell legislation is expected to be voted on by the Virginia Senate early next week.