Reid Sides with Parents in K-12 Reform
by James A. Bacon
It’s conventional wisdom that voters don’t read the position papers of political candidates. If so, John Reid’s foray into K-12 school reform may not do much to energize his campaign for lieutenant governor. That would be a shame because, love him or hate him, Reid speaks common sense with clarity on a discussion made opaque by buzzwords and mumbo jumbo that substitute for thought.
Sounding the theme that gave Governor Glenn Youngkin his winning edge four years ago, Reid says, “parents aren’t the problem, they’re the foundation. And it’s time we treat them that way.”
Reid will be attacked as radical and transphobic no matter what. But voters should note that he doesn’t call for purging leftist content about sexuality, ideology and gender identity from schools. Rather, he wants to shield children from such controversial material without parents giving their OK. The same goes for mental-health and gender-related services, which should never be provided without parents being notified.
“Families,” says Reid in his Reid Revolution account on Substack, “deserve full visibility” into what their children are being exposed to.
The culture war raging in Virginia public schools is about whether the so-called “progressives” who have captured the K-12 education system in many localities can use their power to drive radical social transformation in defiance of the wishes of many if not most parents. Reid is basically saying, to borrow a line from Pink Floyd, “Hey, teacher, leave our kids alone!”
The second thrust of Reid’s pragmatic approach to K-12 schools is to “put learning first again.” That theme incorporates several elements, starting with banning DEI mandates in K-12 curriculum and hiring. “We need excellent teachers and high-quality instruction, not political litmus tests.” (Reid’s heart is in the right place here, but his message could use some tweaking, which I’ll get to below.)
Reid highlights the need to restore discipline and safety in classrooms. “That starts with clear, consistent consequences. I support bringing back real suspensions for serious disruptions, reinstating school resource officers, and encouraging school uniform policies that promote focus and respect.”
He also calls for ending “equity grading.” Grade inflation has leeched the meaning from school grades. Everyone gets a trophy for trying. Excellence is downplayed and sub-par performance excused. “Students deserve honest feedback and clear expectations,” Reid says. “Lowering the bar helps no one.”
He proposes launching a statewide “Merit Matters” dashboard so families can compare performance data for every school district every year. (It’s not clear how this would differ from existing school-performance dashboards.) And he would give more emphasis to non-college career pathways. “Whether your child wants to weld, write code, or go pre-med, their school should open those doors not close them.”
All good stuff.
However, ending DEI in K-12 schools runs into the same complications as it does in colleges and universities: How do you define DEI? Does that mean laying off administrators with DEI in their titles? Does it mean rewriting school policy and practice manuals to eliminate any traces of DEI-inspired references to “white supremacy,” “white privilege,” and “systemic racism”? Does it mean purging the DEI obsession with racial and ethnic identity from textbooks discussions? Does it restrict what teachers can say in classrooms?
Administrators are easily laid off and policies rewritten. But how does one drive out DEI, or the social-justice philosophy that underpins it, without infringing upon the teachers’ right to free expression? Do we just replace a militant narrative with a conservative narrative? I’m totally sympathetic with what Reid wants to accomplish, but getting from Point A to Point B needs to be thought through.
The contrast between candidates for lieutenant governor couldn’t be clearer.
“My opponent, Senator Ghazala Hashmi, has backed a different approach,” Reid says. “One that treats merit like a dirty word, leaves parents out of the loop, and puts activist ideology ahead of academic results.”
I haven’t examined Hashmi’s record, so I can’t say if that’s a fair summary or not. I expect it is. Her campaign website says, “As an experienced educator and advocate of inclusive values and social justice, she identifies education, equity, the environment, and healthcare access as top legislative priorities.” She uses all the correct lefty buzzwords.
Hashmi serves as the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Education, so her record is open to all. Someone ought to look and see what she has actually done.
