National attention has rightly focused on the gubernatorial race between Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a moderate Democrat, and Ed Gillespie, a Trump Republican. Northam is a military veteran, a physician, and an experienced government official who will defend the rights of all Virginians to justice, healthcare, public education, and a safe environment. Gillespie is a former chair of the Republican National Committee and GOP hack who will protect Confederate statues, privatize public schools, and enact the Trump-DeVos agenda.
If Northam is elected, he needs allies in the state legislature. If he is not elected, Gillespie needs a legislature to block him when he tries to transfer public funds to religious, private, and for-profit schools, as he has promised to do.
Here are candidates for the legislature who will fight for Virginia’s public schools. Please vote for them, volunteer for them, donate to their campaigns:
Debra Rodman: http://rodmanfordelegate.com
Schuyler VanValkenburg: https://bluevirginia.us/2017/09/schuyler-vanvalkenburg-vows-to-keep-right-wing-assault-from-gutting-virginias-public-education-system; https://www.vanvalkenburg4va.com
Jennifer Carroll Foy: https://www.jennifercarrollfoy.org
Elizabeth Guzman: http://elizabethguzmanforvirginia.com
Hala Ayala: https://ayalafordelegate.com
Shelley Simonds: https://www.simondsfordelegate.com
Morgan Goodman: https://goodmanfordelegate.com
Kelly Fowler: https://www.voteforfowler.com
Please vote. Every vote counts.
Vote for delegates who will improve our public schools.
Your vote could be the single vote that wins the election!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank you for using your blog for political activism. I hope readers from Virginia share this with other public employees, friends, family and neighbors. We know that ALEC is throwing the weight of their wealth behind Gillespie. We need to mobilize voters against the interests of the oligarchy to save public education and social justice.
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I live in Virginia. Notwithstanding the comments by the media, and political pundits, I feel that the Trump connection is somewhat overstated.
Most people that I encounter are pretty much apathetic. People are “burned out”, with the current nasty and vitriolic state of the (national) political dialogue.
I predict that turnout will be very low, on election day.
The issue of confederate statues and monuments, is very minor. The focus is primarily on taxes, the economy, jobs, etc. When you are unemployed, you really don’t get lathered up about J.E.B. Stuart.
“All politics is local”- Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill
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Thank you, Diane, for bringing visibility to the House of Delegates races in Virginia. The Republicans are only 1 vote short of a supermajority to override vetoes. (66 R’s & 33 D’s) Our current Governor, Terri McAuliffe, has vetoed over 120 pieces of legislation including several charter school & pro-corporate ed bills.
If I could please add Democrat Danica Roem who is running to unseat a 26 year incumbent in the 13th district, a district where I live and Hillary Clinton won! I’ve met Danica and can attest that she will be a strong supporter of public schools. She also is familiar with and admires Finnish schools.
There are 17 of these “Hillary won” districts that are deemed winnable if we can turn out our voters. So any help with GOTV efforts is much appreciated!
http://mobile.dudasite.com/site/danicafordelegate#2919
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