Education

Elementary and Secondary Education
GRCC supports:

  • Increased state funding to meet Fairfax County’s growing education needs;
  • Revisions to the state’s local composite index formula to recognize the growing burden on localities to fund education needs associated with changing demographics, such as those associated with ESL students and students with disabilities;
  • Efforts to expand pre-school and school readiness programs in Virginia.
  • Increased state and local funding for school construction and renovation in northern Virginia and consideration of other expedited solutions to address the shortage of classrooms and the problems associated with outdated facilities;
  • Continued use of local government bonding capacity and public-private partnerships to build and renovate schools;
  • Increased efficiency and prioritization within the Fairfax County Public Schools budget, including conducting an independent audit of the system to identify programs that may be merged, expanded and/or eliminated;
  • Continued commitment to offering competitive compensation to attract and retain teachers; and
  • Increased federal funding to meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the “No Child Left Behind” program;

In addition, GRCC opposes independent taxing authority for elected local school boards.

Higher Education
GRCC supports:

  • Increased state funding to allow investment in facilities, faculty and research at Virginia’s colleges and universities, particularly George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College;
  • Inclusion of Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University in any state-wide higher education bond initiatives;
  • Maintenance of authority to the boards of visitors at Virginia’s colleges and universities to set appropriate tuition and fees for their individual institutions;
  • Academic programs that contribute to Virginia’s goal of becoming a global economic player;
  • Education and training partnerships focused on addressing the region’s workforce needs, such as the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board; and
  • Government support for internships, lifelong learning opportunities, technology and computer literacy, and coordination of education and training programs to meet our region’s employment needs.