RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is defending a new system that will grade the performance of public schools in the state beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
Last week, Virginia's Board of Education voted to add an accountability system to the accreditation process. It's called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)plan.
It requires schools to be rated in one of four categories: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track, or Needs Intensive Support.
"This is a system that is designed in order to help us bring the resources that are available and support schools that need it most," said Youngkin.
While supporters say it allows schools to know exactly what their academic challenges are, critics argue the system will unfairly penalize schools in poorer communities.
State Board of Education member Anne Holton was the lone no-vote on the policy, citing the lack of additional resources to help struggling schools.
"If there were genuine new supports involved," Holton said, "I would be fine with all of it but the problem is there are effectively no new supports attached to this system."
Her concerns were shared by several speakers at the board meeting before the final vote. Spotsylvania County School Board member Carol Medawar said she feels the new accountability method won't measure a school's progress.
"Not taking into account growth measures in your accreditation system is absolutely wrong," said Holton.
Youngkin, however, said it's all about transparency.
"There are schools that needs substantial support and that could come from the state and the federal government but there other schools that need some support and we want to make sure they get it," Youngkin said. "And historically, under the old system, all those schools--89 percent of the schools were all lumped into one category. "
Youngkin pointed to the state budget which includes an additional two billion dollars in schools' funding, believing that the new accountability standards will give the state a better idea of how to direct that money.
The ESSA plan is subject to revision by the U.S. Department of Education.