Dear Friend,

This week’s newsletter discusses gun violence prevention efforts, reflects on my recent trip to Georgia for the Council of State Governments (CSG) Education Committee conference, shares information about acquiring free, at-home COVID tests, and highlights select community meetings and engagements from this past week. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and for staying informed.

Recent Gun Violence Prevention Efforts

Last Friday, the White House made an historic announcement: the Biden-Harris Administration will establish the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will focus on collaborating with state and local lawmakers, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies to implement gun violence prevention strategies. Advocates have been calling for this direct effort at the federal-level to address gun violence, the roots of violence, preventative strategies, centralized data collection and analysis, and trauma-informed support measures. The establishment of this office is an impressive and much-needed step forward to counter the escalation of violence we witness each day in this country.

On Thursday evening, I was honored to stand beside former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who has dedicated her life to advocating for common sense gun legislation and to supporting candidates across the country through the organization she co-founded, GIFFORDS. Gabby joined us for a fundraiser in support of current Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg. His campaign for the Senate District 16 seat is one of the most competitive races in the state and could determine which party holds the majority in the Virginia Senate. Courage was the common word of the evening last night. Gabby’s remarkable courage is on full display as she continues her work each day to end the scourge of gun violence and the tragic loss of lives that we see daily in this country. This year’s election has placed common sense gun legislation back on the ballot again. Once more, we will be fighting to protect all of the critical gains we made to address gun violence and to expand those protections so that no parent worries about sending their child to school or any other space in our communities.

Policy Masterclass on Learning Loss

This past week, Tuesday through Thursday, I attended the Leveraging Learning Loss Policy Masterclass sponsored by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Southern Legislative Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia. As Vice Chair of the CSG Education Committee, I joined Chair Rhonda Baker (R-OK), CSG staff, and many conferees from our Southern Region to discuss several items of major concern with regard to public education in each of our states. We heard presentations from experts and agency officials, and the issues that we discussed indicated that each state is grappling with several core areas of crisis in our respective education systems:

• Chronic absenteeism
• Teacher and staff shortages
• Mental health 
• Eroding educator morale
• Literacy and numeracy skills gaps
• Unmet needs for special student populations (special education and English Learners)

These were a few of the issues upon which we focused. One key takeaway from the discussion was our emphasis on data. Using data more effectively to identify challenges in our systems and building from that data to target solutions is vital. Disaggregating data and developing narratives from the information that it generates help us to better understand the unique circumstances of our schools, whether they are urban or rural, high- or low-achieving, under-resourced or not, and so forth.

These excellent presentations and discussions helped us each to compare notes about what was (or was not) being addressed in each of our states. The focal points of conversation emphasized effective pedagogy, a firm commitment to public education and to all the students our systems serve, the foundational skills for reading and mathematics, teacher preparation, and professional development. It was truly refreshing to be in a space with fellow legislators from the Southern region who are committed to the real issues of teaching and learning, and who have little interest in the distractions of culture war topics such as banning books, attacking teachers, or marginalizing groups of children.

Free COVID Tests

Beginning September 25, all households in the United States now qualify for an additional four free at-home COVID-19 test kits from the federal government. These tests will detect the currently circulating COVID-19 variants, are intended for use through the end of 2023, and will include clear instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates. This distribution comes at a crucial time, as cases begin to rise again across the Commonwealth and across the nation. Free at-home tests can be ordered through the USPS website. Additional information about COVID-19 vaccines, masking, and more can be found on COVID.gov, as well as at the Virginia Department of Health. 

Connecting With My Office

Please email us at [email protected] or call our office at 804-698-7510. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here. 

— Ghazala

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