The Department of Education is cutting nearly half of its workforce — and this is just the latest in a series of devastating cuts to federal agencies since Donald Trump took office. These layoffs are a direct attack on the future of our children and our communities. They’re also an attack on the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who call Virginia home.

Trump has made it clear that he wants to abolish the Department of Education entirely. If he succeeds, the consequences for Virginia’s public schools would be catastrophic. Federal funding for education would be slashed, and rural school districts — which rely on this funding for everything from teachers to special education programs — would be hit hardest. Our kids deserve so much better.

I am the mother of three daughters in Virginia’s public schools, a proud graduate of Virginia’s public schools, and the daughter-in-law of a career Virginia public school teacher! I understand that every child in every part of our Commonwealth deserves access to a quality education. It’s personal to me. That’s why I’m committed to making sure that our public schools get the support and federal resources our students need to succeed.

We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines as Donald Trump and his allies try to dismantle our public education system. Will you contribute to my campaign today and help us protect Virginia’s schools?

Thank you,

Abigail Spanberger