Dear Friend,

This week’s newsletter reflects on my time at the Southern Legislative Conference with the Council of State Governments, shares a recent Shadowing the Senator experience with my office, and highlights select community engagements from this past week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and for staying informed. 

Southern Legislative Conference

From Saturday through Monday, I attended the 2025 Annual Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) in Birmingham, Alabama; the conference was a valuable experience, especially as I continue my work leading education policy in Virginia. The SLC serves as a vital forum for collaboration among Southern legislators, offering a space where we can learn from one another’s successes and challenges. With more than a thousand policymakers and staff in attendance, the conference fostered discussions on some of the most pressing issues facing our region. For the past year, I have been serving as Acting Chair of the SLC Education Committee and was elected unanimously as Chair just prior to the conference.

This year, the Education Committee’s sessions focused on several critical areas that mirror the concerns we are facing in Virginia. One of the most pressing topics was the recruitment and retention of teachers. Legislators from across the South shared the urgent need to address teacher shortages and improve working conditions, compensation, and professional support. I was especially interested in policy innovations that aim to build stronger pipelines for educators in rural and underserved communities—something I believe we must prioritize in our own work in Virginia.

We also examined the school funding formulas used across various Southern states. This was a timely and essential conversation, as many of us are grappling with outdated funding structures that fail to reflect the true costs of educating students in today’s world. As a panelist during this session, I shared the ongoing work within Virginia’s General Assembly to revise, modernize, and restructure our funding formula so that we meet the needs of a strong public education system. I appreciated the comparative insights from other states, particularly those who have recently undertaken major revisions to promote equity and efficiency in funding. These models will help inform Virginia's continuing discussions on how to better support all of our schools.

Lastly, the sessions provided an overview of recent education policy actions taken in 2025 across the Southern region. Participating states shared their legislative efforts of the past year, the issues that they face, the challenges of serving diverse student populations, including rural schools, and the uncertainties that we are all now facing with the dismantling of the US Department of Education. I left the conference informed by the ideas shared and affirmed in our direction in Virginia. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring these insights back to Virginia as I focus my work as the Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, and as I continue working with many of my colleagues to strengthen our public education system.

Shadowing the Senator

Last week, my office hosted another participant in the "Shadowing the Senator" program: Anushri. A rising high school senior, Anushri, sought out the shadowing opportunity to learn more about state government and explore her interest in government, the law, and education policy. Across her week of shadowing with my office, Anushri had the opportunity to attend an array of events including the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, a meeting on the Federal Impacts on Special Education Policy in Virginia, the Virginia Education Association (VEA) Summer Organizing Conference, and a reception for the Richmond's Family Justice Center, a joint project of YWCA Richmond and Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney McEachin’s Office. Anushri also toured Capitol Square and had one-on-one meetings with me and my staff. She shared these reflections on her week-long experience with my office:

“My shadowing experience with Senator Hashmi’s office gave me first hand interactive opportunities to learn about the legislative process. While working with June, I was able to understand the research and level of preparation it takes to make informed legislative decisions to impact state residents. While managing a heavy schedule, the time that Senator Hashmi set aside to meet with her team gave me a deep understanding of the communication and transparency that exists in an office. Although I certainly learned the most from just being in the building, the side conversations on pressing issues and unplanned visits from colleagues crafted this experience into being one of the most transformative in terms of building an understanding of the life of a legislator."

Select Community Engagements

On Tuesday evening, I joined hundreds of Chesterfield County Public Schools families from every zip code for El Librotazo—the Big Book Party. Through community partnerships, books in several languages were offered, and every student was able to select five books to bring home.

Later that evening, I joined a virtual fundraiser hosted by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters for our statewide Spanberger-Hashmi-Jones Democratic ticket and to support Democrats in competitive districts across the Commonwealth. This November’s election will determine if we continue the historic progress in the expansion of clean energy, conservation efforts, climate change mitigation, and addressing historic environmental injustices — or if Virginia dismantles those efforts. 

On Wednesday, I was honored as the Virginia Education Association’s 2025 Legislator of the Year for my work as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee. Through the collaborative efforts of fellow legislators, VEA members, and advocates for public education, we have secured nearly $3 billion for funding our K-12 system; expanded supports for our students of greatest need, including students with disabilities and English Language Learners; lifted the Great Recession-era cap in funding for support staff positions; and so much more. As Lieutenant Governor, I will work with the Spanberger Administration and our legislature to expand this progress, ensuring that every child across the Commonwealth has access to the high-quality education they deserve.

Later on Wednesday evening, I joined City of Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin and the YWCA of Richmond for an informational gathering about the development of Richmond's Family Justice Center. Implemented in states across the country, Family Justice Centers provide individuals grappling with domestic violence with access to legal assistance, health care, emergency housing and advocacy services in one centralized location.

On Thursday evening, I joined hundreds of Richmonders along Monument Avenue for the national “Good Trouble Lives On” day of action against the Trump Administration’s egregious policies attacking our collective rights, institutions, and the future of our nation. Stemming from the late Civil Rights leader, Congressman John Lewis, "Good Trouble" is about using collective non-violent action to create meaningful change.

Connecting With My Office

My office can be reached at the following:

Email:  [email protected] 

Phone:  804.698.7515

If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here. 

— Ghazala

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