Richmond parents, teachers join nationwide protests to advocate for public education

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — On Wednesday, educators, parents and students across the country participated in a nationwide protest to take a stand for public education. Protestors in Richmond held "walk-in" events at William Fox Elementary, Westover Hills Elementary and River City Middle schools.

The protests came after The White House directed cuts to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) on Tuesday, March 11. A reduction to nearly half of the department's workforce was announced as President Donald Trump's administration moves to eliminate the agency entirely.

Members of the Richmond Education Association (REA), who organized the "walk-ins," told 8News that the sweeping cuts prompted concerns over the consequences students could face.

"These cuts would have dramatic impacts on children and our communities, particularly, students with disabilities," said Katie Franzel, a 1st-grade teacher at Westover Hills Elementary.

Franzel also serves as the school's building representative for the Richmond Education Association.

(Photo: 8News)

Instead of a walkout where protestors leave school grounds, the "walk-ins" on Wednesday, March 19 gave parents and students an opportunity to stand alongside educators to support federal funding for public schools.

Protestors were also joined by Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield), who expressed concerns over the current state of public education.

"Public education is under threat," Hashmi said. "It's under the most serious crisis that it's ever been under in the last several generations."

According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, over $2.6 billion in federal funding supported Virginia’s students and educators during the 2022-23 school year. 

The Virginia Education Association said the loss of these funds would lead to job cuts for an estimated 8,950 K-12 teachers. The union added that special education programs like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will lose more than $387 million that goes to supporting students.

"We need to continue fully funding our public schools so that schools can be strong, safe and fully funded in order to provide the safest environment and rigorous learning opportunities for students," Franzel said.

(Photo: 8News)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) weighed in on the DOE cuts, saying these federal changes could signal a positive shift for Virginia's schools.

"I do believe that the top priority for actions at the federal government [is] gonna be to move responsibility for education from the federal government to the states -- and I think that's a positive for us," Youngkin said.

Notably, education is already a state responsibility, with the federal government providing support through funding.

Although it's unclear when Virginians could start to see the local impact of those cuts, the REA said its goal was to show a strong sign of support from the community on the need to protect public schools.