Parents’ Voices 

Executive Order 2 reaffirmed parents’ rights in the upbringing, education, and care of their children, including the removal of mask mandates from classrooms, underscoring the Administration’s commitment to parental involvement in education. 

Governor Youngkin and the Virginia Department of Education also revised the Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools, restoring parents’ rights in the lives of their children and ensuring parents lead any conversation or decision about their child’s identity. 

Reclaiming Childhood 

Governor Youngkin followed these efforts with Executive Order 43 on Reclaiming Childhood from the adverse effects of social media. This effort overlaps with the push for Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free Education, encouraging students and families to get away from screens and towards interaction, play, and activity.  

As part of this effort, the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Resources partnered to promote initiatives like Virginia Screen Free Week and the Commonwealth Day of Play. Each of these initiatives encourage Virginians to reclaim childhood. 

Digital Mapping and Budget Response 

Virginia’s public schools have also made significant strides in emergency preparedness, with 98% of school divisions completing digital mapping of their campuses, shared with local law enforcement for rapid response in crises. To support this critical work, Governor Youngkin announced $6.6 million in funding in April 2022 for the development of detailed digital floor plans, ensuring that school administrators and first responders have the resources needed during emergencies. Additionally, the Governor secured $45 million in the 2023-24 state budget and proposed an extra $6.8 million for 2024 to fund school resource officers, reinforcing safety on campuses statewide. 

Institutional Student Code Revision 

This broad effort focused on strengthening on-campus safety measures, revising codes of conduct, and increasing student safety orientations to better illustrate the critical balance between ensuring student safety and protecting free speech. 

Combatting Antisemitism 

With Executive Order 8, Governor Youngkin enacted the Commission to Combat Antisemitism and adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. SB7 and HB18 further expanded legal protections against hate crimes and religious discrimination, passing a 2023 bill to officially adopt the IHRA definition. The Youngkin Administration also bolstered educational resources to combat antisemitism, renewing funding in the amount of $375,000 for the Virginia Holocaust Museum’s teacher education program, and jumpstarting a college ambassador program for the Institute on the Holocaust and Other Tolerance Opportunities (IOTO) to promote awareness and understanding among higher education students. 

Student Engagement During the Youngkin Administration 

The Governor’s Student Advisory Board, which the Governor has coordinated for three consecutive years, brings together voices from all eight regions of Virginia to advise the Board of Education on pressing policy matters. A similar body, the Student Advisory Committee of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), meets regularly to provide insight on systemwide concerns, ensuring student perspectives influence decision-making.  

Click here for more information on the Student Advisory Board, including how to apply!  

Council of Presidents, Board of Visitors 

The relationship between the Youngkin Administration and Virginia’s institutions of higher education rests on mutual priorities of good governance and accountability. The Governor initiated quarterly meetings with presidents of Virginia’s institutions of higher education through the Council of Presidents – an innovative practice fostering constant communication and collaboration between institutions and the Governor in CEO-to-CEO, staffer-free meetings to allow for transparency and frankness. This has not been done in Virginia before.  

An Attorney General’s opinion clarified that the role of BOVs is to serve the best interests of the Commonwealth, rather than acting as cheerleaders for individual institutions. The Youngkin Administration practices proactive Board of Visitors (BOV) governance by hosting annual orientations with the Governor and SCHEV. 

The Education and Public Safety Secretariats engage regularly with campus law enforcement, including extremism training conducted at George Mason University in partnership with the FUSION Center. Boards of Visitors now routinely include campus law enforcement in their meetings, enhancing transparency and responsiveness.