Senator Yvonne Miller passed away last week. She was the first African American woman to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and the longest serving woman in the Virginia Senate. She was also an educator, passionate about our public schools. I remember well a floor speech she gave against Virginia opening the doors for the establishment of charter schools, saying that we should first fund our public schools. The video of her speech is below.
Providing for a quality public education for all students should be a priority. In fact, the Commonwealth of Virginia is constitutionally required to do so. As a candidate for the Virginia Beach School Board, I echo the concern of Senator Yvonne Miller, and issue the same challenge. We need to focus on providing a quality education for all of our students, not just a few.
Thank you for your many years of service and steadfast leadership, Senator Miller. I, along with so many others, will always be grateful. You will always be deeply missed.