Liberty University: Bigger Problems than Jerry Falwell’s Actions 

By: Katlyn Riggins  Liberty University is no stranger to scandal. Former university president, Jerry Falwell Jr., resigned in August 2020 after years of controversy finally caught up to him. In years past, Falwell was criticized for racist remarks and his public support for President Trump during the 2016 campaign. In the months leading up to

The College of William & Mary: Low Access, But High Taxpayer Support

By: Katlyn Riggins  The College of William & Mary (W&M) is a public university in Williamsburg, Virginia, that enrolls some 6,000 undergraduate students. It was founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, making W&M the second-oldest college in the United States. William & Mary holds another record: when data is averaged

Virginia Higher Ed Funding Has Miles to Go

By James Murphy and Michael Dannenberg As Governor Ralph Northam heads into the final months of his term in Virginia, he can look back on his years and take credit for doing more to reduce the inadequacy and inequity in higher education funding than any other governor of the Commonwealth this century. He increased funding

Report: State Guidance for High-Impact Tutoring

The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is infusing America’s K12 public schools with unprecedented, desperately needed relief funds to aid in the academic recovery of students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The $122 billion allocated to K12 public schools represents over seven times current annual Title I funding. As

What’s going on in VA Higher Ed? Your Brief Explainer

Didn’t have time to read our full issue brief on racial and economic inequities in access and admissions to Virginia colleges and universities? Or did you miss news coverage on the same, our “Words & Deeds” series, or our Virginian-Pilot op-ed with recommendations? No problem. Here is your handy, PowerPoint summary of our Scratching the

Opinion: Level the playing field for college admissions

By Michael Dannenberg This op-ed first appeared in the Virginian-Pilot on May 5, 2021. Each year politicians provide millions to selective colleges and ask virtually nothing in return. In Virginia, that has allowed a de facto segregated system by class and race to fester. Five of the 11 worst public colleges in the country on

In Providing Students Post-Pandemic Options, Let’s Not Forget Past Virtual School Failures

By Nicholas Munyan-Penney Ever since schools first started moving to remote learning in March of last year, the goal has always been the same: reopen school buildings and get students back in classrooms. But as we get increasingly closer to that goal—over 90% of schools are now offering in-person learning for students—there have been rumblings

100-Day Policy Wins

Back in December, we laid out our 100-day policy priorities for K-12 and Higher Education for the Biden administration and urged the then President- and Vice President-elect to advance education policies that aspire to the historic role the federal government has played in narrowing opportunity gaps and channeling resources to the students and schools most

Christopher Newport University is Headed in the Wrong Direction

By Katlyn Riggins Christopher Newport University, led by former U.S. Senator Paul Trible (R-VA) and located in current U.S. House Education Committee Chairman Bobby Scott’s (D-VA) Congressional District, is the sixth worst public college in the country on working-class and low-income student access. In fact, its Pell Grant student enrollment rate has been going down.

Washington & Lee: A National Disgrace

By James Murphy On March 23, several hundred students at Washington and Lee University in Virginia walked out of class to protest the Board of Trustees’ decision to delay deciding whether to drop Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s name from the institution, almost a year after a faculty vote to do so. Tahri Phillips, Class