Letter to City Council

February 3, 2022

The Honorable Lloyd Snook The Honorable Juandiego Wade Mayor, City of Charlottesville Vice Mayor, City of Charlottesville

Cc: The Honorable Sena Magill, Councilor, Charlottesville City Council The Honorable Michael Payne, Councilor, Charlottesville City Council The Honorable Brian Pinkston, Councilor, Charlottesville City Council

Dear Charlottesville City Council,

We are parents, grandparents, community members, and local organizations who care about public education in Charlottesville. Together, we are building a coalition as Charlottesville United for Public Education to ensure every child in Charlottesville City Schools receives a quality education from preschool to graduation.

As a grassroots organization, we believe in amplifying community voices – those who are historically underserved, underrepresented, and under-resourced. Our goal is to engage and empower our neighbors to champion the changes they want to see in our city. For us, that means breaking down barriers in public decision-making and building community-based solutions rooted in equity and justice that will prepare every student to succeed.

Public education plays a vital role in the well-being of students and fulfilling their unique potential. Our city has a responsibility to provide an education that is accessible, inclusive, and equitable. The future of this city depends on our leaders’ commitment to back the next generation with sustainable financial resources and a renewed focus on early learning, school modernization, and social supports that keep kids healthy.

The first step is to fund the $75 million reconfiguration project City Council unanimously agreed to support in October 2021. Walker Upper Elementary and Buford Middle School are inadequate in meeting student needs, affecting health, wellness, and learning outcomes. The time for talk and promises has passed. Now is the time to act. Charlottesville cannot afford to delay school construction for another 20 years.

We welcome you as partners in our campaign to make public education better in Charlottesville. More than 4,200 students, their families, and the entire Charlottesville community are counting on you to step up and put education first.

Sincerely,

Mary Coleman

Recruitment Coordinator, Charlottesville United for Public Education

Shymora Cooper

Steering Committee, Charlottesville United for Public Education

Holly Hatcher

Steering Committee, Charlottesville United for Public Education

Annie Suttle

Steering Committee, Charlottesville United for Public Education

Parents, Community Members, and Community Organizations

Beverly Adams

Emerita Associate Professor, UVA

Becky Bryan

Chair, Jackson-Via PTO; President, Walker/Buford United PTO

Jessica Carter

Executive Director, HER SPORTS

Joey Conover

President, Clark Elementary PTO

Selena Cozart Nancy Deutsch

Director, Youth-Nex

Marcie Eldridge Daniel Fairley

President, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia

Melissa Giacherio Guinevere Higgins

Barbara W. Hutchinson

Vice President, United Way of Greater Charlottesville

Elizabeth Eustace Ike

Aven Kinley

Adaline Masah

Director of Outreach, International Neighbors

Jessica Maslaney

Piedmont Family YMCA

Sarah McLean

Founder, Early Childhood Funders Network

Chris Meyer
Becky Reid
Casey Ruth Williams

Lisa Torres

Chair, CCS School Board