Virginia Institute for Public Policy

10/15/2026

Are tax dollars going to classrooms or the central office?

Many families are leaving Fairfax County Public Schools for private schools and homeschooling.

Yet... the district bought a $150 million high school, and as enrollment fell it shielded the central office before the classroom.

Via The Federalist https://thefederalist.com/2026/10/14/fairfax-county-public-schools-show-how-not-to-manage-shrinking-enrollment

Every district facing falling enrollment will face this choice: shrink the central office, or ask classrooms to absorb the cost.

09/30/2026

Two minutes a day for 30 days. That is all it takes.

The 2 Minute Citizen 30 Day Challenge kicks off tomorrow, October 1, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Each day brings one quick task you can finish in about two minutes, a small step that adds up over a month.

Complete all 30 and you will receive a completion gift, plus an entry to win one of several bigger prizes.

Join the challenge: https://virginia.commandleaders.com/events/6a9ae70081095e80e2bd9470/rsvp

09/30/2026

A yellow school bus that doubles as a classroom. A school where students help decide who gets hired. Classes grouped by ability instead of age.

These are real Virginia microschools, and each was founded by a former teacher who saw a better way to help children learn.

In Norfolk, Sarah Harrington's Solstice Hybrid Academy takes students on a field trip every day aboard a renovated bus, with stops ranging from college-level science labs to animal rescues.

In Leesburg, Andrea Cubelo-McKay runs the Embark Center for Self-Directed Education as a sociocracy, where students and staff share an equal voice in decisions large and small.

In Yorktown, Mercedes Grant Path of Life Learning Learning places students by ability in each subject so every child moves at their own pace, all within a Christian environment.

Three very different models share one conviction: education should bend to fit the student, not the other way around. That is permissionless education at work across the Commonwealth.

Virginia needs more schools like these, and we are here to help them grow!

Read their stories: (Article by James Eustis) https://virginiamicroschools.org/news/the-small-schools-bringing-innovation-to-education

09/30/2026

Join us for the 30 Day Challenge to win!!!! https://virginia.commandleaders.com/events/6a9ae70081095e80e2bd9470/rsvp

09/17/2026

Three words that changed the course of History: “We the People.” 🇺🇸
Today, we celebrate the Constitution, the principles it protects, and the enduring responsibility of citizens to preserve them.

Happy Constitution Day!

09/11/2026

07/04/2026

“Sweet Land of Liberty — of Thee we sing!” 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸🎶

05/19/2026

Peak Richmond logic. An 18-year-old can supervise a minor with a fi***rm he is too young to buy himself.

Virginia deserves better.

05/18/2026

When lawmakers pass laws they know are unconstitutional, who pays for the court fight?

Virginia taxpayers. Every time.

05/16/2026

$10 million later… the courts said what anyone being honest already knew.
https://virginiainstitute.org/blog/let-me-see-if-i-understand-this