Sears Faces Local Backlash in Charlottesville for Her Plans to Gut Public Schools
April 23, 2025
VIRGINIA – On April 22nd, ahead of Winsome Earle-Sears’ stop in Charlottesville, local elected officials and the Virginia Education Association president called out Sears for her harmful agenda that would gut funding for public education and her refusal to stand up to the chaos from D.C. that will hurt Virginia's students.
Winsome Earle-Sears supports an extreme agenda that would strip funding from Virginia public schools and create chaos and uncertainty for Virginia students and their families. Sears has repeatedly tried to defund public education and supports using taxpayer dollars for private schools.
What Virginians are watching:
NBC 29: Charlottesville Democrats call on Sears to support public education ahead of UVA visit
- Reporter: “Before Winsome Earle-Sears arrives in Charlottesville, Democrats gathered outside of City Hall to call her out for supporting policies that they say would take money from the public school system.”
- Reporter: “[...] As the Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears already has a political track record. Democrats say that record and her support of Governor Youngkin and President Trump makes Sears too extreme for Virginians.”
- Mayor Juandiego Wade: “Right now, more than ever, we need fighters for public education, we need fighters for stability.”
- Reporter: “Mayor Juandiego Wade was one of a handful who took to city hall with one message: the Republican nominee for governor Winsome Earle-Sears would be bad for public education.”
- Wade: “For me, it’s what she hasn’t done. She hasn’t spoken up for public education.”
- Reporter: “Katrina Callsen, the Democratic Delegate for Virginia’s 54th Delegate, points to Sears’ support of the White House.”
- Delegate Katrina Callsen: “She basically says she’s going to follow the footsteps of Trump, and I know what that looks like is really chaos and instability for our students.”
- Reporter: “Carol Bauer is the President of the Virginia Education Association.”
- VEA President Carol Bauer: “Public education is a common denominator that helps students all across the state, so I’m here to make sure that those without a voice have someone advocating for them.”
CBS 19: “I've seen her talk about cutting funding to our schools when we know that they're already underfunded.”
- Reporter: “Earlier today, ahead of Earle-Sears’ visit, Democratic leaders, including Creigh Deeds and Delegate Katrina Callsen, held a press conference.”
- Reporter: “They called on the Lieutenant Governor to support public education in Virginia, accusing her of backing what they call an extreme agenda that could strip funding from public schools and cause chaos across the state.”
- Delegate Katrina Callsen: “I have seen a lot of showmanship, a lot of pandering, and what I've not seen is really robust policies that are going to help Virginians, especially when it comes to public education. I've seen her talk about cutting funding to our schools when we know that they're already underfunded.”
- Reporter: “Senator Deeds emphasized federal aid is crucial for rural school divisions across Virginia.”
