EdNews Virginia | July 20, 2023
The Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) issued a joint statement from the Commonwealth’s two bishops today, lauding new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) model policies as “a considerable improvement and much needed remediation of the policies put in place by the prior Administration.”
We commend Governor Youngkin and his Administration for issuing these updated policies, which are a considerable improvement and much needed remediation of the policies put in place by the prior Administration. The new policies enhance transparency for parents and restore their primary role in the education, care and health of their children. They affirm and protect the dignity and safety of every student. They also respect the religious liberty and conscience rights of all members of Virginia’s public school community.
— Bishop Burbidge (Diocese of Arlington) and Bishop Knestout (Diocese of Richmond)
The VCC is a self-described “public policy agency representing Virginia’s Catholic bishops and their two dioceses.” Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge shepherds the Diocese of Arlington, which includes all of Northern Virginia. Bishop Barry Christopher Knestout leads the Diocese of Richmond, which covers the rest of Virginia.
“We urge parents whose children attend Virginia public schools to become familiar with the updated policies, to engage in discussion about them at the local level, and – most importantly – to embrace their critical role in the lives of their children at home and at school,” the bishops concluded in their joint statement.