HENRICO, V.A. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger will host a telephone town hall on Wednesday, April 15 with local superintendents, higher education administrators, and government officials to discuss the challenges facing Central Virginia students, families, and teachers as a result of COVID-19. They will also discuss what parents and students should expect in the coming weeks and months in response to the pandemic.

During Spanberger’s telephone town hall on Wednesday, Spanberger will deliver a brief update about ongoing efforts at the federal level to respond to education issues caused by the coronavirus crisis, and she will answer constituent questions about the effects of the pandemic on area students. Additionally, she will welcome updates from Holly Coy, Deputy Secretary of Education, Office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam; Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, Virginia Commonwealth University; Dr. Paula Pando, President, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College; Dr. Mervin Daugherty, Superintendent, Chesterfield County Public Schools; and Dr. Amy Cashwell, Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools.

“As a parent of three children, I understand the challenges Virginia families are facing as they deal with school closures, tremendous changes to their everyday routines, and the uncertainty of an abbreviated school year. I also know that many parents continue to have questions and concerns about free meal pick-ups, unreliable internet access, childcare, graduation implications, and any changes to their child’s financial aid and tuition costs,” said Spanberger. “This week’s telephone town hall will be an opportunity to hear from local K-12, college, and university officials about the steps they’re taking to deliver the best education possible to Central Virginia students amid this unprecedented disruption. I hope many of our neighbors will join us for this interactive conversation, and I look forward to providing this telephone town hall as a means of distributing additional, helpful information to the families and students who might need it during this difficult time.”

WHO:          

U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger

Holly Coy, Deputy Secretary of Education, Office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam

Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Paula Pando, President, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Dr. Mervin Daugherty, Superintendent, Chesterfield County Public Schools

Dr. Amy Cashwell, Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools

WHEN: 7:40pm-8:40pm ET, Wednesday, April 15, 2020

DETAILS: To join the interactive telephone town hall, constituents should dial-in to 855-920-0555. To listen live to the conversation, Central Virginians can go to /live during the event.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Spanberger has worked to bring immediate solutions to students, parents, and schools facing challenges caused by COVID-19—including for those struggling to access high-speed internet during this public health crisis. Last week, she led an effort calling for robust funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program in upcoming coronavirus emergency packages. With this investment, rural schools and libraries could extend high-speed internet access to students facing connectivity issues amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Wednesday’s telephone town hall will be Spanberger’s third free, public telephone town hall since the coronavirus pandemic began in the United States. Earlier this month, she hosted a telephone town hall with representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, and the Office of the Governor of Virginia. During the interactive forum, Spanberger and her guests answered questions directly from Central Virginians about the immediate economic impacts of COVID-19 on Central Virginia workers and small businesses, as well as the resources currently available to them. Click here to listen to a full audio recording of the event.

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