March 17, 2025 Newsletter
Dear friends,
This week’s newsletter highlights ongoing disruptions to public education at both the federal and state level; shares the recent work of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; reflects on select community engagements from this past week; and shares warm wishes for a Happy New Year to communities celebrating Nowruz. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and for staying informed.
The Disruptions to Education
As the Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, I am watching very closely how the firing of over 1300 US Department of Education (DOE) employees – nearly half of the entire agency’s workforce – will disrupt public and higher education all throughout the country and here in Virginia.
The closure of the DOE will cause significant disruptions because the agency plays such a crucial role in shaping education policy, administering funding, and ensuring compliance with federal standards.
The DOE distributes billions of dollars in federal funding to states, school districts, and educational programs. The closure of the DOE will lead to budget shortfalls at the local and state levels. Without federal support, many schools, especially those in rural and underresourced areas, will face severe shortages.
Additionally, the DOE establishes guidelines for standardized testing (e.g., SAT, ACT, state assessments). Without the DOE and without a centralized system, we will see a patchwork of testing requirements across states that will undermine efforts to ensure full and proper assessments of student learning.
Significantly for families of special needs students, the DOE ensures that schools comply with federal laws regarding special education services, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Enforcement of these protections will be weakened without DOE protections and will leave students with disabilities vulnerable to reduced services, accommodations, or even possible exclusion from educational opportunities.
Critical civil rights protections are intertwined with protections for children with special needs. The DOE is responsible for enforcing the civil rights laws that protect students from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, and other factors. Of all the divisions of the DOE that have been hit the hardest by the first round of firing, the Office of Civil Rights has lost a significant majority of its employees.
Other massive and potential impacts loom ahead including loss of teacher training and development, and increased disparities of education opportunities among wealthy and less wealthy states.
In higher education, the impacts will also be felt as the DOE oversees programs such as federal student loans and Pell Grants. DOE closures will likely eliminate these programs making access to higher education out of reach of millions of students. The loss of federal funding will also dramatically impact institutions of higher learning, most especially our community colleges, which provide access and opportunity to jobs and essential workforce development.
It is not yet clear the directions we will see the Trump administration move over the next several weeks, but these trends are clearly concerning, to say the least. In Virginia news, our own Virginia Department of Education is facing a significant degree of uncertainty itself in the waning days of the Youngkin administration. On Friday, the Superintendent of Education, Dr. Lisa Coons, announced her resignation. My hope is that we have solid and effective leadership at the VDOE over the next few months as the federal division moves into this period of potential chaos and massive disruption.
Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority
As Vice Chair of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA), I joined the Chair, Delegate Rodney Willett, and other members of the Authority last week for the group’s first meeting of 2025. We received updates about federal funding, potential impacts to the Virginia Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), and continued discussions about the creation of a Nursing Workforce Center in the Commonwealth. Although HB1903, the legislation that would have codified the Center, did not pass this Session, opportunities for the VHWDA to move forward with some action items remain open. Proposed action items include hiring a director for the Nursing Workforce Center and creating an informal Nursing Workforce Advisory Group.
Select Community Engagements
On Tuesday, over eighty community members joined our General Assembly Chesterfield Delegation Town Hall to hear the legislative and budgetary outcomes of the 2025 session. I shared the legislative accomplishments and the over $343.6 million my office secured to support public education, affordable child care, health care, resources for domestic violence survivors, home down payment assistance, and much more. Community members remain concerned over the federal government funding uncertainties for critical programs such as Medicaid, Social Security, public education, and more. In these uncertain times, communication and listening to constituents’ concerns remains critically important.
On Wednesday evening, I joined the Fredericksburg Democratic Committee to share my legislative successes and my candidacy for the office of Lieutenant Governor. The gathering provided a great opportunity to hear from local community members about the impacts that the federal chaos is having on Virginians.
On Thursday evening, I was delighted to attend Virginia Union University's 10th Annual Legacy Award Gala to celebrate community leaders who are impacting business, culture, historical preservation, and engaged in an array of community giving.
On Friday evening, I was delighted to enjoy dinner at Mama J’s as part of the 9th Annual Richmond City Black Restaurant Experience (RBRE) highlighting the array and diversity of culinary experiences provided by locally Black-owned businesses. I was able to meet Mama J herself that evening.
Photo credit: Scott Elmquist for Style Weekly
On Saturday, I joined a large gathering of community members to celebrate the Rev. Dr. Robert A. Winfree's Street Designation in honor of his tireless community service as Pastor and Founder of New Life Deliverance Tabernacle.
Later that evening, I joined the growing Sudanese American Community of Richmond members for an amazing community Iftar – the breaking of the fast – during this month of Ramadan. This community has established a welcome presence in the Richmond area, contributing to the growth of small businesses, economic opportunities for many, and expanding the cultural and culinary landscape of Central Virginia.
On Sunday, I joined over 100 supporters and community members for a Richmond meet and greet to share my priorities as Virginia's next Lieutenant Governor. This wide-ranging group brought together a variety of individuals from Richmond’s thriving artistic communities, educators, and passionate advocates.
I ended the busy weekend by joining Congressman Gerry Connolly’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Fête in Annandale. The hundreds who gathered there last night demonstrated a full commitment to the upcoming work ahead for Virginia’s critical 2025 elections.
Nowruz
On Thursday, communities across the Commonwealth will be celebrating Nowruz. We wish all who are celebrating a happy, prosperous New Year.
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: SenatorHashmi@senate.virginia.gov
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here.
— Ghazala
