The Virginia Beach School Board has had to propose a series of cuts in a desperate attempt to close a nearly $40 million shortfall as a result of cuts to education funding,. These cuts target middle school and junior varsity sports, 400 teachers and other employees, field trip programs, summer school, athletics, and student transportation.

Virginia Beach is just one example of a school system struggling to find ways to make ends meet as another year of education cuts flow from Richmond.

These cuts could have been partially or even completely avoided. This year alone the General Assembly has chosen to protect tax credits for the coal industry that the state's own auditing department found to be ineffective and inefficient. Those credits alone could have almost completely solved the funding problems in Virginia Beach.

"I am just baffled as to why our legislators would choose a giveaway to the coal companies – one they KNOW doesn't work to create jobs – over our children and our future prosperity," said Rob Jones, Director of Government Relations for the Virginia Education Association. 

Virginia Organizing is part of Better Choices for Virginia, a broad alliance of business leaders, community organizations, retirees, parents, educators, health care providers, people of faith, and nonprofit organizations who want to make sure our state is a great place to live, raise a family, and run a business. We've come together for the common good. We want to make sure Virginia invests what it takes to create jobs and preserve a prosperous future: schools, health care, public safety and other building blocks of a strong economy.

"10 Ways in 10 Days" is an educational campaign to highlight the impact of the budget choices we've made in Virginia, and how we can better address the current challenges we face to ensure future prosperity.