The Hanover County School Board has had to eliminate more than 88 full time jobs in Hanover County Schools because ongoing state cuts to education funding require localities to pick up more of the tab. Of those jobs lost, more than 52 were teaching positions, bringing the total educational jobs cut in Hanover to more than 330 positions over the past four years.

"When you've been cutting and cutting and cutting for three years … you can't cut without pain," School Board Chairman John F. Axselle III said in the Richmond Times Dispatch. "One of my fears is we've reached the point of the bone … and to us we're talking major effect on the performance of our children."

These deep cuts could have been avoided. Reforming costly tax loopholes that permit big, multi-state corporations to shift profits out of state to dodge taxes would have helped Virginia fund our public schools. But this year the General Assembly chose to preserve corporate accounting loopholes instead of teachers.   

"It breaks my heart to think that our elected leaders are choosing corporate loopholes over educating our children," said Kitty Boitnott, President of the Virginia Education Association. "How could they possibly think that's the right decision? We need to start making better choices."

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.