Governor Bob McDonnell, who briefly referenced his Irish ancestry on St. Patrick’s Day, also wore a green tie for two events at the University of Virginia yesterday: a bill signing and a visit to Larry Sabato’s class.
First, at the Curry School of Education, McDonnell signed a bill (Senate Bill 736/ House Bill 1389) into law that establishes college partnership laboratory schools in Virginia, the first initiative from his “Opportunity to Learn” education agenda.
Laboratory schools are created by contracts between particular institutions and the Board of Education, and they are geared toward giving students of all grades the tools for a better learning experience.
"What this bill gives us is a tool, like charter schools, for greater flexibility, greater innovation, more entrepreneurship with less administration and less bureaucracy and outside assets in order to make these schools even better," said McDonnell in front of a crowd in the third floor library of the Curry School.
"Being able to marshal the resources of our higher public education system together with our K-12 system to use all of the resources in a collaborative fashion to generate a laboratory school to me is a terrific idea."
Senator Steve Newman of Lynchburg, a chief patron of the bill, said that under this law every child is more likely to succeed. McDonnell agreed.
"A young person’s ability to learn should be based solely on their intellect, their attitude, and their drive and their dreams, and not based on their zip code," said McDonnell.
More about McDonnell’s appearance in Larry Sabato’s class after the photo.
The signing of the bill: Governor Bob McDonnell and local representatives, including Delegates David Toscano and Rob Bell.
After a short walk through campus, McDonnell made an appearance in Larry Sabato’s class, "Introduction to Politics," in Wilson Hall to discuss his journey to the Governor’s mansion. After a lively introduction by Sabato, McDonnell let his guard down and talked to students about the difficulties and victories during the first few months of his term.
To an overflowing crowd in the Wilson Hall auditorium, McDonnell showed off his optimism and urged students to walk away from UVA with a sense of accomplishment and a profound love for the Commonwealth—and encouraged them to head to the polls with more frequency.
"You have the privilege of living in what I think is the greatest state, in the greatest country the world has ever known—Virginia," he said.
Although McDonnell was faced with $4 billion in revenue shortfall at the beginning of this term, and went on to cut close to $900 million dollars from education and health care, he hinted at his educational reform platform, job creation strategies and reforms to improve the state government.
Governor Bob McDonnell speaks to UVA Professor Larry Sabato’s class.
Sabato’s students came in with ammunition. Some questions centered on McDonnell’s support for offshore drilling and exploration, others on his criticism of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package.
One student, near the end of the class, raised a question that was probably on a few minds. "Do you or do you not believe that sexual orientation is a legally protected category under law?" she asked, referring to McDonnell’s first executive order, which did not include "sexual orientation" among categories to receive protection against discrimination, and his response to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s recent letter to state universities about their non-discrimination policies.
"I did not include sexual orientation in my executive order because I thought it was illegal for me to do so," he answered. “The General Assembly has been really clear that only they are the ones that have the ability to amend the Human Rights Act’s statewide non-discrimination policy.”
Ultimately, McDonnell said that there will be no discrimination in the hiring, firing, and handling of state employees.
