Federal education cuts could worsen Virginia’s teacher shortage—locals are fighting back

Heather Sipe, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, talks about ways community members can get involved in the ongoing fight against public education cuts. 

Like so many in her state, Heather Sipe is worried about how President Donald Trump’s storm of federal education cuts will affect school districts across Virginia, especially in the state’s teacher shortage. 

“You’re talking about class sizes doubling, you’re talking the elimination of programs that provide extra opportunities for students,” said Sipe, who taught German in over a dozen middle and high schools across Virginia Beach for 23 years before becoming president of the Virginia Beach Education Association in 2024.

Related: Possible closure of US Department of Education ‘devastating’ for VA

Sipe said that her colleagues in other parts of the state are worried that additional cuts to the Department of Education could impact nearly 9,000 teaching jobs in Virginia, potentially wiping out whole school districts. 

“There’s so much uncertainty as to whether or not we’re even gonna have schools anymore—that is a true fear that is arising,” said Sipe.

The elimination of federal funding would leave Virginia schools with a collective $2.4 billion funding gap, forcing local districts and the state to cover costs for instructors in high-poverty schools, hitting students with disabilities and students living in rural areas the hardest. 

Related: Virginia educators, Democrats raise alarm over Trump’s effort to abolish Education Department

“It’s going to come down to the state and the localities to make up the difference in that funding, and that comes down onto the backs of taxpayers,” said Sipe. 

Sipe predicts that as federal funding dries up and local tax dollars may be used for education, all eyes will be on local school boards as they work to disperse funding throughout the state.

“Our school board sets the policies that run the school division that affects every minute of every day of our staff and students,” she said, adding that the Virginia Beach School Board, for example, livestreams their meetings and publishes them online.

“I think we’ve got to dive deeper and talk about quality and how, if you want a great product, that comes with investing in people,” said Matt Cummings, a member of the Virginia Beach School Board and father of two children who attend school in the district.

“The people serving our schools, regardless of where they are, deserve a living wage.”

But the fight for public education doesn’t end when the school board meeting gets out—both Cummings and Sipe said that one of the most important things that Virginians can do is become active in contacting their legislators, whether that’s by calling them, sending an email, or showing up in person.

“It’s really important for those who truly support public education and our educators to be more vocal, to not just sit back and listen to all the ones who are talking against it,” said Sipe. 

“Show up, make your voice heard, and do it frequently.”