Education

Standards of Learning
I worked with former Governor Allen to establish “Standards of Learning” which are benchmarks for learning and academic achievement which are needed to function in a highly technological society.

School Choice
I also support “School Choice” which has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court to be constitutional and which surveys have shown returns more decision making power and responsibility to parents, where it belongs, and which also enhances academic excellence in the conventional public schools and other educational options chosen by parents due to healthy competition.

Where School Choice has been implemented and measures established, academic performance has improved in both the conventional public school setting and the alternative educational settings chosen by parents who may use vouchers for their child’s education.  By providing competition, school choice introduces efficiencies into education that benefit the children as well as the community.  And typical private elementary-secondary education is considerably less expensive per pupil than conventional public education, so school choice has the potential to save tax money.

School Nutrition
Several years ago I introduced a study dealing with the availability of healthy snacks in public school.  Although it did not pass, awareness of the importance of good nutrition has been heightened among my colleagues, and the public in general.  Good nutrition is necessary for good health, which enhances learning.

Bullying in Schools
As a result of an incident at Bull Run Middle School involving a student who brought a weapon to school, I introduced a measure directed at addressing the circumstance of bullying.  The measure, which became law, requires school authorities to report such bullying incidents of intimidation to parents of affected children.

Character Education
Timeless values are important to pass on to our children, and shape our citizenry. Accordingly, I voted for bills to provide for character education in our public schools.

No Steroids for Athletes
Because of my experience working with a world class sports physician in my twenties, I introduced and the Assembly passed, my law prohibiting high school athletes who used anabolic steroids from participating in interscholastic sports competitions.

Partial Listing of Marshall Sponsored Bills:

HB 8
January 10, 1996
Continued to next session

Protecting students by requiring public and private schools to insert the word “juvenile” before a student’s name in school administered email accounts and web pages.

HB 227
January 10, 1996
Passed by indefinitely

Ensuring a quality education for Virginia students by mandating school boards to only promote students who have met the academic requirements of the their current grade level, while requiring school boards to provide remedial courses for those who fail to satisfy the requirements.

HB 228
January 10, 1996
Passed by indefinitely

Creating more transparency for parents by requiring school boards to disclose to parents a wide-range of academic and non-academic tests which students may be required to participate in as well as allow parents to review the tests.

HB 1087
January 22, 1996
Passed by indefinitely

Promoting character development by requiring school boards to allot a 5-minute period at the start of each school day for students to read moral or ethical materials, such as social sciences and literary works, which have been published using public funds.

HJ 175
January 22, 1996
Passed

Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the social promotion of students within public schools in order to identify its cause, ascertain its prevalence, and recommend ways to ensure students are promoted based on merit instead of social reasons.

HB 1321
January 26, 1998
Passed by indefinitely

Promoting attendance by suspending any student’s driver’s license who has 15 or more unexcused absences and has not complied with school division efforts to ensure regular school attendance. Suspension is lifted once the student has achieved regular attendance.

HB 1326
January 26, 1998
Passed by indefinitely

Mandating schools, as a part of a character development program, to post statements concerning ethics and morals from recognized statesmen and community leaders who were born or resided in Virginia.

HB 1841
January 10, 2001
Tabled in Education

Requiring the establishment of a comprehensive program of instruction available to Virginia students in the standards of learning for english, history and social sciences, mathematics, and science.

HB 108
January 2, 2002
Approved

Requiring school boards to post the national motto “In God we Trust” in a conspicuous place, in each of their schools for students to read.

HB 1638
January 8, 2003
Tabled in Education

Promoting efficient learning by holding that school boards must allow students graduate from high school early who have completed the requirements for graduation before their senior year and have demonstrated exemplary performance on the Standards of Learning end-of-course tests.

HB 2042 (Virginia Educational Options Program)
January 8, 2003
Passed by indefinitely

Ensuring quality education by allowing parents of students enrolled in public schools which been issued a warning regarding their accreditation in any academic area or have had their accreditation denied for 2 consecutive years the option to transfer their child to an accredited public school in the school district (if no schools are accredited in the school district, providing parents a $2000 voucher to transfer their child to a school outside the school district).

HB 2043 (Virginia Scholarship and Tutorial Assistance Program)
January 8, 2003
Passed by indefinitely

Promoting quality education by providing scholarships to (i) pay the costs of tuition for a private school or accredited public school in an adjacent school district for parents of low-income students (K-8th grade), who reside in school districts with poor academic standards; (ii) or purchase tutorial assistance for such students who remain in their underachieving public schools.

HB 1816
January 12, 2005
Passed

Providing more transparency to college students and parents by requiring each public Virginia college and university to publish an annual report, available to the public, detailing its funding for student organizations, including the name and nature of each student organization which receives $100 or more.

HB 2879
January 21, 2005
Passed

Protecting students by mandating school boards to include instruction on the inappropriateness of bullying in their character education programs and to include provisions regarding bullying in their student conduct codes. In addition, requiring incidents of stalking to be reported to school officials and parents.

HB 51
January 11, 2006
Passed by indefinitely

Furthering the safety of students by requiring school buses purchased after July 1, 2006 to be equipped with safety belts as well as regulating that drivers and students wear the safety belts whenever a bus in motion.