VB School Board member removed from state working group after comments on ESL students

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A local school board member has been removed from a governor’s education working group after controversial comments about students learning English as a second language.

A comment made by Virginia Beach School Board member Victoria Manning came under scrutiny last week after she said “continuing to educate South Americans is not sustainable.”

Manning posted a four-sentence statement on her personal Facebook page referring to an increasing number of students — and funding needed from the budget — in the division’s English as a second language (ESL) program.

On Monday, Virginia officials released a statement saying Manning had been removed from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s working group on innovative education and lab schools.

“We wholly condemn Mrs. Manning’s comments. They are completely unacceptable and are in absolute opposition to the Youngkin administration’s commitment to educate and prepare every child in the Commonwealth for success in life. Victoria Manning will no longer participate in our working group,” Virginia’s Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said in a statement released by the governor’s office.

10 On Your Side on Monday reached out directly to Manning, who directed reporters to a statement on her website.

Manning has not said what she meant by the post, however Manning’s statement on her website addressed ESL instruction in schools.

Manning said that with the shortage in teachers and funding, as well as increasing needs within the ESL program, meeting the upcoming need is unsustainable.

Click here to read Manning’s full statement.

Her social media post last week came after a briefing on the district’s ESL program during a board meeting.

“This year, VBCPS has been unable to fill over 100 teaching positions. The problem was highlighted when administration recommended that teachers be required to teach an additional class. Teachers are already overburdened in their workload and are being required to continue to shoulder more and more work and that is unsustainable,” Manning wrote.

The number of students in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools ESL program is up from 1,768 in 2020-21 to 2,084 in the present school year.

The superintendent is asking for more than $800,000 for eight additional full-time positions for the 2022-23 school year and for the revision of current contracts to 10 months.

Dr. Antipas Harris, president and founder of the Urban Renewal Center, told 10 On Your Side he’s concerned after reading Manning’s statement.

“We have a responsibility to educate children and I think the school board member should at least acknowledge that, that’s a clumsy statement no matter how we put it. I think an important part for leaders is that we listen. We don’t always have the right answers, we don’t always say the right thing but instead of trying to double down on what we intended to mean, sometimes its just better to listen and apologize,” Harris said.

Manning also claimed her initial post on social media was twisted to benefit her political opponents.

“I love all people, no matter where they are from. I come from a family of immigrants who came to this great country fleeing religious persecution, even having to become indentured servants, and my grandmother was Native American. The media and leftist narrative and cancel culture that paints everyone with whom they disagree as racist needs to end,” Manning wrote.

“This is a country of immigrants. That’s not a point to make. Bigotry comes from immigrants. To rehash that doesn’t really solve a problem. It adds to it because it seems to suggest that one who comes from a family of immigrants would then boast their own sense of belonging in a place where they’re suggesting others don’t belong. If you’re an immigrant, let’s be sensitive to immigrants,” Harris said.

On Tuesday, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Coastal Virginia released a statement defending the importance of ESL programs.

The statement read: “English as a Second Language is a vital offering by Virginia public schools to promote learning, dialogue, cultural understanding and knowledge and skill development. Many Latinos whose children speak Spanish at home are eager and keen to learn English to promote understanding, harmony and economic discourse, just as public schools support many diverse initiatives to ensure an equitable, effective learning environment in preparation for higher education, vocational training and entry into the work force.”