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Winsome Earle-Sears Champions School Choice at CPAC, Framing Education Freedom as the Heart of Virginia’s Future


Top Points

  • School Choice Empowers Parents: Winsome Earle-Sears said parents, not bureaucrats or unions, should have control over their children’s education. She called school choice a matter of freedom and opportunity for all families.

  • Reform Is Central to Her Campaign: Sears tied school choice directly to her 2025 governor’s campaign, promising to ensure education funding follows students and that parents have access to public, private, charter, or homeschool options.

  • Education Freedom Builds Virginia’s Future: She urged Virginians to unite around education reform, saying that expanding school choice will strengthen families, improve schools, and secure the state’s long-term success.


Full Report:

On a recent appearance at CPAC, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears delivered an impassioned message about the importance of school choice for parents, tying her remarks directly to the upcoming Virginia governor’s race. Speaking to an energized crowd of conservatives, parents, and education advocates, Sears said that empowering families to choose the right schools for their children is not just an education issue but a matter of freedom, fairness, and opportunity.


Empowering Parents Through School Choice

Sears opened her speech by reaffirming her belief that parents, not bureaucrats or union leaders, should have the final say in their children’s education. She said that for too long, Virginia families have been trapped in a system that limits their options and places power in the hands of state officials instead of families.


She explained that school choice gives parents control over their child’s learning environment, allowing them to find schools that meet their values, priorities, and individual student needs. Sears highlighted that many families, especially those in lower-income and minority communities, feel locked out of high-quality education options simply because of their ZIP code.


She said that expanding charter schools, education savings accounts, and homeschooling support would create pathways for every child to succeed. School choice, she noted, is not a partisan issue but a human one, centered on the right of parents to decide what is best for their children.


Breaking the Monopoly of a Failing System

Throughout her remarks, Sears criticized the entrenched education establishment that, in her view, protects systems over students. She argued that powerful teachers unions and education bureaucracies have resisted change and innovation for decades, leaving students behind.


She said that Virginia cannot compete nationally if it continues to protect failing models. By embracing school choice, the state can foster competition, innovation, and excellence. Sears emphasized that when parents have options, schools are motivated to improve, teachers are rewarded for performance, and students benefit most.


She also spoke directly to parents who have become frustrated since the pandemic with school closures, declining test scores, and political agendas in the classroom. She said that school choice is the answer to restoring trust, accountability, and excellence in Virginia education.


Connecting School Choice to the 2025 Governor’s Race

Sears tied her advocacy for school choice directly to her campaign for governor, calling it the cornerstone of her education platform. She told CPAC attendees that the upcoming election is not just about who occupies the governor’s mansion but about who will stand up for parents’ rights and students’ futures.


She said that under her leadership, funding would follow the student, not the system. She pledged to champion policies that give every Virginia family the ability to choose the education path that fits their needs, whether public, private, charter, or homeschool.


Her campaign has made education freedom one of its defining issues. With slogans like Parents Know Best and Freedom to Learn, Sears has positioned herself as the candidate who will restore trust between families and schools. She said that the governor’s office must be a platform for parents’ voices, not political elites.


A Vision for Education Freedom

Sears concluded her CPAC address with a call for unity around a vision of freedom, opportunity, and excellence in education. She invited parents, teachers, and community leaders to join her campaign to build a system where every child in Virginia can thrive.


She said that school choice is about giving families hope, giving students a chance, and giving Virginia a brighter future. She called it the most important civil rights issue of this generation, the right of every parent to guide their child’s education without government interference.


Conclusion

In her remarks at CPAC, Winsome Earle-Sears placed school choice at the center of her campaign for governor, portraying it as the key to unlocking opportunity and restoring fairness in Virginia’s education system. She positioned herself as a fearless advocate for parents, a reformer willing to challenge unions and bureaucracy, and a leader committed to ensuring that every student in Virginia has the freedom to learn.


For Sears, school choice is not just a policy; it is a promise. As the 2025 election approaches, her message is clear: Virginia’s future begins with freedom in education and with the families who dare to demand it.


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