The following summary includes education-related proposals from the 2011 state of the state addresses. To assure that this information reaches you in a timely manner, minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) or format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the state.
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 | Virginia |
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| Governor Robert McDonnell's 2011 State of the Commonwealth Address
PROPOSALS
Postsecondary Access and Affordability, STEM, Economic Development
-- Implement major reforms and more accountability in higher education to make college more affordable and accessible for our students
-- Create a pathway towards the issuance of 100,000 more degrees in the Commonwealth over the next 15 years, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, math and healthcare, which lead to the good jobs of the future
-- Make college more affordable and accessible and create a better educated workforce and more jobs by making a $50 million investment in higher education, much less than needed to fund our base adequacy model, but a start in getting there ("Top Jobs for the 21st Century" Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act"). The new dollars will be targeted to undergraduate financial aid and funding incentives for efficiency and economic development, technology, increased four-year graduation rates, year round use of facilities and degree attainment.
State Retirement System
-- Begin to have all state employees begin paying for their share of their retirement plans. Currently Virginia is one of only four states in which the employer picks up the entire cost. The 5% retirement contribution that we will ask all employees to pay be offset by a 3% raise for our state employees, the first in years. Thus, with a net 2% contribution from Virginia employees, and an additional 2% from the state that I included in the amended budget, we will provide $311 million a year, or $4.2 billion over 10 years, in new funding for the system. (According to the recent JLARC report, the Virginia Retirement System currently faces an unfunded liability of $17.6 billion. The system is funded at only 75% of its future liabilities, and that is projected by VRS to decline to 61% by 2014, and only 57% for the teacher retirement system.)
Governance
-- Reform state government by prioritizing state spending, eliminating or consolidating targeted agencies, boards and commissions, and reforming our state pension system to ensure its long term viability for our employees and their families
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=555
ACCOMPLISHMENTS |  |
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