Column: Professional organizations serve the cause of education

August 22, 2026 - 22:13

A recent guest column by Virginia Beach School Board member Melinda Rogers makes a pointed argument: efforts to weaken professional education organizations are not just political squabbles. They are direct attacks on the very structure that supports public schooling.

Rogers frames these groups as more than just unions or lobbyists. She describes them as essential infrastructure. They provide ongoing training, set ethical standards, and give teachers a collective voice in shaping classroom policy. When someone tries to dismantle or defund these organizations, the damage does not stop at a budget line. It reaches into every school building, affecting how teachers are supported, how curricula are developed, and how problems are solved.

The column pushes back against the idea that these groups are obstacles to reform. Instead, Rogers argues, they are the ones who keep reform grounded in reality. They are the ones who know what works in a crowded classroom on a Tuesday morning. Without them, decisions get made by people far removed from the daily work of teaching.

For Rogers, the stakes are simple. If you want strong schools, you need strong professional networks for the people who work in them. Undermining those networks is not a victory for accountability. It is a step toward a weaker, less prepared education system. The column is a clear warning to those who see these organizations as targets: you are aiming at the wrong thing.