By Winsome Earle-Sears, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and Republican candidate for governor
Virginia’s students deserve the truth. For too long, the Honesty Gap, a troubling disparity between the state’s reported student proficiency rates and the actual performance measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), has misled parents, educators, and policymakers. This issue is not just about numbers; it is about trust, accountability, and ensuring that every child in the Commonwealth receives a quality education.
Recent findings have exposed the stark reality: Virginia has been labeled as “Honesty Challenged” due to reporting fourth-grade reading proficiency rates that exceed NAEP benchmarks by a staggering 34 percentage points. This means that while parents may believe their children are excelling, many are actually struggling. The consequences of this deception are severe. When families and educators operate under false assumptions, they cannot take the necessary steps to address gaps in learning, implement effective strategies, or demand the resources students need to succeed.
The Honesty Gap is more than an educational issue, it is a breach of public trust. Without accurate data, policymakers cannot make informed decisions, teachers cannot tailor instruction to real student needs, and families cannot advocate for their children’s future. As the Fordham Institute aptly put it, “If superintendents, school boards, and policymakers won’t tell the truth, who will?” We must demand better.
Virginia’s path forward requires bold leadership and decisive action. First, we must align state standards with national benchmarks to ensure our proficiency rates truly reflect student performance. If our students are struggling, we must acknowledge it—because only then can we implement real solutions. Next, we must increase transparency by making assessment results accessible and understandable for parents. Families should never have to dig through bureaucratic jargon to understand their child’s academic standing.
Investing in teachers is another critical step. If we are going to raise expectations for students, we must equip educators with the training, support, and resources to help them meet these higher standards. At the same time, we must embrace educational innovation. Expanding school choice, whether through charter schools, lab schools, or other proven models, ensures that every child has access to an environment where they can thrive.
I have dedicated my career to advocating for these reforms. As a former Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education, I have seen firsthand the difference that high standards and accountability can make in a child’s academic journey. As Lieutenant Governor, I have fought to ensure that parents have a seat at the table, because they know better than bureaucrats what their children need. That is why I have championed policies like the “Education Excellence for All” initiative, which seeks to provide disadvantaged students with access to the best educational opportunities available.
Some will argue that exposing the Honesty Gap is unnecessary or politically inconvenient. I reject that premise. A child’s future is not a partisan issue. Every Virginia student deserves an education that prepares them for the real world, not one that artificially inflates success while failing to teach the fundamentals. That is why I am committed to leading the charge for change.
Virginia has a choice: we can continue down the path of complacency, or we can acknowledge the problem, embrace transparency, and implement the reforms needed to ensure every student reaches their full potential. The future of our Commonwealth depends on it. I am ready to fight for our children, our families, and our future, because the stakes are simply too high to accept anything less than the truth.