Pete Snyder Leads the Way on Reopening Schools in Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Reagan McCarthy | February 26, 2021 11:15 AM

Virginia’s gubernatorial Republican primary is underway, and one contender is leading the charge to liberate schools from COVID closures and allow children back to go back to crucial, in-person learning. A “conservative outsider” in the GOP primary, Virginia businessman Pete Snyder has designated advocating for reopening schools a center-stage issue in his campaign.

Snyder launched an “Open Our Schools” tour, during which he meets with Virginians affected by the state’s en-masse closure of schools. In addition, Snyder and others advocating for reopening schools have committed 6 figures of funding to support the movement to open schools in Fairfax County, as the local board of education continues to prioritize teachers’ unions over school children.

Snyder noted that Virginia is home to “one of the best public school systems,” during an interview with Townhall, noting that Virginians pay a “pretty penny” to utilize the system. Consistent with science and data from experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Snyder believes that schools should be open five days a week.

The Biden administration’s own officials confirmed that this is indeed possible with safety protocols in place. Still, Democrats have catered to the teachers’ unions, whose membership hopes to keep learning virtual. The groups argue that all educators should be vaccinated before returning to in-person learning, but the CDC’s data refutes that. Snyder attributed this to Democrats’ goal of appeasing “union bosses” who bankroll Democratic campaigns. He noted that “the contrast is clear” between Republicans and Democrats with regard to which party is prioritizing the needs of kids over politics, especially when the science supports bringing schools back to in-person learning.