Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, was less optimistic. He said it seems likely teachers in Virginia will see some sort of significant pay increase in the next few years because the state’s budget is flush with record amounts of cash right now. He noted that Virginia has historically struggled to stay competitive when it comes to teacher salaries, making it difficult for districts to attract and retain quality teachers, especially in the expensive Northern Virginia suburbs.

Northam vows to raise teacher pay 10 percent. Will it happen? (Washington Post)

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University of Mary Washington Center for Leadership and Media Studies, said the public hearings are important, as anyone looking at the state as a whole would not be knowledgeable of a specific neighborhood’s dynamics. That information, he said, could be useful during the process. “The broad outline of these plans is likely to remain in place,” Farnsworth said. 

Draft maps redraw, renumber House, Senate maps in Fredericksburg region (The Free Lance-Star)

But Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said any changes may not go over well in reliably blue Fairfax County — where 65 percent of voters chose Terry McAuliffe (D) over Youngkin this fall. “No matter what he does with TJ, he will make enemies,” Farnsworth said. “Fairfax County voters in particular are going to have very little patience for a Republican governor’s dictates.”

What could Glenn Youngkin as governor actually do to alter admissions at TJ? (Washington Post)

The 2021 election results made clear that “the tide goes in and the tide goes out” in Virginia, observed Prof. Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington. “You’re looking at an environment where this was a purple state that didn’t like Trump, so it looked kind of blue for a while. That tide made us think perhaps … that Virginia had changed in a fundamental way. This election was much more of a return to the norm.”

2021 Political Roundtable: Surfing Va.’s red wave (Virginia Business)