Report: Virginia schools fourth in nation

AFP

The nation’s leading education journal today ranked Virginia as fourth in the nation in overall educational quality and performance. Education Week’s Quality Counts 2013 report awarded the Commonwealth a letter grade of B; only Maryland — with a B+ — earned a higher overall letter grade, although Massachusetts and New York also received B’s. Virginia also earned a B and was ranked fourth in the 2012 Quality Counts report.

McDonnell: Eliminate gas tax, increase sales tax

Chris Graham

With legislators and transportation leaders by his side, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Tuesday a plan that would provide more than $3.1 billion in transportation funding for the Commonwealth over the next five years, tying transportation funding to economic growth and replacing the state’s outdated gas tax revenue model with a 0.8 percent increase in the state’s sales tax dedicated to transportation.