Virginia Walden Ford

Author, Miss Virginia and School Choice

Virginia Walden Ford is one of America’s leading advocates for parent empowerment. As a student, a mother, an advocate, and a grandmother, Virginia has spent her lifetime fighting to create new educational opportunities for children and families.

Virginia Walden Ford is best known for the feature film Miss Virginia, of which she is the subject. The starring role was played by Emmy-award winner Uzo Aduba, and other stars include Matthew Modine, Vanessa WIlliams and Amirah Vann.

While she was raising her three children in Washington, D.C., Virginia was shocked that so many children were forced to attend failing, crumbling schools simply because they lived in the “wrong” ZIP codes. In fact, she worried that her own son, William, was falling through the cracks of a system that wasn’t focused on the best interests of children.

In 1998, she took action, forming a grassroots organization, D.C. Parents for School Choice. In 2003, with the support of national education organizations and lawmakers, Virginia and her courageous group of parent advocates succeeded in enacting the nation’s first-ever Opportunity Scholarship Program for low-income children, a program that set into motion a complete overhaul of Washington, D.C.’s education system.

This program provides scholarships for low-income children to attend private schools. Thousands of students have received Opportunity Scholarships, and the program boasts a 91% high school graduation rate.

Virginia shared her advice and experiences in her book, Voices, Choices, and Second Chances. Her second book, School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, was published in 2019.