Virginia moms sound off on education, inflation: 'I became an accidental activist' after school closures

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Virginia voters head to the polls for primary voting

Virginia mothers Cheryl Onderchain, Amie Bowman, and Briana Howard joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss key issues ahead of the state's primary election.

Virginia voters are heading to the polls Tuesday for the state's primary elections, with education and inflation as two of the top issues.

Virginia mothers Cheryl Onderchain, Amie Bowman, and Briana Howard joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss these key issues and how they have impacted their families ahead of the midterm elections. 

"I think we're going to see a huge red wave, not just in Virginia in November, but across the country," Onderchain, a single mother of three, told co-host Carley Shimkus. "Education has been a huge one for me for… over two years now, ever since they closed schools and I became an accidental activist and part of the parents' movement here."

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Dr. Amie Bowman, also a mother of three, said education, inflation, and "social instability" are the issues at top of mind as she heads to the polls. 

"This year, as parents, we found out that more than 60% of the kids in Virginia at the third and the eighth-grade level aren't proficient in reading or in math, and yet the schools seem more concerned about what pronouns the students are using and whether they can… understand the language of oppressed versus oppressor," Bowman said. "Well, where does reading and math come in? That was their job."

Residents of Loudoun County, Virginia, have helped make critical race theory a national conversation in 2021.  (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Americans nationwide have been grappling with sky-high inflation in recent months. As prices continue to rise at the grocery store and gas pump, voters are looking to cast their ballot for candidates ready to tackle those issues. 

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Howard stressed the importance of politicians being a part of the solution as families continue to suffer. 

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"It's just a nightmare any time you go to the grocery store, even food shortages," Howard said. "I went to go get eggs yesterday and I had to go to two different grocery stores to get eggs for my family."

"I think politicians need to recognize the struggles and the trauma that many families have faced over the course of the last two years and really create solutions," she continued. "I think many people are feeling what can go wrong next, and we need hope. We need solutions for many of the problems that are in our communities."