In a Friday phone interview on the comments, Supervisor Chris Winslow said, “We have a duty to educate all of the children in Chesterfield. That includes our immigrant populations, as well as our non-immigrant populations.”

He said he didn’t have a problem with the school system directing funds to reduce class sizes for ESOL classes. But he said he thought the school system should specifically say that’s where the funds are going for transparency.

New Virginia Majority on Friday rebuked Jaeckle’s remarks. The advocacy group is geared toward organizing communities of color, women, working people, the LGBT community, youth and progressives.

“These comments rationalize an ‘us-versus-them’ mentality that discriminates against families and children who are immigrants or English-language learners,” Gustavo Angeles, an organizer with New Virginia Majority, wrote in an email. “Rather than scapegoating some, our public schools and elected officials must invest resources in — and do whatever is necessary for — all students to be prepared to succeed.”

Tom Shields, a University of Richmond associate professor who studies equity within the region’s schools, said Chesterfield’s ESOL population has different needs and praised Chesterfield’s school staff for recognizing that.