Virginia Daily Education News

The VSBA Insurance Services Programs offer loss control and behavioral based safety programs that are unlike any other.  In fact, VSBA is one of only two programs in the country that offer this type of safety training.  We provide our Members with simple, yet effective, common sense awareness and skills to observe and manage the kinds of attitudes and behaviors that can cause injury to any employee or loss of property.

Contact us at Toll Free: 800-446-8722Local: 434-295-8722 or Fax: 434-295-878

VSBA's governmental relations program ensures that the interest of school divisions is represented in formulating state and federal education policy. Educational funding and governance issues are at the top of the VSBA legislative agenda.

Through the work of the VSBA board members and staff, local school officials become directly aware of and involved with federal and state activities affecting education. The Association represents the concerns of school divisions during the General Assembly, at meetings of the State Board of Education, and before other state agencies. Concerns on the national level are monitored by the VSBA staff and members of the NSBA Federal Relations Network, which consists of local school board members from each Congressional District of the state and nation.

The "guiding light" of any school division is its policy manual. The VSBA Comprehensive Policy Services provide subscribers with policies that are based on state and federal laws and regulations, case law, State Board of Education policies, and Department of Education regulations and procedures. Services are available at a reasonable cost to member divisions and include periodic policy amendments necessitated by law. A periodic publication for policy services subscribers, The Policy Page, features topics affecting district policies.

If you are a board member seeking information on VSBA Policy Services, e-mail: Ewing@vsba.org

VSBA employs a full-time attorney for regular consultation and legal research. The staff attorney is available to school board members for limited consultation. The VSBA Council of School Attorneys provides a network for school attorneys as well as special publications and seminars concerning educational law. This organization is affiliated with the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys.

The VSBA Legal Assistance Fund offers assistance in legal cases that have a statewide impact on school board authority. Participating members are eligible to receive financial aid, amicus cuirae (friend of the court) briefs prepared by the VSBA Special Legal Counsel, or a combination of these services.

The VSBA Research and Information Service conducts research, surveys and provides information about particular issues/topics upon request by a Virginia school board member or superintendent.

VSBA also maintains a Lending Library of books, articles, and publications that can be borrowed by school board members and superintendents. The VSBA does not necessarily support or promote any opinions, beliefs, or ideas expressed in articles found in the Library

The VSBA Center for School Board Development offers individualized team-building development activities designed for school boards in a professional environment. The VSBA Center for School Board Development benefits participating members by:

Providing opportunities for school board members to distance themselves from everyday concerns in order to concentrate on the content of the Center program; 1. Emphasizing the importance of team-and trust-building; 2. Defining the appropriate roles and responsibilities of school board members, superintendents, and administrative staffs; and 3. Offering opportunities for strategic planning, goal setting, evaluation of the superintendent, and self-evaluation of the school board.

Participants in the VSBA Center for School Board Development receive VSBA Academy credit.

Among the most important decisions that a school board makes is the selection of the superintendent. The VSBA Superintendent Search Assistance provides thorough and professional services throughout the search process, all at a cost that is considerably less than that of private consultants. The goal is to promote a match that makes for an effective policy-making team. From advertising to screening to consultation, the VSBA helps to ensure that this vitally important decision is a sound one. For more information click here.

BoardDocs has been developed for school boards, local governments, private and public boards to help alleviate the enormous task of assembling, printing, distributing and revising agenda items and policies.

With BoardDocs you not only have the ability to process agenda items, supporting documents, policies and procedures, but you also determine who has access to each document - such as board members and staff, or the general public. Plus, you can make last minute revisions, and redistribute your materials – in mere minutes.

Click Here for more information about BoardDocs.