September 23, 2021 VSBA Legislative Advocacy Conference, Registration Open for In-Person Event
In 2021, Virginians will decide who will lead the Commonwealth by electing the next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, as well as deciding control of the Virginia House of Delegates. Being informed on the issues shaping Virginia and learning how to advocate on…
Winchester School Board to vote on policies regarding transgender student rights
The Winchester School Board plans to vote Aug. 23 on a set of policy changes that will collectively transform the way transgender students are treated in Winchester Public Schools. The proposed changes are in response to a state law, 22.1-23.3, passed in 2020 requiring…
Teachers driving education directly to students around Lynchburg, neighboring counties with new mobile classrooms
This year, mobile classrooms will be available for the first time in Lynchburg, as well as Bedford and Campbell counties. t’s a part of the Lynchburg Community Action Group (Lyn-CAG) Children and Family Services Head Start program. The bus will bring the classroom directly to…
Eight cases of COVID-19 surface at Danville Public Schools in first week of classes
In the first week of classes, at least eight students in Danville Public Schools became infected with COVID-19. The illnesses are spread across six facilities, according to an online dashboard maintained by the school system. George Washington and Galileo Magnet high schools both…
Hampton high school’s Junior ROTC participates in tree-planting for 9/11 memorial
The Junior ROTC students from each of Hampton’s four high schools took part in a tree-planting Saturday. The tree planting was part of the preparation for the city’s 20th observation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The trees were planted in the “soils of justice,” which came from each of the…
Virginia teachers’ union backs vaccine or testing requirement; New law changes process for student mandate
A push to mandate coronavirus vaccines or require regular testing for Virginia’s educators gained momentum this week as the state’s largest teachers’ union backed the policy for the first time. A possible vaccine mandate for students is likely to take much longer. A new decision…
Brunswick public schools report positive COVID-19 cases
Brunswick County Public Schools reported positive COVID-19 cases via health alert on Friday. The district did not specify how many students or staff tested positive, but exposure was possible. School officials are now conducting contact tracing and alerting those who may have
Chesterfield Schools asks for parents to help drive kids to school | Other school divisions also in need of bus drivers
Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) is calling on parents to help drive their children to school as the school system deals with a shortage of bus drivers. In a video posted on the school system’s Facebook page Sunday, CCPS is about 100 drivers short of its goal, which…
This elementary class is getting dozens of new books, thanks to WUSA9’s Impact Team. Here’s how you can help
For public school educators, shelling out hundreds of dollars of their own money is a long-standing back-to-class ritual. According to a recent survey, 94% of teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies and resources. On average…
Some degree of normality: School begins
The 2021-22 school year got underway in Montgomery County on Thursday as the community continues to deal with decisions prompted by an ongoing pandemic. For more on what’s new in the Montgomery County schools and other divisions in the region, see a separate story in…
Back-to-school begins: What’s new (besides masks) across the region
School boards and administrators in the region continue to try to weave their way through the pandemic gauntlet with differing community reactions and ever-changing state and federal recommendations and mandates. Meanwhile, public school learning continues and the…
Parents hold rally in Virginia, saying they refuse to send their kids to school over masks
Some parents in the Commonwealth felt the need to voice their concerns over masks requirements for schools, NBC29 reports. Parents from Charlottesville and Albemarle County held an education-themed patriot rally saying they refuse to send their kids to school because…
Richmond School Board to vote on vaccine mandate for staff tonight
The Richmond School Board is expected to pass a recommendation from Superintendent Jason Kamras that would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all RPS staff. If approved by the board on Monday night, employees would have to to get fully vaccinated by October 1. It’s a…
August 26, 2021, Crafting a Strategic Collective Bargaining Resolution
Join Stacy Haney, VSBA Chief Lobbyist and School Board Attorney for a workshop on collective bargaining and learn how you and your school division can craft your own strategic collective bargaining resolution. This workshop will bean in-depth review of the resolutions required to…