April 23, 2021
NewsDaily NewsApril 23, 2021

New Collective Bargaining Service
In association with Haney Phinyowattanachip PLLC, VSBA is pleased to offer services related to the collective bargaining process. Services would be tailored to the specific circumstances of each school division and may include providing input on the required and recommended…

April 28, 2021-2021 VSBA Title IX Best Practices in Training & Compliance
With claims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct hitting newsstands everywhere, Title IX coordinators and other senior staff need to be confident in their knowledge and enforcement of their divisions’ policies. Prevention and thorough investigations are the best ways to…

Fairfax schools will try to make fall as close to ‘pre-pandemic normal’ as possible
Come fall, instruction in Virginia’s largest school district will look as close to “pre-pandemic normal” as possible, the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools promised this week. The vast majority of students will head into classrooms five days a week for in-person lessons…

Virginia SOL testing will focus on instructional needs of students this spring, summer
Virginia SOL testing will have a new focus this spring and summer. On Wednesday, Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said that Standard of Learning testing will focus on determining the instructional needs of students and the impact of the coronavirus…

Charlotte Co. Public Schools to provide in-person instruction 5 days a week 2021-22 year
Charlotte County Public Schools announced on Wednesday they will provide in-person instruction five days a week during the 2021-2022 school year. Students who plan to continue learning virtually will receive instruction through Virtual Virginia. Virtual Virginia will provide…

School Discipline System Reforms Coming Next Year
The Virginia Board of Education is moving forward with reforms to its discipline system, with the goal of new system can reduce the degree that Black students are punished more than white students. In a presentation before the Board of Education’s Special Committee to Review the…

Powhatan School Board looks at learning recovery
The Powhatan County School Board learned last week how interruptions to learning in the last year caused by the pandemic have affected students and how the school division is addressing the issue. During the school board’s meeting on Tuesday, April 13, Dr. Tracie, Omohundro…

Middlesex student artists receive honors
Middlesex High School (MHS) student Ellie McMinn, right, shows off her self portrait illustrating how she feels about COVID-19. The drawing captured first place at the recent 2021 Eastern Spring Regional Forum Art Contest sponsored by the Virginia School Board Association…

Portsmouth Public Schools to hold in-person graduation at ODU
Portsmouth Public Schools is hoping to bring a bit of normalcy for the graduating Class of 2021 following a year that was anything but. The school division announced it will be holding in-person graduation ceremonies at Old Dominion University’s S.B. Ballard Stadium on Saturday…

Warren County schools alert parents to new vaccination requirements
Some children might need additional vaccinations before they can enroll in Warren County Public Schools this year. The Virginia Department of Education recently added hepatitis A, HPV (human papillomavirus) and meningitis to the list of vaccines children entering certain grades…

Campbell County Public Schools receives $17,500 donation from educational foundation
The Campbell County Educational Foundation presented Campbell County Public Schools with a $17,500 check to support the division’s dual enrollment program with Central Virginia Community College at Monday night’s school board meeting. The educational foundation…

Deployed military dad surprises Franklin County student with virtual visit from overseas
For a child, spending day after day while your parent is thousands of miles away is tough, but on Wednesday, one Franklin County boy found his deployed dad waiting for him at school…virtually, that is. On Wednesday, April 21, Henry Elementary School surprised a…

FCPS plans to resume ‘more normal school year’ in 2021-22
Frederick County Public Schools will provide in-person learning five days per week for the 2021-22 school year, with limited offerings for virtual learning, Superintendent David Sovine announced Tuesday night. “After having the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years disrupted by…

APS Makes In-Person Learning the Default Next School Year, While Families Have Remote Option
Arlington Public Schools families will have two prospects for school in the fall: five days a week of in-person learning or a fully remote K-12 learning program. This week, APS opened up a two-week window during which families can choose how their children will attend school. Families…

Newport News is renaming four schools. Here are the proposed changes.
Four schools will be renamed for a mix of geographic landmarks and prominent Black women under a proposal unveiled Tuesday at a Newport News School Board meeting: Epes Elementary would become Stoney Run Elementary, for the body of water behind it. There are…

Fate of additional 1% of sales tax for schools now in hands of Pittsylvania County voters
In November, Pittsylvania County voters will decide if they want to allow an extra 1% in local sales taxes to generate revenue to upgrade aging school buildings. The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors approved the resolution Tuesday night — by unanimous vote — setting…

Virginia county allocating more than $6M for ‘equity and equity training’
Loudoun County, Virginia, is planning to allocate more than $6 million for “equity” and “equity training” as part of its fiscal year 2022 budget, raising questions about how the county is responding to parents’ concerns on the issue. While controversial trainings and content…

First Annual VSBA Student Essay Contest, Deadline May 1
The Virginia School Boards Association is holding a personal essay/speaking contest where the winner will have an opportunity to present before an audience of more than 300 school board members and administrators at the 2021 Virtual VSBA Conference on Education held July 20…

2021 Budget Workshop, May 6, 2021
Join us for the VSBA’s Budget Training workshop to learn more about the importance of The Board’s Role in Developing the School Budget. In this virtual workshop, based on member requests, board members will learn their role in the budget process and how it relates to the…