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…
Newport News School Board votes to defy state law requiring transgender student protections
The Newport News School Board voted Tuesday to ignore state guidelines on protecting transgender students rather than change its policies, which the law required it to do by the start of the school year. Administrators had asked the board to change current policies and more…
City schools require staff to be vaccinated or face testing
After a debate regarding protection against the spread of Covid, city school board members voted at Tuesday’s meeting to require public school employees to be vaccinated, unless given a religious or medical exemption. The policy also requires those who take either exemption to…
Rappahannock Elementary shutters for day after second COVID-19 case is reported
Rappahannock County Elementary School closed on Tuesday to conduct contact tracing in what the district described as an “overabundance of caution” after another student tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last at the school Thursday, Aug. 12, but the school…
Smith Found Guilty in School Board Scuffle
The man who found himself splashed across TV screens and newspaper pages, being dragged from the Loudoun County School Board meeting with a bloody lip and in handcuffs, on Tuesday was found guilty of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Scott Smith was dragged to the…
Spotsylvania School Board candidate cancels fundraiser because of security concerns
Spotsylvania School Board candidate Erin Grampp says she is canceling a planned fundraiser because of security concerns following alleged instances of personal threats and trespassing on her property. The Family Fun Day fundraiser, a day for children to enjoy activities on Grampp’s…
Over his own objections, Richmond superintendent offers plans that would change duties of police in schools
A year after punctuating an emotional, student-led town hall spurred by the nation’s racial reckoning with a pitch to remove police from city schools, Superintendent Jason Kamras is preparing the School Board to change their role. It’s a recommendation he’s making over his…
Two Teachers Ask to Join Lawsuit Challenging Loudoun School Division’s Transgender Policy
The legal team representing Byron “Tanner” Cross, the teacher placed on leave after criticizing the Loudoun County Public Schools’ transgender protections, is asking the Circuit Court to add two more teachers to the lawsuit and to halt the school district’s implementation of Policy…
Craig County School Board eases mask mandate exceptions after chair resigns
Faced with heeding an emergency order from the governor or leaning on the advice of their superintendent, the four remaining Craig County School Board members on Tuesday widened a legal loophole, making it easier for mask-averse parents to send their kids to school without…
Salem City School Board beginning search for new superintendent
Salem City Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Seibert has announced his plans to retire this September, which means the school board has some hiring to do. The board spoke with representatives from the Virginia School Boards Association at their meeting Tuesday night to…
Many area schools starting ahead of Labor Day this year as delta variant continues spreading
Students in rural Tidewater could be excused for feeling confusion about the new 2021-22 school year that starts earlier than usual for many of them after a year of unprecedented turmoil. COVID-19 has disrupted learning since the spring of 2020. The rapid spread of the delta…
Chesterfield schools weighing changes to recess
Chesterfield County Public School officials are exploring changes to recess for the county’s youngest learners. Possible tweaks include providing two 15- or 20-minute periods of recess instead of the current 30 minutes afforded daily under the district’s Student and Staff Wellness…
September 14, 2021 VSBA Title IX: Best Practices in Training & Compliance Workshop
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…