February is VSBA School Board Appreciation Month
Join VSBA President Janet Turner Giles in saluting the service of the almost 850 school board members in Virginia all February during School Board Appreciation Month. The theme — 115 Years of Providing Leadership Advocacy and Support — reflects the partnership of the Virginia School Boards Association with local school board members as they serve their local divisions and advocate for public education with local, state, and federal leaders on behalf of all students.
February 17, 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…
Teacher raises in Virginia Senate budget require schools to offer in-person learning by this summer
A raise for teachers is on the table in the Virginia General Assembly but some lawmakers want to require schools to reopen first. The House and Senate introduced their spending plans earlier this week. Each chamber is expected to vote on their respective proposals on Friday, which…
As Richmond Eyes Year-Round School, Other Cities Share Past Experience
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras is proposing that city schools operate year-round next year to help students impacted by virtual learning and the pandemic. Kamras’s vision is for the 2021-2022 school year to begin in person in August, and end in late June. It would include…
Manassas students may head back to classrooms by March
Most Manassas City Public Schools students could see the inside of their classrooms for the first time since last March next month, with the school board indicating support for a return date of March 15. Under the plan, which was discussed at last night’s board meeting and will be…
Some officials question equity as Albemarle schools prepare for more students in-person
As Albemarle County Schools prepare to increase the number of students learning in person next month, some School Board members are worried about how the county will make learning equitable between students who are taking all of their classes online and those who are…
School superintendent: Four-day in-person school will require relaxed physical distancing
When school buildings open back up on March 15 for four-day-a-week, in-person learning, students in pre-kindergarten to second grade will probably be sharing bus rides with more of their classmates — two to a seat instead of one to a seat — and social distancing rules may be…
WEA exploring possibility of collective bargaining
As of May 1, Virginia teachers and staff will have the ability to establish unions in their school districts. Public educators will be able to do so as a result of the General Assembly overturning a prohibition in 2020 that prevented collective bargaining in schools. Collective bargaining is a…
‘Let’s not take away something else’ | Parents of high school sideline cheerleaders call for change in Virginia
Parents of sideline cheerleaders are pushing for their children to be allowed back for football games after an executive order from Governor Ralph Northam classified cheer squads as spectators and meant they will be required to be ticketed in order to gather. After being signed…
CDC: Strong evidence in-person schooling can be done safely
The nation’s top public health agency said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released…
Greensville County school board member under fire for Facebook posts apologizes at meeting
Greensville County School Board member Jason Rook apologized during the Board’s meeting Monday evening for posts he made and shared on his personal Facebook page. A number of citizens submitted public comments to the Board regarding Rook’s posts. In recent weeks…
‘Start stepping in our shoes’: Chesterfield student calls for representation on CCPS School Board
Secondary students in the Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) system have been given the green light to join their elementary counterparts in returning to in-person instruction starting March 9. But for those families that choose to keep their children engaged in remote learning…
Martinsville robotics teams sweep competition
Martinsville City Public Schools won three categories from among 19 robotics teams that competed recently in the FIRST LEGO League Southwest Regional Qualifying Tournament. All three teams will advance to the state tournament. MCPS co-hosted the event, which included…
Pandemic doesn’t damper Valentine’s celebrations for Yorktown, Virginia Beach high schools
In another high school senior year without all the thrills and frills, a group of determined parents of Yorktown’s Grafton High seniors has been working to keep their students’ spirits up. “We’re trying to recreate some of the same things that they would normally experience in the school…
Roanoke County School Board enlists parents’ support for accelerated school construction
The Roanoke County School Board on Friday sent a letter to parents asking them to petition county leaders for an accelerated school improvement timeline, but county leaders say it will take more than parental support to drum up some $90 million in requested funding. The…
March 17, 2021, VSBA March Hot Topic
Join us as we gather virtually for an informative and important conference. This conference will be focusing specifically on multiple hot topics in education. You will hear from three leaders in public education throughout the event speaking on the topics of Race and Equity…
VSBA Legislative Update Blog
During the Virginia General Assembly session, VSBA lobbyists regularly provide updates via our legislative blog. In addition to the Legislative Blog, VSBA will also be filming quick video updates to keep you informed on what is happening throughout the year. Those videos, as available, will be posted on our Video Blog page.