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…
Virginia Senate passes bill to move all municipal elections from May to November
The Virginia Senate narrowly passed a measure Thursday to move any municipal elections still held in the spring to November. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, broke a 19-19 tie on the bill by Sen. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, following a lengthy debate. Advocates said…
Thousands of Chesterfield residents push for delay of Feb. 1 return to schools after vaccine shortage
Nearly 4,000 Chesterfield County residents — led by parents of schoolchildren — on Friday petitioned public school leaders to keep buildings shuttered until staff members are fully vaccinated. “It’s not just the teachers,” said Kate Flynn, a parent of a seventh-grader at…
Judge: lawsuit over elite school’s admissions can move ahead
A judge is allowing a group of parents to move forward with a legal challenge to new admissions policies designed to create a more diverse student body at an elite public high school in northern Virginia. Fairfax County Public Schools had asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit…
Arlington Co. superintendent seeks vaccine progress before setting school return dates
The superintendent of Arlington County Public Schools in Virginia said the start of COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers is “exciting,” but he wants to see more shots administered before setting new dates for students and teachers to return to in-person learning. Superintendent…
General Assembly notebook: House passes Del. Rasoul’s youth civic engagement bill; measure restricts police use of facial recognition technology
Matthew Savage was able to testify to a House committee because his Fairfax County high school has a policy to excuse students for participating in a civic activity. Savage, the chairman of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus, was speaking in support of a bill to ensure…
‘Something to celebrate’: 2,000 school employees vaccinated during Roanoke Valley’s largest COVID-19 vaccine clinic
Standing on a landing in Roanoke’s Berglund Center coliseum on Friday morning, Dr. Cynthia Morrow gestured to the scene unfolding below her. “This is beautiful,” she said. As she spoke, educators from around the region wound their way through a maze of traffic cones and…
Bill to give vouchers for remote-only students fails in House
A House subcommittee rejected legislation on Friday that would provide financial vouchers to families of students within public-school districts that solely provide remote instruction. Del. Michael Webert, R-Marshall, filed HB 1742 to create a prorated voucher equal to school…
National shortage delays vaccinations for RPS staff members
Some Richmond Public Schools employees will have to wait just a little bit longer for their COVID-19 vaccination. RPS released a statement on Friday saying the Virginia Department of Health is pushing back appointments due to a national vaccine shortage. Staff scheduled to…
Taking Precautions: Martinsville Schools Install Unique Warning System
School shootings. It’s not something people like thinking about. However, that’s been a part of T.J. Slaughter’s job for even longer than his service in his current director of school safety position for Martinsville. The Martinsville City Public Schools employee formerly served as…
Hampton schools approve raises as districts cautiously optimistic about budgets
School districts are starting to loosen some of the tight budget restraints they adopted in response to the pandemic last year as they start planning for the next budget cycle. State revenues in December turned out better than expected, allowing some schools to reconsider…
Bristol Virginia Public Schools ready to reopen schools Monday
Bristol, Virginia students and teachers return to classrooms Monday for the first time in nearly a month, as the division continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. City students were last in classrooms Dec. 9 and online classes resumed Jan. 12. School officials added bookend…
Amherst County School Board approves at-home learning week starting Feb. 8
The School Board with Amherst County Schools has approved a special at-home learning week from Feb. 8 through Feb. 12. This week will allow students and staff for an opportunity to successfully make the transition from first to second semester with changes of remote…
Noblis donates $5,000 to Danville Public Schools Education Foundation
Noblis, a science, technology and strategy organization, located in the River District, recently donated $5,000 to the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation. The donated funds will help to provide assistance to teachers who have incurred unplanned, out-of-pocket expenses…
Lynchburg City School Board approves mid-year pay scale step increase for staff
The Lynchburg City School Board has voted in favor of unfreezing staff pay scale step increases and reimplementing salary increases for the 2020-21 year next month. At its work session Tuesday night, the Lynchburg City School Board revisited its discussions regarding…
February is VSBA School Board Appreciation Month
Salute the service of the almost 850 school board members in Virginia in February 2021 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…