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…
Gov. Northam wants kids back in classrooms. Could local, smaller districts be the guide?
In a new push to open schools despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration released guidance earlier this month on how to safely get students back in classrooms. It would mark a new chapter for many Hampton Roads students who…
Study: Roanoke region needs better focus on career education programs
A regional group is forming to improve career and technical education for students in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands. A 2020 study of career and technical education programs at K-12 schools and community colleges in eight localities revealed potential to…
Manassas Park High School winner of MLK Oratorical Competition
The 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Competition and Program, hosted by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was successful by all measures. More than 1,000 viewers tuned in to the YouTube premiere to watch Prince…
Prince George schools keep in-person option for families while others go virtual
As coronavirus cases continue to rise nationwide and across the commonwealth, the Prince George County School Division is still giving families a hybrid option of either online or in-person teaching. Based on our health data, our school community remains healthy thanks to the…
Lawmakers push colleagues for more money to fix public school disparity: ‘Show me something’
The Virginia Education Association and two state lawmakers want the 2021 General Assembly to put its money where its mouth is and finally approve funding for state Standards of Quality that address discrepancies in spending between schools in low-income communities and…
Schools provide service, food to the community
Suffolk Public Schools is continuing to provide fresh produce for the community. Nourishing Our Neighbors this week hosted its fourth food giveaway since its start in October. Once a month, Suffolk residents can drive through the Booker T. Washington Elementary School parking lot…
Delay of equity lesson draws backlash from educators in Amherst
A group of educators criticized the Amherst County School Board’s recent direction to school administration staff to postpone a lesson plan on equity and social justice, blasting the move during the public comments session of the board’s Jan. 14 meeting Hollie Jennings, Amherst…
Roanoke County School Board maps out ambitious plan to replace outdated buildings
Frustrated with how long it will take under the current capital improvement program to renovate and replace outdated school buildings, the Roanoke County School Board on Thursday envisioned an accelerated model that would involve back-to-back — and simultaneous…
‘Please open schools! I want to learn!’ | Arlington families demand specific school reopening dates
After more than 300 days of virtual learning, some Arlington Public Schools families are demanding a return to the classroom for their students.About 150 people came out for the Arlington Parents for Education’s rally Saturday at Quincy Park, where both parents and…
‘If we can get this right, it’s a step in the right direction’: Virginia lawmakers seek to boost cultural competency in schools
Virginia lawmakers want to make good on recommendations from last year after the Commission on African American History Education showed the state is doing a subpar job of teaching Black history to public school students. A proposal from Del. Clint Jenkins, D-Suffolk…
Albemarle approves $34 million for capital projects
A number of paused capital projects in Albemarle County can now move forward. The Board of Supervisors last week approved $34.3 million in capital projects for the current fiscal year. The appropriations included eight projects that were supported by the county’s Capital…
Williamsburg-JCC schools to delay in-person learning, select student groups return in phases beginning Feb. 16
Williamsburg-James City County Schools announced that it will delay the return of students for in-person learning due to the current health metrics, time required for contact tracing, and the need to get teachers vaccinated. Superintendent Dr. Olwen Herron announced the decision…
Stewartsville Elementary School to temporarily close due to COVID-19
Officials with Bedford County Schools have announced that Stewartsville Elementary School will temporarily be closed as cases of COVID-19 have increased which has resulted in additional staff being placed into quarantine. The closure will be active between Monday, Jan. 25…
Lynchburg teachers get creative with new programs, opportunities amid pandemic
Sandusky Middle School band director Kenneth Brand has come to find there’s a podcast about pretty much anything. “I ask my students all the time, ‘What are you interested in?’” Brand said. “And I tell them, ‘There’s a podcast about it.’” While a lot has been different and challenging in…
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…
VSBA School Board U
School Board U is an area of the VSBA website filled with learning opportunities for school board members to explore important topics related to your service on the school board. Complete certain courses and earn a certificate for your hard work. For more information visit the member section of the VSBA website. School board members and division staff, please check your email to find the log in and password information or contact VSBA.