VSBA Showcases for Success Deadline Monday, March 8
As a means of encouraging community awareness and positive press coverage of public education, the Virginia School Boards Association is inviting school divisions to recommend programs and initiatives that would serve as appropriate “Showcases for Success” in public…
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…
Hampton schools propose 5% pay raise for employees
Teachers and other school employees in Hampton would get 5% raises next school year under a budget presented Wednesday night to the School Board. It’d be the largest raise for the district in years. The district has given steady 2-3% raises over the last few years, but new…
In-person classes at CHS and Buford to start after families called for a plan
With elementary students in the city school division set to start in-person classes Monday, families at Charlottesville High and Buford Middle schools are wondering: What about them? “Among me and my classmates, the effects of this vary from numbness and burnout to…
Yearbooks For A Year Like No Other
A high school yearbook is an important keepsake and a visual representation of a time in a person’s life that they will never repeat. It’s a keepsake of photos and notes from friends and teachers. But what do you put in a yearbook during a year where most learning took place at…
HCPS moves curbside service to Wednesdays only
Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) has some changes coming to their free meal service to accommodate both in-person and virtual students. Starting Monday, March 8 curbside pickup will be moved to Wednesdays only from 7 a.m to 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. This…
Harrisonburg City Schools prep classrooms and buildings before some return on March 22
Harrisonburg City Public Schools, or HCPS, just finished up week three of its “6 Week Return to Partial In-Person Plan.” All Pre-K through grade 2, grade 6, and some identified students can head back on March 22. After a survey to Harrisonburg families, Superintendent Dr. Michael…
Local public schools struggle with space and staffing as kids return to in-person learning
Local school districts are dealing with a lot to try to get students back into classrooms. Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) invited local school superintendents to a virtual round-table to learn about the things they are dealing with and how the federal government might help…
Peninsula districts weighing starting school before Labor Day
For decades, it’s been a predictable affair in Hampton Roads — the first day of school is the Tuesday after Labor Day. Many districts outside of Tidewater have long since moved start dates up, and a change to state law in 2019 allows schools to start up to two weeks before Labor…
Alleghany County Public Schools to start four days a week of in-person learning for certain students
Next week, three grades of public school students in Alleghany County will start spending four days a week participating in face-to-face instruction. Beginning Monday, March 8, Alleghany County Public Schools says all students in third grade, eighth grade, and 10th grade will…
Elite public schools won’t become more diverse just by ditching exams
While the pandemic has dramatically increased inequality in education, one change could expand opportunity: Many elite public schools are halting exam-based admissions. In Fairfax County, Va., a judge recently permitted Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and…
Virginia Beach teacher becomes the NFL’s first Black female official
Maia Chaka’s phone rang at 9 p.m. Monday The call was from Wayne Mackie, the National Football League’s vice president of officiating evaluation and development. That wasn’t surprising. Mackie has been Chaka’s mentor as she progressed through training to become…
Loudoun School Board Censures Leesburg District Representative
Leesburg District School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg) was the subject of a formal censure vote Thursday night. Following a more than two hour closed session held virtually, the School Board voted 7-0 to publicly reprimand Barts for hersocial media postingsdeemed to…
New Alexandria school names for TC Williams, Maury announced
The superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia has recommended new names for a pair of schools, including T.C. Williams High School. Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings suggested that school board members take up Alexandria…
Schools can opt for remote learning during inclement weather
Virginia lawmakers insisted there will still be snow days for public school students, though the General Assembly recently passed legislation allowing unscheduled remote learning during inclement weather. “I have heard this bill referred to as ‘the killer of snow day dreams,’” said…
Lynchburg-area school divisions grapple with learning loss, increase in failing grades amid pandemic
School divisions across the nation are seeing an increase in failure rates as remote learning has increased during the coronavirus pandemic, and those in the Lynchburg area are no exception. Given that few students are receiving full-time in-person instruction and a number of students…
APS Data: Grades Fell for Middle, High Schoolers Amid Virtual Learning
New data from Arlington Public Schools suggest that more secondary students are failing classes and their average GPA has dropped. Sixth-grade students appear to be the hardest hit this year: Their average GPA dropped about 6%, and the number of students failing at least…
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…
March is VSBA Equity in Education Month
In an effort to encourage equity in education, the VSBA Board of Directors has designated the month of March as VSBA Equity in Education Month. For more information on the month long webinar series, a copy of the governor’s proclamation and additional resources follow the link above.