July 20, 2021, VSBA Conference on Education
Join hundreds of school division leaders from across Virginia at the 35th Annual VSBA Conference on Education. We are pleased to have Governor Ralph Northam in attendance, with our afternoon keynote presentation from the Aldrin Foundation! There will also be a time for…
VSBA 2021 Excellence in Workforce Readiness Award
The Virginia School Boards Association would like to invite your school division to apply for the annual Excellence in Workforce Readiness award. This award seeks to recognize Virginia School Divisions who have achieved excellence in Workforce Readiness through an…
Hanover school officials seek input on new elementary school for Gandy, Henry Clay
Hanover County is building its first new school since 2008 and school officials want community input. Henry Clay and John M. Gandy Elementary Schools – both in Ashland – are being combined into one new school under a capital improvement plan approved in 2018 by the…
D.C.-area school systems recruit exhausted teachers for summer instruction — with varying success
At this point in the coronavirus pandemic, Jen Cory’s son Maddox, who has dyslexia, is a full grade level behind in reading. So Cory was thrilled when she heard that her third-grader had qualified for expanded summer instruction being offered in Arlington Public Schools. Cory…
Shop students in Virginia make self-funded skateboards
Teenagers can get only so excited about making birdhouses and stools, said Spotsylvania High School teacher Josiah Stinson. “They want to make something that reaches out and speaks to them,” said Stinson, who teaches manufacturing and industrial technology and was named…
Suit alleging admissions discrimination moves forward in Va.
A federal judge ruled Friday that a parents’ group can move forward with a lawsuit alleging that new admissions policies at an elite public high school in northern Virginia discriminate against Asian Americans. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was rated the…
Virginia Beach high schoolers take on environmental research in untraditional classroom
It’s not exactly your typical classroom. At the Brock Environmental Center of Lynnhaven Bay in Virginia Beach, the class walls look a lot different than the standard school environment. But an untraditional classroom is only fitting for an untraditional year. The 2020-2021 academic…
Tweet about Israel becomes focus at Fairfax Co. school board meeting
A controversial statement about Israel posted on Twitter by a member of the Fairfax County School Board became the main focus at the start of the board’s meeting in the Virginia county Thursday. One week prior to the meeting, board member Abrar Omeish commented on the…
MCPS Teacher of the Year: Tackled year with ‘patience and sense of humor’
Some time this past winter when nearly all the high schoolers temporarily went remote, chemistry and ecology teacher Amber Pogue encountered a technical glitch. Pogue said the Google Meet application during one class distorted her voice, making it sound as if she was…
A high school was struggling to find a space for prom. Then a car dealership opened its showroom.
Brandon Wright never thought he would attend another high school prom, let alone host one — especially not at his car dealership, of all places. But that’s exactly what happened May 15, after he offered up his business in Covington, Va., as a prom venue. “Nobody would ever think to…
Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk Public Schools move graduations indoors
School officials from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk Public Schools announced on Friday that they are planning to move their graduations inside to Chartway Arena. This decision comes after Gov. Northam announced changes to COVID-19 guidance, including…
Lee-Jackson Elementary will be renamed Mathews Elementary
The Mathews County School Board has picked Mathews Elementary School as the new name for the school formerly known as Lee-Jackson Elementary. District Superintendent announced the board’s decision this week. The name change will take effect on July 1. The board voted…
Prince William lifts attendance restriction on graduation ceremonies
Prince William County Public Schools’ high school graduation ceremonies at Jiffy Lube Live will have unlimited seating for guests, according to an email sent by the school system on Friday, and facemasks will be optional. The revised policies are in accordance with new state…
Gretna High School holds annual Decision Day
Gretna High School recently held their annual Decision Day. The day recognizes seniors’ futures – college, trade school, military, and workforce. The event was organized by Melinda Espinoza, Gretna High School’s college guide who works through the Virginia College…
‘Parents’ decision:’ Good calls on Northam to lift school mask mandate
The debate over mask-wearing in Virginia is moving into a new arena; Rep. Bob Good is asking the governor to lift the mask mandate for schools. “I’ve been calling for the mask mandates to be lifted for the past year,” said the 5th District Congressmen. “Now we still have another year…
June 4, 2021, VSBA School Law Conference
Your school division needs you, your superintendent, and your attorney to participate in the 2021 VSBA Virtual School Law Conference! Why? The answer is simple, many of the decisions you make have legal implications that will impact your school division for years to come…
June 24, 2021, The Importance of Civility
Join VSBA for a live webinar with Executive Director Andrea Messina from the Florida School Boards Association as she shares why civility within the board room is so important. As we all know, variance in personal opinions result from different expectations, goals, beliefs, or…