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.
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…
Some Schools Have Been Open for Months. Here’s What They Learned.
Parents, cities and teachers in many places continue to wrangle over how to reopen their schools safely. Meanwhile, teachers and administrators whose buildings have been open for many months have come to some hard-earned conclusions about how to make it all work…
Danville superintendent says school district is not providing high-quality education
Danville Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Hairston is changing the focus for the district. Dr. Hairston says schools aren’t focused on the students. That’s why Danville Public Schools has a strategic plan to improve schools. “We have to acknowledge that we are not…
Norfolk Public Schools moves closer to giving teachers pay raises
Teachers in Norfolk are one step closer to getting a pay raise. The Norfolk School Board approved a $462.8 million budget for 2021-20221 fiscal school year. It includes a boost in starting pay and an average raise of about five percent, along with money for safety…
Va. education superintendent’s African American Advisory council releases recommendations for Black student equity
A panel of education leaders tasked with envisioning an equitable school system for Virginia’s Black students has offered 26 recommendations it believes will give those students better access to advanced classes and promote teacher diversity, among other improvements…
Henrico Schools to host virtual listening sessions
Henrico County Public Schools will host three virtual listening sessions on various topics for people to voice their thoughts on. The sessions will focus on the division’s cornerstones and one or more of its strategic goals. All school board members are expected to attend the…
Lynchburg school board votes down increasing in-person learning for all students after spring break
Lynchburg City Schools still is planning to bring its youngest learners back to school four days per week beginning April 13, but an effort by some school board members to increase in-person learning for all students failed this week. Currently, the division is operating in a hybrid model…
View from the teacher’s desk: Virtual learning successful for some
Since the nationwide shuttering of schools in March 2020 and the return to hybrid in-person and virtual learning in Greene County last September, many students have struggled with issues ranging from learning loss to social and emotional turmoil or even food and housing insecurity…
Signs of virus persist through new outbreaks, quarantines
Though area COVID-19 case numbers have remained relatively low in recent days, other signs of the pandemic persist, with more area outbreaks and school quarantines reported this week. As of Thursday, Clarke County Public Schools reports 19 active student cases at its high…
Hampton City Schools to serve free weekend meals, snacks to kids 18 and under
Hampton City Schools is taking action for students who have not been able to have steady access to meals due to the pandemic. Starting the week of March 22, HCS will serve free weekend meals to children ages 18 and under. The meals will include two meals and two…
Virginia Beach City Public Schools lay out plan for summer school
As summer approaches, Virginia Beach City Public Schools is announcing more information about their academic options for the summer months. The district plans to spend about $3.5 million on the programming. It’s a significant amount more than in past years. According…
Alexandria City schools to offer five days a week of classroom instruction in the fall
Alexandria City Public Schools will offer five days a week of in-person instruction next academic year, Superintendent Gregory C. Hutchings Jr. told the school board Thursday evening. “This fall we’re absolutely looking and planning to have five days a week for our students,” he said…
13 organizations call for removal of all school resource officers in Henrico County
13 organizations and three individuals are coming together to urge the Henrico County School Board to remove all school resource officers. The organizations, including Virginia Council on LGBTQ+ and Legal Aid Justice Center, penned a letter on March 11 after Henrico County…
VHSL responds to calls for change after football team is accused of using racial slurs
By Friday afternoon, more than 5,000 people had signed onto an online petition that demands “accountability and change” after serious allegations stemming from a high school football game in Northern Virginia. Members of the Wakefield High School football team in Arlington say…
Newport News Public Schools’ task force seeks public’s input to rename 4 schools
Newport News Public Schools is seeking the public’s input in the renaming of four public schools. Newport News Public Schools’ Diversity and Inclusion Task Force is accepting nominations to rename Horace Epes Elementary School, Lee Hall Elementary School, R. O…
Fairfax school calendar recognizes religious holidays, but kids won’t have off
The Fairfax School Board voted Thursday to adopt a calendar for the next school year that does not include a day off for some more diverse holiday, but instead is intended “to recognize, respect, and honor the plurality of religious and cultural observances” in the county…
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.
2021 VSBA Business Honor Roll Open Now
Local businesses have the power to shape community attitudes about public schools. Every spring, the VSBA Business Honor Roll provides a way for local school divisions to recognize local businesses for their support, especially as schools face increasing budget uncertainty…