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On June 14, VBOE met for their work session, and on June 15 for their business meeting. Much of the dialogue in both sessions centered on iTeach as an alternative licensure option and the Math standards and timeline for implementation. Below are relevant links, highlights from both meetings, and relevant time stamps for video playback. As a pro tip, we recommend changing the playback speed to 1.5x or 1.75x.
Click HERE for the Agenda Page.
Work Session
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Link to Full Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9JzuqQDXvE
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Proposed Revisions to the Mathematics Standards of Learning (PRESENTATION); We recommend watching this portion of the meeting (8:15.35 - 9:08.20 in the video); the discussion regarding the timeline is from 8:52.43 - 9:05.51.
- iTeach: Alternate Route to Licensure and Endorsements
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Special Education Workshop (PRESENTATION); We recommend watching this portion of the meeting (9:08.32 - 9:26.25)
Business Meeting
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Link to Full Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHKFCuUFKus
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Final review of Virginia Literacy Act Core Instructional Program Guide (GUIDE); We recommend watching this portion of the meeting and reviewing the guide [2:54.23 - 2:59.67 in the video]
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First and Final Review of of Proposed Changes to Certain Testing Requirements for Writing (ATTACHMENT); The board approved only for First Review. This will be a change in how the reading and writing SOL tests will be combined; additionally, the 8th grade writing test as currently constructed will be removed. We recommend watching this portion of the meeting [3:16.38 - 3:39.16 in the video]
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First Review of Proposed Revised Mathematics Standards of Learning (PRESENTATION); We recommend watching this portion of the meeting [3:45.01 - 3:57.50 in the video]
Our Executive Director, Chris Jones, provided public comment on the math standards. His comments are below [1:27.00 - 1:30.07 in the video].
Good morning, President Gecker, Vice President Mann, members of the board, and Superintendent Coons. My name is Dr. Chris Jones, and I am the Executive Director for the Virginia Affiliate of ASCD. This morning, I am also wearing three other hats. Those of a former high school principal with a diverse student body of just over 2,500 students, a math teacher, and father of four of Virginia’s public schools students. It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you today.
I would like to commend Superintendent Coons for her willingness to collaborate, engage the organizations that support Virginia’s students, families, and educators, and to take time to listen and learn during her entry. We recognize your hard work and appreciate your approach.
I am here to speak briefly regarding the revised math standards.
We appreciate the thorough and collaborative process that involved stakeholders across the commonwealth to create a draft of standards that are aligned with the needs of Virginia’s students. Within the standards, we see the potential for deeper learning, implementation of the 5 Cs and durable skills, incorporation of NCTM’s process standards, context-based learning and embedding the 17 career clusters, opportunities for interdisciplinary connections, a greater vertical alignment with connections across the standards, and an increase in data collection and analysis.
I am hopeful that we can use what we learned from the missteps in the process during the revision of the history and social science standards. We can, and should, trust Tina Mazzacane and her team.
I would like to raise a concern about the updated timeline proposed, which differs significantly from the one approved by the board in January 2022. The timeline included a development year to finalize a framework, gather and share resources, provide professional learning for teachers, and create assessment items for summative, benchmark, and achievement tests. The timeline included a crosswalk year to make the transition as smooth as possible for students, families, and classroom teachers. 2025-2026 was designated as the full implementation year.
By removing the development year and jumping straight to a crosswalk year, we are putting an unnecessary strain on students and families, teachers, school and division support staff, and the system itself. It is also worth noting that we are now in the summer months, and crosswalk implementation beginning AFTER the school year has started is detrimental to the success of teaching and learning. Students on a 4x4 calendar and students in accelerated math classes would feel a significant impact of the decision to remove the development year. We should not rush implementation for the reasons the original timeline was developed, and I would underscore that now - amidst a staffing shortage, teacher burnout, student mental health crisis, and initiative over saturation - would not be a time to accelerate the timeline and change what was approved by the board.
I urge you to spend sufficient time contemplating the impact such an accelerated timeline will have on students and their families, our classroom teachers, and our school and division leaders throughout the commonwealth.
Finally, I would like to show appreciation and gratitude to President Gecker, Dr. Mann, and Dr. Davis-Vaught for your years of service on this board and to Virginia’s students. Your leadership, advocacy, and courage are inspiring and will be missed.
Thank you.
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