Newsletter 2021 Issue 3
Executive Director
Gina G. Patterson
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The VSBA Regional Spring Network Forums are off to a great start. It is always a good time for the board members in each region to get together for the evening of fellowship and discussion. This year has been no exception despite the meetings taking place virtually.

On March 3rd, the Central Region started out this year’s Virtual Forums. We heard performances by the talented students of Orange County, both a solo performance and the Orange County High School Brass Ensemble and once the student art winners were announced, the evening program began which was a presentation from the Orange County Team on ways we can continue to meet student needs utilizing technology during this time of uncertainty.

The Eastern Regional Spring Network Forum was held on March 10th. The meeting featured a regional art show and a great interactive panel discussion showcasing School Board Members from Caroline County, King William County, Essex County and Westmoreland County.

The Southern Regional Spring Network Forum on March 18th was another great opportunity for School Board Members to gather together. We heard a performance by the Amherst County High School Senior Class of 2020 and a robust presentation by Dr. Arnold, Superintendent of Amherst County and Dr. Capps, President of Central Virginia Community College on the Regional CTE Academy.

The Valley Regional Spring Network Forum on March 24th. The meeting featured a performance by the Waynesboro High School Choir, followed by the regional art show and a presentation by Ed Ayers, Executive Director, and Annie Evans, Director of Education & Outreach with New American History.

The Tidewater Regional Spring Network Forum was held on March 29th. The forum featured an art show by students from around the region, a keynote session by Delegate Shelly Simonds, and a panel discussion with Delegate Nancy Guy, Delegate Glenn Davis Jr., Delegate Shelly Simonds, Delegate Amanda Batten, and Delegate Martha Mugler.

The Southside Regional Spring Network Forum on April 1st began with a performance by the Prince George High School Choir singing a beautiful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Next, we heard an original spoken-word piece by Azhane Pollard, a student in Hopewell City. The evening presentation was by Hopewell City covered their balanced school calendar.

As you can see, this year’s Forums are off to a good start. The student art show, a tradition at the regional Forums, allows each division to enter three pieces of student art. This year the artwork was judged ahead of the Forum by a panel of judges and first place winners are announced for the elementary, middle, and high school. The first-place winning pieces from all 9 regions will be featured on the VSBA website and used in VSBA publications throughout the 2021 year. The artwork will also be incorporated into the November Annual Convention. To view the winning artwork, visit the VSBA website here. Again this year, first place winners will receive a gift card provided by an anonymous donor.

There are three Forums left to go, and we look forward to seeing what the Regional Chairs/Vice-Chairs in those regions have in store. I look forward to seeing all at the remainder of the meetings

Thank you for all that you continue to do to support public education in Virginia.
 
GP
Application Process for Nomination and Election of VSBA At-Large Members and Regional Officers
Nomination of VSBA At-Large Members
According to the VSBA Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2, “A Nominating Committee of five members will annually nominate no more than two candidates for President-Elect and no more than two candidates for each of the two at-large seats on the Board of Directors whose names will be placed in nomination at the Annual Convention. It shall be the duty of candidates for the at-large position to provide a written nomination, approved by a nominee’s school board, together with pertinent biographical information and a signed letter from each nominee confirming willingness to serve. Members of the Nominating Committee will not be eligible for nomination to any position on the Board. The Immediate Past President will serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee and four other committee members will be elected by the Board of Directors.”

An application form is required of At-Large candidates to apply for nomination. Those who wish to be considered by the Nominating Committee must submit the completed form, pertinent biographical information, and statement of willingness to serve by July 1. The members of the Nominating Committee appointed at the March 19, 2021, VSBA Board of Directors meeting are: Rodney Jordan (Norfolk), Chair; Douglas Brown (Newport News), Gavin Honeycutt (Mecklenburg), Gunin Kiran (Montgomery), Barbara Kanninen (Arlington). If you have any questions about the process, please call Gina Patterson, executive director, at 1-800-446-8722 or email Gina@vsba.org.

Nomination of Regional Officers
Elections of VSBA Regional Officers take place at the Fall Regional Meeting held in conjunction with the VSBA Annual Convention. In 2015 the VSBA Delegate Assembly voted to change the regional positions from a one-year to a two-year term. For those regions that will be holding an election this year, a nominating committee will be formed and announced at your Spring Regional Networking Forum. Those interested in serving as chair or vice-chair of the region should complete the application form and contact the members of the regional nominating committee. The regions below will be looking for nominations for a chair and vice-chair for a two-year term:
  • Central Region
  • Northeastern Region
  • Southern Region
  • Tidewater Region
The Virginia School Boards Association is holding a personal essay/speaking contest where the winner will have an opportunity to present before an audience of more than 300 school board members and administrators at the 2021 Virtual VSBA Conference on Education held July 20, 2021. Thank you to VACORP for sponsoring this year’s contest.
This is the first year the Virginia School Boards Association will hold this contest. We hope that this contest will bring out the very best in students’ writing and speaking efforts and allow our attendees to witness examples of the bright, thoughtful, and accomplished students from around the Commonwealth. This year's topic is Can and Should Freedom of Expression and Civility Co-exist?

For more information on the contest and complete guidelines please view the guidebook here.

For questions please contact Jessica Blythe, director of membership services, at Jessica@vsba.org or by calling 434-295-8722 x7.

Thank you to our sponsor:
VSBA Board of Directors Meeting Update
The VSBA Board of Directors met virtually on Friday, March 19, 2021, and took the following actions:

  1. Approval of the 2021 Nominating Committee
  2. Approval of VSBA Representation at NSBA Summer Leadership Conference
  3. Approval of the Joint VSBA/VASS Resolution Honoring All Superintendents
 
The Board also heard the following reports:
  1. Update on the General Assembly
  2. Update on Partnership with Jason Learning
  3. Update on Partnership with BoardDocs
  4. Update on Partnership with Forecast5
  5. Update on Marketing Agreement between BPA, MetLife, and VSBA 
  6. Update on Partnership with VACORP
Registration is Open for the VSBA Budget Training Workshop
Thursday, May 6, 2021- 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Join us for the VSBA’s Budget Training workshop to learn more about the importance of The Board’s Role in Developing the School Budget.

In this virtual workshop, based on member requests, board members will learn their role in the budget process and how it relates to the board’s mission and vision for the school system. Specific topics that will be discussed include School Finance Basics, Local, State and Federal Funds, The Budget Process, Effective Budget Presentations, Factors Affecting a Budget and Building Support for the Budget, and the School Board’s Role in Effective School Finance Management.

For more information and to view the brochure click here.
J.T. Kessler, Government Relations Specialist
Virginia’s Collective Bargaining Law Takes Effect May 1, 2021
On May 1, 2021, Virginia’s new Collective Bargaining Law (HB 582/SB 939) takes effect and will permit local school boards to decide whether to engage in collective bargaining with its employees. This law passed during the 2020 session of the Virginia General Assembly and was amended to include a delayed enactment of May 1, 2021, by Governor Ralph S. Northam. HB 582/SB 939 only applies to employees of Virginia’s counties, cities, towns, and local school boards. State-level employees and constitutional officers are still banned from engaging in collective bargaining. This includes City Treasurers, Sheriffs, Commonwealth Attorneys, Court Clerks, and Commissioners of Revenue and employees of such officers.

Under provisions in the law, local school boards can:
  1. Pass a resolution authorizing collective bargaining with its employees.
  2. If a local school board does not adopt such a resolution, employees may initiate this process by forming a unit and request the local school board vote on a resolution to allow collective bargaining. The local school board then has 120 days to vote on whether to adopt a resolution authorizing collective bargaining.
  3. Local school boards also have the option of not adopting a resolution to allow collective bargaining as the new law leaves the decision of whether to engage in collective bargaining entirely up to local school boards.

It is important that local school board members avoid the appearance of trying to influence employee organizing in any form. Despite the lack of precedent in Virginia for public employee collective bargaining, federal case law contains numerous decisions where employers were found in violation of anti-union organizing. As local school board employees attempt to have a bargaining unit recognized, local school board members and division/building administrators should refrain from any activities that could be construed as threatening employees with loss of employment, transfer of employee, punitive job duties, favoring employees for their stance on organizing, posting comments to social media regarding organizing by employees, etc. If a local school board decides not to adopt a resolution for collective bargaining, such incidents could be grounds for lawsuits by organized labor who have teams of lawyers at the state and national level that represent their local union affiliates.

Conversely, bargaining units seeking to be recognized by the local school board to engage in collective bargaining must also operate in good faith and avoid any appearance of intimidating employees not in favor of organizing.

If a local school board adopts a resolution authorizing collective bargaining, the local school board will become both the employer and the labor board that establishes regulations for implementing the bargaining process. In many states, a state-level third-party public employee relations board is tasked with this responsibility. The required local human resources and financial capital to effectively regulate the bargaining process will differ across local school divisions in the Commonwealth. There are multiple factors that will influence the time and costs local school boards will absorb if they choose to adopt collective bargaining resolutions.

Additionally, HB 582/ SB 939 does not permit public employees in Virginia to strike. Under current state law (§ 40.1-55), any public employee will be fired and ineligible for rehire in all Virginia government jobs for one year if he or she organizes two or more other employees to go on strike. If any local school board employee engages in such activity, these actions are grounds for termination by the local school division regardless of the local school board’s decision on adopting a resolution to permit collective bargaining.

To assist local school boards as they weigh the decision to adopt collective bargaining resolutions, the Virginia School Boards Association’s Task Force on Collective Bargaining has prepared a resource guide for boards to use in this process. It is strongly recommended that local school boards consult with their attorney throughout this process to avoid potential legal pitfalls.

If you have any questions regarding the new Collective Bargaining Law, please reach out to me at jason@vsba.org or 434-295-9722 ext. 116.
The VSBA would like to invite you to participate in the eighth annual Food for Thought Competition, a friendly competition between Virginia’s school divisions to showcase their programs that combat childhood hunger, provide healthy school meals, and encourage wellness and physical activity. There are three separate competition categories. You may apply to be recognized for the division’s efforts in the following categories:
  • Meal Access to Fight Hunger
  • Healthy School Meals
  • Wellness/Physical Activity

The 2021 Competition is now Open! 

Ready to submit? Click here!

Questions? Please contact Jessica Blythe, director of membership services, at 434-295-8722 or jessica@vsba.org 

Thank you to our Sponsor, ABM.
2021 Thank a Teacher Campaign

Most people remember that special teacher or teachers who helped spark their imagination and learning. That’s the idea behind the Virginia Lottery’s Thank a Teacher campaign.
 
For the sixth year in a row, the Virginia Lottery’s Thank a Teacher campaign encourages Virginians to show appreciation for their favorite K-12 public school teachers with a digital thank-you note. More than 100,000 thank-you cards were sent to Virginia teachers during the first five years of the campaign. This years’ thank-you notes feature custom artwork by three Virginia public school students.
 
Notes can be sent now through May 7 from the Lottery’s Thank a Teacher website, www.thankateacherva.com. Each note contains a unique code that the teacher can enter for a chance to win a Virginia vacation and $5,000 in credit for their school from The Supply Room.
Join us as we recognize and celebrate Virginia’s educators!
VSBA Federal Relations Committee Holds Meetings with Virginia Delegation
On February 1, 2021, members of the Virginia School Boards Association Federal Relations Committee (FRC) hosted virtual meetings with Virginia’s Congressional Delegation as part of VSBA’s Virtual Advocacy Institute. The day-long event began with remarks from 2021 VSBA FRC Chair, David R. Woodard (Tazewell County), and a presentation from VSBA Government Relations Specialist, J.T. Kessler, on the legislative climate in Washington, D.C., and the important topics for FRC members to address in their meetings. FRC members had plentiful discussions on issues related to education at the Federal Level with Virginia’s Congressional Leaders. The day concluded with a robust meeting with Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Mark Warner where FRC members addressed needs of school divisions to reopen schools, broadband access, testing and accountability, full funding of IDEA, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. 
Have you been looking for a good book?

The Virginia School Boards Association is excited to invite you to join the VSBA Virtual Book Club. Share your curiosity and engage with other school board members across Virginia through thought-provoking comments and discussion during our live Virtual Book Club sessions. Our goal is to choose books that are of interest to school division leaders and that can help you gain a deeper understanding of your work, grow relationships with stakeholders, build leadership skills, or simply because of personal interest. Participate at your own convenience. You are not required to read every book— there are no assessments or assignments here!

“I have enjoyed participating in book discussions with other school board members across Virginia,” said Karen Whetzel, member of the Shenandoah County School Board, “Book discussions are a great way to not only learn from the book you are reading but to discuss how the topics in the book can be applied to our service on the school board. I look forward to the opportunity for all board members across the state to participate in these discussions throughout the year.”

We will explore at least one book per quarter, and the next book discussion will feature: “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni

The book discussion will take place Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.


After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
In the recent 2021 session of the Virginia General Assembly, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1157 (Spruill) which changes the general election day from May to November for certain local government offices including elected school board members in cities and towns. Beginning January 1, 2022, “elections for mayor, members of local governing bodies, and members of elected school boards shall be held at the time of the November general election for terms to commence January 1.”
 
Any school board members serving in a seat with an election scheduled for 2022 will be contested during the November 2022 election. Members of a school board whose term would have expired June 30, 2022 shale continue to serve in office until after the November election.
 
The Virginia School Boards Association is providing your board with this information so you can begin planning for this change in election law. We encourage your board to review the legislation and consult with your local city or town registrar for impacts on ballot access requirements.
 
If there are any questions or concerns that VSBA can address, please do not hesitate to contact Government Relations Specialist, J.T. Kessler, at jason@vsba.org or 434-295-8722 ext. 116.
Shenandoah County Public Schools Awarded Grant from Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Submitted by Shenandoah County Public Schools
The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation (CMCF) has awarded Shenandoah County Public Schools (SCPS), in conjunction with Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), a grant for $88,000. With this funding, SCPS was able to purchase two Anatomage Tables to enhance health science courses in the division. One table will be housed at Triplett Tech (Mount Jackson, VA) for the Healthcare Science Program and one will be located at Central High School (Woodstock, VA) for Biomedical Academy students.
 
The CMCF is dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities, specifically those in the health sciences, thanks to Dr. Claude Moore. CMCF identifies school divisions and regions that work with a hospital system, higher education institutions, and public education to create a pipeline of talent that has multiple entry and exit pathways throughout a person's career pathway. SCPS has partnered with LFCC and Valley Health System to enhance its health sciences programs over the past several years. 
The Anatomage Table is a pathway-changing piece of equipment that will allow students to work on 4 different digital cadavers. The table provides 1,250 case files and 950 histology slides to review in order to identify medical conditions.

Mrs. Sharon Clark, Healthcare Science teacher at Triplett Tech, says “The Anatomage Table provides state-of-the-art, hands-on experiences by bringing human anatomy to life. Students in the SCPS Healthcare Science, Nursing, and BioMedical Science programs will have an advantage in learning anatomy and physiology and diagnostic imaging through using the Anatomage Table. It is a tool that provides life-like cadaver experiences right in the classroom. The Anatomage Table provides these experiences in the classroom with unlimited learning opportunities, which far outweighs any learning through a textbook. We already provide hands-on dissections on a variety of biological specimens, but the Anatomage Table provides a virtual experience on the human body, which is a major game-changer in the instructional environment for my Healthcare Science program.”
 
Mrs. Melissa Marston, Biomedical Science Academy Teacher at Central High School, adds, “The Anatomage table will allow students in the Biomedical Sciences Academy the opportunity to interact with a comprehensive 3D visualization tool with an intuitive hands-on interface that allows for quick analysis and examination, for medical education, patient diagnosis, and dynamic presentations.
 
The Anatomage Table will considerably increase the amount of Claude Moore Scholars within SCPS due to the far-reaching possibilities of this equipment. Anatomy and Physiology is a foundational class for healthcare professionals, so having this piece of equipment will significantly enhance student experiences.
 
Mr. Todd Lynn, Director of Career and Technical Education, expressed his appreciation for the CMCF grant. “SCPS is extremely grateful to the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and the Claude Moore Scholars program for their continued dedication to those who want to enter healthcare. The experiences students will get when using the Anatomage Table will give them an advantage as they continue their education in a specific healthcare pathway,” he states.
Free Webinar Lunch & Learn Series On Demand
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VSBA Affiliate Member Profiles
In each Issue of the VSBA newsletter, we will feature three VSBA Affiliate Members.
Thank you for your support of the VSBA and Virginia's public education system.
Air Mechanical Sales, Inc.
Classroom Precision Climate Management Systems

David Light
Phone: (540) 344-9253

Metz Culinary Management
Metz is a leading provider of exceptional school dining and environmental services.

Dave Pisarchik 
Phone: (814) 242-6283
Thompson & Litton
Thompson & Litton offers an array of engineering, architectural, surveying, planning and construction services. We focus on the future and provide our clients with creative solutions with an emphasis on the world around us.

Jack Murphy, AIA  
Phone: (276) 328-2161
Visit https://www.vsba.org/resources/affiliates/affiliate_member_program/ for a complete list of VSBA's Affiliate Members.
UPCOMING EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, & WEBINARS
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
LOCATION: Webinar
DETAIL: The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits boards to hold closed sessions only when certain requirements are met. This webinar will focus on the requirements for motions to go into a closed session and how those motions shape the board’s discussions. The webinar will include examples of motions that satisfy the FOIA requirements. Please note: this training does not satisfy the legal requirement for elected school board members to receive FOIA training. 
Cost:$160 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
April Hot Topic Conference
LOCATION: Virtual Conference
DETAIL: Join us virtually for the 2021 VSBA April Hot Topic Conference. This conference brings together dynamic speakers addressing issues that are important and relevant to every school division. This year we will be discussing the important topic of collective bargaining.
Cost:$175 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations, VSBA Academy Credit Points will NOT be awarded for any individual not registered)
Thursday, April 22, 2021
LOCATION: Webinar
DETAIL: Project iGuardian is presented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Project iGuardian is an HSI initiative “designed to inform youths, parents, and educators about the risks that children face in the online environment” that also “aims to arm educators and parents with knowledge and resources to help protect children.” HSI, which is the investigative arm of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to create much of the presentation. We also give example scenarios based on our local investigations to help parents, teachers, policymakers and other law enforcement better understand how children can become victimized online.  
Cost:$160 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations)
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
LOCATION: Webinar
DETAIL: The 2021 session of the Virginia General Assembly has concluded with lawmakers acting on numerous pieces of legislation and budgetary items that will have lasting impacts on public education in the Commonwealth. Join VSBA Government Relations Specialist, J.T. Kessler, for analysis on newly passed legislation and a final review of the events during the 2021 session.
Cost: Free
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
LOCATION: Virtual Conference
DETAIL: 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 manage risk and foster a safe and healthy school environment.  
Cost:$195 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations, VSBA Academy Credit Points will NOT be awarded for any individual not registered)
Thursday, April 29, 2021
LOCATION: Virtual Conference
DETAIL: Join us for the seventh annual school board clerks spring conference. Held virtually, this conference will feature important topics of interest to both new, and seasoned school board clerks and will involve interactive discussion groups for attendees. Agenda topics include meeting minutes, review of FOIA, mindfulness, and many more hot topics!
Cost:$195 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations, VSBA Academy Credit Points will NOT be awarded for any individual not registered)
Thursday, May 6, 2021
LOCATION: Virtual Conference
DETAIL: Join us for the VSBA’s Budget Training workshop to learn more about the importance of The Board’s Role in Developing the School Budget. In this virtual workshop, based on member requests, board members will learn their role in the budget process and how it relates to the board’s mission and vision for the school system. Specific topics that will be discussed include School Finance Basics, Local, State and Federal Funds, The Budget Process, Effective Budget Presentations, Factors Affecting a Budget and Building Support for the Budget, and the School Board’s Role in Effective School Finance Management.
Cost:$175 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations, VSBA Academy Credit Points will NOT be awarded for any individual not registered)
Friday, June 4, 2021
LOCATION: Virtual Conference
DETAIL: The conference will kick off with a presentation on providing services remotely to the special education student population and how division budgets can impact these services. Following this presentation, is a session on collective bargaining. Experts within the field will give an update on how their agreements are going and how to troubleshoot for future endeavors. Next, hear about attorney-client matters do’s and don’ts, followed by a presentation on the legislative changes for school resource officers. To close out, there will be a legislative update from the VSBA team.
Cost:$195 per registration (multiple registrations needed if viewing from multiple devices/locations, VSBA Academy Credit Points will NOT be awarded for any individual not registered)
200 Hansen Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911
Tel: 434-295-8722 Fax: 434-295-8785