VIRGINIA DAILY EDUCATION NEWS

Monday, January 3, 2022

The Virginia Daily Education News is a daily update (Monday through Friday) of education news throughout Virginia. Links are created to various media outlets throughout the state. Click the underlined headlines to view the articles.

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2022 Session: Virginia General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly returns to Richmond on January 12th. Stay informed of the legislative proceedings by viewing the VSBA Legislative Update Blog daily! Please reach out to J.T. at jason@vsba.org if you have any questions.

Click Here to View the VSBA Legislative Update Blog

Chesapeake School Board votes to mandate masks again as student return

CHESAPEAKE - At the end of a tense meeting filled with outbursts, Chesapeake's school board voted Friday to reinstate mask mandates across the division. Vice Chair Colleen Leary said she called the special meeting because the board wanted to reassess the division's COVID-19 protocols as students return from winter break amid a recent surge in cases.

Schools to open Jan. 3 despite COVID-19 surge, but at-home tests, 'test-to-stay' strategy are coming, superintendent says

Prince William County schools students will return to classrooms as planned on Monday, Jan. 3 without new testing requirements despite a fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic that's now setting records for new daily infections across the state.

How Central Virginia schools are responding to back-to-school COVID worries

RICHMOND, Va. -- The start of a new year brings the return to school for thousands of area kids, an exciting yet unsettling prospect for many parents in the midst of a COVID-19 surge. "It's definitely been on my mind a lot, the rising numbers," Richmond mom Theresa Kennedy said.

Southwest Virginia schools receive nearly $1 million for new security equipment

VIRGINIA (WJHL) - In an effort to improve school safety, several schools in Southwest Virginia are set to receive nearly $1 million dollars from the state department of education to spend on school security equipment. The funds are part of a $12 million statewide School Security Equipment Grants that the Virginia Department of Education says [...]

Henrico teachers, staff wary of return to school without updated safety plan | The Henrico Citizen

Henrico County Public Schools leaders sent an email to staff members on Thursday to address the surge in COVID-19 community transmission and let employees know that the school system's health committee will meet Monday - the same day students and staff return to school after winter break.

Students address school board about Confederate flags, start petition for a ban

Several Orange County High School students and alumni are seeking school board action stemming from a Nov. 5 incident at the school during which some students felt threatened by other students wearing or bearing controversial flags. The flags included the Gadsden flag, Trump flags (one with profanity) and what is commonly known as the Confederate flag or the Dixie flag.

Loudoun Schools will Maintain 10-Day Isolation Period - Loudoun Now

In an email sent to the families of Loudoun County Public Schools students today, Superintendent Scott Ziegler said the school division will stick to its current quarantine protocols when classes resume Monday. The policy requires people exposed to COVID-19 to isolate for 10 days.

COVID-19 concerns: Arlington schools put extracurricular activities on hold until Jan. 14

As coronavirus case numbers surge throughout the region, Arlington Public Schools announced it will put all in-person athletics and extracurricular activities on hold for the next two weeks. APS Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán made the announcement in a letter to families, detailing the school district's plans following the winter break.

RPS announces 5-point plan to limit spread of COVID amid variant concerns

RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond Public Schools shared their plans for the return for the spring semester amid the spread of the omicron variant. On Thursday, Virginia hit a new record for daily cases reported. The Commonwealth reported 13,500 new cases of coronavirus after hitting another record high of over 12,100 on Wednesday.

Fairfax County Schools COVID Test Site Sees Long Lines

There's a rush to get tested for COVID-19 before Fairfax County Public Schools classes resume Monday. News4's Derrick Ward reports live at one site Sunday morning.

Click Here to View VSBA Letter to Membership Regarding NSBA

Don't miss these upcoming VSBA Events

Orientation for New Board Members, Superintendents, Chairs and Vice-Chairs

There are few elected/appointed positions as important to the future of our communities as a school board member. As election season wraps up and new educational leaders prepare to take their seats on boards of education across the state, VSBA is here to help them become the best board member they...

2022 VSBA Capital Conference, January 24-25, 2022

New This Year! We will kick-off the two-day conference with a panel of school board members answering important questions on why school board advocacy is a must. After the lunch panel there will be commentary on the new political scene both in Virginia and nationally, as well as a review of the Governor’s budget.

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