VIRGINIA DAILY EDUCATION NEWS

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Tuesday, January 3, 2023

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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Moseley Architects is a proud supporter of the Virginia School Boards Association.

For more than 50 years, Moseley Architects has served as a trusted partner to Virginia’s public schools. We are passionate about design and appreciate collaborating with clients to design learning environments that foster safe and effective teaching and learning experiences. www.moseleyarchitects.com

Reinforce Learning

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Jonathan Oliva is in third grade, but struggles to read and write. "His teacher said he's like a kindergartner. He doesn't know anything. And she can't help because her class is too big," his mother, Veronica Lucas, said in Spanish, standing in the parking lot outside his elementary school.

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RPS makes history in collective bargaining negotiations

Richmond Public Schools recently negotiated agreements with four collective bargaining "units" that will result in increased salaries, compensation and benefits for those employees. The RPS school board was the first in the state to pass a collective bargaining resolution last December since the Virginia Supreme Court banned such agreements for public sector employees 45 years ago.

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NAACP: Phonics-based learning can close reading gaps between African American and white students

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) -The Fairfax County NAACP says there is a noticeable gap in reading pass rates between African American and white students. The organization says research suggests a certain reading style has the most immediate and profound impact on closing this achievement gap. Doctor Sujatha Hampton is with Fairfax County's Education Committee.

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Smithfield High wins regional engineering contest - Smithfield Times

Smithfield High School won first place in the Virginia, Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) STEM and Student Engagement Regional K-12 Engineering Design Challenge in Suffolk. The challenge, which took place on STEM Day on Nov. 8, asked participating schools to build a prototype of an arcade or carnival game made with household or recyclable [...]

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LCPS attorney, school board mum on $323K payout to ex-supe

When Scott A. Ziegler was fired as Loudoun County Public Schools superintendent on Dec. 6, the termination called for him to receive a year's salary and benefits in monthly installments which works out to roughly $323,000 in salary. Ziegler, fired over his mishandling of the 2021 student-on-student sexual assault scandal, was terminated under the "without cause" language of his contract.

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Short on community health workers, a county trains teens as youth ambassadors

Of all the things she could have done on her summer vacation, Bithaniya Fieseha, a senior at West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Va., decided to study chronic disease, mental health and contact tracing. Some of her friends didn't understand the appeal. "I feel like people are like, 'You wasted your summer,' " she says.

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Virginia parent speaks out after lawmakers introduce 'three-strike' bill for student disruptive behavior

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) - A Fairfax County mother is criticizing Virginia lawmakers after a new policy was introduced that she believes would disproportionately harm students with autism. The policy, House Bill 1461, would require each school district in Virginia to follow a uniform system of discipline for disruptive behavior and the removal [...]

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Bill would change how Virginia schools are notified about employee arrests after sex offense was overlooked

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) - One lawmaker wants to change how schools across Virginia are notified about employee arrests and convictions. It comes after information about one sex offender fell through the cracks. Darren Thornton, a former counselor at Glasgow Middle School in Fairfax County, kept his job for 20 months after being charged with soliciting prostitution from a minor in Chesterfield County.

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New Williamsburg-James City County School Board member wants to represent 'all students and all parents'

For Andrea Donnor, education has always played a big part in her life, going back to when she watched her grandmother as a teacher. Now, Donnor will step into an education role of her own when she takes her seat as the Williamsburg-James City County Schools' newest school board member on Jan.

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School lunch bills due as thousands of DMV students struggle to pay

American schools continue feeding hungry students, but the federal government stopped picking up the bill in June.

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Don't miss these upcoming VSBA Events

Orientation for New Board Members, Superintendents, Chairs and Vice-Chairs, January 31, 2023


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 optimize the effectiveness of their governance teams.

2023 VSBA Capital Conference, January 30-31, 2023

This year’s two-day Capital Conference will kick off with a budget and economic outlook for 2023 with the latest update on the Commonwealth’s financial picture. After the budget presentation there will be a conversation between Former Virginia House of Delegate Chris Saxman and Dr. Bob Holsworth with their perspectives on the landscape of Virginia politics in 2023 and beyond. Following this session, attendees will hear from VSBA’s own, J.T. Kessler and Stacy Haney on the happenings at the Capitol for the 2023 Virginia General Assembly.

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