A George Mason University professor is reviving a 41-year-old record book of state government information, this time online and with a focus on women in Virginia politics.Toni-Michelle Travis, along with seven GMU students in the Schar School of Policy, is working on a new and improved digital version of the...
A group of lawmakers is weighing whether teachers merit an extra level of protection during child abuse investigations.For most cases, an allegation is considered founded if child protective services investigators determine that the alleged abuse or neglect actually occurred based on the available evidence.But if the alleged act took...
A special House of Delegates committee floated 54 ways the state could make schools safer from the threat of shootings and violence. Among them: Bullet-resistant whiteboards, more guidance counselors, more school resource officers.The long list – which lawmakers say they still need to price out and winnow down –...
Attorney General Mark Herring said in an opinion Tuesday that a plan approved last month by the Lee County School Board to arm teachers is unlawful."For five years in a row the General Assembly rejected specific proposals to arm teachers, so there’s really no ambiguity," Herring said in a statement.In...
It's that time of year again, and Virginia's college campuses are swarming with students who might gain a lot over the next semester: hopefully some knowledge, maybe a few pounds and possibly mumps.So far, there have been 157 cases of mumps this year, more than three times the typical...
Between state and local governments, in 2016 Virginia spent 33 percent less than in 2008 on school capital projects, like building new schools or renovating existing ones, according to a new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C., research and policy nonprofit.Virginia is among...
With Lee County announcing its intention earlier this month to become the first school system in Virginia to arm teachers, partly because it's cheaper than hiring officers, Gov. Ralph Northam's office says an additional $1.3 million is available in grants for police and security.“Ensuring the safety of Virginians, especially...
A different result with ranked-choice voting?Could instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting, have installed Nick Freitas as the GOP Senate candidate instead of Corey Stewart? Marla McKenna at The Culpeper Star-Exponent quotes Freitas as in favor of the method, calling it "a solid policy" and pledging to support legislation that...
The Chronicle of Higher Education released its annual ranking of executive compensation of the country’s public and private colleges universities over the weekend.The highest-paid public college president in the state, Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, came in at 43 on the list with a compensation package totaling $690,943.Behind...
Members of the Lee County School Board voted unanimously last week to buy some teachers guns and have them designated as "conservators of the peace" as part of a new school security program."We’ve realized we can not afford to put the number of school resource officers in Lee County...
