EDUCATION
27 Charlottesville High teachers called out of work after student violence. Was it a strike?
On the Friday prior to Thanksgiving, 27 teachers at Charlottesville High School called out of work in response to a series of violent student brawls. While Charlottesville City Schools said the number of absences is “not much higher than it would be for a regular Friday,” the division ultimately closed the school through the Thanksgiving […]
Community college enrollment rises in Virginia but remains below pre-pandemic levels
More Virginia students have been taking a full course load at community colleges over the past year, but enrollments are still short of pre-pandemic levels, according to data collected by the Virginia Community College System. Data shows a 3.36% increase in enrollment statewide from fall 2022 to fall 2023, an increase that VCCS officials attribute […]
Virginia launches pilot to mentor new principals
The Virginia Department of Education is launching a pilot program to help support new and inexperienced principals at federally designated at-risk schools in an effort to address what officials call a “crucial need.” “We are excited about it. Mentoring principals has been a long time coming to the commonwealth,” said Randy Barrack, CEO of the […]
After a state study found Virginia is underfunding schools, local governments want action
Before the new class of General Assembly members takes office in January, they are facing a push from local government leaders to quickly address Virginia’s historical underfunding of its school divisions. In September, the General Assembly convened a group to examine how the state’s funding formulas could be updated to fix the problem, with recommendations […]
Va. Board of Ed backs creation of state standards for career and technical education
As demand for skilled workers grows, Virginia is planning to develop new career and technical education standards to make it easier for schools to offer programs that pivot from the traditional path of college preparation. On Wednesday, the Virginia Board of Education voted unanimously to support the creation of state CTE standards that will allow […]
U.S. Department of Ed announces Dec. 31 rollout for new FAFSA
College financial aid applicants can expect the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, on Dec. 31, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday. Schools and applicants in Virginia and elsewhere have been waiting eagerly for the announcement after the agency said on March 21 […]
In Virginia, local govts increasingly eye speed cameras to slow school and work zone traffic
Across Virginia, local governments are launching speed camera enforcement programs in school and work zones in an effort to slow an increase in accidents seen during the pandemic. While recent data shows crashes have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, some local leaders are questioning whether the programs, which not only record when drivers are moving above […]
This Virginia teen is saving our skin
More than 7,300 miles separate Virginia from Ethiopia, the birthplace of Hemen Bekele, a Fairfax teen newly named “America’s Top Young Scientist” for his potentially groundbreaking invention of skin cancer-fighting soap. Despite the distance, Bekele keeps his homeland close to his heart and credits it as his inspiration for creating a soap designed to treat […]
Teacher’s lawsuit should force needed re-examination of workers’ comp, classroom violence
Beyond the arguments over whether a former Newport News teacher can sue for damages, or should instead be limited to the remedies in Virginia’s restrictive, century-old Workers’ Compensation Act, lies this reality: No educator should ever be the victim of a shooting by a student – especially when the child is only 6 years old. […]
Hanover School Board referendum measure likely defeated, school board to remain appointed
Voters in Hanover County appeared to have defeated a measure that would have converted its appointed school board to an elected body, demonstrated by a narrow lead of opposition votes as of late Wednesday afternoon after the polls closed Tuesday evening. The Virginia Public Access Project on Wednesday afternoon projected that the measure to change […]
The FAFSA form is changing. Education groups want a release date.
Virginia students and schools are still waiting for the federal government to announce the release date for the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a form that students must fill out to determine whether they can get federal financial aid for post-high school education. The U.S. Department of Education announced on March […]
Ally is a verb: supporting Va.’s LGBTQ+ students
We are nearly through the first semester, with Thanksgiving break around the corner. This year, Virginia students and teachers have had to bear in mind new policies – policies that have divided communities. Unfortunately, barriers and biases against transgender and nonbinary youth have persisted in the ongoing debate as to whether they have a right […]