Dear Fellow School Board Members,
I cannot begin this contribution to our newsletter without first recognizing the remarkable response to meet the needs of students and staff happening across school divisions in the wake of the COVID-19 induced State of Emergency. In times like these, we know the full value of public schools to our communities is on full display. We know public school divisions throughout the commonwealth will continue to deliver all the services we can from academics to meals to emotional support and everything in between to the greatest extent allowable. Let us continue to thank and acknowledge all school employees and leaders for the selfless devotion to Virginia’s children even as they strive to provide care and support for their own households and families.
Your Virginia School Boards Association is also hard at work continuing to provide leadership, advocacy, and support to you locally, statewide, and nationally. Congratulations to those of you who held regional spring forums prior to the state of emergency declaration. Once again you provided an excellent showcase of your region’s innovation, student talent, and commitment to sharing best practices.
Thank you for your continued kindness, patience, and understanding as our small but mighty VSBA staff dedicates itself to effective and efficient support to all of our members individually and collectively. Operationally VSBA is a small business and is subject to many of the same adaptations that small businesses are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we all work together during these times, please know:
- Your VSBA Board of Directors is communicating and meeting virtually to support our organization’s needs and services to you.
- Collaboration and engagement with the Virginia Department of Education to support flexibility for local decision-making in the best interests of your community continues
- Assessment of legislation from the recent General Assembly has not missed a beat. You may continue to review the VSBA blogs and newsletters for updates.
- VSBA Executive Director Gina Patterson continues to lead nationally. Her leadership is affording Virginia public school divisions to be at the forefront of strategic decision-making.
- School board policies are under review to help guide and support us all during these seemingly unprecedented times.
There is a plethora of other examples of continuing and new efforts underway to support the VSBA mission of promoting excellence in public education through advocacy, training and services. Before I close, I want to thank you for making the premiere VSBA Equity Month in Education a rousing success. The importance of equity in delivering quality educational opportunities to each and every student is being ripened in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I take the opportunity in this edition to remind you that your VSBA understands the expectations the community has of you during these challenging times. Please remember WE CAN MAKE IT… TOGETHER!
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Rodney A. Jordan
VSBA President
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Issue Highlights
VSBA Leadership Spotlight: Douglas Brown, Tidewater Region Chair
Spotlight Article on Giles County Public Schools
2020 General Assembly Recap
COVID-19 Communications Tips
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Executive Director
Gina G. Patterson
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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I hope that you are all well amidst the chaos that is present in our daily interactions with one another. I continue to be impressed by the work that you have each been tasked with as School Board Members.
As you can imagine, the looming pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of operations and any hope for normalcy. As such, many upcoming meetings have been impacted. Thank you to each of you for your understanding and flexibility as we continue to update you on the status of our meetings.
On Friday, March 20th at the Board of Directors Meeting, the Board passed a
Resolution
which suspended all remaining regional meetings for 2020. We will miss the opportunity to gather with you all, but we must prioritize health and safety.
Before the imposed restrictions on Public Gatherings, we were able to join the Central and Southside regions for their Regional Spring Network Forums. On March 4th, the Central Region started out this year’s Forums at Orange County High School. The program for the evening included a student led tour through the division's technology classrooms, as well as a solar powered mobile STEM lab.
The Southside Regional Spring Network Forum on March 5th was held at Dinwiddie High School. The presenters for the evening were the Petersburg Superintendent Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, as well as the Hopewell Superintendent Dr. Melody Hackney, who each provided meaningful presentations on the hard work occurring in each division to ensure equitable education of their students.
Staff is working diligently to collaborate with the divisions who had registered for the remaining Regional Spring Network Forums on the details of holding the art contest digitally. We are working on creative ways to continue to provide the opportunities that have become tradition over time.
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2020 General Assembly Session
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The 2020 session of the Virginia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die on March 12, 2020. With a new majority party in control for the first time in many years, significant changes to state policy were debated and adopted by the legislature. These new policy measures will impact school divisions across the Commonwealth.
In the 2020 session, the VSBA lobbying team tracked over 349 pieces of legislation which was an unprecedented number when compared to previous years. We would like to thank each of you that answered our legislative action alerts and contacted your members of the General Assembly. Your swift response assisted the lobbying team in both stopping or amending worrisome pieces of legislation. We could not have done this without you.
This year, lawmakers were charged with adopting the Biennium Budget which will set funding priorities for the state through 2022. In addition to funding for rebenchmarking, the two-year budget includes the following highlights:
- $95.1 million in the first year and $194.5 million in the second year to fund the state share of 2% salary increases each year for SOQ funded positions, effective July 1 of each year of the biennium.
- $6.7 million in the first year and $14.3 million in the second year decrease the ELL student to teacher rations from 17:1000 (current) to 18.5”1000 in the first year and 20:1000 in the second year.
- $21.2 million in the first year and $24.9 million in the second year to provide the state share of the costs to fund one school counselor for every 325 students in grades K-12.
- $8.7 million in the second year to increase the upper range of the at-risk add-on from 25% to 26%
- $263 million in the first year and $266.2 million in the second year to establish the Infrastructure and Operations Per Pupil Fund from lottery proceeds. (This replaced the Supplemental Per Pupil Lottery Allocation.) These funds cannot be used to offset local funding.
For more information you can access the full budget proposal by
clicking here
. Please note that any amendments or vetoes by the Governor will be considered at the veto session, scheduled for April 22, 2020.
In addition to the budget, the General Assembly passed the following pieces of legislation that will impact school divisions:
SB7 (Saslaw)
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HB395 (Ward) Increases the minimum wage from its current federally mandated level of $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour effective January 1, 2021; to $11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2022; to $12.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023; to $13.500 per hour effective January 1, 2025; and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026 .
Thereafter the state minimum wage will be set by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry with yearly increase based on the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items. The measure creates a training wage at 75 percent the minimum wage employees in on-the-job training programs lasting less than 90 days.
SB939 (Saslaw)/ HB582 (Guzman) Authorizes local governments and school boards to allow for collective bargaining by local ordinance or resolution. The bill prohibits public employees from striking. In addition, the bill requires the local governing body or school board to adopt "procedures for the certification and decertification of exclusive bargaining representatives, including reasonable public notice and opportunity for labor organizations to intervene in the process for designating an exclusive representative of a bargaining unit." Finally, the bill provides that if a majority of public employees in a unit (unit is not defined) want collective bargaining, the board must hold a vote to decide whether to approve collective bargaining. In other words, the unions can force a school board to vote on the issue.
SB3 (McClellan)/ HB256 (Mullin) Provides that a student at any elementary or secondary school is not guilty of disorderly conduct in a public place if the disorderly conduct occurred on school property, on a school bus, or at any activity conducted or sponsored by any school.
SB729 (McClellan)/ HB257 (Mullin) Eliminates the requirement that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense. Felony offenses must still be reported to law enforcement. Additionally, school principals may, in their discretion, still report misdemeanor offenses.
SB98 (Locke)/ HB365 (Carroll Foy) Removes (i) the option for local school boards to extend the three-year probationary term of service for teachers by up to two additional years and (ii) the prohibition against school boards reemploying any teacher whose performance evaluation during the probationary term of service is unsatisfactory.
SB377 (Bell) Permits a school board to conduct a teacher grievance hearing before a three-member fact-finding panel consisting of one member selected by the teacher, one member selected by the division superintendent, and an impartial hearing officer selected by the other two panel members to serve as the chairman of the panel. Under current law, the school board has the option of appointing a hearing officer or conducting such hearing itself. The bill also removes the requirement that a teacher grievance hearing be set within 15 days of the request for such hearing and extends from five days to 10 days the minimum period of advanced written notice to the teacher of the time and place of such hearing.
The VSBA Lobbying team was able to defeat the following pieces of worrisome legislation:
SB420 (DeSteph) Provides for the submission and utilization of seizure management and action plans for students with a seizure disorder. The bill requires that school nurses and certain school division employees biennially complete a Board of Education-approved online course of instruction regarding treating students with seizure disorders. This bill was continued until 2021.
SB134 (Stuart)/ HB273 (VanValkenburg) Requires each local school board to ensure that each elementary school teacher has an average of one 45-minute period per school day of planning time and that each middle and high school teacher is provided an average of one planning period per school day or the equivalent, which shall be at least 45 minutes or one class period, whichever is longer.
HB332 (Hope) Requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a geographically representative two-year pilot program to administer reading diagnostic tests that include all components of a normed rapid automatized naming test. This bill was continued until 2021.
HB15 (Krizek) Requires the Board of Education to make regulations to require each new public school bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equipped with a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder strap or harness in every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure that no later than July 1, 2038, each school bus that it uses for the transportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat.
HB40 (Samirah) Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulations to require that each public school create and maintain a mental health break space within the public school building.
For a full report on legislation of interest that passed and failed as well as analysis of the House and Senate budget proposals, please visit the
VSBA legislative blog
. Additionally, if you are interested in becoming more involved with VSBA’s advocacy efforts or have any questions or concerns, please contact J.T. Kessler at jason@vsba.org. Thank you again for your support and active engagement of VSBA’s advocacy and legislative initiatives.
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COVID-19 Communications Tips
Samantha Bosserman, Director of Communications and Board Development
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COVID-19 has created an unprecedented time in our history. Information is changing minute by minute and the community is looking to you as leaders in the community for information. When communicating with employees, students and families about Coronavirus, here are a few helpful key messages and tips to keep in mind:
- Check with the Superintendent and staff to determine the official communication message from the school division.
- Know your school board norms- if the press contacts you as a school board member, who should respond to the question?
- Be prepared to receive questions and comments from the community- have talking points available at all times, provided by your division’s staff.
- Make yourself aware of how your school division is responding and help communicate that information through the community.
- Emphasize what is known at the time of the communication.
- Include the date/time in all communications, including social media posts, because information can change quickly.
- Share your division’s webpage that has been created. The website should be easily updated to links with the most current information from reliable sources, including the local and state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control.
- The best way to combat rumors and speculation is easy access to reliable information.
- Review the VSBA resources for COVID-19 available on the VSBA Website.
There are also a number of resources available for school divisions to conduct meetings with online services- keeping in mind of the recent
Attorney General Opinion on Electronic Meetings
. See below for links regarding resources for video conferencing.
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VSBA Profile in Leadership- Meet Douglas Brown, VSBA Board of Directors, Tidewater Region Chair
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Where is your hometown?
Newport News is my hometown, but I grew up in San Jose, CA.
How long have you been a school board member?
I was elected in May of 2014.
Was there a teacher or administrator that has had a lasting effect on your life?
I believe the public education is the primary driver of long-term economic growth, crime reduction, and stable communities. Improving public education provides systemic improvement in a locality that lasts for multiple generations.
What is your motto as a board member?
Innovation in Education. Board members should always be looking to stay ahead of the trends and be thought-leaders for their divisions.
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Douglas Brown
Newport News City School Board
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What is your pie-in-the-sky vision for education?
I believe that we can make every student recession-proof and reduce the cost of vocational of college education. I foresee a day when all
students graduate from High School with a Diploma, and an Associates Degree. Every student learning a trade or finishing their first two years of college.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as a school board member?
Having a dropout rate of 1.8% for all of our students. For me, that is a bottom-line measure of the effectiveness of every intervention program, and alternative support we offer students. Since I've joined the board we have gone from 3.2% to 1.8%.
What is your advice for new school board members?
Read your policy manual. School boards control policy. Figure out which policies you want to adopt and which ones you want to change.
How do you define advocacy?
Showing people what is possible. Helping the public understand the true value that public education offers an entire community
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What made you want to get involved in advocacy?
According to the Millionaire Next Door, a research book profiling the wealthy in America, 83% of the wealthy in America went to Public School. Yet, the media and many politicians say that the schools are failing. Both of these facts cannot be true.
Why is advocacy important to you and your role as a school board member?
Law and Policy follow public sentiment. If public schools are truly a lost cause, then no one of talent will join the profession, there is no reason to add more money to them, and the state and federal government may as well take them over.
Advocacy can be intimidating to some people. What advice do you have for them on ways to gradually become more engaged in advocacy?
Vote. When you vote you will become more aware of what the candidates offer to your community. Awareness will either make you satisfied or angry. You'll know what to do from there.
What is the most challenging aspect of advocacy and how do you work to overcome it?
There are people out there that may support my cause but they may not be motivated or engaged. Giving people concrete examples of successes and failures in other communities has helped me with many citizens.
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Application Process for Nomination and Election of VSBA At-Large
Members and Regional Officers
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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 20, 2020 VSBA Board of Directors meeting are: Tyrone Foster (Bristol), Chair;
Karen Whetzel (Shenandoah County), Douglas Brown (Newport News City), Sherrie Page (Orange County), Gavin Honeycutt (Mecklenburg County).
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 who 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:
- Blue Ridge Region
- Eastern Region
- Southside Region
- Valley Region
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Division Spotlight: Giles County Public Schools
In each newsletter VSBA will spotlight a recent initiative or best practice taking place in a school division in Virginia. If you have a story you would like to submit for inclusion in the spotlight section of the VSBA Newsletter, please contact Samantha Bosserman, director of communications and board development, for more information. We look forward to hearing about the great things going on in your divisions.
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Unique Strategies for Expanding Summer Food Programs
Submitted by Giles County Public Schools
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Rural Giles County, Virginia, has a population of approximately 16,837 and 2,450 students Pre-k through grade 12. In 2013, Giles County Public Schools started their first ever Summer Food Program at one site. Leary of how well attended the program would be, it was decided to offer a low-cost meal to adults ($2) in hopes of bringing in more children. Free transportation county-wide was also offered. The program used countless volunteers to offset labor costs. That year, an average of 154 meals were served per day (100 children; 54 adults).
Fast forward to 2019....a total of 3 open sites (1 school, 1 public pool, 1 public library), free transportation, arts & crafts activities, scheduled field trips, $2.50 adult meals, and an average of 363 meals per day (257 children; 106 adults). In 7 summers, 69,839 meals have been served.
Key stakeholders necessary for expanding a summer food program:
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Rural Giles County, Virginia, has a population of approximately 16,837 and 2,450 students Pre-k through grade 12. In 2013, Giles County Public Schools started their first ever Summer Food Program at one site. Leary of how well attended the program would be, it was decided to offer a low-cost meal to adults ($2) in hopes of bringing in more children. Free transportation county-wide was also offered. The program used countless volunteers to offset labor costs. That year, an average of 154 meals were served per day (100 children; 54 adults).
Fast forward to 2019....a total of 3 open sites (1 school, 1 public pool, 1 public library), free transportation, arts & crafts activities, scheduled field trips, $2.50 adult meals, and an average of 363 meals per day (257 children; 106 adults). In 7 summers, 69,839 meals have been served.
Key stakeholders necessary for expanding a summer food program:
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All of the above are so important in the development and expansion of a good, strong program. One of the Giles County sites (Narrows High School) is so unique because of the daily enrichment activities that are scheduled. Some of these activities include:
Grant money also helps offset program costs. Over the years, funding has been secured from organizations such as No Kid Hungry, WalMart, FoodLion, Kroger, The American Heart Association, and others. Local businesses also donate money from time to time (Celanese, Celco Federal Credit Union, The Palisades Restaurant, etc). Local churches typically send funds from time to time too.
Churches from the community volunteer their time by sending anywhere from 4 to 15 individuals to work particular days of each week. Labor costs are reduced when volunteers are used. Another volunteer program is the Giles County ACCE organization (Access to Community College Education). In Giles County, any student who graduates from one of our high schools with a minimum GPA can attend New River Community College for 2 years FREE. Part of the requirement is students must volunteer 80 hours each summer. A lot of these ACCE students request to do their volunteer hours with the Summer Food Program. Another huge cost-saving measure!
Giles County’s Summer Food Program motto was taken from the state motto in 2013, FOOD THAT’S IN WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT. A tradition of feeding children & adults, introducing children to arts & crafts, and development long-lasting relationships is just a small piece of the Giles County
program....one that will be around for many years.
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News Tidbits: Stories and Studies from Around the Country
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States Putting Early Career Exploration to Work for Students
Research has found that adolescence is a time when students begin to think more abstractly, learn through teamwork and have a desire to explore topics they find interesting. Additional research suggests that middle school is a time when students...
Read more
ednote.ecs.org
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Education Dept. Says Disability Laws Shouldn't Get In...
The vast majority of states have closed public schools in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and many districts are now faced with a dilemma: how to provide remote learning to students without running afoul of civil rights and...
Read more
www.npr.org
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An Unorthodox Strategy Closes Academic Gaps
In a test-obsessed K-12 system, Superintendent Shari Camhi has taken a holistic view of education without sacrificing rigorous academics. The Baldwin Union Free School District, N.Y., leader has helped close graduation gaps, and black and Latino...
Read more
leaders.edweek.org
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Building a Culture of Inclusion for All Students
Inclusion is the guiding light of special education. Nellie Aspel, the director of exceptional children in Cleveland County Schools, N.C., has embraced it as the keystone for helping all students often considered difficult to teach, especially...
Read more
leaders.edweek.org
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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.
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Assura, Inc.
Assura is a cyber security firm who is securing the future one client at a time. We help schools provide a safe computing environment for children.
Tracy Davenport
Phone: (804) 767-8775
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Draper Aden Associates
Draper Aden is a full service civil engineering, survey and environmental firm. While we concentrate on engineering, surveying and environmental services, we add value to just about any project you are working on.
Frank Burke
Phone: (434) 906-4712
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Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric offers its clients design build energy and infrastructure solutions to help them make necessary improvements to existing facilities without increasing taxpayer funds.
Barry Wilhelm
Phone: (804) 486-1005
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UPCOMING EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, & WEBINARS
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March 30, 2020, 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Free
DETAIL: Join us for a live webinar on March 30
th
, 2020 for a Q&A session with State Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. Originally scheduled to attend the Tidewater regional meeting, Secretary Qarni has agreed to join us virtually so that we can all hear updates from his office. Seats for this webinar will be limited to the first 100 registrants, however we will share the recorded interview.
April 2, 2020,
LOCATION: Online
Webinar, Paid
DETAIL:
The Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Superintendents developed by the Virginia Department of Education provide a wealth of information regarding the new requirements. Filtering through this document to determine what is required and what is optional requires focused attention. For some, the changes to their current evaluation model may be minor, while others face major revisions in order to be in compliance with the regulations. This workshop is designed to provide small group support to superintendents and board members responsible for assessing and updating their evaluation model. Participants will have the opportunity to review the guidelines in detail and then use them as they draft their own models. Individual consultation and support will be provided throughout the session as participants work on their revisions.
April 3, 2020, 12:00pm- 1:00pm
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Free
DETAIL: Join Executive Director Gina Patterson and Dr. Phil Gore, Division Director of Board Development with the Texas Association of School Boards. Gina and Dr. Gore will lead a discussion on the board's role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 8, 2020, 12:00 p.m.- 1:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Free
DETAIL: There is wide agreement that governance is a critical path to educational excellence and student achievement. The governing decisions and judgments that your school board makes, in close collaboration with the superintendent and senior administrators, have a tremendous impact on your district’s long-range educational performance in terms of student achievement, and on your district’s financial health and institutional stability. Building your school board’s governing capacity is what this webinar is all about.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020, 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Free
DETAIL:In just three years Martinsville City Public Schools moved from all four of its schools being Partially Accredited, two of them Reconstituted, and three under federal sanction to all four schools being Accredited with no federal sanctions. In fact, this year Martinsville Middle School and Martinsville High School have received the VDOE Continuous Improvement Award. This has been accomplished in a division where all of the schools are Community Eligible Partnership schools providing each student with free breakfast and lunch, and three of the schools are Title I School-wide schools. In fact, Martinsville’s division-wide average from low income families is 70%. Dr. Talley and his team will share the story of this journey and the keys to making the transformation and answer any questions.
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Paid
DETAIL: Join us for the VSBA’s first Budget Training Webinar to learn more about the importance of The Board’s Role in Developing the School Budget. In this new conference 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.
Monday, May 11, 2020 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Free
DETAIL: Learn how Tyler Elementary reduced discipline by growing and sustaining school-wide mindfulness practices. This presentation will include brain research connected to mindfulness in education, ways to build staff knowledge, how to engage your community, and more. Presenters will take participants through various interactive exercises and share the impact of focusing on student well-being.
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar, Paid
DETAIL: School Board members often communicate with their constituents through Facebook, Twitter, or other social media accounts. In this webinar, we will discuss challenges and limitations such as removing comments or blocking individuals. In addition, Constitutional issues and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act will be discussed.
Cost: $150 per connection (unlimited number of participants per connection). REGISTRATION FOR THE WEBINAR IS FINAL. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, the webinar recording will be available for purchase.
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200 Hansen Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911
Tel: 434-295-8722 Fax: 434-295-8785
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