Search
Virginia Board of Education member is also serving in Trump administration
Virginia Board of Education member Amber Northern started a new job in the Trump administration on Monday, as a senior adviser to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon – raising questions about whether simultaneously holding the positions at the state and federal levels poses a conflict of interest. ... She is serving in the federal role under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act agreement, which allows employees from outside organizations to temporarily work in federal agencies. Northern said she is awaiting guidance from “the powers that be” on whether her roles in the state and federal government could present a conflict.
Virginia Department of Education plans to launch Office of Excellence and Best Practices
The Virginia Department of Education is preparing to launch a new Office of Excellence and Best Practices by hiring an executive director who will be responsible for fostering innovation, highlighting high-performing schools, and directing resources toward initiatives with a proven track record of improving student outcomes. The agency posted an advertisement for the opening last week. Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson, who began in March, said it has been challenging for the agency to track and share successful educational practices and resources across school divisions, despite significant funding. ... Some Democratic state legislators, including Senate Education and Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, are concerned about the timing of the agency’s decision to fill a senior position.
Miyares Finds Federal Case in Loudoun Locker Room
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced his office has referred allegations that Loudoun County Public Schools administrators initiated “retaliatory Title IX investigation” against three students to federal authorities. The case involves three male students at Stone Bridge High School who claimed they were targeted for investigation after they were recorded in a school locker room making comments about a transgender student.
Senator pressures state to put history scores in school accountability system
Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, is putting pressure on the Virginia Board of Education to include social studies exam scores in the state’s new school accountability system, which is set to take effect this fall. The new system will publicly rank each Virginia school in one of four performance categories: distinguished, on track, off track and needs intensive support. The criteria for each ranking include test scores in reading, writing math and science – but not social studies.
Pete Buttigieg endorses Levar Stoney in Lt. Gov. race
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg endorsed former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race. Stoney faces five other Democrats in the June 17 primary. “As a fellow former mayor, I know that some of the best leadership comes from our local leaders, because mayors have to solve problems,” Buttigieg said in a statement.
Grants funded by your car insurance pay for surveillance tech in Virginia
More than 30 years ago, the General Assembly created a fund to reward tipsters who shared information leading to motor vehicle theft arrests. If there’s leftover money in the Help Eliminate Auto Theft — better known as HEAT — reward fund, the Virginia State Police can allocate it to educational programming to help drivers prevent auto theft or to support local law enforcement or judicial agencies in their efforts to reduce theft. Since 2022, the Virginia State Police has been using an increasing amount of money from the fund to help local law enforcement agencies buy equipment to help them prevent and solve vehicle theft and related crimes.
Va. attorney general says Loudoun County school system misused authority in locker room case
Virginia's attorney general found “disturbing misuse of authority” by a school district that investigated three boys regarding claims of sexual harassment of a transgender student in a boys’ locker room. Jason Miyares referred the Title IX investigation of the incident to the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice for further investigation. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Miyares to investigate Loudoun County Public Schools over its handling of an alleged incident in which three boys at Stone Bridge High School expressed concern about a transgender boy in the locker room in March. The transgender student allegedly recorded cellphone video of their reactions.
Early childhood education programs deserve robust support
President Donald Trump’s ill-suited choice to lead the Department of Education, World Wrestling Entertainment founder Linda McMahon, got it exactly right in recent testimony before the House Appropriations Committee: “The earlier we can start education, the better it is for every child.” Yet the Trump administration and many state governments — including Virginia — follow spending plans and policies that continue to fall short of providing universal access to early childhood education.
Yancey: Earle-Sears might benefit more from a big voter turnout than Spanberger. Here’s how.
We begin with one basic fact: Only about half of Virginia’s registered voters will bother to cast a ballot in this year’s election for governor. On the night of Nov. 4, we’ll know how that half of the electorate felt about who the next governor should be, Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. What, though, about the other half that won’t vote? Put another way, who would a larger turnout benefit — Democrats or Republicans?
In Hopewell, Youngkin signs bill banning cellphone use in schools
The week began with Memorial Day, but if Gov. Glenn Youngkin had his way, it would have ended with an “independence day” of sorts. “Freedom has been unleashed in the classrooms,” Youngkin proclaimed prior to signing legislation codifying his 2024 executive order prohibiting cellphone usage in public schools. He repeated the word “freedom” several times, noting that without the devices in their hands, students now have the freedom to learn from their teachers and interact with their peers while not being tethered to their phones.