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Why is teacher pay at one Richmond-area school $17,100 higher than another?
Good teachers are critical to student success. Meanwhile, schools say strong salaries attract and retain strong educators. Yet teacher salaries can vary considerably across the Richmond area. For example, the average salary at Richmond’s Fairfield Court Elementary is $17,100 higher than the average teacher salary at Falling Creek Elementary in Chesterfield County. Why? A Virginia Department of Education salary survey published in March compiled average pay at schools across the state in 2024.
Bonds and Newby: Data centers, nondisclosure agreements and democracy
Data centers evoke strong and conflicting opinions. Advocates point to the truly significant revenue they can generate for local governments. Opponents point to data centers’ enormous energy needs, climate impacts, water use and their capacity to diminish the quality of life for residents living nearby. To weigh the costs and benefits of data centers and to set the ground rules for any potential data-center development, local governments should empower members of the public with all relevant information to foster a meaningful debate. We fear, however, that the widespread use of nondisclosure agreements and a larger ethic of secrecy regarding data center development curtails this discussion and, in so doing, impairs local democracy.
Gilbreath: I’ve spent over $100K on child care. I’d do it again
On Monday, May 12th, families across the country are participating in a national “Day Without Child Care” — a coordinated day of action to call attention to a crisis that too many parents, especially in Virginia, know all too well. Imagine what our lives, our communities and our economy would look like if there was no child care. For too many families, this isn’t just a thought exercise — it’s their daily reality. Seven years ago, when I told my boss I was pregnant, she gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget: “Get on a waitlist for day care — now.” I was only eight weeks along, but I immediately put my son on a waitlist to secure a spot three months after giving birth. I thought she was exaggerating. She wasn’t.
Jones: As gaming options grow, Virginia supports responsibility
Casinos, online sports betting, the Virginia Lottery, charitable gaming, live horse racing and historical horse racing (HHR) … all these forms of gaming are thriving. Gaming-related revenues have set record highs in the commonwealth each year for the past five years. All that has translated into increased revenues for the commonwealth, individual localities and K-12 public education. With this increase in activity, we are seeing a corresponding rise in the number of people seeking help for problem gambling and gambling addiction.
Wittman: Time for a more thoughtful approach to cost-cutting
As the representative for Virginia’s 1st District in Congress, I take seriously the legislative branch’s responsibility to ensure the federal government operates efficiently, effectively and in the best interests of the American people. Across party lines, there’s growing agreement: Washington must get its fiscal house in order by spending taxpayer dollars wisely while focusing on results that matter to everyday Americans. . . . To address this, we need to pursue targeted savings — not reckless cuts. That means using a scalpel, not a sledgehammer, when it comes to rightsizing the federal workforce or realigning federal spending. We must always remember the real people behind the numbers — families depending on paychecks, seniors relying on benefits, and communities counting on services.
Storm preparations are key as weather forecasting succumbs to Trump cuts
Hampton Roads residents hear every year about the importance of preparedness in advance of the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1. The region hasn’t suffered a direct hit in decades, however, so many people likely shrug off those warnings, figuring they’ll be ready when it matters. This year, with meteorologists predicting a busier-than-average season, it’s more important than ever to be storm-ready. Cuts to the National Weather Service and climate research could compromise the quality and accuracy of forecasting, putting more Americans at risk during extreme weather events. That’s a worrisome proposition as our region turns toward the tropics and awaits what may come.
Audit: Richmond Retirement System lost $415K from payments to dead people
The Richmond Retirement System made at least $555,000 in erroneous payments to dozens of former city employees after they had died, according to a new audit report, and the city has been unable to recoup most of the money. The overpayments to deceased retirees occurred over nine years, and about $415,000 of the total has not been recovered by the city, according to the report released Friday by the office of City Auditor Riad Ali.
VPM school initiative ’on pause’ as Trump targets public media
A hands-on initiative for Richmond and Petersburg public preschool students is on the local front line of President Donald Trump's multiple-front national assault on public broadcasting. VPM Media Corp., a Richmond-based nonprofit that provides public television and radio for two million people in a wide swath of Virginia, recently learned that the U.S. Department of Education had terminated a $23 million national grant to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for "Ready to Learn," a 30-year-old initiative that produces a variety of educational programming for PBS Kids.
Third prison employee sentenced for FCI Petersburg death in custody
A third employee with the Bureau of Prisons was sentenced Thursday for making false statements to federal investigators who were reviewing the death in custody of Wade Walters. Walters was a federal prisoner at FCI Petersburg who died in a suicide watch cell in 2021. He was serving a 25-year sentence stemming from a child porn and sexual exploitation case. Tonya Farley was a nurse at the prison. She was on duty the day before Walters died.
Feds renege on deal to give Federal Executive Institute to Charlottesville Schools
Less than two weeks after the deal was struck, the U.S. Department of Education has reneged on its promise to bequeath the Trump-shuttered Federal Executive Institute to the Charlottesville school division. Instead, the agency has recommended the property be given to the University of Virginia. Both Charlottesville City Schools and UVa expressed shock Friday over the “completely unexpected” development. “The rescinding of this opportunity is an enormous setback to our City and to our students,” Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders and Schools Superintendent Royal Gurley said in a statement announcing the news of the reversal at 4:30 p.m. Friday.