Posts Tagged Virginia Schools

New data shows Virginia continues to lag behind national average on teacher pay

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

As students return to public schools across Virginia, some teachers are struggling to make ends meet. Michael Pope has the numbers.

Also, a note of disclosure – the Virginia Education Association is the primary funding source for Virginia Public Radio.

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New data: Public school enrollment will continue to decline in Virginia

An image showing actual public school enrollment compared to a projection from before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Credit: Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service)

Public school enrollment is expected to decline in the next decade. Michael Pope has the story.

Here’s the link to the latest data from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Also, as a note of disclosure, the Virginia Education Association is the primary funding source for Virginia Public Radio.

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Why are Virginia’s history standards being delayed?

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Teachers across Virginia are waiting for instructional guides on history. But Michael Pope reports that a review of history standards has been delayed for years.

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Youngkin appointees strike controversial language from new school overdose notification guidelines

Credit: Jahd Khalil / Radio IQ

Overdoses in Virginia’s schools was one of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s top concerns on the campaign trail.

Thursday morning, the state’s Board of Education voted to approve new guidelines for how schools should inform parents when they happen. But some of the language proved to be too controversial for even members appointed by Youngkin. Brad Kutner has more. 

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Proposed legislation would expand Youngkin’s ban on cell phones in Virginia schools

School boards across Virginia are about to start cracking down on students using cell phones. Michael Pope has the details.

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Virginia Senate allows Youngkin school accountability effort to move forward

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

The Senate of Virginia is rejecting an effort to hit the pause button on a major education initiative of the governor. Michael Pope has the latest from the Capitol.

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School testing scores improve little, but Youngkin says its coming

Governor Glenn Youngkin announces 2024 NAEP scores which changed little from the previous assessment under former Governor Ralph Northam. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Governor Glenn Youngkin painted a positive picture of stagnant school test scores Wednesday. The governor pointed to intense tutoring programs and more current testing to suggest a better path was possible, but others questioned his term-long strategy. Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

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Virginia districts face the prospect of ICE agents entering schools

The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are more than 730,000 school-aged children living in the U.S. without legal status, and the Trump administration has said federal agents may enter schools to take people into custody. Sandy Hausman reports on the response of some districts here in Virginia. 

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Virginia Legislature advances social media data bill to catch those making threats

Credit: Jahd Khalil

In February 2024, Roanoke City closed its public schools after threats against the system circulated online. Difficulty accessing data to find the culprit led to new legislation now being considered by the General Assembly. Brad Kutner has more.

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Youngkin announces new education standards

Virginia Board of Education President Grace Turner Creasey, Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons at a press conference announcing new school standards. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Governor Glenn Youngkin gave a name to his new education standards Friday morning. Brad Kutner has more on the new effort and some concerns about its roll out.

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Changes to Virginia’s school funding formula could be on the horizon

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

State officials are about to take a close look at how public education is funded in Virginia. Michael Pope has this preview.

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Board of Ed passes controversial new school standards

The Virginia Board of Education meets on August 28th, 2024 at the Library of Virginia. (Credit: VDOE livestream)

Governor Glenn Youngkin ran and won on a promise to address COVID-era learning loss. But with Standards of Learning test results staying relatively flat, the state Board of Education is looking to rewrite how Virginia grades schools. Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

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Virginia students face varying levels of funding

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

As students head back to school, they’ll be walking into classrooms that receive different levels of funding based on where they are located. Michael Pope explains.

You can find the VPAP analysis of state data here.

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Youngkin celebrates modest increases in Virginia’s SOL scores

Governor Glenn Youngkin meets with school superintendents, including Brunswick County Superintendent Kristy Somerville-Midgette, after announcing modest SOL score increases for the 2023-24 school year. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Governor Glenn Youngkin said he was pleased with Virginia’s 2023-24 SOL results at a press event Tuesday. And, as Brad Kutner found out, numbers show slight increases in test scores in most school divisions.

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Some Virginia schools have already been ahead of new state cell phone free learning push

Inett Dabney, principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, holds up the Yonder pouches used to seal away student’s cell phones. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Virginia’s Department of Education released a draft policy Thursday that aims to make schools cell phone free for nearly the whole school day. Brad Kutner has more from one school in Richmond that got ahead of the curve and limited cell phone use in schools earlier this year. 

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New format shows nearly half of Virginia students live in poverty

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of students considered “at-risk” by the Virginia Department of Education. Michael Pope explains that’s because state officials now have better data.

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The “summer slump” is a real worry for Virginia teachers and lawmakers

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

School’s out for summer for most of Virginia public schools. And as Michael Pope reports, teachers are worried about learning loss.

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A bill banning the ability of school boards to ban books has cleared the state Senate

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Lawmakers in Richmond are considering legislation that would prohibit school boards from banning books. Michael Pope reports.

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Could Virginia soon offer free breakfast and lunch to all students?

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne

Lawmakers are considering picking up the tab for breakfast and lunch at public schools across Virginia. Michael Pope has the story.

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Democrats: Virginia teachers deserve a significant pay raise

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne

Education was a topic on the campaign trail last year. Now, members of the General Assembly are debating what to do about it. Michael Pope reports on an effort to pay teachers more.

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Efforts to increase teacher pay, decrease school counselor ratio clear first legislative hurdle

Virginia Beach Delegate Michael Feggans presents his bill before a House Education subcommittee Tuesday, January 16th, 2024. (Credit: Del. Michael Feggans’ Office/X)

A pair of bills that aim to increase the quality of Virginia’s schools made it out of a House subcommittee Tuesday morning. Brad Kutner has more.

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Virginia legislators look to update outdated school funding formula

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne

Virginia has long used a school funding formula that legislators and education advocates argue fails to focus on student outcomes or education equity. A House education committee this week took the first steps to change that. Brad Kutner has more.

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Virginia county famous for transgender legal fight passes Youngkin’s ‘model policy’

The Gloucester County seal attached to a wall at T.C. Walker Education Center Auditorium in Gloucester County Virginia. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Years after a rural Virginia county became the frontline for transgender students’ bathroom use, Governor Glenn Youngkin released a new set of policies he argues ensure privacy, dignity, and respect for students and parents.

Transgender kids and their parents disagree.  And Brad Kutner reports local school boards are now trying to find a path forward. 

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New polling examines opinion on teaching racism among Virginians

Virginians have differing opinions on the teaching of racism in classrooms. Michael Pope has the latest on polling from Christopher Newport University.

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A cap for support staff at Virginia school’s will be up for debate this week

Credit: NPR

Lawmakers will return to Richmond September 6th to pass amendments to the budget. Michael Pope has this preview of one of the issues they’ll address.

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Reaction to new state guidance on transgender student policies

School boards across Virginia are facing an important decision now that the Virginia Department of Education has issued a new model policy on transgender students. Michael Pope reports.

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A calculation error shortchanging Virginia schools still hasn’t been resolved

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Lawmakers are still deadlocked over budget amendments for a fiscal year that started on July 1st. And as Michael Pope reports, schools may be taking a hit because of the impasse.

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More and more Virginia school divisions are starting to unionize

The Fairfax County School Board recently approved a resolution allowing for collective bargaining among public school employees, and the Falls Church School Board is expected to follow suit sometime soon. As Michael Pope reports, school divisions across Virginia are starting to unionize. 

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The General Assembly debates controversial books

Lawmakers in Richmond are debating what kind of books should be allowed in public school libraries. Michael Pope has the story.

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State lawmakers are debating several bills related to public school libraries

Public school libraries are the focus of several bills in the General Assembly this year. Michael Pope reports.

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How should Virginia schools measure student progress?

What should happen to a school that doubles test scores but still does not make the grade? Michael Pope reports.

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A new report suggests collective bargaining is a boon for Virginia teachers and schools

Educators across Virginia are pushing for better wages and working conditions. Michael Pope reports that in some places that could mean collective bargaining.

Click here for the findings from the Commonwealth Institute.

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Under changes made in 2017, many Virginia schools are fully accredited

Most schools across Virginia are fully accredited. Michael Pope has the story.

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School divisions get uneven support from the state

As students across Virginia head back to school, Michael Pope reports those schools are not receiving the same amount of financial support from the state.

You can find the Commonwealth Institute analysis here.

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Should Virginia teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?

As concern over school shootings increases, some say teachers should be able to bring guns to the classroom. Michael Pope reports.

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Virginia’s Moton Museum added to Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park

In 1954, the Supreme Court did away with legal segregation of schools in Brown versus the Board of Education.  Today, there’s a national park in Kansas celebrating that case, but there were other places involved in the lawsuit – one here in Virginia – and Congress has now made it part of the park, as Sandy Hausman reports.

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Virginia school boards: striking a balance between transparency and order

School boards across Virginia are dealing with sometimes hostile parents and potentially dangerous situations. But as Michael Pope reports, they also have to manage the legal requirements for open meetings.

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Lunch debt legislation headed to Youngkin’s desk

Governor Glenn Youngkin is now considering legislation that’s passed the House and the Senate. As Michael Pope reports, one of those bills is about school lunch debt.

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Bill limiting excessive testing in Virginia schools likely to move forward

Members of the General Assembly are considering a bill to simplify how students are tested in public schools. Michael Pope reports.

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Lawmakers will consider how much say school officials have over crime reporting

How much discretion should school officials have about contacting law enforcement when they suspect a crime has been committed? Michael Pope reports on a bill that would take away some of that discretion.

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The pandemic and its impact on instruction is wreaking havoc on some school kids

Research is still being conducted, but early data suggests about 20% of school children are experiencing moderate to clinical levels of psychological trauma symptoms – things like anxiety, depression or even aggression. Nick Gilmore reports.

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Virginia Ranks Towards the Bottom in Education Spending Per Student

Virginia is one of the wealthiest states in America. But as Michael Pope reports, it also ranks toward the bottom of the pack for education spending.

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Concerns Over Distribution of Funds for School HVAC Upgrades Heating Up

Schools across Virginia are about to get federal stimulus money to help them pay for upgrades to their HVAC systems. But, some are concerned about how that money will be distributed. Michael Pope reports.

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Advocates Lament Lack of Funding for Social Services at Community Schools

Many advocates across Virginia are hoping local community schools could become a hub for social services. But, they’re dealing with a major setback. Michael Pope reports.

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Declining Birth Rates May Transform Virginia Schools

The declining birth rate is having an influence over planning in school divisions across Virginia. It’s a discussion that’s playing out while lawmakers are trying to figure out what to do with stimulus money. Michael Pope reports.

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American Rescue Plan Money is Headed to Virginia; How Should the State Use It?

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The federal government is about to spend millions of dollars to rescue Virginia schools. So how will all that money be spent? Michael Pope reports.

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Experts Say Virginia Needs to Hire Many More Teachers and Support Staff

Students are flocking to Virginia schools. But, those schools are not adding staff to support all those new students. Michael Pope has details.

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ARP Funding: How Should Virginia School Divisions Use It?

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School divisions across Virginia are about to come into a large sum of money thanks to the American Rescue Plan. Michael Pope reports on the debate about what to do with all that money.

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Virginia Teachers Will Soon Undergo Cultural Competency Training Under New Law

Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni

Virginia history is complicated, and now teachers in Virginia will have help explaining some of the racial elements to students. Michael Pope reports.

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Legislation Requiring In-Person Instruction Currently Under Consideration by House of Delegates

On Monday, some students in Henrico County returned to in-person learning. Governor Northam has asked all schools to have an in-person option by March 15th. A bill in the General Assembly would require it by this summer. Jahd Khalil has this report from Richmond.

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