Newsletter 2024 Issue 4

*** Do you have a governance question or situation that you would like to see answered in an upcoming article? Send in your questions to communications@vsba.org and you may see the topic in a future newsletter article. ***

Join us on Friday, May 31, in Richmond for a day of enriching insights and connections that promise to invigorate your approach to education law, whether you choose to attend virtually or in person.

Our speakers will deliver dynamic discussions on pressing topics in education law, tailored for legal professionals, school board members, and policymakers.

Discover the power of Attorney-Client Privilege and independent investigation reports with John Foster and Ellen Kennedy, legal counsel from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Explore the transformative potential of Generative AI in learning, governance, and practice with Jeremy Hurley of Appalachian School of Law and Nachman Gutowski of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Unlock the essentials of FOIA and COIA training requirements with Lesley Rigney and Elizabeth Ewing, Directors of Policy and Legal Services at VSBA.

Navigate the intricate landscape of social media use in School Board contexts versus personal accounts with attorney Andrew Selman of Sands Anderson.

Stay ahead of the curve with a Legislative Update from J.T. Kessler, VSBA Director of Legislative Services, and Stacy Haney, VSBA Chief Lobbyist, providing invaluable insights into the latest legislative developments.

Cap off the day with networking over lunch, fostering connections and conversations that will extend far beyond the conference room.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue shaping education law.

I'm thrilled to share that since the end of April, I've embarked on four more stops of the President’s Roadshow. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Hopewell City, Petersburg City, Buckingham County, and Prince William County for graciously welcoming me to your school board meetings and allowing me to explore your outstanding school facilities.

Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, I had to cancel my visit to Campbell County. However, I am eagerly looking forward to rescheduling this visit in the near future.

Each visit has been incredibly rewarding, offering me valuable insights into the diverse educational landscapes across our state. Witnessing firsthand the countless opportunities provided to students within your school divisions has been truly inspiring.

As the Roadshow continues, I eagerly anticipate further engagements with more of our esteemed members. If your school division would like to participate in the Roadshow, whether through hosting a school board meeting or offering a tour of your facilities, please don't hesitate to reach out to Samantha Bosserman, VSBA Deputy Executive Director, at samantha@vsba.org.

Let's continue this journey together, shaping the future of education in Virginia one visit at a time.

Warm regards,

Dr. Cardell Patillo, Jr.

VSBA President

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The Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) released its 28th annual VSBA Showcases for Success directory, highlighting successful K-12 programs in Virginia's public schools. This year, 92 programs are included in the directory from 43 school divisions across the Commonwealth.

In addition to the directory, the VSBA created a Special Edition Newsletter featuring 12 of these programs, representing each region of the Commonwealth. The following counties and cities are featured: Amherst County, Danville City, Frederick County, Galax City, Henrico County, King & Queen County, Madison County, Prince William County, Pulaski County, Roanoke County, Stafford County, and Virginia Beach City.

To review the entire 2024 – 2026 Biennial Budget, please click here. If you have any questions regarding the two-year spending plan, please contact me at jason@vsba.org or by calling the VSBA offices at 434-295-8722 Ext. 116.

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Invariably, high-performing school boards have a great relationship with the superintendent. That doesn’t mean they rubber stamp whatever the superintendent proposes or that they value harmony more than candor.

Rather, there is a shared vision and a spirit of enterprise. Good school boards ask pertinent and illuminating questions, and superintendents welcome this as long as it is done in a collegial and constructive way (not as a “gotcha”).

It’s the responsibility of school board members to focus on the right things, however. Here are seven questions every school board should be asking:

1. What data are we collecting to assess the effectiveness of the program or effort that we are talking about? Data-driven decision making is essential for continuous improvement. Board members should inquire about the collection and analysis of data related to student performance, program outcomes and stakeholder feedback, then use this information to inform their decision making process.

2. What steps are being taken to recruit, retain and support high-quality educators? The teacher shortage is real, and many teachers are handling classes outside of their tenure areas. School boards should ask about district recruitment efforts, professional development opportunities and support systems for teachers to ensure a high standard of instruction.

3. How are we supporting the social and emotional well-being of students? More than four in 10 high school students felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet young people are incredibly resilient and are capable of becoming whatever they can imagine. Board members should inquire about programs and services that address student mental health, social-emotional learning and student support systems.

4. What strategies are in place to address student achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all learners? The state 4-year graduation rate dropped a percentage point from last year, and U.S. math and reading scores are dropping, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress. Addressing literacy and numeracy must be a top priority of all school boards. Board members should inquire about initiatives that address improving graduation rates, closing achievement gaps and ensuring college and career readiness.

5. How are we leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning? Technology plays a crucial role in modern education. Board members should inquire about the integration of technology into the curriculum, access to digital resources, and professional development for educators to effectively use technology in the classroom.

6. What are our students eating? A growing body of research suggests that diet (especially breakfast) can affect academic achievement and student behavior. And we know that diet can affect health. School leaders ought to be concerned that one in five of those ages two to 19 have obesity, and the chance a young person will develop type 2 diabetes is about one in three. Let’s be sure that school meals are as healthy as possible and that students learn about the importance of healthy nutrition.

7. What should we be celebrating? The best antidote to the negativity that permeates discussion of public education is sharing information about successes. After all, these successes are the return on the investment our communities make in our schools. Superintendents need to keep school board members aware of the district’s achievements, innovations and initiatives. Board members can provide recognition in meetings, on social media and in their interactions with constituents. Generally, superintendents value the opportunity to understand what concerns the board, explain their educational strategies, get feedback (and buy-in) and then move forward as a team. Such conversations will enable school board members to be able to answer constituents’ questions with confidence and clarity.

Written by Mark Snyder, Senior Leadership Development Manager at the New York State School Boards Association. This article originally appeared in slightly different form in the April 8 issue of NYSSBA's newspaper, On Board.

The VSBA Staff and members of the Board of Directors had the opportunity to attend all nine Regional Networking Forums this Spring. Thank you to the host divisions and the Regional Chairs for coordinating these events. Each meeting featured a student art contest, featured student performances, and student-driven Culinary Arts programs to showcase student success in the region. Below you will find a summary with highlights from each meeting.

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On Tuesday, May 21, the VSBA completed its second annual Fiscal Governance Training Program, which saw board members and staff representing five schools come together in small groups to enhance their knowledge of governance, school finance, teaching and learning, budget management, and communication.

The program included four training sessions that focused on the successful integration of school finance, instructional leadership, school division governance, and administration to improve student outcomes.

Congratulations to Brunswick County Public Schools, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, Greensville County Public Schools, Lunenburg County Public Schools, and Newport News City Public Schools for successfully completing this training!

Local businesses have the power to shape community attitudes, especially as schools face increasing budget uncertainty. The Business Honor Roll helps divisions say “thank you” for their vital contributions. Congratulations to the following businesses that were recognized.

Anderson Oil

Restorante Renato

Wegman's

Hebron Virginia, Inc.

Katie’s Soles

People’s Advantage Federal Credit Union

One challenge that is important is closing the achievement gap in our division. I believe that in order to be most effective we must do our best to meet the needs of all students.

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Portsmouth Public Schools is pleased to offer teachers and reading specialists an opportunity to participate in intensive professional learning on explicit literacy instruction through LETRS training during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

LETRS stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. It is a comprehensive professional learning course designed to provide educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the Science of Reading. Lexia LETRS teaches the skills needed to master the foundational and fundamentals of reading and writing instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written language.

Portsmouth Public Schools made the decision to help build the capacity of our teachers and reading and English support staff to provide evidence-based and science-based instructional practices to improve student achievement and close reading gaps. While this particular program meets the Virginia Department of Education requirement for teacher training for the Virginia Literacy Act, Portsmouth sees it as more than just checking a required box. We see it as a significant investment to fully prepare our teachers for high-quality teaching and learning.

Portsmouth began this professional learning endeavor by building the capacity of our K-2 teachers and special education teachers to support foundational skills such as phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and sight recognition. During the 2024-2025 school year, these teachers will continue with their training in Volume 2 of the program, and 3-6 teachers will engage in their first year of learning.

Teresa Sarandria, a Kindergarten teacher, shared, “LETRS training has enabled me to see that I have many practices in place in regards to the Science of Reading, but it has also opened my eyes to new strategies. I have utilized procedures to better meet my students where they are, and I am seeing good results.”

Our reading support staff, including reading specialists, reading coaches, program specialists, special education supervisor, and elementary coordinator, were included to ensure that all instructional support staff have the key understanding of how students learn to read through the Science of Reading. Division leadership ensures that principals are engaged in conversations around what their teachers and specialists and learning throughout the LETRS coursework, as well as what they should be looking for in the classroom as a result of that learning.

Natasha Hawkins, Reading Specialist, shared, “ LETRS was an enriching experience for me that greatly improved my educational practice. LETRS provided me with the background information behind why many of the instructional practices that we do are of best practice.

Before taking LETRS, I started my own research about the science of reading, and I started trying to implement changes in my instructional practice in my classroom. Completing the LETRS units was confirmation that I was choosing the best instructional practices to greatly impact student achievement.”

Patti Fleming, Reading Specialist, shared, “I enjoy learning more about SOR through LETRS. Many of the ideas confirm what I have already been doing in my small groups which makes me feel more confident. I am learning new ideas and techniques to help enhance my instruction. The knowledge that I am receiving helps me to better understand some of the mistakes that students make while reading and spelling. I am learning to analyze collected data in a deeper manner as well.”

LETRS has been quite impactful in how our teachers deliver reading instruction systematically. Instruction is targeted more in an explicit and sequential manner, which has led to more engaging phonics instruction. Students are enjoying the new learning process that has boosted their confidence in reading! We look forward to continuing the Science of Reading journey with our teachers to support reading instruction and increase student achievement! Portsmouth Public Schools is committed to developing lifelong learners who are future-ready!

With Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), the motion to amend is a powerful, but, at times, hard-to-use tool. At its most basic level, the motion to amend is used to change the wording of a proposal (a main motion). Clarifying and updating the phrasing of a main motion allows the body to make it more suitable for approval by a majority vote.

You may have heard of the term friendly amendment, but did you know an amendment can technically be unfriendly? Under RONR, an amendment must be germane, which means “closely related to or having bearing on the subject of the motion to be amended” (RONR §12:6). Under this rule, it is possible to use the motion to amend to offer an alternative proposal because although it does not support the original proposal, it is nonetheless closely related to it.

Donald Garrett, MPA, PRP is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian located in the Northern Virginia area. Through his company, Last Minute Meetings, he has consulted numerous associations, nonprofits, and government entities on their meeting requirements. Mr. Garrett is a previous instructor of parliamentary procedure at VSBA’s New Member Orientation. He can be reached at donald@LastMinuteMeetings.net or 703-873-7029.

Please note that according to the VSBA Operations Manual, adopted by the VSBA Board of Directors, Section 103.1, no member school board may have more than one person serve on the Board of Directors at the same time and Section 103.2, requires that Candidates for President-Elect must be selected from the current membership of the VSBA Board of Directors. Also, enclosed is Section 102.5, Civility in the VSBA nominating and election process, which was adopted by the VSBA Board of Directors on December 2, 2006.

Unless otherwise stated, copyright or similar rights are reserved for all VSBA materials. Written permission of VSBA is required to distribute, adapt, or publish any VSBA materials. Unauthorized use of VSBA materials may violate copyright laws.

Friday, May 31, 2024 - School Law Conference

Location: Hybrid - Richmond Marriott Short Pump or Virtual

Cost: $215 per registration. Please reach out to your school division clerk to register for this event. For affiliate members, please reach out to Mikaela Coffey for registration at mikaela@vsba.org.

Thursday, June 27, 2024 - 2024 VSBA Title IX Workshop

Location: Hybrid - VSBA Office or Virtual

Cost: $180 per registration. Please reach out to your school division clerk to register for this event. For affiliate members, please reach out to Mikaela Coffey for registration at mikaela@vsba.org.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - 2024 Conference on Education

Location: Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa at Short Pump

Cost: $220 per registration. Please reach out to your school division clerk to register for this event. For affiliate members, please reach out to Mikaela Coffey for registration at mikaela@vsba.org.