<a href="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/March-Hot-Topic-Brochure.pdf">March 17, 2021, VSBA March Hot Topic</a>
Join us as we gather virtually for an informative and important conference. This conference will be focusing specifically on multiple hot topics in education. You will hear from three leaders in public education throughout the event speaking on the topics of Race and Equity…

<a href="http://vsbalegislativeupdate.blogspot.com/">VSBA Legislative Update Blog</a>
During the Virginia General Assembly session, VSBA lobbyists regularly provide updates via our legislative blog. In addition to the Legislative Blog, VSBA will also be filming quick video updates to keep you informed on what is happening throughout the year. Those videos, as available, will be posted on our Video Blog page.

<a href="https://dailyprogress.com/sports/excitement-and-uncertainty-central-virginia-prepares-to-embark-on-a-high-school-football-season-like/article_ff6db1cc-72dc-11eb-948e-ef637e481b04.html">Excitement and uncertainty: Central Virginia prepares to embark on a high school football season like no other
</a>In a normal year, Logan Barbour would be gearing up for postseason play with the William Monroe boys basketball team right now. But this is no normal year. Next week, Barbour, along with thousands of other high school athletes throughout Virginia, will strap on shoulder pads…

<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/email-records-revealed-how-teachers-unions-are-fighting-to-keep-virginia-schools-shuttered/">Email Records Revealed: How Teachers Unions Are Fighting to Keep Virginia Schools Shuttered
</a>For months, Virginia teachers unions have peddled fear: Reopening public schools for in-person learning was and is too dangerous. They’ve advocated delaying reopening schools until all teachers – and possibly all students – received a COVID-19 vaccine. In January, a…

<a href="https://vpm.org/news/articles/20515/covid-19-didnt-cause-teacher-shortage-but-it-sure-didnt-help">COVID-19 Didn’t Cause Teacher Shortage: But It Sure Didn’t Help
</a>For former fifth grade teacher Brandy Samberg, the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t the root cause of her decision to leave the teaching profession after six years, but it did help push her out the door. “I left in the long run because of COVID,” Samberg says. “Just with concerns of my own…

<a href="https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-wjccsports-20210218-yjb35xpbbndcbnmyep7wrqeu4e-story.html">Williamsburg-James City County schools face backlash over decision to bar spectators from sporting events
</a>Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools is facing backlash over its decision to bar spectators from school sports events. At least three members of the School Board raised concerns about the policy at Tuesday’s meeting, while more than 10 members of the public…

<a href="https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/northam-urges-raises-of-5-for-teachers-3-5-for-state-workers/article_9cd97ae9-5ceb-5fee-a981-abd66d053070.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">Northam urges raises of 5% for teachers, 3.5% for state workers
</a>Gov. Ralph Northam is urging state budget negotiators to use additional revenues to raise pay for teachers by 5% and state employees and state-supported local employees by 3.5% In a letter Friday to newly appointed members of a conference committee to negotiate changes to…

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gavin-grimm-discrimination-virginia-gender-identity-us-supreme-court-68f298068a572f1faeb610a7e42c37c2">School board asks high court to review transgender policy
</a>A school board in Virginia is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its transgender bathroom ban after rulings by lower courts that the policy is unconstitutional and had discriminated against former student Gavin Grimm. The Gloucester County School Board filed a petition before the…

<a href="https://www.dailypress.com/news/education/dp-nw-hampton-school-reopening-20210218-5nyoonrg5vhdhbiq27dl7xlgsm-story.html">Hampton schools, with rest of Peninsula, to have all grades back by March 15
</a>Students in all grades could return to classrooms by mid-March under a plan presented Wednesday to the Hampton School Board. With Hampton’s announcement, every Peninsula school division plans to offer in-person classes for students from pre-K to 12th grade by…

<a href="https://www.loudountimes.com/news/loudoun-schools-agree-to-racial-reforms-after-state-probe/article_b3ac0f24-263b-5187-b16b-4863400dfc64.html">Loudoun schools agree to racial reforms after state probe
</a>Loudoun County Public Schools have agreed to a series of reforms following an investigation by the Virginia Attorney General's Office into racial discrimination in the admissions policies at an elite magnet school. The agreement announced Thursday by Attorney General Mark Herring…

<a href="https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/prince-william-county-sets-return-to-classes-over-next-two-weeks/article_6cbe8da6-71a6-11eb-aef8-5b005d5134bb.html">Prince William County sets return to classes over next two weeks
</a>The Prince William County School Board voted early Thursday morning to stick to its original plan for all students who have selected hybrid learning to return to classes beginning next week. In doing so, the board rejected a proposal from Superintendent Steve Walts to bring some of…

<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-gop-pete-snyder-leading-openourschools-campaign-covid-19">Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder leading #OpenOurSchools campaign
</a>Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder says he is "leading the charge" and setting the agenda in the state’s governor race to "#OpenOurSchools" amid the coronavirus pandemic. During an exclusive interview with Fox News, Snyder laid out his plan to get…

<a href="https://wcyb.com/news/local/school-equity-bill-in-virginia-killed-swva-lawmakers-left-frustrated">School equity bill in Virginia killed; SW VA lawmakers left frustrated
</a>News 5 heard back from Del. Sickles late Thursday afternoon. In a call with us, he stood by the statements he made Wednesday. Sickles pointed us to a list of counties. Some have comparable median incomes as Lee; those of which, have passed referendums to raise taxes…

<a href="https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/va-house-slows-down-bill-that-would-allow-dominion-to-profit-off-electric-school-bus/article_edc69a16-5c2c-51c9-9733-8618d768106b.html">Va. House slows down bill that would allow Dominion to profit off electric school bus program
</a>Democrats and environmental groups want Virginia to transition from diesel to electric school buses to improve children’s health and protect the environment. There are options for how to do that. One is a program run by Dominion Energy that would allow the utility to charge…

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ArgdD9lUqu2br3LXjHv4xBWudd4WAv-/view">Broadway High Grad’s Art Gets Exclusive Honor
</a>While the world was shutting down last March due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Taylor Moorman was wrapping up her public school experience and looking to college. The Broadway High School graduate, Class of 2020, was finishing up her advanced placement art portfolio…

<a href="https://roanoke.com/news/local/pulaski-county-outlines-equity-plan-for-students/article_46fa0bc8-7231-11eb-b4fd-c3a06a01f595.html">Pulaski County outlines equity plan for students
</a>The Pulaski County school system has created an equity plan to address the inequalities certain groups of students face. The plan — discussed at multiple school board meetings since November — is the result of data outlining the discipline numbers of certain groups of…

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/teachers-remote-in-person-simultaneously/2021/02/20/8f466ff8-6bb9-11eb-9ead-673168d5b874_story.html">More teachers are asked to double up, instructing kids at school and at home simultaneously
</a>With third grade back in the building, Meghan Foster was teaching math one recent morning to two classes at once: 14 students who filled her classroom on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and another six children logging in from laptops at home. To make it work, the veteran teacher…

<a href="https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/health/coronavirus/nelson-county-schools-to-begin-phased-approach-to-in-person-instruction-starting-in-march/">Nelson County Schools to begin phased approach to in-person instruction starting in March
</a>Earlier this week, the Nelson County School Board voted unanimously to implement a phased-in approach for students to return to in-person instruction through a hybrid format. Starting on March 1, 2021, students in Grades PK through 3rd will return to school through the hybrid…

<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hf83gcp">Call for Proposals for Conference on Education: Deadline Friday, Feb. 26
</a>The ever-popular Annual VSBA Conference on Education is taking proposals for the 2021 virtual event on July 20, 2021. Mini workshops are a fast-track way of learning. Workshop presenters make short, informative, fast-paced presentations while attendees viewing can ask questions and make connections within the chat box the entire time while your presentation is being streamed….

<a href="https://u3352875.ct.sendgrid.net/ss/c/qiFDLNv_nH48tAE0aRgYbzN7mWhM2jHRaapUU29SJunMNZEvcBx_2F1s7MKoShYZ944rUXHjig0is7q1L2DjeIjtLYf_4c0vPq3hOeY1TZI/39h/zUahEOrOTB2IV6Sbi3JiuA/h17/vP_1jqhY20xxPs7NvPjY71aia4t3T0mutWn60GUt1dM">2021 VSBA Business Honor Roll Open Now
</a>Local businesses have the power to shape community attitudes about public schools. Every spring, the VSBA Business Honor Roll provides a way for local school divisions to recognize local businesses for their support, especially as schools face increasing budget uncertainty…