<a href="https://www.vsba.org/services/board-training-development/new-virginia-freedom-of-information-foia-training/">NEW- Virginia Freedom of Information (FOIA) Training
</a>The requirements of FOIA impact every school board meeting, from initial notice of the meeting to what must be included in the minutes. Board members’ thorough familiarity with FOIA helps school board meetings flow smoothly and shows the community that the board is committed…

<a href="https://www.restonnow.com/2020/12/08/fcps-poised-to-change-restraint-and-seclusion-policies/#:~:text=Fairfax%20County%20Public%20School%20administrators,across%20the%20division%20by%202023.&amp;text=According%20to%20the%20policy%2C%20starting,and%20Key%20and%20Kilmer%20Centers.">FCPS Poised to Change Restraint and Seclusion Policies</a>
Fairfax County Public School administrators are looking to write a new policy that will ban secluding children across the division by 2023. The new policy governing when and how children can be restrained or secluded would also require administrators to contact parents…<a href="https://www.dailypress.com/news/education/dp-nw-hampton-book-bus-20201209-hpltqgsmwrdnnflplxvpc46mzy-story.html">Hampton takes school libraries to students ahead of winter break
</a>There’s something special about a library. For Phoebus High School teacher librarian Thomas Worrell, it’s the magic of finding something new. It’s easy to order a book online if you know exactly what you want. But it’s harder to replicate picking a book off a shelf, discovering new…

<a href="https://godanriver.com/news/local/education/pittsylvania-county-school-board-rejects-motion-to-start-january-with-virtual-learning/article_b90b2493-7216-57ea-afc4-64d3b344db27.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1">Pittsylvania County School Board rejects motion to start January with virtual learning
</a>After a lengthy discussion on the matter Tuesday evening, the Pittsylvania County School Board voted on and rejected a proposal to have students return from winter break in a virtual learning environment spanning the first two or three weeks of January. Citing a COVID-19 test…

<a href="https://godanriver.com/news/local/education/danville-public-schools-reports-4-new-covid-19-cases-this-week-including-three-staff-members/article_e8da332b-8737-568c-8f80-543dbd325633.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1">Danville Public Schools reports 4 new COVID-19 cases this week, including three staff members
</a>Danville Public Schools confirmed on Tuesday morning that three more staff members in the school system have tested positive for COVID-19. One of them works at George Washington High School and was last in the building on Friday. The two others both work at Westwood…

<a href="https://www.dnronline.com/news/local/city-council-oks-school-bus-cameras/article_6c1bc171-cc41-5a9c-b5d9-361258c40e30.html">City Council OKs School Bus Cameras
</a>Harrisonburg City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to install cameras on school buses to ticket to drivers who illegally pass them. Council will need to vote again on the ordinance during its next meeting in January before the measure can go into effect. “The origins of this are, for…

<a href="https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/education/albemarle-schools-to-switch-to-all-virtual-classes-for-week-before-and-after-winter-break/article_943d3a72-3992-11eb-88d3-434ed946465e.html">Albemarle schools to switch to all-virtual classes for week before and after winter break
</a>Starting next Monday, classes in the Albemarle County school division will move online as a precaution, the division announced Tuesday. Classes will stay online until Monday, Jan. 11, which allows for a one-week buffer before and after the two-week winter break that starts…

<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/fredericksburg-schools-plan-for-in-person-instruction-to-start-in-january/article_ee60282b-2fad-5f75-b8bf-180a95efceb6.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1">Fredericksburg schools plan for in-person instruction to start in January
</a>Fredericksburg City Public School students will have the option to begin in-person classes in January. Division Superintendent Marci Catlett presented her recommendations for student transition to in-person learning at a virtual meeting of the City School Board Monday evening…

<a href="https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2020/12/falls-church-school-board-votes-unanimously-to-change-names-of-2-schools/">Falls Church school board votes to rename Thomas Jefferson Elementary and George Mason High
</a>The Falls Church School Board in Virginia voted 7-0 to change the names of Thomas Jefferson Elementary and George Mason High Tuesday night. The vote comes despite an October community survey that found 56% opposition to changing the school names. “After deep and…

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-admissions-reform/2020/12/07/c0b870de-38b2-11eb-bc68-96af0daae728_story.html">Fairfax superintendent offers final options for reforming TJ admissions
</a>After months of debate, Fairfax County school officials are proposing final options for reforming admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — either switching to a lottery system or adopting a “holistic review,” revisions meant to boost diversity at the…

<a href="https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2020/12/08/giles-county-schools-going-100-virtual-starting-wednesday/">Giles County schools going 100% virtual starting Wednesday
</a>Another Southwest Virginia school district is going virtual until 2021. Giles County announced Tuesday that starting Wednesday, students will be learning 100% virtually. The decision was made due to the continued challenges of finding coverage for classes within the school…

<a href="https://www.dailypress.com/757teamz/vp-sp-high-school-sports-20201207-lxjlckjiwzhidkbopqjruq54sy-story.html">Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth schools postpone the start of high school sports
</a>Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Portsmouth public schools postponed the start of the high school sports season Monday amid concerns over the recent surge of coronavirus cases. “As of today, all activities related to varsity winter sports are postponed until further notice,” a letter to…

<a href="https://richmond.com/community/powhatan-today/state-waives-sol-testing-requirements/article_bf9ead30-3975-11eb-b4d1-5bd9f8c557f4.html">State waives SOL testing requirements
</a>Powhatan County students of all ages are expected to have more flexibility when it comes to testing in the spring because of waivers and emergency guidance approved by the state. The recently-announced new measures mean that elementary and middle school students this…

<a href="https://heraldcourier.com/news/split-board-votes-to-reopen-classrooms-in-bristol-virginia/article_18d7ad3b-3ce3-5a8e-99b3-1dde66fecc1d.html">Split board votes to reopen classrooms in Bristol, Virginia
</a>A divided city School Board on Monday rejected a motion for all-virtual learning for the rest of this year and directed that classrooms reopen today. The Mount Rogers Health District asked all divisions in its service area to keep students out of schools until after the Christmas break due…

<a href="https://richmond.com/community/powhatan-today/school-board-hires-new-company-to-clean-schools/article_a4f8852a-3973-11eb-bdbc-77e264669791.html">School board hires new company to clean schools
</a>The Powhatan County School Board sent a strong message that it would be watching when it recently hired a new company to handle the cleaning of all school buildings beginning Jan. 1, 2021. During its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10, the school board unanimously voted to…

<a href="https://www.henricocitizen.com/articles/sandston-es-one-of-2-state-schools-to-earn-esea-award/">Sandston ES one of 2 state schools to earn ESEA award
</a>The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators recently named Sandston Elementary School in Henrico and Parkway Elementary in Virginia Beach as National ESEA Distinguished Schools for 2020-2021. Sandston was selected for excellence in serving…

<a href="https://www.farmvilleherald.com/2020/12/schools-awarded-security-grants/">Schools awarded security grants - Farmville
</a>Buckingham and Prince Edward schools are just two of the many public schools that recently received tens of thousands of dollars of funding in school security equipment grants announced by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). In a Friday, Dec. 4, press release, VDOE…

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/meetings-conferences/capital-conference/">January 25-26, 2021, VSBA Capital Conference, Virtual
</a>Advocacy by local school board members is a year-round job but is never more critical than when the Virginia General Assembly is in session. With the Virginia State Capitol and Pocahontas Building closed to visitors for the unforeseeable future, it is imperative for school…

<em>Missed the Virtual VSBA Annual Convention? It is not too late to register to gain access to over 35 hours of educational content. Contact your school board clerk for more information. </em>