<a href="https://www.vsba.org/meetings-conferences/legislative-advocacy-conference/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">September 23, 2021 VSBA Legislative Advocacy Conference, Registration Open for In-Person Event</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021, Virginians will decide who will lead the Commonwealth by electing the next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, as well as deciding control of the Virginia House of Delegates. Being informed on the issues shaping Virginia and learning how to advocate on…</span>

<a href="https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/vb-school-board-chair-issues-conduct-warnings-to-2-women-after-volatile-meetings/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">VB School Board chair issues conduct warnings to 2 women after volatile meetings</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the weeks following two contentious school board meetings in Virginia Beach, two women have received formal warnings about their behavior during public meetings. Failure to cease the disruption will result in them being prohibited from attending other school board meetings…</span>

<a href="https://godanriver.com/news/local/education/with-22-cases-in-danville-public-schools-health-coordinator-explains-procedures-for-students-staff/article_2f6d3210-0051-11ec-8d26-9b954013b33c.html#tracking-source=home-top-story"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With 22 cases in Danville Public Schools, health coordinator explains procedures</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">With 22 cases of COVID-19 in Danville Public Schools — an increase of 14 since last week — health coordinator Renita Townes outlined procedures in place for students and staff members at Thursday night's Danville School Board meeting. Townes said employees infected by…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=75280623e8&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">School system looking for creative solutions as more requests come in for remote learning</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Halifax County experiences an increase in COVID-19 cases and days away from the start of school for some Halifax County Public Schools students, HCPS officials have been fielding an influx of calls from parents requesting to opt their children into virtual learning for the 2021-22…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=0285f6c899&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Transportation woes continue for Lynchburg City Schools</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first week of school in Lynchburg City Schools has proved challenging for its understaffed transportation department. LCS Superintendent Crystal Edwards and other administrators updated the Lynchburg City School Board at its Tuesday night work session on these issues…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=89515da482&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warren County schools to revise mask exemption form after complaints</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three days into the new school year, Warren County Public Schools is reporting that several students have COVID-19, while some parents continue to protest the state’s mask mandate. The division’s website COVID-19 dashboard shows seven active cases in students across...</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=2627782393&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COVID delays start of Staunton High School football</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Staunton High School became the second varsity football team in the area to confirm that it will miss time because of players testing positive for COVID-19. Superintendent Garett Smith confirmed the news Thursday evening that Staunton will not only miss its scrimmage at…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=2a6214914b&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hopewell Schools closed Friday due to critical staffing shortages</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to critical staffing shortages across all Hopewell City Public Schools, all schools will be closed to students tomorrow, Friday, August 20. Both in-person and virtual instruction is canceled tomorrow. It will be a workday for all staff and they should report to buildings at the…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=a9c0b4827f&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince William schools release quarantine guidance, rethink cafeteria set-ups</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">With its school year beginning Monday, Prince William County Public Schools has released guidance on COVID-19 quarantines, and some county schools are rethinking their cafeteria set-ups. According to the guidelines, which the department released last week and says are…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=5b04d9dbd5&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fairfax Co. schools ask parents to consider carpooling amid bus driver shortage</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">The D.C. region is experiencing a severe school bus driver shortage, and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia is asking parents to shuttle kids themselves, if possible, to alleviate some of the strain. The school system took to Twitter and Facebook to ask parents to walk or drive…</span>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/alexandria-schools-require--vaccination-or-testing-staff/2021/08/19/0b7c4f46-012b-11ec-ba7e-2cf966e88e93_story.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexandria City Public Schools will require vaccination or testing for staffers</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Alexandria City Public Schools board voted Thursday to require employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine or submit to regular testing this fall, making it the latest D.C.-area school system to adopt a vaccine mandate. Board members voted unanimously in favor of the…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=ff7445b27a&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Northern Virginia school systems receive funding to buy 21 electric school buses</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Northern Virginia localities will receive funding to purchase 21 electric school buses, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The money, totaling $10.5 million statewide, will come from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, administered by the Virginia…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=02f7ae6696&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They both have prioritized public education, but McAuliffe and Youngkin differ greatly on policy</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Critical Race Theory, teacher pay, school choice, mask mandates for students, and other education-related topics remain prominent in discussions for Virginia candidates as election season nears. This brings the partisan debate over public education to the forefront — most…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=6024a67ba7&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gov. Northam weighs in on bus driver shortages plaguing the Commonwealth</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Virginia’s governor is weighing in on bus driver shortages as 19 school systems across the Commonwealth receive grants to purchase cleaner modes of transportation for students. During an event on Thursday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced more than $10.5 million from the…</span>

<a href="https://vpap.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ff263b31cd155e10062269b86&amp;id=8c678b175e&amp;e=fbcce3d3a1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stafford School Board approves signing bonus, pay scale enhancements for bus drivers</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stafford County will offer a $3,000 sign-on bonus to new school bus drivers with a commercial driver’s license and will continue offering a $1,000 bonus to new drivers without the license. The School Board approved the bonuses Tuesday as part of the division’s efforts to address a…</span>

<a href="https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/were-glad-to-have-them-back-new-school-year-starts-for-winchester-public-schools/article_11b55a94-0824-5bdf-8f26-1d405f1c757a.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'We're glad to have them back': New school year starts for Winchester Public Schools</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overall, Winchester Public Schools had a smooth transition to full-time, in-person learning as the 2021-22 school year began on Thursday. Thursday marked the first time in about 17 months that the division returned to a normal school day, with students back in classrooms. According…</span>

<a href="https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/henrico-county/henrico-public-schools-asking-for-feedback-on-proposed-calendars-for-future-school-years/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Henrico Public Schools asking for feedback on proposed calendars for future school years</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Henrico County Public Schools is asking for feedback on its calendar proposals for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The options include both a pre and post-Labor Day start to both school years. The School Board is expected to decide on calendars by the end of August…</span>

<a href="https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-08-20/health/protecting-kids-mental-health-top-priority-as-va-schools-reopen/a75467-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Protecting Kids' Mental Health Top Priority as VA Schools Reopen</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">With many Virginia schools starting up next week, experts say parents and teachers need to take extra steps to protect children's mental health, which may have suffered during pandemic isolation. Eric Sparks, deputy executive director of the American School Counselor…</span>

<a href="https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/education/record-decrease-in-2020-hampton-roads-school-enrollment-bounce-back/291-9b18085e-7ed2-4de7-a48b-328dfd26d208"><span style="font-weight: 400;">After record decrease in 2020, will Hampton Roads school enrollment bounce back this year?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Public school students will return to schools in a couple weeks, but how many students will be back in the classroom? School enrollment in Hampton Roads declined dramatically last year, with significant decreases in Pre-K and kindergarten classes. “The pandemic adds stress...</span>

<a href="https://nsba.org/ASBJ/Magna-Awards-2019?_cldee=Z2luYUB2c2JhLm9yZw%3d%3d&amp;recipientid=contact-b927d2c7a5a24e108aab4fd71b6c3769-b0bdb426c67748c0ae985fdbe2bb868f&amp;esid=0128d8c8-50fc-eb11-9c5a-00155d00798c"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magna Awards Nominations Open</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">Applications for the 2022 Magna Awards are now open. The Magna Awards program focuses on equity in education. It recognizes district programs that remove barriers to achievement for vulnerable or underserved children. A grand prize and five winners will be awarded in each...</span>