Virginia

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Virginia
High school student Leo Burchell speaks at the Central Bucks School Board meeting about LGBTQ student rights in Doylestown, Pa., on Nov. 15, 2022. After hearing a man tell the school board that transgender people posed a risk of violence in bathrooms, Leo expected another adult in the room to interrupt what felt like hate speech. No one did. So at the next board meeting, Leo spoke up. “Attacking students based on who they are or who they love is wrong,” he said. Leo has spoken regularly at meetings since.
High school student Leo Burchell speaks at the Central Bucks School Board meeting about LGBTQ student rights in Doylestown, Pa., on Nov. 15, 2022. A student-led effort to create a "safe space" for students at a Lynchburg, Va., school was recently rejected by the school board.
Ryan Collerd/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement A High School LGBTQ+ Student Group Won a Grant. Then the School Board Vetoed It
Advocates said the board's vote was a setback for "student voice" efforts—as well as for LGBQT+ students.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 15, 2023
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6 min read
Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
Brian Palmer for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention How to Find—and Keep—a Diverse Team of Teachers
Principals and district leaders believe diversifying the educator workforce is important—but recruitment and retention often prove tricky.
Mark Lieberman, December 4, 2023
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8 min read
Social worker talking to teenage girl in office
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Student Well-Being & Movement Principals Share 3 Tips for Centering Mental Health in Schools
Building supportive communities within and outside the school is key, say principals.
Olina Banerji, November 22, 2023
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4 min read
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Timothy D. Easley/AP
States Liberals Win Hotly Contested School Board Races in Backlash to Conservative Control
A Democrat who championed teacher pay raises was also reelected Kentucky's governor and Democrats won legislative majorities in Virginia.
Libby Stanford, November 8, 2023
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6 min read
Conceptual image of magnifying glass and rating/grades.
Seng kui Lim/Getty
Assessment Q&A This Teacher Has Students Track Their Own Progress in Class, and It's Paying Off
Middle school teacher Erin Merrill gives her students the responsibility of tracking their mastery.
Lauraine Langreo, November 6, 2023
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5 min read
The National Association of Secondary School Principals named Andrew Farley, Kimberly Winterbottom, and Sham Bevel as finalists for its principal of the year award.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals named Andrew Farley, Kimberly Winterbottom, and Sham Bevel as finalists for its principal of the year award.
National Association of Secondary School Principals
School & District Management Meet the Finalists for 2024's Secondary Principal of the Year Award
The National Association of Secondary School Principals will name the winner later this month.
Evie Blad, October 5, 2023
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2 min read
Adult female teacher spends one-on-one time helping a Black female teenage student with her classwork.
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Student Achievement How These Districts Are Using $10,000 to Boost Student Learning
The pilot projects, begun with grants from the National Education Association, aim to curb absenteeism, supply food, and offer tutoring.
Madeline Will, September 25, 2023
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7 min read
Teacher giving a lecture in a data classroom to a group of students
E+/Getty
Mathematics Q&A With Data Science in Demand, This State Is Infusing Instruction With It
Virginia has created a high school data science class and updated math standards to include more data analysis lessons.
Lauraine Langreo, September 19, 2023
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4 min read
Photo of boy in front of white board with math problem.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Mathematics 7 States Now Require Math Support for Struggling Students. Here's What's in the New Laws
They focus on providing PD, diagnostic tools, and evidence-based teaching. But it will take time to work out the details.
Sarah Schwartz, August 9, 2023
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7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Standards & Accountability Opinion How One State Found Common Ground to Produce New History Standards
A veteran board member discusses how the state school board pushed past partisanship to offer a richer, more inclusive history for students.
Rick Hess, July 20, 2023
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10 min read
Photo of students using laptops and headphones.
Getty
Classroom Technology What Podcasts Did for Student Engagement in These Schools
Educators say the biggest benefit of podcasts in the classroom is that they help students find their voice.
Arianna Prothero, July 10, 2023
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6 min read
Virginia's largest school system, Fairfax County Public Schools, has removed the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from one of its high schools in favor of the late Civil Rights icon Rep. John Lewis, in Springfield, Va., on July 24, 2020. The school is in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington.
Virginia's largest school system, Fairfax County Public Schools, removed the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from one of its high schools in favor of the late Civil Rights icon Rep. John Lewis in 2020. Virginia has renamed more schools that were originally named<b>&nbsp;</b>after Confederate figures than most states.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
School & District Management Richmond, Va., Schools Rename the Last of Their Confederate-Named Schools
The name changes may mark a turning point in the nationwide campaign to rename schools named for Confederate figures.
Caitlyn Meisner, June 28, 2023
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6 min read
Vials of Naloxone opioid overdose medication.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Why This District Equips High School Students With Naloxone
Addressing student substance abuse should be a collaboration between schools and the community, according to a district leader.
Lauraine Langreo, June 23, 2023
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4 min read
Blue toned photograph of a school library with the -chairs placed upside down on tables and bare shelves in the background.
iStock/Getty Images
Curriculum School Districts Struggle to Implement New Laws on Sexually Explicit Books
Some districts are using that law to remove certain books from schools altogether.
Madyson Fitzgerald, Stateline.org, June 19, 2023
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6 min read
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