Youngkin criticizes trans rules, eases path to becoming a teacher in Va. Judge thwarts Va. Republicans effort to limit book sales at Barnes & Noble, Virginia Board of Education delays review of history standards. Shelley corroborated Scheffs account and stated that Guempel told her about the incident himself. All other employees will report two hours late. 2018. click here to learn more about . This is a developing story. Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings; FY2023 Budget Information; Parents should have as much control as they wish [over education], Earl wrote in an email. Congratulations to Brock Road ES, Lee Hill ES, and Wilderness ES for earning Virginia Purple Star Awards for the 2022-2023 school year! At Monday's board meeting, one major topic of discussion will be the shortage of teachers and bus drivers . As the Regional Teacher of the Year, she's in the running to be the Virginia Teacher of the Year -- and the winner is announced TONIGHT! At a contentious and chaotic school board meeting in Virginias Spotsylvania County this month, members moved into an unplanned closed session and voted to fire Baker, who had served in the role for a decade. amsva.tv. Parents say it's alarming that Taylor and the school board chair Kirk Twigg seem to be good friends. UPDATE: The ESSER III survey will be open until September 2023, instead of the original closing date of December 23, 2022. Frequently asked questions | Video explainer, K-12: Md. The proposed 2022 Physical Education SOL reflect a comprehensive review of the standards and include edits to enhance clarity, specificity, rigor, alignment of skills and content, and reflect current research and practice. 5 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Spotsylvania County Public Schools - Simple Agenda Detailed Agenda Current Agenda Item Current Policy Item Current Library Item Goal Progress Report Minutes PrintClose Audio Player Video Agenda Yes or no? Also in a 4-3 vote, the board chose to re-elect April Gillespie. School board meetings have been tumultuous for weeks as the board and the public has discussed the controversy surrounding superintendent candidate Mark Taylor. There, they chatted for hours with voters about each of the candidates. This means students and staff will have the entire week of November 21-25 off, and will return to class on Monday, November 28. I cannot comment further as it is an ongoing investigation, LaCivita said in an email Tuesday. No comprehensive data captures the scope of this parent-led effort, but the groundswell appears to be massive: According to the political database website Ballotpedia, there were 91 recall attempts lodged against 235 school board members nationwide in 2021, a huge spike from the average of about 30 recall attempts every year since 2009. Rock Out Knock Out Homelessness is THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY at the Southpoint Walmart. After the break, board member Rabih Abuismail asked Twigg to waive the five-person limit per subject. The meeting stretched into the early hours of Tuesday morning, with public comments lasting for almost two hours. |, Culture wars: Mom says trans eighth-grader was questioned by Texas officials at school | Floridas largest school system blocks LGBTQ History Month declaration | Trust in teachers is plunging amid a culture war in education, Virginias fight over schools: Youngkin criticizes trans rules, eases path to becoming a teacher in Va. | Judge thwarts Va. Republicans effort to limit book sales at Barnes & Noble | Virginia Board of Education delays review of history standards, Entering a third academic year disrupted by the pandemic, and in the midst of another covid-19 wave, parents, students and teachers are near a breaking point. A total of 55 library books have been challenged in Spotsylvania schools since May 2022, according to information provided by the school divis, The Spotsylvania School Board on Wednesday approved a $461 million operating and capital improvement budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins. Head over to Longhorn Steakhouse Southpoint this Saturday, September 24th between 9am and 1pm for a car wash to help our CHS Choir make it to Universal Studios this January! Live Feed | Spotsylvania County Public Schools A message from the Superintendent: TAKE THE DAY OFF! He was thrilled to receive help from Recover America, he said, whose members prayed for him and held meetings around Houston with pastors to advertise Bakers candidacy. Let's Go! The board probably violated Virginia open meetings law, and it failed to identify an interim superintendent. See more: 6 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings; FY2023 Budget Information; The scene in Spotsylvania County this week unfolded like many others. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. On January 27, 2022, the Virginia Board of Education received for first review the proposed revisions to the 2015 Physical Education Standards of Learning (SOL). The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! Come by at 6pm and learn about IB, CGS, and CTE opportunities! News4's Derrick Ward has more on the tense meeting and scorching criticism of the new chair, Kirk Twigg. An area superintendent is out of a job after a contentious Spotsylvania County Public School Board meeting Monday night shifted the board's majority and put a member who supports. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. Attention rising 7th & 12th graders! Spotsylvania County schools will present the school budget at the Board of Supervisor's meeting tonight at 6pm. One of the items was a $4,500 monthly stipend, on top of his principals salary, for him to assume the role of interim.. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Bakers ouster is especially noteworthy because he had already announced in December, shortly after the elections in which Twigg and his coterie gained a majority, that he would retire. burning books. spotsylvania County school board. Daniels and Cole had not voted when Twigg declared the meeting over. John J. Wright Educational & Cultural Center. The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! A Jan. 13 board meeting for the Orange Unified School . Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Division Teacher of the Year, Battlefield Elementary special education teacher Mrs. Laura Brooks! The School Board joined together in a 7-0 vote to pass Superintendent Mark Taylors proposed 2024 budget as well as three new policies. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Dawn Shelley nominated Lorita Daniels to serve as chair, but Twigg, Phelps, Gillespie and Abuismail did not support that nomination. Please subscribe to keep reading. God has spoken to a number of parents who, during covid, became fully aware of what was being taught to their children, said Rick Scarborough, leader of Recover America, a Texas-based group that works to politically mobilize evangelical voters and is turning its attention to school board races. The Virginia Board of Education is hosting two virtual public hearings for the proposed Driver Education and Physical Education Standards of Learning Tuesday, February 8, 2022 and Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Government; Business; Services; How Do I. Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer. Moss Free Clinic & Extra Community Resources will also be available. Will college students show up to vote in November? Anger erupted at a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting with divisions on the board and community on full display Monday. Harris said his deputies have been unnecessarily put in the middle between citizens and School Board Chair Kirk Twigg, who he believes is interfering with the first amendment right people have to speak their mind. You cant do an audit of books without developing screening criteria and you have to have facts in order to do that., Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. STAND - Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee, Division Curriculum & Instruction Information, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Handbook, Code of Conduct, Pathways, Athletics & More, High School Student Resources for College, Parent/Student Handbook, Code of Student Conduct, Course Pathways, Athletics & More, SCPS Teacher Awarded National Honor in Cybersecurity Education, Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer, SCPS Ranked on Forbes 2021 America's Best Employers Listing, On January 27, 2022, the Virginia Board of Education received for first review the proposed revisions to the 2015 Physical Education Standards of Learning (SOL). See what's LIVE here! Scheff said that Guempel asked for a higher monthly stipend and that Twigg crossed out the $4,500 amount and changed it to $8,500. Together, we prepare our students for their future. We wanted to make sure the voices of parents continued to be heard, but also recognized and listened to, she said. We believe in a merit-based admissions system and that accelerated programs should be expanded, not canceled.. There is now no restriction in division policy on the number of people who can speak on any given topic during public comments at board meetings. See what's LIVE here! One of the first actions the group took at its inaugural meeting in January apart from firing the superintendent was to appoint as chairman Kirk Twigg, one of the board members who proposed burning books. Spotsylvania County Public Schools new chief of staff will be responsible for general staff administration and serving as the legislative li. Copyright 2023 Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The board agreed to remove one proposed change to the public comments policy that would limit the number of speakers who are able to address the board on any one topic. Tense and chaotic Spotsylvania School Board meeting ends with little action taken. He was hoping to advocate for parental rights but said he was stymied by rules that limited public comment to 25 minutes total and three minutes per person. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. In the coming months, Baker will prioritize ending pandemic-related school closures, he said. A parent stepped up to a microphone in a nondescript room, glanced at a sheet of prepared remarks and claimed the school board . Hes not going to lie to me about that, Shelley said. Fredericksburg Area Regional Food Bank will be there with food donations. Click the pics for more info! A special rallying cry on the right from parents who seem to have become energized during the turbulent era of Trumpian politics is the growing call to banish critical race theory, a college-level academic framework examining systemic racism whose name has become a catchall for school districts diversity and equity initiatives and their attempts to rethink the teaching of race in American history. Were bringing awareness back to that and educating parents on the importance of local government.. 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Snead, a 40-year-old mother of four, had been unhappy with the schools handling of the pandemic for a while, especially with the Bedford County Public Schools decision to cancel in-person sports for much of the pandemic. This is the disclaimer text. I have covered education, local government and social services for the Free Lance-Star since 2016. In the same video, Schillinger of the Back to School PA PAC said her group promoted 210 parent candidates just in the state of Pennsylvania, 60 percent of whom won their races. Youre going to terminate a superintendent for no reason. Serving as vice chair will be April Gillespie, a mother with no prior school board experience who won her seat this fall. Come by between 11:45-1:15 and enjoy a meal prepared by our talented Culinary Arts students. I think we should throw those books in a fire, Abuismail said. After the meeting, you approached the acting superintendent with copy of the contract. The, 2022 Physical Education SOL reflect a comprehensive review of the standards and include edits to enhance clarity, specificity, rigor, alignment of skills and content, and reflect current research and practice. DC could be option for new Washington Commanders stadium: report, Tennessee becomes first state to ban drag shows on public property, DC Cherry Blossoms: 2023 peak bloom date predictions revealed, Pot smoking lounge set to open in Montgomery County is first of its kind, DC government employee accused of killing Karon Blake indicted, 15-year-old from Frederick missing for days, DC police formed specialized team to confiscate illegal ATVs and Dirt Bikes. Salem District representative Lorita Daniels was attempting to address concerns raised to her by parents of special education students when Twigg called for a vote to adjourn the meeting. Together, we prepare our students for their future! We hope to hear answers to the following questions. The couple said they dont believe books with sexually explicit content, like pedophilia and prostitution, belong in a high school library. School board meetings have been tumultuous for weeks as the board and the public has discussed the controversy surrounding superintendent candidate Mark Taylor. This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. UPDATED Virginia Immunization Requirements-please see our SCPS Health Services Page for July 1, 2021 updates to Virginia Immunization Requirements for schools. Nonetheless, she plunged in: The roughly 200 local members of Moms for Liberty which grew through word of mouth and social media posts started sharing a flood of information about the election on Facebook, as well as attending community events. Will Uncle Rich ask the Supervisors to fund sugary unhealthy snacks that cause diabetes for the students? This was captured on the broadcast before you adjourned, Scheff said. Spotsylvania County Public Schools did a nationwide search for a new superintendent after Dr. Scott Baker was fired in January. In the first Spotsylvania County School Board meeting since sending their superintendent candidate's name to the state for approval, heated arguments erupted between parents and the board --- and . Superintendent Dr. S. Scott Baker said he has faith in the librarians. Pre-Registration for 2022-2023 School Year is Now Open. Division staff are proposing to spend $1 million on transportation for special education students, $1.8 million to address a rise in utility costs and $3.1 million on renovations to Spotsylvania Middle School. SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - Anger erupted at a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting with divisions on the board and community on full display Monday. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. The approved changes reduce the amount of time given to individuals for public comments from five to three minutes; ensure that only the board chair can add old or new business to the agenda before the meeting; and remove School Board members from the definition of school personnel who are subject to the divisions prohibition against harassment and retaliation. On Monday, the board went into recess when the mood on the dais and in the audience grew hostile. It was symbolic. On October 10, 2022, the School Board voted to extend Fall Break to include Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The board did approve three action items Monday: revisions to the divisions policy regarding restraint and seclusion that prohibit mechanical and prone restraint; a new policy that requires student-athletes and their parents be given information about symptoms that may lead to sudden cardiac arrest; and a budget amendment that would use $2.3 million in bonus funding from the state and $1.8 million from school division pandemic relief funds to provide a $1,000 bonus to all full-time, standards-of-quality funded instructional and support positions. Will Shameful Shelley ask the Supervisors Screenshots of the agenda are below. SCPS Retirees - please be sure to check out the HR Retirement webpage for updated information and the new Aetna Welcome Packet. "It makes us scared for our kids' future. Click here for more: 9 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Theyve been shut off and shut down at school board meetings, said Clarice Schillinger, founder of a parent advocacy group, the Back to School PA PAC, who is now running for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/1004981, https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/996150, www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/835136. Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Another tense and chaotic Spotsylvania School Board meeting ends with little action taken. Riverbend High School Principal Troy Wright and school librarians have been looking into the parents concerns since they were raised with the school last week, Teaching and Learning Director Darnela Sims said, asking for more time to review existing vetting processes. UPDATED Virginia Immunization Requirements-please see our SCPS Health Services Page for July 1, 2021 updates to Virginia Immunization Requirements for schools. Spotsylvania County Public Schools 8020 River Stone Drive Fredericksburg, VA 22407 Phone: 540-834-2500 webmaster@spotsylvania.k12.va.us Quick Links School Board Meeting Live Streaming Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards. The fight is real.. You can cancel at any time. At this years inaugural board meeting, on Jan. 13, one of the first things Holbrook said he did was vote for a new policy extending public comment to 40 minutes and allowing four minutes of speaking time per person. The fifth graders all had their heads down on their desks but not because they were in trouble. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Visitors; Search Monday's meeting of the Spotsylvania School Board ended after five hours over the objections of three members, and without the board taking up any new or unfinished business. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. January 19, 2022 at 8:50 a.m. EST. According to William Scheff, following the June 21 meeting at which the board approved Guempels appointment, Twigg asked Guempelwho had been principal of Spotsylvania High Schoolto stay behind to sign some documents. Kindergarten Pre-Registration for 2023-2024 school year will open on Monday, March 6th. Copyright 2023 Spotsylvania County Public Schools. I cannot comment further as it is an ongoing investigation, LaCivita said in an email Tuesday. They would now be compulsory. Discord in San Francisco schools, on race and reopening, looms large. This is an inclement weather update. "I want someone who knows what theyre doing, and is in it to make public schools better for kids and has the experience to do it," she said. The board did approve three action items Monday: revisions to the divisions policy regarding restraint and seclusion that prohibit mechanical and prone restraint; a new policy that requires student-athletes and their parents be given information about symptoms that may lead to sudden cardiac arrest; and a budget amendment that would use $2.3 million in bonus funding from the state and $1.8 million from school division pandemic relief funds to provide a $1,000 bonus to all full-time, standards-of-quality funded instructional and support positions. Lee Hill District representative Lisa Phelps will serve as chair this year, and Berkeley District representative April Gillespie will serve as vice chair for a second year. The parent movement spans the political spectrum and reflects a grievance born during the pandemic when parents queued for hours at school boards nationwide to share their concerns with upended schooling, often running over their allotted speaking time that school officials are not listening to the people whose children they were supposed to serve. In Virginia, Amy Sneads efforts with Bedford Moms for Liberty bore fruit, too. For so many years, so many people just filled in whatever bubble [for school board] these races had really fallen off peoples radars, Snead said. Spotsylvania County 9104 Courthouse Road Spotsylvania, VA 22553. The Spotsylvania County School Board also directed staff to report on the number of books that have been removed at a special meeting called for next week, The Free Lance-Star reported. When board member Kirk Twigg was elected . Schools VA, in your pocket. Im loving it so far, Baker said, However, theres a lot to learn.. The discussion was prompted by concerns raised by Christina Burris, the mother of a Riverbend High School student, who said she was alarmed that LGBTQIA fiction was immediately available through the library app. The American Library Association, however, said its important to offer a wide variety of books in school libraries. In Pennsylvania, Schillingers Back to School PA PAC distributed $700,000 to favored school board candidates half a million of which was donated by one Republican father, Paul Martino, who said he gave the money because he was desperate to see schools open. Hes not going to lie to me about that, Shelley said. Careers. Helpful Links. The Spotsylvania County School Board voted for new officers and approved changes to its code of ethics and policies and regulations surrounding harassment and how meetings are conducted during its first regular meeting of the year Monday evening. [Twigg] took it upon himself to nearly double the salary of the acting superintendent in secret, Scheff said. The school district says the process yielded 21 applicants and 11 were interviewed. Parents generally know what is going to work best for their child and should be able to choose where and how their child is educated.. In a 4-3 vote during Monday's meeting, the Spotsylvania County Public School Board elected Lisa Phelps as its new chair. HR Retirement webpage for updated information and the new Aetna Welcome Packet, Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings, 2022-2023 Parking Permit Application & Agreement, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Monday night marked the first time Christina and Robert Burris spoke before the school board. Great job! The push for parents rights in education is a break from a more traditional public-school notion in which all residents of a county, not just parents, fund school systems, vote for school board members and hold school officials accountable, said Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. All rights reserved, Julie Carey, Northern Virginia Bureau Chief, Calls for Justice After Shoplifting Suspect Killed by Fairfax County Police, DC Leaders Respond to Federal Interference Over Criminal Code: The News4 Rundown, Eagles Wide Receiver Zach Pascal Robbed at Gunpoint in Maryland, College Park Mayor Arrested on 56 Counts of Possession, Distribution of Child Pornography, Travesty for Statehood': DC Leaders Fire Back at Congress, Biden Over Crime Bill. The Virginia Board of Education would still need to approve or certify Taylor for consideration due to the lack of specific qualifications he has for the superintendent role. Please click the appropriate link below Meeting Agendas Meeting Minutes This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. Together, we prepare our students for their future. Attendees take their seats ahead of a contentious Spotsylvania County School Board meeting. All rights reserved. One of the items was a $4,500 monthly stipend, on top of his principals salary, for him to assume the role of interim..