Together, we prepare our students for their future. The Spotsylvania School Board will be considering a Prepackaged Food Donation policy at their February 13th meeting. We have GREAT NEWS! This is a developing story. 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. We're hosting a FREE clothing and food event on Friday, 9/30 from 5-7 PM! Wed not been paying attention, and now we are.. 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). The. Good luck, Ms. Parker! [Twigg] took it upon himself to nearly double the salary of the acting superintendent in secret, Scheff said. Careers. Elections. 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. The firing in Spotsylvania is a dramatic example of a parent-led takeover of school boards that is happening nationwide, with mothers and fathers seeking seats, recalls of sitting members or both. SLE kicked off Day One with our keynote speaker session "Teaching and Leading with Focus" with Mike Schmoke. The board approved a motion by Gillespie to have staff provide information about the two donations to board members prior to the next regular meeting. Anger erupted at a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting with divisions on the board and community on full display Monday. Meetings held in the Board Meeting Room may be videotaped and/or telecast live. Schools will open two hours late. In Virginia, Spotsylvania County schools superintendent S. Scott Baker announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. 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. It was symbolic. 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. Pre-Registration for 2022-2023 School Year is Now Open. The Spotsylvania County School Board directed staff to remove books with sexually explicit material from libraries after a parent raised concerns about books available through a schools digital library app at Mondays meeting. People attending Monday's Spotsylvania County School Board meeting wear red to protest the board's superintendent selection process. Harris said that was the final straw after many contentious meetings. Similar scenes played out across the country last fall, with highly motivated and organized parents involving themselves at an intimate level with every step of the school board election process. But it offered an undeniable show of strength proof that the Spotsylvania school system, like many others around the country, is entering a new era, under new power. 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. In Virginia, Amy Sneads efforts with Bedford Moms for Liberty bore fruit, too. 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). www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/1004981, https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/996150, www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/835136. 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! The parent rights movement, which began in earnest about half a year ago, is showing no signs of abating as parents who won their school board races take office in the new year and start proposing changes while still others begin plotting future runs. . Mr. I think we should throw those books in a fire, Abuismail said. This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. 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. Nine months after becoming the first major U.S. historic site to be led by descendants of those once enslaved there, Montpelier is freshly opt, During Mondays bond hearing, it was revealed Snead no longer has visitation rights with her son, a student at Fishburne Military School in Wa. In a video posted on the Spotsy Parents for Public Education Facebook page, Rich Lieberman asked Taylor after the vote if he wanted to comment about the social media posts. 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. Together, we prepare our students for their future! I dont think that this is an earnest movement. We find ourselves in a sort of perpetual defensive posture, he said. 2016. 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! 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. A Washington Post review of websites and social media accounts identified more than 180 active parent groups in at least 34 states, the vast majority of them formed within the last two years to push for greater parental involvement in public-school education and many of which fielded or supported candidates in last years elections. Fredericksburg Area Regional Food Bank will be there with food donations. Taylor has experience as a. In Spotsylvania, said retired board member Braswell, it is unclear what plans the new majority has for the beleaguered school district or even why it deposed the former superintendent, Scott Baker. Although Schillinger is conservative and most of the PACs funding came from one Republican donor, the PAC itself says it is bipartisan and single-issue, willing to support anyone pushing for school opening. UPDATE: The ESSER III survey will be open until September 2023, instead of the original closing date of December 23, 2022. Schools VA, in your pocket. I cannot comment further as it is an ongoing investigation, LaCivita said in an email Tuesday. At a special meeting in December, Abuismail asked that the list of donations be pulled from the consent agenda. Baker could not be reached for comment. 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). Now the board has a new majority five of seven members that can be counted on to vote in favor of greater parental involvement in education. 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. Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Division Teacher of the Year, Battlefield Elementary special education teacher Mrs. Laura Brooks! This is the second time Wilderness ES has earned this distinction. Please subscribe to keep reading. In Loudoun and Fairfax counties, parents recently read passages from some books aloud and berated board members. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. Superintendent Dr. S. Scott Baker said he has faith in the librarians. Mr. "When the chairman of the school board says to the deputies, 'Ive heard enough. There, they chatted for hours with voters about each of the candidates. We hope to hear answers to the following questions. SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. Spotsylvania County School Board's superintendent is suddenly without a job, after being abruptly fired at a chaotic meeting Monday night as a new conservative. school apologizes after video shows White students singing n-word, Perspective: Navigating the wilderness, avoiding predators urban and rural, Teacher quits in protest after being punished for banned-books sign, BYU says probe found no evidence of racial slurs at Duke volleyball player. One of the items was a $4,500 monthly stipend, on top of his principals salary, for him to assume the role of interim.. The board listened to several hours of public comments. In a 4-3 vote during Monday's meeting, the Spotsylvania County Public School Board elected Lisa Phelps as its new chair. 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. 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.. The district also ended mask requirements and contact tracing, effective Feb. 1. 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. She won the jackpot. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In Spotsylvania County, the board has shown its willingness to take matters into its own hands. All rights reserved. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. Serving as vice chair will be April Gillespie, a mother with no prior school board experience who won her seat this fall. You have permission to edit this article. Attendees take their seats ahead of a contentious Spotsylvania County School Board meeting. In an interview with The Post in November, a few weeks before he decided to leave his job, Baker said he felt as though he were under attack from a group of people, many of them parents, who were speaking regularly at board meetings to advance what seemed to be a national political movement to disrupt education. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The firing, in other words, wasnt just superfluous. 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. Harris said it saddens him to see the controversy that now surrounds the school district. 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. You have permission to edit this article. For example, she said, New York City public schools decided against offering a broad remote-learning option this academic year, leaving many parents who preferred virtual feeling angry and ignored. Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards. The election saw a record number of parents campaign for council positions, according to New York government data reported by Chalkbeat up from about 1,000 in 2019 to 1,785 candidates in 2021. That faction which is difficult to characterize politically, Braswell said, falling somewhere between the tea party and libertarianism now has a majority after last falls elections, which saw a mother who campaigned partly on parents rights win a seat. The dethroned superintendent, it was felt, had not left enough decision-making power to the families of some of his students, although Braswell said personal enmity also played a role. (540) 656 - 2050. [email protected]. Let's Go! On October 10, 2022, the School Board voted to extend Fall Break to include Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. 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. A Jan. 13 board meeting for the Orange Unified School . 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). January 19, 2022 at 8:50 a.m. EST. The meetings of the Spotsylvania County Public School Board begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room of the Administrative Services Building, 8020 River Stone Drive, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Baker said he ran for school board to represent conservative mothers and fathers whose voices were being silenced as it relates to the school board, especially around the topics of mask mandates and critical race theory. 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? Harris said his department will continue to staff a school resource officer at all 31 county schools. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). This was captured on the broadcast before you adjourned, Scheff said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. All other employees will report two hours late. burning books. You can cancel at any time. In response, Twigg told Shelley, You give me a superintendent, I give you a meeting.. Earlier in the meeting, Twigg stated that he would be enacting a School Board policy that permits the chair to limit the number of speakers on any given topic to five. All Spotsylvania County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay on Thursday, December 15. ", Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information, Twigg said he wants to see the books before we burn them so we can identify within our community that we are eradicating this bad stuff.. Thank you Blue Bell! For more information, go to: https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/Page/1967. Four board members who describe themselves as advocates of parents rights drove the decision, said Baron Braswell, a long-serving Spotsylvania board member who stepped down last year but has kept in touch with his former peers. Comments (-1) . Superintendent Mark Taylor in his comments said he will address the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to present the School Boards request to spend carryover funds from the fiscal year that ended June 30. 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. The board voted 60 to order the removal, with one member not in attendance. The criteria for pulling books from circulation this week is sexually explicit, but the board plans to refine how material is determined to be objectionable for a further review of library holdings. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings; FY2023 Budget Information; Amy Snead hit her breaking point two days before the start of this school year, when her Virginia district reversed a policy allowing parents to choose whether their children wore masks at school. 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. The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! She joined three other board members who share similar views, two of whom recently suggested the school district should burn books that Christian parents find objectionable. He asked Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office deputies to remove two people from the meeting when they started to address Taylors appointment, and threatened others with removal. (Video: Granite School District). 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Because of the added Student/Teacher holiday, this means that the number of Inclement Weather Days will be reduced by two. 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. 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. Board of Supervisors Seating Chart Planning Commission Other Regional Meetings Agenda & Meeting Minutes Meeting agendas and minutes are available for review. What is critical race theory? Part-time and hourly SOQ-funded positions will receive $500 bonuses. The board will meet again Thursday and Friday in special meetings with closed sessions to discuss the superintendent search, according to its posted agendas. Public comments regarding thePhysical Education SOL will be received [email protected] 11-March 11. Together, we prepare our students for their future. So many times since the pandemic hit, the 39-year-old father of four, who works as a building contractor, had tried and failed to speak at Bedford school board meetings. Part-time and hourly SOQ-funded positions will receive $500 bonuses. 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 . Deborah Alexander, one of those who won, also attributed her victory in part to a widespread sentiment among parents that theyd been excluded from important educational decisions. Community members voiced. Click for more details: 22 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Twigg asked that the microphone be cut off on several people who started to express concerns about the boards appointment of Mark Taylor as superintendent, stating that the limit on speakers who could address that topic had been reached. School board member Dawn Shelley, however, made a correction stating 11 names did not come to them and they interviewed way fewer than 10 candidates. We have GREAT NEWS! We hope to hear answers to the following questions. The new president of the Spotsylvania County School Board in Virginia, Kirk Twigg, has given some parents pause for concern due to previous comments he's made and yes, it involves the old fascist chestnuts of homophobia and book burning. Shelley corroborated Scheffs account and stated that Guempel told her about the incident himself. Great job! School board meetings have been tumultuous for weeks as the board and the public has discussed the controversy surrounding superintendent candidate Mark Taylor. Attempts to reach Taylor were unsuccessful. Spotsylvania School Board holds first regular meeting of 2023. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Spotsylvania woman, 29, killed in crash Thursday morning, Woman pleads guilty to bashing former roommate with bat, Police cite medical emergency in Spotsylvania crash, Spotsylvania approves rezoning, making way for 'techno campus', Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Virginia aerialist wins 'Americas Got Talent: All Stars', New commuter bus routes coming to Fredericksburg area, Spotsylvania man convicted after being caught in child pornography sting, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Spotsylvania schools' new chief of staff will be "legislative liaison" for school division, Spotsylvania School Board member charged with forgery, Virginia State Police seek public's help in fatal crash investigation, Spotsylvania man convicted of felony in driveway shooting, Spotsylvania School Board members hold town hall meeting, Stafford School Board approves budget requesting $49.3M in new funding from county, 55 library books have been challenged in Spotsylvania schools since last year, Spotsylvania School Board approves budget, UMW College of Education hosting field trips for area fifth graders, Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza. Everyone, cross your fingers for Thornburg MS teacher Ms. Fabiana Parker tonight! 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. 2018. click here to learn more about . Click for more info: 16 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Maryland 529 whistleblower says he warned agency about negative impacts to parents' accounts, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' Actor, Dies at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm. The board probably violated Virginia open meetings law, and it failed to identify an interim superintendent. I cannot comment further as it is an ongoing investigation, LaCivita said in an email Tuesday. Taylor has experience as a county administrator and attorney, but has no experience in education. The bonuses will be paid in October to all eligible staff who receive a paycheck on Sept. 30. The School Board joined together in a 7-0 vote to pass Superintendent Mark Taylors proposed 2024 budget as well as three new policies.
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