GRADUATION INFORMATION -- All 2023 high school graduations will be held on Saturday, May 20th at 8:00 a.m. about 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools, CONGRATULATIONS to this year's Spelling Bee Champion Amaanat Banwait, a 5th grader at Spotswood ES, and Runner-Up Daphne Reno, a 7th grader at Battlefield MS! TAKE THE DAY OFF! I mean this is really terrifying for what theyre trying to do for public education," said Rich Lieberman, a Spotsylvania County Public Schools parent. Mr. Please click the appropriate link below Meeting Agendas Meeting Minutes 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. bottom of page . Copyright 2023 Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Click here for more: 9 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. After the break, board member Rabih Abuismail asked Twigg to waive the five-person limit per subject. amsva.tv. 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. This was captured on the broadcast before you adjourned, Scheff said. The couple said they dont believe books with sexually explicit content, like pedophilia and prostitution, belong in a high school library. ", 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.. 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. Pre-Registration for 2022-2023 School Year is Now Open. Shelley said she gave information about the acting superintendents contract to Virginia State Police and that everything has now been turned over to the state Attorney Generals office. Three more animal cruelty charges were filed Thursday in the case of Byrd Rareshide, a former Virginia horse show judge who stands accused of . The bonuses will be paid in October to all eligible staff who receive a paycheck on Sept. 30. 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. |, 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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. The letter, which The Free LanceStar obtained through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request, is dated the day after the School Board met in a closed session to discuss the two finalists for the superintendent position. The board took no public vote at that July meeting to recommend Taylor, who formerly was the Spotsylvania County administrator and is a longtime friend of Twigg, for the position. The district also ended mask requirements and contact tracing, effective Feb. 1. (Community education councils are akin to county school boards in other states.) 2018. click here to learn more about . You have permission to edit this article. (Video: Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post), Anti-mask protesters who forced an early end to a Granite school board meeting in Salt Lake County, Utah, in May are now facing criminal charges. And Snead knew nothing about school board elections: A stay-at-home mother for the past 15 years, with some experience in hotel management before that, she had no political or activism experience. Screenshots of the agenda are below. Attendees take their seats ahead of a contentious Spotsylvania County School Board meeting. He said deputies will continue to be available to respond to any emergencies that might occur at school board meetings. School board meetings have been tumultuous for weeks as the board and the public has discussed the controversy surrounding superintendent candidate Mark Taylor. SCPS Retirees - please be sure to check out the HR Retirement webpage for updated information and the new Aetna Welcome Packet. But after the mask flip-flop, she decided to start a chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national group that empowers conservative parents to seek change in their school systems, which she had heard about through a friend in Florida. 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. The board will meet again Thursday and Friday in special meetings with closed sessions to discuss the superintendent search, according to the posted agendas. Public comments regarding thePhysical Education SOL will be received atvdoe.stem@doe.virginia.govfromFebruary 11-March 11. They would now be compulsory. And in Virginia, Matthew Holbrook, one of the candidates assisted by Sneads Moms for Liberty chapter, said he is relishing the moment. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2023. A Fredericksburg woman who bashed her former roommate in the head with a softball bat last year pleaded guilty to a felony charge Wednesday. Will Shameful Shelley ask the Supervisors A revised list of December donations was presented to the board for approval on Monday with two items missingan innovative teaching, or IDEA, grant for $1,996 for Salem Elementarys Diversity Book Project and a $1,497 grant from the Spotsylvania Education Foundation for Thornburg Middle Schools Social, Emotional Learning Project.. Together, we prepare our students for their future. www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/1004981, https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/996150, www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/835136. Youre going to terminate a superintendent for no reason. While many of the groups identified by The Post clearly espouse conservative goals, the parent push for greater control over the classroom is attracting people of all political persuasions. Please subscribe to keep reading. Phelps was nominated by Gillespie and elected by a 43 vote, with previous chair Kirk Twigg and Abuismail joining Phelps and Gillespie. In Loudoun and Fairfax counties, parents recently read passages from some books aloud and berated board members. 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. 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 Jan. 13 board meeting for the Orange Unified School . Will Uncle Rich ask the Supervisors to fund sugary unhealthy snacks that cause diabetes for the students? And in New York City, a parent advocacy group called PLACE NYC, which formed in 2019 to advocate for advanced academics, identified and supported 94 candidates for 16 community education councils across the city, said PLACE NYC co-founder Yiatin Chu. On Thursday, the Virginia Board of Education voted 6-2 to give Taylor a superintendents license. She was more upset when she came across Adam Rapp's 33 Snowfish," which is about homeless teens trying to escape from pasts that include sexual abuse, prostitution and drug addiction. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 2016. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). UPDATED Virginia Immunization Requirements-please see our SCPS Health Services Page for July 1, 2021 updates to Virginia Immunization Requirements for schools. I think its a cynical movement and politicians are using it for their own gain.. The Spotsylvania School Board will be considering a Prepackaged Food Donation policy at their February 13th meeting. We hope to hear answers to the following questions. Strong movements have sprung up in bastions of liberalism such as New York City, where a parent group dissatisfied with attempts to reform gifted tracking programs placed more than 60 candidates onto school boards this past fall, and San Francisco, where irate parents are pursuing the recall of three board members, in part, over a much-derided attempt to rename schools. Our school board has generously approved Friday, March 10th as a day off for all teachers, students, and staff. This means students and staff will have the entire week of November 21-25 off, and will return to class on Monday, November 28. Board of Supervisors Seating Chart Planning Commission Other Regional Meetings Agenda & Meeting Minutes Meeting agendas and minutes are available for review. Spotsylvania County Public Schools new chief of staff will be responsible for general staff administration and serving as the legislative li. Mark Taylor, a former county administrator, and attorney, is the superintendent nominee. Skip to Main Content. We find ourselves in a sort of perpetual defensive posture, he said. Asked about their motivations for pushing parents rights, a deeply conservative Texas pastor and a lifelong liberal and father in San Francisco gave answers more remarkable for their similarities than their differences. 2 min read. 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. 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). 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! Fredericksburg Area Regional Food Bank will be there with food donations. She won the jackpot. 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. Don't forget! 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. 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? 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. Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer. Taylor has experience as a. 12-month employees and essential employees are to report to work on time as safety permits. Taylor currently works as a county administrator in Greene County. In Virginia, Spotsylvania County schools superintendent S. Scott Baker announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. Board member 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. Great job! Rock Out Knock Out Homelessness is THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY at the Southpoint Walmart. 3 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Moss Free Clinic & Extra Community Resources will also be available. Together, we prepare our students for their future. The board voted 60 to order the removal, with one member not in attendance. Good luck, Ms. Parker! Together, we prepare our students for their future.