Division superintendents, representing rural school districts in Virginia, met with Secretary Qarni and Deputy Secretary Coy to discuss funding priorities for rural school divisions. The three priorities discussed were increasing the at-risk funding cap to be more comparable with other states, removing the support cap that was instituted in 2009, and provide incentive funding for school divisions to address capital renovations and construction. Pictured are Chuck Winkler, Peter Gretz, Mark Johnston, David Gaston, Keith Perrigan, Amy Griffin, Holly Coy, and Atif Qarni.

Each year, EF Educational Tours offers a professional learning travel scholarship to administrators to travel to Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia, for a first-hand exploration of these fascinating cultures and their educational systems.  This past summer’s  EF Professional Learning Tour explored the foundations and future of education in Finland, one of the world’s top-performing systems, while immersing in Finnish culture.  Participants traveled to iconic sites with educational leaders from across the U.S., expanding their professional networks as they explored the cultural foundations of why the Finnish education system is what it is today.  Scholarship winners also spent a day in Tallinn, Estonia, where they explored the city’s medieval Old Town and gained insight into education in Estonia as well.  2019 winners were Ricki Perry (Nelson Middle School), Mike Gill (Hanover County), Gwendolyn Shannon (Southampton County), Greg Smith (Richmond County), and Mark Lineburg (Halifax County). The application for the 2020 scholarship will be available after the October VASS conference or contact stephanie.lennon@ef.com.

Meg Bohmke of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and VACo Executive Committee and Superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools Dr. Scott Kizner join VACo’s Jeremy Bennett to discuss the K-12 education budget process and collaboration between school divisions and boards of supervisors. This episode is sponsored by VACORP - the premier group self-insurance pool providing comprehensive coverage and risk management services to Virginia public entities.

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Women Education Leaders in Virginia (WELV) announces a Region 6 and 7 Conference at UVA-Wise on October 18.  The conference, Leading Gracefully, brings former superintendents Elaine Fogliani, Gena Keller and Pam Moran to Wise County.  Joining them will be current superintendents Haydee Robinson, Jeanette Warwick and Gina Wohlford. 

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Dr. Jeffery O. Smith, Superintendent of Hampton City Schools, was named Virginia’s Superintendent of the Year at the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) Annual Awards Luncheon today  in Roanoke.  He was selected by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Presidents of the Virginia Board of Education, the Virginia Education Association, the Virginia Parent and Teacher Association, the Virginia School Boards Association, the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, and the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, and the President-elect of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.

VASS worked with Strategic Value Media to create the guide, a web portal to a large network of vendors that supply goods and services to educators. The guide, which highlights companies that are VASS Business Members, is designed to help school division leaders make efficient and fully informed purchasing decisions.