Welcome VASS Members. You’re invited to join us on March 24, 2021, at 10 am (ET) for an informative coffee talk session on How To Design a Successful Summer Program K-12. Hear success stories from fellow educators as we cover such topics as:   

• Things to consider when starting a summer program K-12
• MyPath K-5, and 6-12: targeted intervention in reading and math (including current and upcoming offerings)  
• Course recovery and advancement
• Learning loss and Booster Courses for grades 6–12
• Certified virtual instructors

Register Now!

Coffee Talk Session
Wednesday, March 24
10:00 am EST

MIND Research Institute in partnership with the Colorado Adams 14 Schools would like to invite VASS members to attend an outstanding keynote presentation on Thursday, March 11^th.  This session will focus on the pedagogical application of the Science of Learning and its profound effects on student learning.  Patrice Bain, co-author of Powerful Teaching – Unleash the Science of Learning, will share her incredible work in changing her pedagogy through the Science of Learning and the profound impact it had on her students. All school division Curriculum Leaders are welcome to participate.

Register for this incredible "No Cost" session now!

Date: March 11, 2021
Session Time: 10:00-11:45 AM EST

Text complexity is a matter of equity. Do you have objective data showing how much scaffolding students need to successfully read grade level texts? If the answer is no, there’s a solution.

Administrators, instructional leaders, reading teachers, classroom teachers, and coaches are invited to join NWEA for a FREE Virginia specific webinar on Thursday, March 11, at 1:00 PM.

Discover MAP Reading Fluency: A Better Way to Assess Readers

Registration closes: March 9, 2021 8:00 AM Eastern Time

Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of Governor Ralph S. Northam
Secretariat of the Commonwealth
Board Appointments

Board of Education

• Stewart D. Robersonof Richmond, President, Moseley Architects and former Superintendent of Schools, Falls Church City Public Schools and Hanover County Public Schools
• Anthony Swannof Vinton, Teacher, Franklin County Public Schools and 2021 Virginia Teacher of the Year

Virginia African American Advisory Board

• Eldon Burton of Richmond, Director of Government Relations, Virginia State University

View Complete List

Governor Ralph Northam and Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced today that the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Ed Strategies will collaborate to create a professional development program to increase teacher effectiveness and improve in-person, remote and hybrid instruction in science, mathematics and computer science.

The five-year effort is funded through a $10.8 million dollar Education Innovation and Research grant from the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Virginia Ed Strategies, a South Boston-based nonprofit that supports the efforts of Virginia schools, businesses and communities to prepare students for life and careers.

Click Here For More Information

Are you looking for a supplemental, summer, or extended-day program that will help your students overcome learning loss? 

Reading Plus is providing you with access to our new guide, which outlines federal, state, and private funding opportunities.  These funding resources are available now to help you get started with Reading Plus and improve your students' reading proficiency.

View K-12 Funding Guide

Wise County Public Schools, in collaboration with the Wise County Board of Supervisors, has launched an innovative new project with SpaceX to expand internet access in Wise County. Wise County is the first school district in Virginia to utilize SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation to connect Wise County students with high-speed, low latency broadband.

By Marcus J. Newsome

According to Tory Frerichs, vice president of investment services at Country Financial, “There are many reasons Americans could be feeling good about their financial futures right now. Savings rates have gone up, we are hearing positive news about a Covid-19 vaccine and the stock market is at an all-time high.” As more Americans are staying home, personal savings rates have hit a record high fueling hopes for a strong economic recovery. Conversely, groups including people of color, lower earners, women and workers with less education, continue to struggle (Dickler, 2020).

Virginia Superintendent Leadership Academy (VSLA) Conferences were held on September 26 and October 17.  Superintendents were engaged in interactive sessions facilitated by some of the top thought leaders in the nation. AASA hosted the September conference that was facilitated by Amy Sichel and Stephen Murley.  Amy is the Lead Superintendent for the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program® and former superintendent.  Stephen is the Lead Teacher for the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program® and Superintendent of Green Bay Public Schools.  The focus for the day was on the Professional Standards for Education Leaders published by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015) and essential questions for Ethics, Professional Norms, and Equity of Future Ready Superintendents.

No issue is more urgent in public education than achieving and ensuring equity in student learning throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Equity is a multifaceted issue that reflects variability in both geographic location and student demographics across the Commonwealth as well as per pupil expenditures and students’ access to the full range of instructional content and programs essential to success after graduation, regardless of where a student lives. As leaders of public education, we must take a comprehensive approach to achieving and ensuring an equitable education for all students in Virginia so that race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special education status, learning ability level, family circumstances, culture, and gender identity are no longer predictors of success. The Commonwealth can achieve these systemic improvements by ensuring that all students have what they need, exactly when they need it, to be successful in school.  In order to accomplish this, we must be deliberate in providing the appropriate supports, removing barriers, creating needed learning environments, closing current gaps in opportunity, and changing the current level of educational funding that will ensure equitable opportunities for all students.