Welcome back to Extra Credit, a weekly roundup of education-related news from across Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Students, families and educators are gearing up for the first day of school. Find out when classes resume at your local schools here.
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Virginia looks to overhaul annual standardized tests for students
The Virginia Department of Education is looking to replace its student assessment system. Last week, the agency issued a request for proposals, or an invitation for a new vendor to develop and administer the annual SOL tests that most Virginia students take each year.
The agency’s current vendor, Pearson, is contracted through 2027.
“The RFP is an important step for delivering on the promise of high-quality education for all of Virginia’s students,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway said in a statement.
“After years of delay, preparing and releasing this RFP has been a top priority for the Department over the last six months. We appreciate all the teachers, parents and community members who provided input into our work and look forward to a fair and competitive process that delivers a modernized, high-quality assessment system to support the academic progress of Virginia’s students.”
Each year, thousands of students take annual assessments as required by state and federal laws. Virginia began updating its Standards of Learning assessments in 2022, and this year, lawmakers passed legislation to continue the effort. Lawmakers hope a new vendor can tackle past challenges over delayed results, technology access and frequent updates to the tests.
According to a June report to lawmakers, the Education Department estimates a new testing system could cost $30 million to $38 million per year. Pearson’s current contract costs the state $46.5 million annually.
New leader of nation’s top teachers union got her start in Virginia
A Louisa County music teacher and former Virginia Education Association president was elected earlier this month as president of the National Education Association.
Princess Moss studied music education at the University of Mary Washington before spending 21 years teaching music in Louisa County Public Schools, according to a news release.
She also has a master’s degree in elementary and secondary administration and supervision from the University of Virginia.
She served as the state chapter’s vice president and then president from 2005 to 2008 before joining the NEA’s executive committee. The NEA is one of the country’s largest teachers unions, with more than three million members.
The daughter of two school bus drivers, Moss said she is a “proud product of Virginia’s public schools.”
“I joined VEA as a student member, I learned to lead in Virginia classrooms and union halls, and everything I bring to this office, I bring because Virginia educators believed in me first. To every member who has ever organized, marched, or simply shown up for a child, this moment belongs to you. We are moving our union from resistance to renaissance, and we will do it together, with truth, with love, and with an unshakable belief in every student and every educator,” Moss said in a statement.
Moss, 65, is the fourth Black woman to head the NEA since it was established in 1857. She recently recalled memories of her own school days at a newly integrated elementary school in Spotsylvania and a teacher who shaped her life for the news outlet The 19th.
“I wanted to grow up and be a teacher just like Mrs.(Lucy T.) Lewis, as someone who could teach, but also make you feel like you were the smartest person in the world, even when you didn’t get it all right,” Moss told The 19th.
She also said that educators have “been on the defensive for too long” when it comes to advocacy for funding, civil rights and public education as a whole.
Moss will take office Sept. 1.
Rockbridge receives funding for new P.E. equipment lending library
A new type of library is coming to Rockbridge County Public Schools.
Instead of books, visitors will be able to check out physical education equipment from the new MoveAble P.E. Lending Library.
The initiative aims to “provide adaptive physical education equipment for students who are blind or visually impaired, helping ensure every student has the opportunity to fully participate in physical education alongside their peers,” according to a division announcement.
It’s made possible through a grant from the Virginia Board for the Blind and Vision Impaired.
The grant will fund equipment like auditory sports balls, high-contrast or tactile equipment, and other adapted P.E. materials to increase access to physical activity for students with visual impairments.
Free school supplies available at back-to-school events across the region
As classes resume for students, many school divisions and local organizations are hosting community events where families can meet school leaders, get free school supplies and connect with other resources.
Roanoke City Public School students and their families are invited to this year’s “Back-to-School Extravaganza” on Saturday.
Families and students can meet with school administrators, register for school or apply for preschool, pick up free school supplies and even receive free, required immunizations through the Virginia Department of Health.
All students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at William Fleming High School, 3649 Ferncliff Ave. N.W.
One Community, One Voice Lynchburg, a faith-based organization, is also hosting a back-to-school event on Saturday in partnership with Lynchburg City Schools.
Students can pick up free school supplies and shoes, sign up for academic coaching and assistance, meet school leaders and even have the chance to win backpacks, sports duffels and other door prizes.
Families can pre-register for the event online at www.OneCommunityOneVoice.com.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of Lynchburg’s Schewel Hall on College Street.
