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. We find ourselves in a sort of perpetual defensive posture, he said. Two school board members, Rabih Abuismail and Kirk Twigg, said they'd like to see the removed books burned. A Fredericksburg woman who bashed her former roommate in the head with a softball bat last year pleaded guilty to a felony charge Wednesday. Many times I was also just a shoulder to cry on, Schillinger said. Harris said his department will continue to staff a school resource officer at all 31 county schools. 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. Government; Business; Services; How Do I. This is the disclaimer text. A Spotsylvania man found dead following a single-vehicle crash early Monday may have suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash, police said. Please subscribe to keep reading. After the break, board member Rabih Abuismail asked Twigg to waive the five-person limit per subject. Spotsylvania County Public Schools / Homepage Conservatives target school books confronting race, sex and gender A special rallying cry on the right from parents who seem to have become energized during the turbulent era of Trumpian politics is the growing call to banish critical race theory, a college-level academic framework examining systemic racism whose name has become a catchall for school districts diversity and equity initiatives and their attempts to rethink the teaching of race in American history. Spotsylvania County Public Schools 8020 River Stone Drive Fredericksburg, VA 22407 Phone: 540-834-2500 [email protected] Quick Links School Board Meeting Live Streaming Comments (-1) . See what's LIVE here! Cole, along with board member Dawn Shelley, was pressing for board Chair Kirk Twigg to schedule a work session and special meeting to address needed capital improvement projects. This means students and staff will have the entire week of November 21-25 off, and will return to class on Monday, November 28. It is incumbent on us to make sure that whatever the policy says we need to do, were doing, and if something needs to be strengthened, its on us to do it, Sims said. Harris said his deputies have been unnecessarily put in the middle between citizens and School Board Chair Kirk Twigg, who he believes is interfering with the first amendment right people have to speak their mind. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. [Twigg] took it upon himself to nearly double the salary of the acting superintendent in secret, Scheff said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Will college students show up to vote in November? In Virginia, Amy Sneads efforts with Bedford Moms for Liberty bore fruit, too. 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. SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - Anger erupted at a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting with divisions on the board and community on full display Monday. Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Division Teacher of the Year, Battlefield Elementary special education teacher Mrs. Laura Brooks! Public Comment Period: Proposed 2022 Physical Education SOL. September 12, 2022 Spotsylvania parents concerned over. All rights reserved, Julie Carey, Northern Virginia Bureau Chief, He's Got No Experience': Spotsylvania Parents Raise Questions on Superintendent Candidate, Spotsylvania School Board Appoints Chair Who Backed Burning Books, Fires Superintendent, Superintendent of Spotsylvania County Public Schools Resigns, Eagles Wide Receiver Zach Pascal Robbed at Gunpoint in Maryland, College Park Mayor Arrested on 56 Counts of Possession, Distribution of Child Pornography, Travesty for Statehood': DC Leaders Fire Back at Congress, Biden Over Crime Bill. Division staff are proposing to spend $1 million on transportation for special education students, $1.8 million to address a rise in utility costs and $3.1 million on renovations to Spotsylvania Middle School. 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. The Virginia Board of Education will meet on Thursday, Sept. 15 to review Taylor's candidacy. UPDATED Virginia Immunization Requirements-please see our SCPS Health Services Page for July 1, 2021 updates to Virginia Immunization Requirements for schools. Together, we prepare our students for their future. Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office, confirmed that the complaintas well as one alleging that Twigg misappropriated public funds by paying for board members April Gillespie and Lisa Phelps to attend a conference with ties to a conservative political action committee in Marchhas been received by the office. 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. When board member Kirk Twigg was elected . All Spotsylvania County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay on Thursday, December 15. Parents-activists are taking over local school boards - Washington Post Several people spoke in favor of Taylor Thursday, including three Spotsylvania School Board members who said Taylor is the victim of a orchestrated smear campaign. 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. The push for parents rights in education is a break from a more traditional public-school notion in which all residents of a county, not just parents, fund school systems, vote for school board members and hold school officials accountable, said Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Spotsylvania School Board Votes to Remove 'Sexually Explicit' Books News & Opinion with some humor/satire on issues in Spotsylvania County. Attendees take their seats ahead of a contentious Spotsylvania County School Board meeting. Spotsylvania School Board meeting heats up over superintendent candidate Theyve been shut off and shut down at school board meetings, said Clarice Schillinger, founder of a parent advocacy group, the Back to School PA PAC, who is now running for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Spotsylvania School Board Lifts Mask Mandate Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Loading. The American Library Association, however, said its important to offer a wide variety of books in school libraries. Taylor said "no" and that he hadn't seen them. Our school board has generously approved Friday, March 10th as a day off for all teachers, students, and staff. 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. "Weve had one of the best school systems anywhere around and now all of a sudden we are looked upon as a jokester situation.". PreviousArchives. Peter Cihelka / The Free Lance-Star. Click here for more: 9 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. If approved, the school board will then vote on a contract. Spotsylvania County schools will present the school budget at the Board of Supervisor's meeting tonight at 6pm. I have covered education, local government and social services for the Free Lance-Star since 2016. So they said, Well, if youre not going to listen to me, Im going to become the one [on the school board] who will listen.'. They also gave free ice cream away to every student and staff member at lunch. And in Virginia, Matthew Holbrook, one of the candidates assisted by Sneads Moms for Liberty chapter, said he is relishing the moment. Sheriff: Spotsylvania Deputies Will No Longer Provide Security at Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. On July 9, School Board Chair Kirk Twigg wrote former Culpeper councilman Jon . Helpful Links. To have something like this that could really traumatize a kid if they just check out a book because it looks cool and then they open it up and start reading it, some of the things they'll come across is just shocking, Robert Burris said. Parents want to know how and why someone who is not an educator made it through the screening process. 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. 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. Board of Supervisors Seating Chart Planning Commission Other Regional Meetings Agenda & Meeting Minutes Meeting agendas and minutes are available for review. Phone: 540-507-7000. Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards, Biden set for first veto on Senate bill opposing climate-friendly investing, Global carbon dioxide emissions hit new highs last year, says IEA report, Young women are criticized for this vocal tic but it helps whales survive, recently suggested the school district should burn books, most of the PACs funding came from one Republican donor, reversed a policy allowing parents to choose, empowers conservative parents to seek change in their school systems, ended mask requirements and contact tracing, Md. The fifth graders all had their heads down on their desks but not because they were in trouble. Will Uncle Rich ask the Supervisors to fund sugary unhealthy snacks that cause diabetes for the students? The board later went into recess when the mood on the dais and in the audience grew hostile. Mr. Download for Android: NOTICE OF CANCELLATION: PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD'S REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022, HAS BEEN CANCELED. Spotsylvania School Board holds first regular meeting of 2023 Spotsylvania school board member charged with forgery, tampering with Screenshots of the agenda are below. Parents say it's alarming that Taylor and the school board chair Kirk Twigg seem to be good friends. Another tense and chaotic Spotsylvania School Board meeting ends with little action taken. 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. We're holding a FREE vaccine clinic for both required and certain optional vaccinations. 2016. 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. On Monday, the board went into recess when the mood on the dais and in the audience grew hostile. This is a developing story. On October 10, 2022, the School Board voted to extend Fall Break to include Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. 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! Community members voiced. School board meetings have been tumultuous for weeks as the board and the public has discussed the controversy surrounding superintendent candidate Mark Taylor. Some candidates have been recruited top-down by national groups like Moms for Liberty, but much of the activism is being led at the local level by smaller networks of angry parents. The bonuses will be paid in October to all eligible staff who receive a paycheck on Sept. 30. 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. At the Jan. 10 meeting, Twigg refused to give a reason for firing the superintendent, according to The Free Lance-Star. All rights reserved, Julie Carey, Northern Virginia Bureau Chief, Calls for Justice After Shoplifting Suspect Killed by Fairfax County Police, DC Leaders Respond to Federal Interference Over Criminal Code: The News4 Rundown, Eagles Wide Receiver Zach Pascal Robbed at Gunpoint in Maryland, College Park Mayor Arrested on 56 Counts of Possession, Distribution of Child Pornography, Travesty for Statehood': DC Leaders Fire Back at Congress, Biden Over Crime Bill. 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. You can use this area for legal statements, copyright information, a mission statement, etc. Meeting Agendas for the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission and other commissions and committees. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. These schools join Spotswood ES, which currently holds a Purple Star designation. Spotsylvania superintendent vote shows how charged school meetings have Come by between 11:45-1:15 and enjoy a meal prepared by our talented Culinary Arts students. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. Moss Free Clinic & Extra Community Resources will also be available. At its last meeting, Twigg abruptly fired well-regarded Superintendent Dr. Scott Baker, who had . You can cancel at any time. Two people were injured in a crash involving one of the most iconic vehicles in television history, Missouri officials say. 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. Please click the appropriate link below Meeting Agendas Meeting Minutes To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. Elsewhere, parent takeovers of school boards appear to be proceeding with less drama although its early days yet, and most boards are still scheduling or holding initial meetings. 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. New School Board President Calls for Burning LGBTQ+ Books - Yahoo! News Blue Bell Ice Cream came by to congratulate 2023 VA Teacher of the Year Ms. Fabiana Parker and surprise her with four of her favorite flavors of ice cream! 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. Click for more info: 16 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Together, we prepare our students for their future! 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 Spotsylvania School Board will be considering a Prepackaged Food Donation policy at their February 13th meeting. Three more animal cruelty charges were filed Thursday in the case of Byrd Rareshide, a former Virginia horse show judge who stands accused of . On July, Twigg sent a letter to former Culpeper councilman Jon Russell, then a special counsel at the Virginia Department of Education, informing him that Mark Taylor was the final candidate for the superintendent position.. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - There's a divisive debate going on over the Spotsylvania County School Board's new superintendent nominee. 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. Come by at 6pm and learn about IB, CGS, and CTE opportunities! Tense and chaotic Spotsylvania School Board meeting ends with little We believe in a merit-based admissions system and that accelerated programs should be expanded, not canceled.. The Spotsylvania County School Board voted for new officers and approved changes to its code of ethics and policies and regulations surrounding harassment and how meetings are conducted during its first regular meeting of the year Monday evening. SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, V.a. You can cancel at any time. 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. Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards. For more information, go to: https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/Page/1967. Taylor and his wife are directors of Twigg's nonprofit corporation called Emerging Stars. UPDATE: The ESSER III survey will be open until September 2023, instead of the original closing date of December 23, 2022. In Spotsylvania County, the board has shown its willingness to take matters into its own hands. Meetings held in the Board Meeting Room may be videotaped and/or telecast live. In the same video, Schillinger of the Back to School PA PAC said her group promoted 210 parent candidates just in the state of Pennsylvania, 60 percent of whom won their races. 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 . Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger Harris says his deputies will no longer provide security for school board meetings due to a situation that has become a "festering sore.". Board member Nicole Cole asked how staff know these positions were unadvertised and unfilled and whether they are included in the current number of vacant positions or are in addition. What's offensive to one person, might not be to another, board member Baron Braswell noted, echoing the request for time. Meanwhile, parents in other places are looking ahead to the next school board elections. Jan 10, 2023 0 The Spotsylvania County School Board voted for new officers and approved changes to its code of ethics and policies and regulations surrounding harassment and how meetings. (540) 656 - 2050. [email protected]. The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! After the meeting, you approached the acting superintendent with copy of the contract. Shelley asked Kenny Forrest, executive director of operations, why these two donations were missing from the list for approval Monday. Officials add Taylor has a long history in the area and appropriate credentials sine he has overseen the money allocated to the school division and has knowledge of school budgets and organizational administration. I think we should throw those books in a fire, Abuismail said. 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). See what's LIVE here! News4's Derrick Ward has more on the tense meeting and scorching criticism of the new chair, Kirk Twigg. Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors | RegionalWebTV Spotsylvania County Public Schools8020 River Stone DriveFredericksburg, VA 22407Phone: [email protected].
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