The School Board Member Alliance (SBMA) hosted its annual EmpowerED Symposium in Glen Allen, Virginia, on December 5 and 6, drawing school board members from across the state to discuss education strategies and share best practices. The two-day event featured dynamic sessions focused on student achievement and leadership development, offering board members tools to navigate the challenges of public education governance.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin made a surprise appearance to encourage attendees and commend their dedication to serving students and families. “What an honor it is to be with you,” Governor Youngkin said. “Our number one objective is to serve and educate Virginia’s families and their children in a way that cannot be replicated anyplace else because of who we are, what we are, and what our opportunities are. So thank you.”

The Governor emphasized the critical role school board members play, calling it “the toughest and most important job in the country.” He also praised SBMA’s rapid rise as an influential organization, noting, “What has happened here, where we all of a sudden see the School Board Member Alliance stand up and become a driving force in literally less than two years, is remarkable.”

Youngkin encouraged attendees to recruit others to join their ranks, saying, “We’re going to need more of you. Every year, every meeting, we just need more and more of you in this room. You can count on me helping you find friends to sit at the table with you.”

In addition to Governor Youngkin, the symposium featured a lineup of influential speakers, including Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares, who both addressed attendees with messages of support and encouragement. 

Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera and Deputy Secretary of Education Emily Anne Gullickson provided insights into statewide initiatives aimed at improving student outcomes. Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) President Grace Creasey and VBOE member Dr. Meg Bryce also spoke at the event, focusing on the new accountability framework that goes into effect next year.

One of the most well-received sessions, “Strategic Planning,” focused on keeping student achievement at the forefront of board priorities. One attendee called the session, “an excellent reminder about the need to remain focused on student achievement.”

Board members expressed their appreciation for the event: “The symposium was FANTASTIC in every way. Many thanks for all your hard work,” one member said.

The EmpowerED Symposium reinforced the importance of collaboration, leadership, and innovation in education, leaving attendees inspired and better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.

New Research Shows That Virginia is Significantly Behind in Recovering From Pandemic Learning Loss

Virginia is seeing small improvements in math achievement, while reading scores continue to decline Researchers urge state and district leaders to use remaining federal funding on adding instruction time through summer school and tutoring After reporting on pandemic achievement losses last year, the Education Recovery Scorecard (a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University) is issuing a report on the first year of academic recovery for school districts in 30 states. Last year, students in many states made historic gains in math and reading. Still, they made up only one-third of the pandemic loss in math and one quarter of the loss in reading. Even if they maintain last year’s pace, students will not be caught up by the time federal relief expires in September. Moreover, the recovery efforts are not closing the gaps between high- and low-poverty districts which widened during the pandemic. Virginia: “No one wants to see poor kids footing the bill for the pandemic, but that is the path Virginia is on,” said Dr. Thomas Kane, Faculty Director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and one of the study’s co-authors. “The top priority now is to ensure remaining federal relief dollars go to Summer 2024 and to tutoring and after-school contracts next year.” Between 2019 and 2022, achievement fell by 84% of a grade equivalent in math and 60% in reading. Between 2022 and 2023, math achievement statewide improved by 11% of a grade equivalent. In reading, average achievement declined by 9% of a grade equivalent last year. The pandemic produced devastating losses in many of the most needy Virginia school districts, with students in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Alexandria losing more than a full grade equivalent in math, while Richmond and Roanoke also lost more than a full grade equivalent in reading. Fortunately, Norfolk City and Henrico County schools took huge strides in the right direction, where average math achievement improved by more than half of a grade equivalent in a single year, an impressive achievement. If students in Virginia continue recovering at last year’s rate even in the absence of federal relief, students will require an additional six years to return to 2019 levels in math. The recovery had not begun in reading. Virginia received over $3.2 billion in federal recovery funding and as of January 2024, still had over $920 million (28%) remaining. National Takeaways: Over the course of the 2022-2023 school year, students in one state (Alabama) returned to pre-pandemic achievement levels in math. Despite progress, students in seventeen states remain more than a third of a grade level behind 2019 levels in math: AR, CA, CT, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, OK, OR, VA, WA, and WV. Students in three states (Illinois, Louisiana, and Mississippi) returned to 2019 achievement levels in reading, while students in 14 states remain more than a third of a grade level behind in reading: CT, IN, KS, MA, MI, NC, NV, OK, OR, PA, VA, WA, SD, and WY. Congress provided a total of $190 billion in federal aid to K-12 schools during the pandemic, with most of it targeted at high-poverty districts. As of January 2024, $51 billion of that aid is still available, with the remaining dollars due to be obligated by September of this year (or returned to the federal government).  To the extent that states and districts have remaining funds, they should focus those dollars on academic recovery this summer and next school year. The researchers urge education leaders to take the following steps as the federal spending deadline approaches: This spring, schools should inform parents if their child is below grade level in math or English so that parents have time to enroll in summer learning. Parents cannot advocate if they are misinformed. Research shows that parents take specific actions when they know their child is behind grade level. Schools should expand summer learning seats this summer. States should require districts to set aside sufficient funds to accept all students who sign up. Research has shown that six weeks of summer learning produces a fourth of a year of learning, especially in math. Districts can extend the recovery efforts into the next school year by contracting for high-quality tutoring and after-school programs before September. Although the federal relief dollars cannot be used to pay school employee salaries after September, they can be used to make payments on contracts that are signed before the deadline. (Click here to see the U.S. Department of Education’s recent guidance on seeking an extension. For ideas on how to tie contractor payments to student outcomes, see the Outcomes-Based Contracting project at the Southern Education Foundation.) Local government, employers and community leaders should get involved in helping schools lower student absenteeism, which has remained high since the pandemic. In addition to encouraging districts to reserve federal dollars to pay for Summer 2024 programming, tutoring, absentee reduction, and after-school programs for the 2024-2025 academic year, the researchers encourage states to consider using state dollars to incentivize districts to extend the school year or to expand summer learning in future years, as Texas has done.

The School Board Member Alliance is looking for sponsors for its 2024 EmpowerEd Symposium, on December 5-6, 2024, in Glen Allen, VA.

This two-day event will bring together school board members and thought leaders from across the commonwealth to engage in professional development, collaboration, and discussions on how to best support K-12 education. Your sponsorship will play a critical role in helping us make this event a success, ensuring that participants receive the tools and insights they need to drive positive change in their communities.

Thank you for considering this request. Your partnership would make a meaningful difference in the success of this important event.

Platinum Sponsorship: $1,500.00
• Premier exhibit table at the event.
• Prime placement of signage at the event.
• Business logo to appear on all website and email promotions.
• Full page ad in the event program.

Gold Sponsorship: $1,000.00
• Sponsorship of the networking lunch segment OR the
         evening networking session.
• Recognition in event materials and mention during the luncheon  
          or evening event.
• Exhibit table at the event.
• 1/2 page ad in the event program.

Silver Sponsorship: $500.00
• Sponsor the refreshment breaks with signage on the table.
• Exhibit table at the event.
• 1/2 page ad in the event program.

Bronze Sponsorships: $250.00
• Recognition in event materials.
• Optional exhibit table at the event.
• 1/4 page ad in the event program.

Click HERE to purchase a sponsorship.

SBMA Responds to Baseless Accusations by York County Resident     York County resident Alan Kennedy has launched a campaign to recall school board member Lynda Fairman, making unsubstantiated claims against the School Board Member Alliance (SBMA). Kennedy accuses Fairman of "colluding with SBMA to threaten fellow school board member Kimberly S. Goodwin that 'if she did not vote the way SBMA wanted her to. . . Goodwin would no longer receive support from the SBMA.'"  SBMA’s attorneys have already disputed these claims, presenting evidence that proved them entirely baseless, leading York County to concede it was in the wrong. SBMA has consistently operated within the law, focusing on supporting school board members through professional development and advocating for good governance, not engaging in coercive or unethical behavior. Kennedy’s defamatory allegations misrepresent SBMA’s mission and distort the truth. York County remains the only division where these baseless attacks against SBMA continue to surface, perpetuated by media outlets like WAVY 10, which label the organization as "right-wing" for its focus on common-sense principles like academic achievement, school safety, and parental rights. SBMA champions these values, which were once considered common sense but are now considered partisan by outlets like WAVY 10.  As SBMA continues to stand firm in its mission to improve school board governance and promote safe, effective school environments, it is important that Virginians understand the facts and not be swayed by these baseless attacks.

In a recent webinar, key educational leaders, including Denise Fort of the Education Trust and Hedy Chang of Attendance Works, emphasized the urgent need for schools to address chronic absenteeism, which has spiked significantly since the pandemic. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, has been linked to poor academic performance, lower graduation rates, and long-term socio-economic consequences.

Despite the push for student engagement through innovative teaching methods and strategies, many students are still disengaged, often due to a lack of consistent teaching presence. Chang highlighted the importance of teacher attendance as a critical factor in student success. It’s not just the students who need to be present; stable and reliable teaching staff are also essential.

The panel discussed the role of parents, emphasizing that while they are often blamed for student absences, the real challenge lies in making school environments engaging and meaningful for both students and teachers. Many parents struggle to motivate their children due to the lack of engaging, relevant lessons, often finding students assigned to watch movies or complete work packets during teacher absences.

To combat chronic absenteeism, the panel proposed a multifaceted approach, which includes setting a goal to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years. This initiative must involve all stakeholders, including school administrators, teachers, parents, community organizations, and policymakers. School board members, in particular, are in a unique position to advocate for these changes by pushing for accountability in both student and teacher attendance, ensuring classrooms are engaging, and creating partnerships with local businesses and organizations to support struggling families.

The message to school board members is clear: the fight against chronic absenteeism cannot wait. Schools must provide high-quality education, consistent teacher presence, and a system of support to ensure that all students can succeed.

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to reject the Biden administration's emergency request to enforce new Title IX protections that include transgender students, particularly provisions that would allow biological men access to women's bathrooms and locker rooms in certain states. The rule, effective from August 1, interprets discrimination "on the basis of sex" to include gender identity, which has been contested by more than two dozen Republican attorneys general. Click HERE for more details.

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jason Miyares today led a 16-state coalition in filing an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions about their children’s welfare. 

In 2021, a Wisconsin school district implemented guidelines allowing students to change their gender identity at school – including names, pronouns, and use of facilities like locker rooms and bathrooms – without parental notification or consent. A group of concerned parents from the district filed a complaint, arguing that the policy violated their rights. However, both the district court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case, holding that the parents lacked standing to bring federal claims.

The 16-state coalition is now urging the Supreme Court to hear this case and reiterate that parents have the right to be involved in their children's educational and personal development. 

“Parents have the right to be involved in major decisions affecting their children's lives. This case presents an opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to provide much-needed clarity and reaffirm that government officials cannot override parents’ fundamental rights simply because they believe they know better,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “It is essential that schools work with parents, not against them, to support a child’s wellbeing.” 

Attorney General Miyares is joined by the States of Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

Click HERE to read the brief.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Virginia Governor Issues Executive Order to Establish Cell Phone-Free Education in K-12 Public Schools

RICHMOND, VA— In response to growing concerns from parents, educators, and public health professionals, the Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued an Executive Order requiring the development and implementation of cell phone-free education policies in the state's K-12 public schools. This directive is an effort to address the escalating mental health crisis and declining academic performance attributed to excessive cell phone and social media usage among students.

The Executive Order instructs the Secretary of Education, Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Virginia Department of Education, and the State Health Commissioner to collaborate on creating comprehensive guidelines for cell phone-free educational environments. The initiative stresses the critical need to mitigate distractions, improve student focus, and enhance overall educational outcomes.

Key elements of the Executive Order include:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Conduct listening sessions and engage with parents, students, teachers, and other stakeholders to gather input on age-appropriate cell phone-free education policies.
• Definition and Guidelines: Develop a clear definition of "cell phone-free education" and publish model implementation plans for school divisions.
• Public Feedback: Release draft guidance on the Virginia Department of Education's website for public feedback by August 15, 2024.
• Final Guidance: Issue final guidance by September 16, 2024, with school divisions expected to adopt policies by January 1, 2025.
• Communication Protocols: Address protocols for parent-student communication, medical needs, and emergency situations.
• Reporting and Data Collection: Establish a mechanism for reporting school division policies and collecting data on student outcomes.
• Collaboration with Health Agencies: Coordinate with relevant agencies to disseminate information on the impact of cell phone usage on academic and mental health.

Executive Order 33 comes in light of alarming statistics, including a significant rise in adolescent depression, anxiety, and suicide rates linked to social media usage. Recent studies show that students spending more than three hours a day on social media are at double the risk of poor mental health. Additionally, cell phone use during class has been shown to decrease academic performance.

The Governor's initiative aims to foster healthier, more focused learning environments and support the well-being of Virginia's youth. This Executive Order takes effect immediately and will remain in force until amended or rescinded.

For Immediate Release:

Friday, June 28, 2024

After Permanently 'Canceling' SBMA on Baseless Claims, York County Government Reverses Its Decision

The School Board Member Alliance of Virginia (SBMA) is finally vindicated from the baseless and unlawful actions taken against it by York County officials to permanently suspend the professional organization from contracting with the county in any way. 

SBMA's Executive Director, Sherri Story, said: "After county officials went out of their way to target and disparage SBMA, presumably for political reasons, our attorneys appealed the county's actions on our behalf, pointing out all the ways they failed to follow the law and even their own local regulations for public contracting. Today, York County wisely reversed course, issuing a letter declaring "I rescind the determination that SBMA is non-responsible.""

According to Story, "While we appreciate York County doing the right thing and reversing their unlawful action, SBMA now deserves a public apology from York County to help restore our reputation that its actions directly harmed. Agitators and news outlets have been using York's unlawful action against SBMA to impugn our character, and now York County needs to make clear to the public that it was wrong." 

For background about SBMA: SBMA's mission is to promote high-quality school board governance training that emphasizes excellence in public education and addresses the distinctive needs of each student. To learn more about SBMA, visit www.mysbma.org.

Click HERE to watch.