Serving as vice chair will be April Gillespie, a mother with no prior school board experience who won her seat this fall. Do Not Show Again Close. I cannot comment further as it is an ongoing investigation, LaCivita said in an email Tuesday. John J. Wright Educational & Cultural Center. 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. Harris said his department will continue to staff a school resource officer at all 31 county schools. Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards. Im loving it so far, Baker said, However, theres a lot to learn.. The fifth graders all had their heads down on their desks but not because they were in trouble. HR Retirement webpage for updated information and the new Aetna Welcome Packet, Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings, 2022-2023 Parking Permit Application & Agreement, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Twigg then led the effort to name Taylor, who is one of his friends, as the new superintendent. Meanwhile, parents in other places are looking ahead to the next school board elections. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The SCTC Caf is opening up this Wednesday, October 5! To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. I think its a cynical movement and politicians are using it for their own gain.. The meetings live feed ended about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, as board member Nicole Cole was still speaking. Comments (-1) . Together, we prepare our students for their future. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. DC could be option for new Washington Commanders stadium: report, Tennessee becomes first state to ban drag shows on public property, DC Cherry Blossoms: 2023 peak bloom date predictions revealed, Pot smoking lounge set to open in Montgomery County is first of its kind, DC government employee accused of killing Karon Blake indicted, 15-year-old from Frederick missing for days, DC police formed specialized team to confiscate illegal ATVs and Dirt Bikes. 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. Please click the appropriate link below Meeting Agendas Meeting Minutes Screenshots of the agenda are below. Kindergarten Pre-Registration for 2023-2024 school year will open on Monday, March 6th. The scene in Spotsylvania County this week unfolded like many others. He said the positions have a value of $1.9 million and that we have very definite ideas of the highest and best use of those 25.5 positions to meet the needs of this division.. Live Streaming & Archive of School Board Meetings; FY2023 Budget Information; Taylor has experience as a county administrator and attorney, but has no experience in education. 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. They also headed to the polls as soon as early voting opened. A revised list of December donations was presented to the board for approval on Monday with two items missingan innovative teaching, or IDEA, grant for $1,996 for Salem Elementarys Diversity Book Project and a $1,497 grant from the Spotsylvania Education Foundation for Thornburg Middle Schools Social, Emotional Learning Project.. "I guess we live in a world now that our public schools would rather have kids read about gay pornography than Christ. There is now no restriction in division policy on the number of people who can speak on any given topic during public comments at board meetings. The firing, in other words, wasnt just superfluous. Hes not going to lie to me about that, Shelley said. 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. bottom of page . (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The board listened to several hours of public comments. Spotsylvania County Public Schools 8020 River Stone Drive Fredericksburg, VA 22407 Phone: 540-834-2500 webmaster@spotsylvania.k12.va.us Quick Links School Board Meeting Live Streaming Together, we prepare our students for their future. A Spotsylvania woman was killed early Thursday in a two-vehicle crash in the county, police said. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - There's a divisive debate going on over the Spotsylvania County School Board's new superintendent nominee. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. Schools will open two hours late. Part-time and hourly SOQ-funded positions will receive $500 bonuses. In Virginia, Spotsylvania County schools superintendent S. Scott Baker announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/1004981, https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/996150, www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/article/835136. What is critical race theory? Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer. The meetings live feed ended about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, as board member Nicole Cole was still speaking. You have permission to edit this article. Contact Us. Wed not been paying attention, and now we are.. Salem District representative Lorita Daniels was attempting to address concerns raised to her by parents of special education students when Twigg called for a vote to adjourn the meeting. The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! Snead, a 40-year-old mother of four, had been unhappy with the schools handling of the pandemic for a while, especially with the Bedford County Public Schools decision to cancel in-person sports for much of the pandemic. Two school board members, Rabih Abuismail and Kirk Twigg, said they'd like to see the removed books burned. How is this good for the students, the children of Spotsylvania County? The school district says the process yielded 21 applicants and 11 were interviewed. At a special meeting in December, Abuismail asked that the list of donations be pulled from the consent agenda. The letter, which The Free LanceStar obtained through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request, is dated the day after the School Board met in a closed session to discuss the two finalists for the superintendent position. The board took no public vote at that July meeting to recommend Taylor, who formerly was the Spotsylvania County administrator and is a longtime friend of Twigg, for the position. You can cancel at any time. His silence prompted fellow board member Nicole Cole to complain, You have not stated any justification or ability to fill the position. Click the pics for more info! By Hannah Natanson. In Oregon, a parent group called Oregonians for Liberty in Education developed a voters guide for local school board races across the state, said vice president Natalee Maxfield, although the guide which the group posted on its website and sent out in email newsletters included only candidates who aligned with our organizations values.. On Thursday, the Virginia Board of Education voted 6-2 to give Taylor a superintendents license. Taylor has experience as a. Education Department leaders involved in Spotsylvania schools superintendent search Skip to main contentSkip to main content Register for more free articles. At a contentious and chaotic school board meeting in Virginias Spotsylvania County this month, members moved into an unplanned closed session and voted to fire Baker, who had served in the role for a decade. . The board also requested a report next week on how books are selected for digital and hard copy library collections and indicated that it will consider a division-wide library audit. Melissa Floyd, the parent of a 6th grade and a 9th grade Spotsylvania County Public Schools student said her kids have lots of years left in the school district. The American Library Association, however, said its important to offer a wide variety of books in school libraries. Twigg forged a contract and if people up here are defending him, then theyre just as guilty as he is.. Many accused Taylor of making offensive social media posts, which were cited by one board member who voted "no." 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. This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. Meeting Live Streaming; Members; Schools & Voting Districts; Superintendent Search; . 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. Great job! Public Comment Period: Proposed 2022 Physical Education SOL. Dawn Shelley nominated Lorita Daniels to serve as chair, but Twigg, Phelps, Gillespie and Abuismail did not support that nomination. 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. In a 4-3 vote during Monday's meeting, the Spotsylvania County Public School Board elected Lisa Phelps as its new chair. In Spotsylvania County, the board has shown its willingness to take matters into its own hands. spotsylvania County board of supervisors. 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. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, By ADELE UPHAUSCONNER The fight is real.. The, 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. Archived meeting video available shortly after the meetings close. . 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. In Texass Houston Independent School District, for example, Kendall Baker a pastor supported by Scarboroughs group, Recover America attended his first-ever board meeting as a member last week. Three more animal cruelty charges were filed Thursday in the case of Byrd Rareshide, a former Virginia horse show judge who stands accused of . Mark Taylor, a former county administrator, and attorney, is the superintendent nominee. On October 10, 2022, the School Board voted to extend Fall Break to include Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. We hope to hear answers to the following questions. Taylor has not said if the posts belong to him. Spotsylvania County Public Schools did a nationwide search for a new superintendent after Dr. Scott Baker was fired in January.