VSBA E-Newsletter. Virginia School Boards Association. 200 Hansen Road, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA * Telephone (434)

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1 VSBA E-Newsletter Virginia School Boards Association. 200 Hansen Road, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA * Telephone (434) Volume 53, issue 8 April 2011 I am pleased to announce that the VSBA Board of Directors has approved a ten percent reduction in the 2011 annual dues for our membership. The VSBA Executive Director, Barbara Coyle, the Executive Committee and myself discussed this possibility for several months and felt it was time to bring the matter to the Board for action. While this is a one-time reduction in dues and for most divisions it will be a small dollar amount, I felt it sent the message that VSBA is aware of our members financial stress and this is a small way of helping. It further illustrates that VSBA is operating in a very efficient manner and will continue to do so in the future. I continue to thank each of you for your support of not only myself but the VSBA. Together we are the most effective advocacy association for the children of the Commonwealth. Correspondence will be sent to all board chairs and superintendents to determine the preference of each board. JB VSBA Membership provides your board many benefits The job of serving on a school board has grown to be a much more demanding task over the past decade. That means that now, more than ever, you and your fellow board members need to be up-to-date on the expectations and challenges as they unfold. The most comprehensive and convenient way to do that is through your membership with the Virginia School Boards Association. By your division being a member of the VSBA, it connects your board with 133 other school governance boards throughout the state. Your board can benefit by joining together with districts that may have already survived a Reduction In Force, or a school district reorganization. Your board also benefits from the wide array of programs, services and representation that VSBA offers from its Charlottesville headquarters. There are several direct benefits of being a member of the state association. First, you assure your division receives the information and services that have made VSBA so important to school board members throughout the state. From the monthly E-Newsletter, to the weekly Legislative Alerts, to our array of workshop opportunities, we are the primary source for school board related information. Most importantly, you are a part of an organization that is an active, member-driven organization dedicated to enhancing public education by working as advocates for school board members throughout the state. In the past year, our agenda has been dotted with local board workshops, VSBA Policy Services, Superintendent Searches, and legislative presentations. Our staff has worked hard for both individual boards and larger educational gatherings. Of course, our statewide toll-free phone line, and our website have also kept us at our members fingertips. But the strength of VSBA comes from within each of our members. Without your input, we can t possibly produce your desired output. 1

2 In spring a young man's fancy turns to romance. For those of us somewhat older it turns to thoughts of spring house cleaning! Here are a few cobwebs and dust bunnies I'd like to sweep out the VSBA front door and issues I d like to put up on our bookcase in the history section General Assembly. After the veto override session meets on Wednesday, April 6, the 2011 General Assembly will be history. Pat Lacy and Stacy Haney did a fantastic job 24/7 for the 75 days the General Assembly was in session. We won some and lost some but our collective voice was heard. Many times our lobbyists needed us and you answered those legislative alerts with calls and s to legislators. The best example was the support for the Senate budget conferees education revisions. Again, at the end of March we had a tremendous response to our call for boards to write a letter requesting a veto of SB 966, the bill to require a minimum of 180 minutes of physical education per week and we were successful! Keep alert and contact your legislators as VSBA expects some legislators to attempt an override of that veto. During the March 18 Board of Directors meeting, the VSBA Board of Directors had a conversation with Eric Finkbeiner, Senior Advisor for Policy for Governor McDonnell. During that conversation Mr. Finkbeiner stressed the need for a continued partnership between the office of the Governor and the VSBA. Grassroots advocacy works and it works even better when we can join forces with VASS, VEA, PTA, etc.! We can expect vouchers, tax credits, year-round schools and VRS to be issues present in the 2012 General Assembly. You will hear more on these issues and our collective efforts to proactive! Let s get bold with our advocacy and sweep out the politicians who don't support public education! Statewide elections will occur this November. Support candidates at the local and statewide level who support k-12 education. Encourage pro education candidates to run. With redistricting comes an opportunity for new candidates. Let's sweep out fiscal dependency. VSBA has been requesting a study of this issue since 1996 (VSBA Legislative Positions 5.7 Fiscal Authority of School Boards). This year, we couldn't even find a legislator willing to sponsor a study bill! VSBA needs to do more to advance this issue and so do local boards. Federal anti-education congressman and senators Make sure that your U.S. Congressmen and Senators know that we are watching closely and that we remain very interested in their positions in the emerging conversation about the re-authorization of ESEA. Follow the voting record of your congressmen and senators. Let s sweep out those who refuse to mandate without the accompanying funding. BC 2

3 The following is a profile of school board members as of March 15, School Board Size 3 members 1 4 members 1 5 members 66 6 members 10 7 members 37 8 members 7 9 members members 0 11 members 1 12 members 1 Term Lengths 2 year term 3 Term Limits 2 term limit 2 3 year term 14 3 term limit 4 4 year term term limit 1 Split term 1 No limit School Board Salaries No salary 5 school boards Less than $1,000 per year 4 school boards $1,000-$5,000 per year 76 school boards $5,001 $10,000 per year 34 school boards Over $10,001 per year 15 school boards School Division Type Rural 86 Urban 16 Suburban 32 Appropriation Method Cash 129 Monthly 22 Specific Levy 1 Semi-annually 4 Combination 4 Quarterly 13 Lump sum 86 Annually 100 By category 48 Board Members Meet Once a month 95 Twice a month 41 Student board members 25 Current Makeup of School Boards Men 482 Female 351 White 662 African-American 158 Hispanic 5 Asian 3 Native American 2 Appointed Boards 24 Elected Boards 110 Appointed by the following methods Board of Supervisors 6 City or town Council 17 Selection Committee 3 Elected by the following methods At-Large 27 By District 79 Combination 28 Years Served Less than 1 year years years 190 Over 10 years 169 Longest serving board member: 40 years (Russell Schools, Southampton County Chair Changes Annually 67 Frequently 14 Rarely 52 Female Chairs 45 Male Chairs 79 3

4 VSBA Webinar on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Speaker Michael Packer, School Board Attorney for Chesterfield County Public Schools Time 12:30 1:30 p.m. Date May 4, 2011 Cost $125 per connection or $300 per connection for a webinar package for the next 3 VSBA Webinars. Contact Eric Sawyer at (800) to register for the webinar. Current School Divisions that are Members of VSBA Insurance Programs Bath County Bedford County Botetourt County Buckingham County Buena Vista City Caroline County Carroll County Charles City County Clarke County Colonial Beach Town Covington City Cumberland County Dickenson County Essex County Floyd County Fluvanna County Franklin City Fredericksburg City Galax City Giles County Grayson County Greensville County Hampton City Highland County Hopewell City Isle of Wight County Jackson River Governor s School King & Queen County King William County Lancaster County Lee County Lexington City Loudoun County Louisa County Madison County Manassas City Mathews County Mecklenburg County Middlesex County New Kent County Norfolk City Northern Neck Regional Alternative Education Northern Neck Technical Center Northumberland County Norton City Nottoway County Orange County Patrick County Patrick Henry School of Science & Arts Piedmont Governor s School Property & Casualty Workers Compensation Student Accident Insurance Piedmont Regional Education Programs Portsmouth City Prince Edward County Pulaski County Radford City Richmond City Richmond County Roanoke Valley Regional Board Rockbridge County Scott County Surry County Sussex County Washington County Westmoreland County West Point Town Winchester City 4

5 Congratulations Falls Church City School Board and Newport News City School Board 2011 Magna Award Winners Healthy Meals for All Students Falls Church City Public Schools FCCPS Food Services Coordinator, Richard Kane is congratulated for winning the 2011 Magna Award by (from left) George Mason Principal Ty Byrd, FCCPS Superintendent Lois Berlin, Kane, and School Board Chairman Joan Wodiska From 2007 to 2010, the number of reduced price meals served increased by 36 percent and the overall number of breakfast meals served increased 82 percent. The district eliminated all fried foods from student menus, used whole grains, installed salad bars, and even prepared muffins with vegetables. In elementary schools, 75 percent of meals now are made from scratch and 95 percent of fruits and vegetables are fresh. Partnerships were formed with culinary schools to test foods, demonstrate cooking, and promote wellness. Building a Seaworthy Partnership Newport News City Public Schools Students received, through interaction with many professionals, hands-on experiences that triggered their strengths, passion, and curiosity about potential careers. They learned the key components of a successful interview and how to fill out job applications. They had an opportunity to learn a multitude of cognitive and life skills from a dedicated group of professional and to just enjoy their company during school dances, basketball games, school rallies, lunch periods, and field trips. Through the Ship builders Club, students entered the LEGO competition sponsored by the Virginia Ship Repair Association. Their work won second place in a ship design competition sponsored by the Nauticus museum in Norfolk. The 2011 Magna Award winners will be honored Saturday, April 9, at the American School Board Journal s annual Best Practices for School Leaders luncheon, held in conjunction with the National School Boards Association s annual conference in San Francisco. Way to go Falls Church and Newport News! 5

6 Board Members & Superintendents Speak and share your knowledge at the 2011 VSBA Annual Convention November 17 Seminar Day Title of presentation Presentation Form: panel open microphone dialogue debate role-play lecture panel Main contact s name: Title: School Division: Phone (office): Address: Phone (home): City, Zip: address: In 50 words or less, describe the presentation and specific skills or knowledge participants will gain by the end of the session. This description will be used in the Convention Guide. (Please feel free to submit additional material that describes your program.) Submitted by: Title: Phone: address: Rules for proposal submissions 1. Approval of division superintendent (if applicable). 2. Your proposal must be complete to qualify for consideration. 3. Proposals must be received in the VSBA office by 5p.m, June 1, You are encouraged to submit your proposal as soon as possible. 4. Speakers must provide computers for powerpoint presentations 5. Presentations must be product-and-vendor-neutral and include a member school division. Please return this form to: Samantha Staebell, Coordinator of Board Development. Contact Samantha with questions (800) or (434) VSBA, 200 Hansen Road, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA, or fax to (434) Use one form per topic/recommendation. This page may be duplicated. 6

7 Mark your calendars for this 2011 NSBA Annual Conference egovernance peer discussion. Very few districts ever take the time to discover the hidden costs behind the production and distribution of board packets. The ones that do are shocked to learn how much time and money is spent shuffling paper for board meetings. Come hear Dr. Gary Cohn, Superintendent, Everett Public Schools, WA, and Fulton County Schools, GA Board Members Julia Bernath and Gail Dean discuss how affordable, turn-key, egovernance solutions work for them in this informative NSBA 2011 session: Paperless Board Meetings for More Effective Governance - Saving Taxpayer Dollars and District Time Has Never Been Easier! on Sunday, April 10 from 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM in the Moscone Convention Center. Learn how easy and inexpensive it is to implement paperless solutions for public governance that dramatically increase board effectiveness, save taxpayer money and reduce staff time by up to 75%. Using real-world examples, the panel will explore how governing bodies can vastly improve conventional packets, transparency and give board members powerful tools to help make better-informed decisions. Districts throughout the US are saving tens-of-thousands annually just by going paperless, and you can too! Even if you are unable to make the session, be sure to visit the egovernance experts at Booth #1001 and give us five minutes of your time - we can show you first-hand how your organization can save thousands of dollars every year. And how BoardDocs can get your district paperless for just $2,700 per year and a $1,000 start-up fee. Experience the All New BoardDocs LT and BoardDocs Pro at NSBA, Booth #1001. We Promise You'll be Amazed! VSBA has once again partnered with the Virginia Municipal League (VML) and the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to participate in a Go Green Virginia Initiative. School divisions will be invited to participate in a friendly initiative known as the VSBA Green Schools Challenge. The Challenge is designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce the carbon emissions generated by both the local school division and the broader community. In addition, taking these actions can save local divisions money. The VSBA Green Schools Challenge will be organized as follows - Local school divisions will earn green points by implementing or adopting policies and actions listed in 12 categories. Amassing at least 100 green points out of a possible 200 will earn a certification as a Green School Division. Awards and certificates will be presented at the 2011 VSBA Annual Convention. Local school divisions can register to participate online at Once registered, local divisions can start completing the Challenge and implementing as many new actions and policies as possible. The Web site will provide detailed instructions, technical assistance and samples of actions already established by Virginia school divisions. Refer to it often. School Divisions will have until October 7 to complete the Challenge and submit the necessary certification online or by mail. 7

8 Officers Warren J. Jeff Bain (Pulaski County)...President Joan E. Wodiska (Falls Church City)...President-Elect Stuart D. Gibson (Fairfax County)...Past President Members-At-Large Juandiego Wade...Charlottesville City Karen J. Gerlach...Radford City Betty D. Covington...Prince William County The Virginia School Boards Association is a voluntary, self supporting and nonpartisan organization whose primary mission is the advancement of education through the unique American tradition of local citizen control of, and accountability for, the Commonwealth s public schools. In this way, education policy is decided by the local school boards who are directly accountable to the community. VSBA promotes quality education through services to local school boards. It represents school boards interests before the legislature, state agencies, Congress and other state and national regulatory bodies. Membership in the VSBA represents the Commonwealth s school boards, who in turn, govern the schools attended by 100% of the public school children in Virginia. Henry J. Featherston... Amelia County Committee Chairmen VSBA Newsletter, April 2011 Priscilla B. Godfrey (Loudoun County)...Finance/Audit George A. Bradby (Isle of Wight County)...Federal Relations Kerri M. Wilson (Harrisonburg City)...Legislative Positions Publisher...Barbara J. Coyle Editor...Gina Patterson Regional Chairmen William S. Kidd (Wythe County)...Blue Ridge David W. Christian (Buckingham County)...Central Rosemary M. Mahan (Westmoreland County)...Eastern Jon A. Buttram (Fairfax City).....Northeastern Ellery Sedgwick (Prince Edward County)...Southern Kenneth W. Lewis (Petersburg City)...Southside Articles printed in the VSBA Newsletter express divergent points of view. The articles printed in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of the writers and are not necessarily the views of the Virginia School Boards Association. The Newsletter is published September through May. Subscriptions to the Newsletter are included as a VSBA service to all members. A member of the Educational Press Association of America Harold T. Golding (Carroll County)...Southwest Diane B. Jones (Southampton County)... Tidewater Roy K. Boyles (Warren County)...Valley Virginia School Boards Association 200 Hansen Road, Suite 2 Charlottesville, VA (434)