Education
Virginia colleges change protest rules, mirroring ‘unprecedented’ U.S. trend, advocate says
By Summer DeCiucis/Capital News Service RICHMOND, Va. — Students, lawmakers and free-speech activists question if updated university policies that regulate student demonstrations violate First Amendment rights. After campus protests that led to some clashes with police, institutions such as Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech adopted similar policies. The […]
U.S. Department of Education begins testing of new FAFSA form
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education is launching the first testing period for its phased rollout of the 2025-26 form to apply for federal financial student aid on Tuesday, with more students set to partake in this beginning testing stage than initially expected. The department announced in August it would be using a staggered approach to […]
Nearly 85% of Virginia schools fully accredited this year, a decrease from last year
Fewer schools met the state’s standards to be considered fully accredited based on 2023-24 data compared to the previous year, according to the Virginia Department of Education. A total of 84.5 % of schools in 2023-24 were fully accredited, compared to 89% in 2022-23. On the flip side, no school was denied accreditation, leading the […]
Va. school board to pay $575K to fired teacher who refused to use transgender student’s pronouns
The West Point School Board agreed to pay Peter Vlaming, a former high school French teacher, $575,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after he declined to refer to a transgender student by his requested pronouns. The agreement came several months after the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated Vlaming’s case, which the King William Circuit Court dismissed. […]
Virginia’s new accountability system: A chance to lead in educational equity
Virginia has been a beacon of bipartisan educational innovation, showcasing historic and recent advancements in standards, early childhood education, career and technology education, and post-secondary pathways. State support for higher education increased 28% in the past five years, alongside greater investments in Advanced Placement classes and regional collaborations between community colleges and employees. It’s no […]
Northern Virginia counselors challenge Virginia’s ban on conversion therapy
Two counselors from Northern Virginia, backed by lawyers with the conservative group The Family Foundation, are seeking to overturn the commonwealth’s ban on conversion therapy, a practice that attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. On Thursday, the Founding Freedoms Law Center, the legal division of the Family Foundation, announced it filed a […]
Gaps in FAFSA rollout are closing, watchdog tells U.S. House panel
WASHINGTON — Months after the rollout of the streamlined form to apply for federal financial student aid faced a series of highly publicized hiccups that prompted processing delays and frustrated students and families, a government watchdog offered some additional explanation Tuesday of what went wrong and recommendations for the U.S. Education Department going forward. Members […]
After recent school shootings, Virginia NAACP wants more social media education
In the aftermath of the recent school shooting in Winder, Georgia, that left four students and teachers dead, and the threats of violence made online in various Virginia school districts, the NAACP Virginia State Conference has pushed for increased action on social media education, mental health services and a renewed commitment to addressing racism and […]
U.S. House passes ‘anti-woke’ bill aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion in higher ed
WASHINGTON — A GOP measure barring accrediting organizations from requiring colleges and universities to adopt diversity, equity and inclusion policies as a condition of accreditation passed the U.S. House Thursday, though its fate appears dim. The End Woke Higher Education Act — which succeeded 213-201 — marks one of several so-called anti-woke initiatives and messaging bills from Republican lawmakers to hit […]
Virginia panels begin investigating Black communities displaced by universities
A Newport News task force, one of two recently established groups in Virginia investigating the historic displacement of Black communities by the state’s public universities, is facing allegations that it has not been open about its operations. The six-member local government and university joint initiative, along with a separate nineteen-member statewide panel, is seeking potential […]
Senate hearing over campus protests to Israel-Hamas war draws criticism from Republicans
A Senate committee meeting in Richmond focused on investigating the wave of Israel-Hamas war protests at several Virginia colleges and universities turned intense on Tuesday, as public testimonies extended beyond the scope of the events last spring and some Republican lawmakers accused the committee of excluding law enforcement officials from the dialogue. Republicans on the […]
Virginia Department of Education releases final cellphone-free school guidelines
The Virginia Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it has published its final cellphone-free education guidelines. Two months ago, the governor directed the department to develop them to limit students’ time using “addictive” cellphones in schools and eliminate “clear distractions” in the classroom. Va. plans to create cell phone-free education guidelines. Developing them will […]