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USDA Farm to School Grants Connect More Students with Locally Grown and Raised Food |
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 The Virginia Department of Education announces nearly $100,000 Farm to School Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used to support efforts of school nutrition programs to serve Virginia-grown food in school cafeterias and school-based meals programs.
The grant will fund efforts by the department — in collaboration with local, regional and statewide partners — to expand the commonwealth’s eight regional farm-to-school networks, continue farm-product specific procurement training for division school nutrition staff and create school nutrition programs that capitalize on local agricultural products. VDOE launched these initiatives in 2017 after receiving a similar USDA Farm to School Grant.
“With support from this latest award, more of our school communities will discover the benefits of farm-to-school programs and the opportunities they provide to learn about where food comes from and how the choices they make can impact communities and the environment,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said. “Even if they live in a community many miles from the nearest farm, students can enjoy wholesome meals and learn about the commonwealth’s largest industry.”
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New School Per-Pupil Spending Reports Provide Transparency and Promote Equity
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 The addition of school-level per-pupil expenditure reports to the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profiles provides transparency and promotes equity in the allocation of education funds.
The new reports — found under the “Finance” tab on the profile of each school — present per-pupil expenditures of local, state and federal funds for 2018-2019 at the school, division and state levels. The reports include an interactive data visualization comparing per-pupil spending for the selected school with per-pupil expenditures for the division and statewide.
“Distilling per-pupil expenditure data down to the school level was a challenge for both the department and our school divisions,” Lane said. “But I believe it was a challenge well worth undertaking as parents and other members of the public are now able to see how local, state and federal funds flow to the building level. This new transparency will help inform important conversations across the state about equity in meeting the needs of all learners.”
Virginia and other states have reported on district-level per-pupil expenditures for decades. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 — also known as ESSA — requires states to publish annual school-level per-pupil expenditures on their online school report cards, beginning with data for the 2018-2019 school year. Virginia collaborated with other states to develop guidelines and uniform criteria for meeting the requirement.
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State Superintendent Announces Application Window for Additional CARES Act Funds |
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Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced that applications from school divisions are now being accepted for additional funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act.
The additional federal money to help schools cover COVID-19-related costs is from two relief funds established by the act: the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.
In May, VDOE received approximately $238.6 million from the ESSER Fund. The department distributed 90% of the award directly to school divisions. From the ESSER funds reserved for state-level programs and activities, VDOE will award $17.75 million to school divisions through formula-based and competitive grants to support the following programs and activities:
- Special education services and supports;
- School-based mental health services and supports;
- Social-emotional screening;
- Summer academic academies;
- Instructional delivery supports;
- Cleaning/sanitizing supplies for schools and school buses; and
- Facilities upgrades and protective equipment.
Virginia received $43.39 million from the GEER Fund to address pandemic-related elementary and secondary education costs. VDOE will award $21 million of this to school divisions through formula-based and competitive grants to support school nutrition operations and virtual instruction for students in need of devices and broadband access.
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REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Join Us for the 2020 #EdEquityVA Virtual Summit |
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In lieu of the annual Education Equity Summer Institute, the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Equity will host the 2020 #EdEquityVA Virtual Equity Summit on August 5 and 6, 2020.
Registration is now open and free for attendees.
Register HERE.
Join Governor Ralph Northam, Virginia Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni, and Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. James Lane for the this virtual conference, which will bring together educators and leaders from across the state to explore the implications of institutional racism in public education and raise state discourse and action around courageous teaching and leading, equity, and the principles of anti-racism. Educators and education leaders are encouraged to register and attend.
This year’s Summit will convene over two days:
- Day 1 (August 5th) will be geared towards teachers, principals, instructional leaders, and equity coordinators.
- Day 2 (August 6th) will be geared towards superintendent teams, administrators, school board members, and division level equity leads.
- Both days will include a keynote address by Dr. Bettina Love, author of We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom.
Special Instructions:
- Registration is restricted to school division personnel. Please use your school division affiliated email address when registering.
- Please register for each session separately.
- Space is limited, so please only register for one session per breakout section.
- You will receive a confirmation email from ZOOM with your meeting login information. This link will be unique to the email address you use when you register.
To view the full list of breakout sessions and access the registration pages, follow this link: http://www.virginiaisforlearners.virginia.gov/ed-equity-va/. All sessions provided will focus on building an educator workforce that is positioned for anti-racism and cultural proficiency to ensure that Virginia’s public education system is one that maximizes the potential of all students.
Please direct all inquiries pertaining to the 2020 #EdEquityVA Virtual Equity Summit to the Office of Equity and Community Engagement at EdEquityVA@doe.virginia.gov
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REMINDER: Partnering with Parents - Leadership Training Opportunities for Summer 2020 |
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 The training opportunities below are available to families of students with disabilities. These opportunities are offered by the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).
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Parents as Collaborative Leaders (PACL) Advanced - August 5-7, 2020, Irvington, VA: Participants will build upon the leadership and collaboration skills acquired in the Parents as Collaborative Leaders training. We will further explore ways to communicate our stories and demonstrate how effective leadership skills can lead to systemic change. Register for Parents as Collaborative Leaders (PACL) Advanced
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Parent Institute - August 20-21, 2020, Charlottesville, VA: An exciting opportunity for parents new to the world of special education. PEATC's Parent Institute is a great opportunity for Virginia parents to gather, collaborate, grow, and learn together. Register for the Parent Institute
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DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE! Submit Your Nominations for The Mary Peake Award for Excellence |
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to submit applications for The Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity has been extended to Saturday, August 1, 2020 by 11:59 pm EDT.
Please consider nominating an educator, policy maker, education advocacy group, or stakeholder organization in your community whose service and leadership is impacting equity outcomes in the state.
All nomination materials must be submitted online by
August 1, 2020 by 11:59 PM EDT.
For more information about the nomination process and selection criteria, visit the Virginia is for Learners website.
For direct access to the nomination form, click here.
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Resources for Phased Reopening of Virginia's Public Schools |
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The recently announced phased reopening of K-12 schools gradually permits in-person instruction to resume while prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff. In order to minimize the disparate impacts closures have had on students, this approach prioritizes the needs of students who have been most impacted by school building closures, and for whom in-person instruction is most beneficial.
- Refer to Recover, Redesign, Restart 2020 and School Reopening Frequently Asked Questions for related guidance from the Virginia Department of Education
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