2 min read. spotsylvania County board of supervisors. A parent stepped up to a microphone in a nondescript room, glanced at a sheet of prepared remarks and claimed the school board . "I think its unethical now when he was asked about it because Twiggs campaign manager is the wife of Mark Taylor so yes, theres definitely something going on, and just from that aspect alone he should not be the person for our superintendent," said Dana McFarren, another concerned Spotsylvania County Public Schools parent. Let's Go! Click here for more: 9 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The district also ended mask requirements and contact tracing, effective Feb. 1. 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). Superintendent Dr. S. Scott Baker said he has faith in the librarians. This is the second time Wilderness ES has earned this distinction. Twigg forged a contract and if people up here are defending him, then theyre just as guilty as he is.. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2022. Parents want to know how and why someone who is not an educator made it through the screening process. This is an inclement weather update. Mondays meeting of the Spotsylvania School Board ended after five hours over the objections of three members, and without the board taking up any new or unfinished business. You can use this area for legal statements, copyright information, a mission statement, etc. burning books. Many times I was also just a shoulder to cry on, Schillinger said. It's everything Spotsylvania County Mr. Books with sexually explicit content have come under fire across the country. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - There's a divisive debate going on over the Spotsylvania County School Board's new superintendent nominee. See more: 6 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. What is critical race theory? Public comments regarding thePhysical Education SOL will be received atvdoe.stem@doe.virginia.govfromFebruary 11-March 11. The firing, in other words, wasnt just superfluous. Head over to Longhorn Steakhouse Southpoint this Saturday, September 24th between 9am and 1pm for a car wash to help our CHS Choir make it to Universal Studios this January! Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Elections. On July 9, School Board Chair Kirk Twigg wrote former Culpeper councilman Jon Russell, then a special counsel at the Virginia Department of Education, telling him Mark Taylor was the final candidate for the superintendent position.. Pre-Registration for 2022-2023 School Year is Now Open. Scheff said that Guempel asked for a higher monthly stipend and that Twigg crossed out the $4,500 amount and changed it to $8,500. 12-month employees and essential employees are to report to work on time as safety permits. See what's LIVE here! You have permission to edit this article. So many times since the pandemic hit, the 39-year-old father of four, who works as a building contractor, had tried and failed to speak at Bedford school board meetings. Parents are demanding more transparency while officials are staying tight-lipped about his close connection with the school board chair. In Spotsylvania, said retired board member Braswell, it is unclear what plans the new majority has for the beleaguered school district or even why it deposed the former superintendent, Scott Baker. In Spotsylvania, the hotly contested superintendent search began this year after the longtime schools leader was abruptly fired by a board that included a new bloc of members, a move many saw. It is incumbent on us to make sure that whatever the policy says we need to do, were doing, and if something needs to be strengthened, its on us to do it, Sims said. Its pretty ugly out here in school board races. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Previous Archives. 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. The parent movement spans the political spectrum and reflects a grievance born during the pandemic when parents queued for hours at school boards nationwide to share their concerns with upended schooling, often running over their allotted speaking time that school officials are not listening to the people whose children they were supposed to serve. Mr. In the first Spotsylvania County School Board meeting since sending their superintendent candidate's name to the state for approval, heated arguments erupted between parents and the board --- and . Careers. Nonetheless, she plunged in: The roughly 200 local members of Moms for Liberty which grew through word of mouth and social media posts started sharing a flood of information about the election on Facebook, as well as attending community events. Mark Taylor, a former county administrator, and attorney, is the superintendent nominee. At its last meeting, Twigg abruptly fired well-regarded Superintendent Dr. Scott Baker, who had . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Shelley corroborated Scheffs account and stated that Guempel told her about the incident himself. Deborah Alexander, one of those who won, also attributed her victory in part to a widespread sentiment among parents that theyd been excluded from important educational decisions. Website Feedback. Bakers ouster is especially noteworthy because he had already announced in December, shortly after the elections in which Twigg and his coterie gained a majority, that he would retire. But after the mask flip-flop, she decided to start a chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national group that empowers conservative parents to seek change in their school systems, which she had heard about through a friend in Florida. Shelley asked Kenny Forrest, executive director of operations, why these two donations were missing from the list for approval Monday. In Nevada, Deborah Earl, vice president and founding member of parent-advocacy group Power 2 Parent, is targeting the November school board races in the Clark County School District. Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Division Teacher of the Year, Battlefield Elementary special education teacher Mrs. Laura Brooks! SLE kicked off Day One with our keynote speaker session "Teaching and Leading with Focus" with Mike Schmoke. "It makes us scared for our kids' future. Copyright 2023 Spotsylvania County Public Schools. school apologizes after video shows White students singing n-word | Perspective: Navigating the wilderness, avoiding predators urban and rural | Teacher quits in protest after being punished for banned-books sign, Higher ed: BYU says probe found no evidence of racial slurs at Duke volleyball player |Will college students show up to vote in November? In Virginia, Amy Sneads efforts with Bedford Moms for Liberty bore fruit, too. Spotsylvania County's former school board chairman was indicted this week on charges of forgery and tampering with public records, according to Virginia state police. Four board members who describe themselves as advocates of parents rights drove the decision, said Baron Braswell, a long-serving Spotsylvania board member who stepped down last year but has kept in touch with his former peers. How does this make sense? About a week later, shortly after the board held an emergency closed session to appoint an acting superintendent, the Spotsylvania Education Association voted that they had no confidence in the school board. Forrest said he did not have an explanation and would need to get a response. Abuismail also did not offer an explanation. Harris said his deputies have been unnecessarily put in the middle between citizens and School Board Chair Kirk Twigg, who he believes is interfering with the first amendment right people have to speak their mind. bottom of page . Screenshots of the agenda are below. Please subscribe to keep reading. The Virginia Board of Education is hosting two virtual public hearings for the proposed Driver Education and Physical Education Standards of Learning Tuesday, February 8, 2022 and Wednesday, February 16, 2022. We wanted to make sure the voices of parents continued to be heard, but also recognized and listened to, she said. Mondays meeting of the Spotsylvania County School Board ended after five hours over the objections of three members, and without the board taking up any new or unfinished business. Strong movements have sprung up in bastions of liberalism such as New York City, where a parent group dissatisfied with attempts to reform gifted tracking programs placed more than 60 candidates onto school boards this past fall, and San Francisco, where irate parents are pursuing the recall of three board members, in part, over a much-derided attempt to rename schools. FOX 5's Sierra Fox explores the divisive debate going on over the Spotsylvania County School Board's new superintendent nominee. Monday night marked the first time Christina and Robert Burris spoke before the school board. As the Regional Teacher of the Year, she's in the running to be the Virginia Teacher of the Year -- and the winner is announced TONIGHT! In Virginia, Spotsylvania County schools superintendent S. Scott Baker announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. GRADUATION INFORMATION -- All 2023 high school graduations will be held on Saturday, May 20th at 8:00 a.m. about 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools, CONGRATULATIONS to this year's Spelling Bee Champion Amaanat Banwait, a 5th grader at Spotswood ES, and Runner-Up Daphne Reno, a 7th grader at Battlefield MS! Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. People attending Mondays Spotsylvania County School Board meeting wear red to protest the boards superintendent selection process. He was thrilled to receive help from Recover America, he said, whose members prayed for him and held meetings around Houston with pastors to advertise Bakers candidacy. TAKE THE DAY OFF! Attendees take their seats ahead of a contentious Spotsylvania County School Board meeting. 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. Board of Supervisors Seating Chart Planning Commission Other Regional Meetings Agenda & Meeting Minutes Meeting agendas and minutes are available for review. At Monday's board meeting, one major topic of discussion will be the shortage of teachers and bus drivers . By Hannah Natanson. The SCPS Division is so proud and grateful for everyone's hard work this school year! Around the same time, she realized two members were up for reelection on the Bedford school board, and she discovered two fathers Matthew Holbrook and Dwayne Nelms who were willing to run and who shared the values of our organization, Snead said. 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. Community members voiced. A Washington Post review of websites and social media accounts identified more than 180 active parent groups in at least 34 states, the vast majority of them formed within the last two years to push for greater parental involvement in public-school education and many of which fielded or supported candidates in last years elections. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Please click the appropriate link below Meeting Agendas Meeting Minutes Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office, confirmed that the complaintas well as one alleging that Twigg misappropriated public funds by paying for board members April Gillespie and Lisa Phelps to attend a conference with ties to a conservative political action committee in Marchhas been received by the office. Two people were injured in a crash involving one of the most iconic vehicles in television history, Missouri officials say. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. News4's Derrick Ward has more on the tense meeting and scorching criticism of the new chair, Kirk Twigg. The meetings live feed ended about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, as board member Nicole Cole was still speaking. After the meeting, you approached the acting superintendent with copy of the contract. You have permission to edit this article. Live streaming available during active meetings. Part-time and hourly SOQ-funded positions will receive $500 bonuses. Together, we prepare our students for their future. Twigg heads the conservative majority on the board that took over last year and immediately fired popular superintendent Scott Baker. Our school board has generously approved Friday, March 10th as a day off for all teachers, students, and staff. Attempts to reach Taylor were unsuccessful. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. ", Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information, Twigg said he wants to see the books before we burn them so we can identify within our community that we are eradicating this bad stuff.. He also wants to bring the ideas of the people to the table and implement their ideas, he said, to help realize his vision in which parents are hands-on in every aspect of the childs education from helping with homework at home to deciding what gets taught in the classroom. We have to be clear on what is offensive and should not be in our schools and what should be, he said. Congratulations to Brock Road ES, Lee Hill ES, and Wilderness ES for earning Virginia Purple Star Awards for the 2022-2023 school year! STAND - Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee, Division Curriculum & Instruction Information, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Handbook, Code of Conduct, Pathways, Athletics & More, High School Student Resources for College, Parent/Student Handbook, Code of Student Conduct, Course Pathways, Athletics & More, SCPS Teacher Awarded National Honor in Cybersecurity Education, Spotsylvania County Public Schools Recognized as a 2021 America's Best Midsize Employer, SCPS Ranked on Forbes 2021 America's Best Employers Listing, On January 27, 2022, the Virginia Board of Education received for first review the proposed revisions to the 2015 Physical Education Standards of Learning (SOL). More information: 4 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The PAC also hosted trainings for its candidates, Schillinger said, on everything from running a campaign to the best method for circulating a petition. Comments (-1) . [Twigg] took it upon himself to nearly double the salary of the acting superintendent in secret, Scheff said. UPDATED Virginia Immunization Requirements-please see our SCPS Health Services Page for July 1, 2021 updates to Virginia Immunization Requirements for schools. The Spotsylvania County School Board directed staff to remove books with sexually explicit material from libraries after a parent raised concerns about books available through a schools digital library app at Mondays meeting. Youre going to terminate a superintendent for no reason. We find ourselves in a sort of perpetual defensive posture, he said. The approved changes reduce the amount of time given to individuals for public comments from five to three minutes; ensure that only the board chair can add old or new business to the agenda before the meeting; and remove School Board members from the definition of school personnel who are subject to the divisions prohibition against harassment and retaliation. 2 months ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. 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. . We have GREAT NEWS! Do Not Show Again Close. The criteria for pulling books from circulation this week is sexually explicit, but the board plans to refine how material is determined to be objectionable for a further review of library holdings. (Video: Granite School District). Spotsylvania County 9104 Courthouse Road Spotsylvania, VA 22553. Board member Nicole Cole asked how staff know these positions were unadvertised and unfilled and whether they are included in the current number of vacant positions or are in addition. This is malfeasance, plain and simple.. Nine months after becoming the first major U.S. historic site to be led by descendants of those once enslaved there, Montpelier is freshly opt, During Mondays bond hearing, it was revealed Snead no longer has visitation rights with her son, a student at Fishburne Military School in Wa. The Virginia Board of Education would still need to approve or certify Taylor for consideration due to the lack of specific qualifications he has for the superintendent role. The Spotsylvania School Board voted 4 to 3 in favor of Taylor getting the approval for a superintendent license. SCPS Retirees - please be sure to check out the HR Retirement webpage for updated information and the new Aetna Welcome Packet. 2017 (540) 656 - 2050. amsva@amsva.tv. Meeting Agendas for the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission and other commissions and committees. Boeing employee bought lottery ticket because it was at $747M, a nod to the aircraft. Among the concerns raised by the public during comments was acting superintendent Kelly Guempels contract. You can get 'em out of here,' the morale of the deputies over the past several months has just decreased rapidly, and when we're asked to do things that are obviously a violation of the First Amendment It's a depressing job to be there and be treated -- to see the public treated the way they are by members of the school board, primarily the chairman, he said. Archives. 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. Board member 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 board also had a lengthy discussion about donations scheduled for approval. 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). Moss Free Clinic & Extra Community Resources will also be available. Harris said it saddens him to see the controversy that now surrounds the school district. Part-time and hourly SOQ-funded positions will receive $500 bonuses. Backlash to school books centering on race, sex and LGBTQ people turns into conservative rallying cry. UPDATE: The ESSER III survey will be open until September 2023, instead of the original closing date of December 23, 2022. Archives. Click for more info: 16 days ago, Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The two write-in candidates shed supported, Holbrook and Nelms, won their races. Good luck, Ms. Parker! One of the items was a $4,500 monthly stipend, on top of his principals salary, for him to assume the role of interim.. When board member Kirk Twigg was elected . The Spotsylvania County School Board also directed staff to report on the number of books that have been removed at a special meeting called for next week, The Free Lance-Star reported. Wed not been paying attention, and now we are.. "No one parent should dictate what every child reads, what every family has access to, because we have such varied and diverse values," Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said. The American Library Association, however, said its important to offer a wide variety of books in school libraries. Enjoy the time with family, friends or however you wish and have fun! You have permission to edit this article. Theyve been shut off and shut down at school board meetings, said Clarice Schillinger, founder of a parent advocacy group, the Back to School PA PAC, who is now running for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.