K-12 Education
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations influencing the debate on education policy.
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Fairfax County Public Schools Named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence for 2021
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Oct. 26 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been named a 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence, the highest honor among ENERGY STAR awards. This is the fifth consecutive year that FCPS has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy for its continued efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and facilities.
The EPA presents the Sustained Excellence Award to partners that have already received ENERGY STAR Partner
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FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Oct. 26 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been named a 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence, the highest honor among ENERGY STAR awards. This is the fifth consecutive year that FCPS has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy for its continued efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and facilities.
The EPA presents the Sustained Excellence Award to partners that have already received ENERGY STAR Partnerof the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition.
"Energy efficiency not only saves FCPS money, it also reduces pollution by cutting energy use. FCPS' commitment to the safety, well-being, and future success of all children in our community demands action, and participating in the ENERGY STAR program provides simple, credible, and unbiased information, as well as a third party review of the effectiveness of our energy management efforts," said Jeff Platenberg, FCPS assistant superintendent for Facilities and Transportation Services.
For 2021, FCPS was recognized for:
* Saving more than $6.7 million in annual energy costs in 2020, and over $38.6 million since 2014 by partnering with ENERGY STAR(R).
* Reducing more than 25,500 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to 5,300 passenger vehicles not being driven for one year.
* Creating the FCPS Energy Education Team, which strives to reduce district energy use and cost without negatively impacting health and safety, the educational environment, or productivity.
* Continuing compliance with EPA guidance to submit all eligible buildings for 2020 certification.
* Utilizing the GET2GREEN dashboard
* as a platform to educate students, staff, parents, and community members using interactive ENERGY STAR(R) information, and to encourage energy conservation.
* Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% since emissions tracking began in 2008.
"The FCPS-ENERGY STAR partnership has been in place since 1998, and has been one of the longest and most successful partnerships the school division has ever had. We are proud to be making a difference not only locally, but globally," Platenberg added.
Albemarle County Public Schools: Name Review Survey Shows a Majority of Respondents Are Familiar With Life of Philanthropist Broadus Ira Wood
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Oct. 26 (TNSRes) -- Albemarle County Public Schools issued the following news:
In a recent survey as part of the Broadus Wood Elementary School name review, over 55% of respondents said they are familiar with the life and career of Broadus Ira Wood, the early 20th century farmer and businessman for whom the school was named. Almost 58% said that they were familiar with the school division's values of equity, excellence, family and community, and wellness. More than six in 10 (62%) said they had a meaningful understanding of the school's guiding principles of academic
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Oct. 26 (TNSRes) -- Albemarle County Public Schools issued the following news:
In a recent survey as part of the Broadus Wood Elementary School name review, over 55% of respondents said they are familiar with the life and career of Broadus Ira Wood, the early 20th century farmer and businessman for whom the school was named. Almost 58% said that they were familiar with the school division's values of equity, excellence, family and community, and wellness. More than six in 10 (62%) said they had a meaningful understanding of the school's guiding principles of academicexcellence, character development, love of learning, collaboration and independence, respect, and appreciation and awareness of others.
The survey received responses from 397 people including 111 Broadus Wood parents, 73 community members, and 168 students. It also asked those who took the survey which naming categories were important to consider in naming a school. The location of a school and the school's values topped that list.
A community meeting to discuss these results will be held on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. People wishing to address advisory committee members are asked to sign up by 9 a.m. that day by emailing SchoolNamingReview@k12albemarle.org. Anyone interested in streaming the meeting can use this link:
http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/publicmeeting.htm
The 14-person advisory committee was recently chosen from among those who expressed interest in serving. Two members are the school's principal, Amy Morris, and the division's Community Education Coordinator, Karen Waters-Wicks. Katie Breaud, who serves the school as a talent development resource teacher, and Ray Chrobak, the school librarian, are the committee's co-chairs. Other members include parents of Broadus Wood students, alumni, and residents of the school community.
"We have greatly enjoyed getting to know our committee members and hearing from the community about this process," Breaud said. "There is quite a bit of community wisdom about Mr. Wood and we are thankful for everyone who has shared their thoughts so far," she added. The survey results, she said, "create an opportunity to review the data as a team and use the results to guide our community through the remainder of the process."
A second survey, which will be sent to the community early next month, will ask for specific name suggestions. If Broadus Wood is one of the names chosen by survey respondents, the advisory committee will complete as much research as possible on the life of Mr. Wood in order to determine if it is consistent with school division values. The school naming review policy also requires the advisory committee to notify any descendants of the Broadus Wood family of the naming review, and has asked anyone who can be helpful in providing suggestions or assistance in identifying descendants to contact the committee.
Broadus Wood is the sixth school in the division to conduct a naming review. In directing that all schools in the division that are named for individuals have their names reviewed, the school board said the purpose should be to ensure that the names of all schools represent the division's four values of equity, excellence, family and community, and wellness.
Broadus Ira Wood, a farmer and local businessman who served on the local school board for over three decades, was born in Earlysville in 1864. In 1906, Wood sold four acres of his land for use as the site of Earlysville High School for $50 and later gave the school two more acres to expand its playing fields. When Earlysville High School burned down in 1934, a new school was built in its place, this time named after Wood. The school transitioned for use as an elementary school in 1954.
The five previous school naming reviews also were conducted by volunteer community advisory committees, with the school board voting to change the name of four schools and to retain the name of another. Summaries of all completed reviews and those in progress are accessible from the school division's School Names Under Review web page.
In addition to the upcoming public meetings, counsel or questions are welcome at any time by emailing the advisory committee at SchoolNamingReview@k12albemarle.org.
S.C. Governor's School for Science & Mathematics Presents La Cross Distinguished Research Leadership Award to Delphine Dean of Clemson University
COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Oct. 23 (TNSAwa) -- The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics issued the following news:
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South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics: 2021 Randall M. La Cross Distinguished Research Leadership Award
The Governor's School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) was pleased to award the Fall 2021 Randall M. La Cross Distinguished Leadership Award to Dr. Delphine Dean of Clemson University at the 33rd Annual Research Colloquium.
Dr. Delphine Dean is the Rob and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor of Bioengineering at Clemson
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COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Oct. 23 (TNSAwa) -- The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics issued the following news:
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South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics: 2021 Randall M. La Cross Distinguished Research Leadership Award
The Governor's School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) was pleased to award the Fall 2021 Randall M. La Cross Distinguished Leadership Award to Dr. Delphine Dean of Clemson University at the 33rd Annual Research Colloquium.
Dr. Delphine Dean is the Rob and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor of Bioengineering at ClemsonUniversity. Dr. Dean earned her B.S., M.Eng., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined the Clemson University faculty in 2007. She is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Materials Research Society, Biomedical Engineering Society, Society for Biomaterials, American Society for Engineering Education, the Orthopaedics Research Society, and is one of the newest members of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows. Dr. Dean is a recipient of the Class of '39 Award for Excellence from Clemson University.
Dr. Dean's Multiscale Bioelectromechanics Lab at Clemson University studies the mechanics and interactions of biological systems at the nano-to micro-scale using techniques like atomic force microscopy and mathematical modeling. Her research focus includes the nanostructure of cardiovascular cells and tissues, the effects of ionizing radiation, and the development of novel medical devices. These innovations include saliva-based blood glucose strips that can be read by a smartphone application and a biodegradable marker for tumor localization that reduces the cost of breast cancer surgery.
Many of the projects led by Dr. Dean address needs in under-resourced communities around the world - a commitment aligned with that of GSSM's mission to develop "ethical leaders" prepared to take on "the world's most significant issues." These efforts include a breast pump with a filter to inactivate HIV in breast milk, basket-woven braces for neck injuries that can be produced and sold by local women in Tanzania, and a low-cost patient monitor that a hand crank can power.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Dean led the establishment of the certified clinical diagnostic Research and Education in Disease Diagnosis and Intervention lab at Clemson, which is key to Clemson's COVID-19 testing strategy, as well as providing testing for their surrounding community. She also led the Clemson COVID Challenge, an undergraduate research, and design challenge to address issues related to the pandemic.
A core element of Dr. Dean's work has been to engage students below the graduate school level with challenging and meaningful projects. Dr. Dean has provided mentored research & inquiry experience to over a dozen GSSM students since 2008 and over 150 Clemson undergraduates through Clemson's Creative Inquiry program. Current student projects include designing medical devices for the developing world, collaborating on biomedical engineering innovation with students in Tanzania, testing radiation for biomedical applications, using magnetic nanoparticles to reduce the need for arterial stent implants, and applying human factors engineering to medical device design.
The Randall M. La Cross Distinguished Research Leadership Award is presented to Dr. Dean by Dr. Tyler Harvey. Dr. Harvey is a GSSM Class of 2011 graduate. As a rising senior at GSSM, he conducted his mentored research & inquiry experience at Clemson University under Dr. Dean. He returned to Clemson, earning his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. while continuing research with Dr. Dean. Dr. Harvey is currently a Lecturer in Bioengineering at Clemson University and has contributed to the development of GSSM Outreach & STEM Foundations programs.
Fairfax County School Board Selects Superintendent Search Firm
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Oct. 23 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
The Fairfax County School Board has contracted human resources recruitment firm GR Recruiting to conduct a nationwide search for the next Superintendent of Schools.
GR Recruiting has a proven record of hiring top quality education candidates across the United States. The company was selected based on its depth of superintendent search experience with large K-12 school districts, its understanding of the community engagement process, and its focus on future transition support for the School Board
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FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Oct. 23 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
The Fairfax County School Board has contracted human resources recruitment firm GR Recruiting to conduct a nationwide search for the next Superintendent of Schools.
GR Recruiting has a proven record of hiring top quality education candidates across the United States. The company was selected based on its depth of superintendent search experience with large K-12 school districts, its understanding of the community engagement process, and its focus on future transition support for the School Boardand new superintendent. GR Recruiting will begin working with the Board immediately to ensure the best candidate is selected and in place by July 1, 2022.
"We look forward to working with GR Recruiting in the months ahead. It is critically important that we have a robust search process with meaningful participation from parents, students, staff, and the community to help determine the characteristics we are looking for in our next superintendent and ultimately hire the best person to lead our school division into the future," said Stella Pekarsky, Fairfax County School Board chair and Sully district representative.
The community's voice will be critical in helping define leadership characteristics, qualities, and qualifications of the next superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. Parents, staff, students, and community members will be deeply involved in the process.
In July, Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand announced he would not seek an extension of his current contract when it expires at the end of the 2021-22 school year. He will continue as superintendent until June 30, 2022, to assist the School Board with the transition.
Dallas ISD: Talented & Gifted Students Receive Presidential Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 23 -- The Dallas Independent School District issued the following news release on Oct. 21, 2021:
Isabelle and Katherine Adams are not your average high school students. These sisters, a senior and a sophomore, respectively, at School for the Talented and Gifted, are co-CEOs of their own nonprofit, co-authors of their own book, and now co-recipients-the first teenagers ever-of the Presidential Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award.
Isabelle and Katherine started their nonprofit, Paper for Water, in 2011 at just eight and five years old when they learned that girls in
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DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 23 -- The Dallas Independent School District issued the following news release on Oct. 21, 2021:
Isabelle and Katherine Adams are not your average high school students. These sisters, a senior and a sophomore, respectively, at School for the Talented and Gifted, are co-CEOs of their own nonprofit, co-authors of their own book, and now co-recipients-the first teenagers ever-of the Presidential Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award.
Isabelle and Katherine started their nonprofit, Paper for Water, in 2011 at just eight and five years old when they learned that girls indeveloping countries often did not go to school because they hauled water all day and that a child died every 15 seconds from unclean water.
Wanting to help make a change, the Adams sisters started a project making origami Christmas ornaments and exchanging them for donations to raise money for water wells. Their project grew into Paper for Water, through which the girls have raised more than $2.5 million, helping fund over 300 water projects in 20 countries over the past 10 years.
They estimate they've made around 50,000 ornaments, and that each of them has put in more than 4,000 hours of work, in addition to help from family and friends.
"Neither of us do Paper for Water to be recognized," shared Katherine, when asked about receiving the Presidential Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden. "But it is an incredible honor to be recognized for all the effort and hard work we have put in over the past ten years."
"Volunteering is so important and really gratifying," said Isabelle. "Knowing you helped someone in a meaningful way is one of the best things."
Their hard work hasn't stopped at running Paper for Water. These young women recently published a book titled One Piece of Paper at a Time, a collection of stories detailing how and why they started Paper for Water, and how it has grown into the organization it is today.
With so many accomplishments at such young ages, it's easy to forget the Adams sisters are students in high school. Isabelle is a section leader in the Townview Choir and a member of her school's chapter of the National Honor Society. Both sisters participate in the Origami Club, and Katherine is an active athlete, rowing six times a week.
Running a nonprofit together on top of sharing a room would be a challenge for most siblings, but these sisters have a special dynamic. "We work really well together, we complement each other really well," said Katherine.
"We definitely have our sibling banter," reflected Isabelle. "But I just feel really lucky that we've gotten to spend so much time together."
Their younger sister, Trinity, is following in their footsteps, having joined the team as Chief Creative Officer.
Richmond County School System Class of 2021 ACT Scores and Graduation Rate
AUGUSTA, Georgia, Oct. 22 -- The Richmond County School System issued the following news release:
The Richmond County School System (RCSS) Class of 2021 graduates recorded an increase in ACT scores. Scores across the system were up 2.0 points to 19.7. Scores on the ACT have been trending up since 2017-18, with the exception of the tests administered in 2019-20. The Georgia Department of Education reported an overall 0.9 point increase in ACT scores from 2020 to 2021.
RCSS also reported a slight decline in graduation rates for the Class of 2021. The School System reported a 73.77 percent graduation
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AUGUSTA, Georgia, Oct. 22 -- The Richmond County School System issued the following news release:
The Richmond County School System (RCSS) Class of 2021 graduates recorded an increase in ACT scores. Scores across the system were up 2.0 points to 19.7. Scores on the ACT have been trending up since 2017-18, with the exception of the tests administered in 2019-20. The Georgia Department of Education reported an overall 0.9 point increase in ACT scores from 2020 to 2021.
RCSS also reported a slight decline in graduation rates for the Class of 2021. The School System reported a 73.77 percent graduationcohort rate for the Class of 2021 which was a 3.4 percent decrease from prior year data. The Georgia Department of Education reported an overall graduation rate of 83.7 percent, a .1 percent decrease for the Class of 2021 statewide.
"Through the pandemic, our students continue to demonstrate academic gains across a number of indicators.
Their growth is encouraging." said Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw, Superintendent of Richmond County School System. "We are committed to providing students the resources and instruction they need to be college and career ready upon their graduation."
Albemarle County Public Schools: Building Services, Transportation Leaders Announce They Will Be Leaving School Division at End of Calendar Year
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Oct. 22 -- Albemarle County Public Schools issued the following news:
Joseph Letteri, who is completing his 15th year as the school division's Director of Building Services, said this week that he will be retiring on January 1. Separately, the division's Director of Transportation, James Foley, said he will be leaving at the end of the year to relocate to Williamsburg. Foley has served for just over 11 years in his current role, including one year as the department's interim director.
Letteri manages the implementation of the division's capital improvement projects,
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Oct. 22 -- Albemarle County Public Schools issued the following news:
Joseph Letteri, who is completing his 15th year as the school division's Director of Building Services, said this week that he will be retiring on January 1. Separately, the division's Director of Transportation, James Foley, said he will be leaving at the end of the year to relocate to Williamsburg. Foley has served for just over 11 years in his current role, including one year as the department's interim director.
Letteri manages the implementation of the division's capital improvement projects,including the current 28,000-square foot addition to Crozet Elementary School that will add up to 20 classrooms and 340 students. Recent years have seen expansions and the modernization of Agnor-Hurt, Greer, Red Hill, Scottsville, and Woodbrook elementary schools and Henley Middle School's fitness facility, and the construction of an Environmental Sciences building at Western Albemarle High School. In addition to overseeing these projects, Letteri supervises a staff of nearly 200 professionals who maintain and improve each year more than 2.3 million square feet of facilities and 631 acres. This past year, his staff was instrumental in upgrading the heating and air conditioning and air filtration systems in more than 900 classrooms to provide additional layers of protection against transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
"I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the public sector for over 30 years, and my time with Albemarle County Public Schools has been among the most enjoyable of my professional life," Letteri said. "It has been a privilege to work with an outstanding team so focused on meeting their responsibilities on time and with high quality. Our employees have made our Building Services department a vital partner of our school division's mission of providing students and staff with learning environments that are safe, healthy and modern," he added.
Foley leads a team of more than 220 bus and van drivers, assistants, technicians, and office staff, regularly transporting more than 8,000 students to and from school each year. His drivers cover more than 12,000 miles over more than 500 bus routes each day. Since Foley became the department's director, the transportation team has accumulated over 13 million safe driving miles.
Under his direction, the division instituted several student safety measures, including the use of extended stop arms to reduce incidents of motorists passing a stopped school bus; approval to install exterior safety cameras on buses to further discourage motorists from endangering students boarding or leaving a bus; and the authority to conduct its own safety testing and certification of new drivers. Recently, the division was selected by the state to participate in a pilot program to operate electric school buses.
Earlier this week, Foley said in a message to employees: "For more than 10 years, it has been a privilege to serve our students, families and staff, working alongside you. You are incredibly talented and dedicated professionals, serving the highest interests of our community, the safety and education of our children. I especially am proud of how you have preserved through this pandemic and remained focused on our core mission of getting our students to school safely during one of the most challenging times of the past 100 years. A great deal has been asked of you and you have never failed to deliver."
Rosalyn Schmitt, the division's Chief Operating Officer, said the division will move quickly with its search for successors to both department leaders. "As both of these leaders have demonstrated, these two departments are vital to the operational excellence and safety of a school division that serves over 13,000 students and their families and 3,000 staff members," she said.
The search process will include reaching out to employees in both Building Services and Transportation for their input, Schmitt said, with the ultimate goal of having new directors named before the end of the year to ensure a seamless transition.
Prior to joining Albemarle County Public Schools, Letteri served the Town of Harwich in Massachusetts as its director of highway and maintenance; the city of Richmond as the operations director for its division of facilities management; and Albemarle County as Chief of Public Works. Foley's previous experience includes serving as a plant manager for Cargill; as vice president of operations for Gimbal's Find Candies; and as the acting chief operating officer for an investment firm.
