Effort to Remove Elaine Tholen Will Be Decided in Court
A Fairfax County school board member will need to plead her case in court for why she should not be removed from office after petitioners gathered the necessary number of signatures, a judge decided Friday.
Board member Elaine Tholen faces a recall effort over her votes to suspend in-person learning for the school system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The petitioners argue she was incompetent in the performance of her duties.
New “Equity” Plan Would Scrap Advanced Diplomas
Republicans have criticized the Virginia Department of Education for considering a plan to end advanced high school diplomas because of the lack of racial equity in students receiving the higher tiered diploma.
Current policy allows a Virginia student to earn an advanced degree…
Virginia Bill to Join “National Popular Vote Compact” Dies in Senate
Legislation that would have entered Virginia into a compact with other states to ensure the president of the United States is elected by popular vote has been dropped from consideration because the Senate did not have enough votes to pass it.
Senate Bill 1101 would have entered Virginia into a compact with other states that agreed to pledge their Electoral College delegates to the candidate who won the national popular vote, regardless of how the state voted.
Virginia Families Want Alternatives to Closed Public Schools
With public schools in Virginia failing to offer in-person classes five days a week, a majority of residents support measures for the state to provide financial support for parents who have opted to enroll their students in alternative education systems, according to a poll released this week. The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found that 61% of registered voters would support giving parents a portion of the state’s K-12 funding to use for home, virtual or private education if public schools remain closed for in-person classes.
Group Says Fairfax County Teachers Violated Virginia’s Anti-Striking Law with ‘Sick Out’
A nonprofit organization that advocates for families is accusing Fairfax County teachers union officials of violating Virginia law that prohibits public-sector strikes when the union organized with hundreds of teachers to take a mental health sick day in October.
According to Virginia law, a public-sector employee is deemed to have terminated his or her employment if the employee refuses to perform his or her duties as a means to obstruct, impede or suspend an operation of the government employer in concert with two or more employees. The law states such a person will not be eligible for employment by a public agency for 12 months after the strike.