Tag: James Fedderman

Virginia Department of Education Delays Implementation of New Transgender Policies While Trying to Review 71,298 Public Comments

Eric Burk

A required minimum 30-day period for the Youngkin administration to review public comment on new draft transgender model policies ended, but the Virginia Department of Education is taking more time to review the 71,298 comments, according to Director of Communications and Constituent Services Charles Pyle.

“The model policies and guidance document has not been finalized and will not be – as stated by Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow – until the department has reviewed all of the comments received during the public comment period,” Pyle told The Virginia Star.

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Emails to Youngkin Education Tip Line Include Both Frustration and Praise

Eric Burk

After a legal battle, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration agreed to release about 350 emails from an education tip line the administration instituted early in the governor’s term. According to media reports, many of the emails were duplicates and some of the emails contain positive feedback about teachers, but others include concerns, including criticism of virtual learning, anger over mask mandates, and concern from one student over a feminist approach to Beowulf.

“A review of the 350 released records shows the majority do not address critical race theory or any other curriculum concern,” The Virginian-Pilot reported.

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Public Comment on New Transgender Guidelines Ends, But Enactment Delayed for at Least 30 Days

Eric Burk

Public comment has ended on the Youngkin administration’s draft transgender model policies, but they won’t go into effect until November 26 at the soonest, and may take longer, according to Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Director of Communications Charles Pyle. “The department’s timeline for finalizing the guidance and model policies document will be determined by the law (Section 2.2-4002.1.) and the amount of time required to review comments submitted by the public and make any edits to the document warranted by the comments. The guidance and model policies won’t become final until the review is complete and a final version is approved by the state superintendent,” Pyle told The Virginia Star. The 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools will replace the 2021 Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools. Law passed in 2020 requires school boards to enact policies consistent with the model policy guidance documents created by the VDOE, and the law includes requirements over what the policies contain. During the 30-day comment period, the model policies received 71,298 public comments on Virginia’s regulatory review site, and although the board of education…

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Youngkin Signs Executive Order Focused on Teacher Shortage, Launches Pilot Program Centered Around Student Learning Loss

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin signed his third executive directive as part of an announcement of his administration’s efforts to address teacher shortages; at the same event in Stafford County, Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera announced the Bridging the Gap Initiative, aimed at addressing learning losses.

“So when we have a shortage of teachers and we’re trying to bridge the gap, we’ve got to work extra hard in order to close the gap of teachers as well,” Youngkin said, emphasizing the importance of in-person learning within the context of learning losses.

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