The Governor’s amendment pen was busy following last month’s approval of a compromise budget by the General Assembly. Eighty-eight is a BIG number in the state budget world – representing the number of budget amendments Governor McDonnell sent to the Floor on Monday for the General Assembly to consider. This on the heels of contentious …
Tag: Funding
Jan 31
Feeling Pressures as a Leader ?
Building principals and assistant principals have been described as having one of the most difficult and least envious jobs in education. Mel Riddle, in a blog posted in the NASSP Febuary issue of NewsLeader commented “When I used to tell people that I was a high school principal, they would look at me as if …
Jan 24
General Assembly Report – January 23
What a difference a day makes – especially in the 2012 Session. The Governor’s initiatives and bills are bumping up against each other, there are so many of them! And while we wait for the teacher’s grievance bill, many others are whizzing by. Today in House Education, there was quite a discussion about reporting or …
Jan 09
Education Funding in Virginia-Where Is It and How Do School Divisions Get It?
The long held concept that funding for public education in Virginia is the responsibilituy of the General Assembly has faded. More and more in the commonwealth, the onus of much of the funding responsibilities for education is being passed from the General Assembly to localities. This is not a totally new phenomenon and its impetus …
Jan 03
Governor McDonnell’s Legislative Initiatives
The Governor’s legislative initiatives are taking shape, and he is lining up the “movers and shakers” in the Republican Party to carry his bills in the 2012 Session. McDonnell has made it clear that he plans to impose significant, new reforms on K-12 through legislation and says he will concentrate on quality over funding and …
Dec 21
Future Education Funding and the Governor’s Budget Proposal
Although touted to include additional funding for pubic education, the Governor’s budget puts its major emphasis on funding VRS and does not bode well for K-12 – since the major “education” funding focus is on shoring up the retirement system after years of raiding by the General Assembly. Of the $438 M in the Governor’s …
Dec 15
Educators and Legislators Lunch Together in Roanoke
Over twenty local legislators, school administrators, and the new Deputy Secretary of Education Javaid Siddiqi, a VASSP member, attended an “Educator and Legislator” luncheon on Wednesday, December 13 in Roanoke organized by VASSP Board member Scott Habeeb. Delegate Greg Habeeb, Scott’s brother who helped VASSP host the luncheon, worked diligently to make sure that the …
Dec 09
Increased Funding for Education in 2012?
Yes, you read it here first that Governor Bob McDonnell announced to a gathering of reporters in Richmond on December 8th that funding for K-12 public education will increase in the next state budget. Before making plans for new expenditures be aware of his follow up statement: “But it might not go up as much …