The Board of Education announced that it will hold four public hearings in July and August to “gather feedback from families, educators, and community members on student expectations, how schools are accredited, and school resources.” More specifically, the Board is seeking public comment on its work to redesign high school graduation requirements and implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, as well as comments on the Standards of Accreditation, Standards of Quality, and “conditions and needs of public education.” More information about the Board’s planned work in these areas can be found in its Public Hearing Presentation (PDF).

Below is more detailed information from the Board of Education’s webpage regarding the time and location of the hearings. Speakers will be asked to limit remarks to three minutes (written comments will be accepted), and an RSVP to the Director for Board Relations, Melissa Luchau (Melissa.luchau@doe.virginia.gov), is appreciated for planning purposes, but not required. This information can be found under “Other Scheduled Public Meetings” on the Board’s webpage.

From the Board of Education

Public Hearings

• July 14 (Thursday) – Manassas 
  6:30 p.m. | Osbourn High School (Auditorium)
  9005 Tudor Lane | Manassas, VA  20110

• July 19 (Tuesday) – Williamsburg-James City County 
  6:30 p.m. | Lafayette High School (Auditorium)
  4460 Longhill Road | Williamsburg, VA 23188
• August 24 (Wednesday) – Abingdon
  6:30 p.m. | Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center 
  One Partnership Circle | Abingdon, VA 24210
• August 25 (Thursday) – Lynchburg
  6:30 p.m. | Heritage High School 
  3020 Wards Ferry Road | Lynchburg, VA 24502

Public comment will be accepted at each of the meetings. While the Board welcomes all comments from the public, it is specifically looking for feedback on the Board’s work related to the following:

• Development of a Profile of a Virginia Graduate, and changes to high school graduation requirements and how schools will be accredited in the future
• Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) and Virginia’s accountability system
• Recommendations regarding the Standards of Accreditation (SOA)
• Recommendations regarding the Standards of Quality (SOQ)
• Identifying conditions and needs of public education, for updating the board’s comprehensive plan and annual report to the Governor and General Assembly

Go to Educational Initiatives for more information.

A sign-in sheet will be provided at each hearing for those individuals wishing to address the board. So that Board members are able to hear from as many people as possible, each speaker is asked to limit their comments to three minutes. If individuals wish to submit a written copy of their remarks, or additional materials for the board to consider, those will be accepted at the hearing. Comment cards will also be available.

Before each public hearing, some Board members will hold a roundtable discussion with select, invited participants on the board’s development of a Profile of a Virginia Graduate and changes to Virginia’s accountability system. The roundtables are open to the public, but public comment will not be accepted during the roundtables:

• July 14 (Thursday) at Osbourn High School (Manassas) from 4 - 5:30 p.m.
• July 19 (Tuesday) at Lafayette High School (Williamsburg-James City County) from 4 - 5:30 p.m.
• August 24 (Wednesday) at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (Time TBD)
• August 25 (Thursday) at Heritage High School (Lynchburg) (Time TBD)