Governor McAuliffe Names Steve Staples as Superintendent of Public Instruction

Seal of the United States Department of Education (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor Terry McAuliffe on Monday announced the appointment of Steve Staples as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Staples, who most recently served as Executive Director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, has dedicated his career to improving public education through innovative educational programs and by focusing on the specific needs of local communities.

“I am proud to announce that Steve Staples will serve as Virginia’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Steve has a deep understanding of Virginia’s strengths, its challenges, and the opportunities we have to take bold, innovative steps to improve schools in every corner of the Commonwealth. He has what it takes to drive Virginia’s public education system into the future.”

Staples added during the announcement, “These are important times for public education in the Commonwealth and I can assure you that it has become quite clear to me that the Governor and the team he has assembled care deeply about our public schools. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. It's time to review the two decades old accountability system to better align it with the needs of the 21st Century, and we need to encourage our schools to innovate and meet the changing expectations of workplace and society. I am ready to hit the ground running to tackle the challenges Virginia’s education system faces and ensure every Virginia student has access to quality public education.”

Virginia Secretary of Education Anne Holton stated, “I am excited to partner with Steve, a true education leader and innovator, and I look forward to the progress we will make over the next four years improving our education system and preparing our students with the tools and resources they need to succeed in a global economy. I want to thank everyone who offered input in this decision and I am grateful to the exceptional education interest and talent we have in the Commonwealth.”

Staples has served as the Executive Director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents for nearly two years, during which time he has visited almost every school superintendent in the Commonwealth in his or her office, seeking to understand local perspectives and needs. Prior to that, he served on the faculty at William and Mary’s School of Education from 2008-2012.  Previously, Staples was school superintendent in York County (serving 13,000 students) for 16 years, during which time York County was named by Money Magazine’s as one of the “Top 100 Best Buys in Public Education in the United States”.  Staples implemented a variety of exemplary programs in York County, including magnet programs in fine arts and in math, science and technology, and a charter school program that links academic standards to licensure competencies in career/technical fields.

In 1997, Staples was selected by his peers as Virginia Superintendent of the Year. He received his Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Education at William and Mary and a Doctorate of Education in Administration and Supervision at Virginia Tech.

Staples joins the McAuliffe Administration on the heels of the release of the Governor’s proposed biennium budget for FY2015-FY2016, which closes the health care coverage gap and uses hundreds of millions in savings associated with that action to invest in key educational priorities including a 2% raise for teachers and other state employees across the Commonwealth.

“If members of our Senate and House of Delegates put politics aside and pass my proposed budget, we can begin Steve’s term as Superintendent on the strongest possible footing, with a budget that creates jobs, keeps families healthy, and honors our commitment to schools and students.”

Staples will replace Superintendent Pat Wright, who announced her retirement earlier this month. Wright was appointed Superintendent of Public Administration by Governor Tim Kaine in 2008 after serving nearly 30 years in the Department of Education.

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Governor McAuliffe Statement on the Retirement of Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright

education (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement in response to today’s announcement that Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright will retire on May 1^st, 2014:

“I want to thank Superintendent Pat Wright for her exemplary work making our education system better for Virginia’s students, educators and economy. As a product of Virginia public schools, a former public school math teacher and a statewide education leader, Pat is living proof of the opportunity our schools can offer students and educators across the Commonwealth. Few have made a greater difference in the lives of Virginians than Pat Wright has, and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure in the students and colleagues she mentored and inspired.

“I also want to thank Superintendent Wright for staying on through May 1^st as my team and I seek a qualified education leader to continue her great work. In the coming weeks we will evaluate candidates and choose a Superintendent who will work alongside Secretary Anne Holton and our entire team to strengthen our education system and prepare every Virginia student to succeed in a 21^st Century economy.”

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Governor McAuliffe Honors 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients

Terry McAuliffe,  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND — Governor Terry McAuliffe today honored 12 Virginia educators as recipients of the 28th annual Outstanding Faculty Award (OFA) for excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The faculty members from public and private colleges and universities across the Commonwealth will be recognized during an awards ceremony today at the Jefferson Hotel as part of the annual OFA program administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and sponsored by Dominion Resources. Governor McAuliffe will serve as the keynote speaker.

            “This year’s recipients come from all across Virginia and represent various institutions and academic disciplines,” said Governor McAuliffe. “All 12 share a commitment to their students, their campus communities, and the citizens of the Commonwealth who benefit from their scholarly research and academic knowledge. We pay tribute to their outstanding accomplishments.”

           Secretary of Education Anne Holton continued, “Today’s award ceremony is unique to Virginia in that we honor educators from both public and private, 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education. These educators should be commended for their dedication and commitment to training the next generation of Virginia leaders.”

           SCHEV Director Peter Blake added, “This year’s recipients are among the best and brightest Virginia has to offer in academic fields as varied as Appalachian dialects to medicine.”

            “Dominion values the opportunity to recognize these distinguished faculty members who represent the Commonwealth’s commitment to excellence and diversity in its higher education system,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation. “Each year we are awed by the extraordinary achievements of these inspiring educators.”

            The awards are being made through a $75,000 grant from the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources. Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion Resources.

2014 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients

Dr. Louise Billaud is an Associate Professor of Music at New River Community College, where she teaches Music History, Music Fundamentals, and Music Appreciation. An accomplished musician, she has performed piano at international music conferences.

Dr. David Cifu, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and Chief of PM&R Services at VCU Health System, is known worldwide for his research on the chronic effects of combat-related concussions on service members and veterans.

Dr. Amy Clark, Associate Professor of English at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, teaches Appalachian language and literature, rhetoric, and applied linguistics. She is the author of two books: Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity and Community and Success in Hill Country.

Dr. Linda Columbus is a Rising Star recipient and an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the architecture and motions of membrane proteins from pathogenic bacteria.

Dr. Wu-chun Feng, Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, is an internationally recognized researcher in efficient parallel and distributed computing. He created a computing resource for science and engineering that debuted as the greenest commodity supercomputer in the U.S. in 2011.

Dr. Quentin Kidd is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. He is the author of two books: The Rational Southerner and Civic Participation in America.

Dr. Michael Lane, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Emory & Henry College, is an internationally recognized expert in interfacial fracture. His work focuses on the relationship between interfacial chemistry, the environment, secondary energy absorbing processes, and transport mechanisms such as diffusion.

Prof. Allison Orr Larsen is a Rising Star recipient and an Associate Professor of Law at The College of William and Mary. Her research focuses on the information dynamics of legal decision-making and how legal institutions access and use information to make decisions.

Dr. Jeffrey McClurken is the Teaching with Technology recipient and a Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington. His areas of interest include the history of the Civil War, veterans, families, the Pinkertons, mental institutions, the 19^th Century American South, and the digital humanities.

Dr. William Petri, Jr., Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Virginia where he is also Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, is an internationally recognized scientist and the most highly cited investigator in the world on amebiasis.

Dr. Raina Robeva is a Professor of Mathematics at Sweet Briar College. She has championed reform for the integration of mathematics and biology, and her translational research has resulted in three U.S. patents for assessment and diagnosis of attentional impairments. 

Dr. Carolyn Morcom Rutledge is an Associate Professor of Nursing and founding Director of Old Dominion University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her work focuses on increasing healthcare to rural and underserved populations.

            SCHEV has administered the Outstanding Faculty Awards since its inception in 1986. Photos and additional biographical information about each of this year’s recipients can be found on the web atwww.schev.edu/AdminFaculty/OFAprogramIndex.asp.   

            Headquartered in Richmond, Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

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Governor McAuliffe Applauds House Passage of SOL Reform Legislation

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Education Anne Holton released the following statement today applauding the unanimous passage of House Bill 930, which would reform the Standards of Learning (SOLs) by reducing the number of tests to focus students and teachers on key areas in each grade level and establishing a process to review remaining SOL assessments in order to maximize their effectiveness:

“I am pleased that the House of Delegates has acted in a bipartisan fashion to pass this bill, which represents a meaningful step toward reforming the Standards of Learning to continue to evaluate students and teachers, without stifling innovation and creativity in the classroom.

“This legislation was the product of the leadership of Delegates Tag Greason and Rob Krupicka, who worked alongside Secretary of Education Anne Holton and my policy team to craft a bill that will allow the Commonwealth to track student performance while better freeing teachers to teach and students to learn. As the legislation moves to the Senate, my team and I will continue to engage actively with the process to bring legislation to my desk to reform the SOLs and strengthen Virginia’s ability to prepare our students to lead in the 21^st Century economy.”  

Secretary Holton added:

“I want to thank Delegates Greason and Krupicka and their colleagues in the House for working so closely with Governor McAuliffe’s team to get this important legislation passed. This bill will improve the quality of the instruction Virginia students receive in the classroom, and should serve as an example of what we can achieve when we work together in a bipartisan way.”

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Governor McAuliffe Virginia’s Rise to Third in Nation on Advanced Placement Tests

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

African-American and Latino Students Narrow AP ‘Equity Gaps’

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Virginia again boasts the nation’s third-highest percentage of public high school seniors qualifying for college credit on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, according to the College Board’s 2014 AP Report to the Nation. Virginia students ranked fifth in last year’s report — despite an increase in AP achievement — after holding the number-three spot for five consecutive years.

According to the College Board, 28.3 percent of Virginia’s 2013 graduating seniors earned a grade of three or higher on at least one AP examination, compared with 27.2 percent in 2012 and 16.5 percent in 2003. Only two states — Maryland at 29.6 percent and Connecticut at 28.8 percent — had higher percentages of seniors earning qualifying scores.

Speaking about the report, Governor McAuliffe stated, “Growing and diversifying Virginia’s economy is my top priority, and that begins with a world-class education system. This report shows that Virginia is a national leader in preparing our students for college or to join the workforce in a high demand field. I am proud of the progress Virginia schools, students and teachers have made expanding advanced placement and improving scores, but we’ve still got work to do to ensure that every child has access to a world class education in a Virginia public school.”

Secretary of Education Anne Holton continued, “Every year, more of our high school students accept the challenge of these college-level courses and assessments and gain critical knowledge that will prepare them for higher education and the workforce. What this study says is that Virginia students have built a strong foundation for advanced learning and that they have teachers and principals who encourage them to reach higher.”

The 2014 AP Report to the Nation also cited Virginia’s progress in narrowing "equity gaps" for African-American and Latino students. An equity gap describes the difference between a subgroup’s participation or achievement in AP testing and the percentage of overall enrollment represented by the subgroup.

The number of African-American seniors graduating from high school having taken at least one AP examination has more than doubled in ten years. In 2013, 4,753 African-American students participated in AP testing, compared with 1,682 in 2003. During the same period, the percentage of African-American graduates earning at least one qualifying AP score rose 2.5 points, to 7.7 percent in 2013, compared with 5.2 percent in 2003.

The number of Latino Virginia graduates who took at least one AP examination has more than tripled since 2003. In 2013, 2,867 of Virginia’s Latino graduates took at least one AP test, compared with 920 of Latino graduates in 2003. During the same period, the percentage of Latino graduates earning at least one score of three or higher rose 2.6 points, to 7.8 percent, in 2013, compared with 5.2 percent in 2003.

Overall, 34,901 of Virginia’s 2013 graduates took at least one AP examination during their high school careers. Of these students, 22,426 earned at least one score of three or higher.

Virginia students may substitute AP examinations for end-of-course SOL tests in corresponding subject areas. Enrollment in AP courses is among the criteria for recognition under the Virginia Index of Performance awards program created by the Board of Education to encourage advanced learning and achievement. Virginia also promotes AP participation through the Early College Scholars initiative and the Virtual Virginia online-learning program, and uses federal grant money to subsidize test fees for low-income students.

Six Virginia school divisions were recognized by the College Board as honor roll districts for raising achievement on AP examinations while increasing access to the courses. The divisions making the College Board's 2014 AP Honor Roll are as follows:

·         Falls Church
·         Henrico County
·         King George County
·         Manassas Park
·         Montgomery County
·         Virginia Beach

The College Board also recognized the Catholic Diocese of Richmond as an honor roll district.

The most popular AP course among Virginia’s 2013 graduating seniors was US History, followed by English Language and Composition, US Government and Politics, English Literature and Composition, Psychology, World History, Calculus AB, Biology, Statistics and Environmental Science.

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“Virginia Adopts: Campaign for 1,000” Achieves Goal!

Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell speaking at CPAC. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor McDonnell Announces 1,008 children Adopted or Matched So Far in 2013

RICHMOND- The “Virginia Adopts: Campaign for 1,000” effort has met its goal. Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that in calendar year 2013, 1,008 children from Virginia’s foster care system have been adopted or matched with a family who is going through the process of adopting.  The announcement is a part of the focus Governor McDonnell has placed on foster care and adoption since the launch of the “Virginia Adopts: Campaign for 1,000” in May of this year.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “In May, we set out to achieve a clear goal: to match 1,000 children in foster care with permanent, loving families this year. Today, I am pleased to announce we have met, and actually now surpassed, this goal. I commend Secretary Hazel, Secretary Kelly, and the many state and local Department of Social Service employees and private adoption agencies who champion this cause day in and day out and who have worked tirelessly to reach this goal. Even though this is a tremendous milestone, there is still a great deal to be accomplished. I look forward to the continued focus on adoption throughout the McAuliffe administration.Every child deserves a family and a place to call home. Virginians have big hearts and big dreams and together, this year, we have changed lives forever.”

“Growing up in a loving family is one of the most important factors in a child’s life. It contributes to a strong sense of identity and builds a foundation for success.  Reaching the goal of matching 1,000 waiting children with permanent families is an extraordinary feat.  I look forward to building on the successes of the McDonnell administration and continuing this effort until there are no more foster children waiting to be adopted in Virginia,” stated Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe. 

Former First Lady Anne Holton added, “I am delighted to see the Campaign for 1,000 reach its goal. Tim and I believe deeply in this cause and it’s gratifying to see the next two gubernatorial Administrations take on and expand the effort.  This is an excellent step in the right direction, and I know that Governor-elect McAuliffe will expand on this success.”

The “Virginia Adopts: Campaign for 1,000” launched in May from the steps of the Governor’s Mansion.  Former first lady Anne Holton joined Governor McDonnell at the launch.  In late July, the Campaign held informational rallies in nine localities across Virginia. More than 900 participants attended these events where potential adoptive parents learned more about children waiting for adoption and the adoption process. The Campaign also featured two innovative social media campaigns: “100 Kids, 100 Days” and “#IHeartAdoption.” The first campaign shared the story of 100 children in the foster care system waiting for a family, over the period of 100 days. #IHeartAdoption encourages adoption supporters to share photos describing why they support adoption on Facebook and Twitter.

Governor McDonnell announced last week his biennial budget will include $27.7 million in new funding for four initiatives targeted at improving foster care and adoption. In 2013, Governor McDonnell secured in the state budget $1.5 million in new funding dedicated to extreme recruitment, general recruitment, and post adoptive services. 

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel stated, “Now that we have met the goal of matching 1,000 children, our focus will shift to those that have become available for adoption in recent months, since about 40 new children become available for adoption each month in Virginia.  Our goal is to surpass the number of children waiting with a pool of parents who want to adopt out of the foster care system.”

Secretary Kelly said, “This goal means that for 1,008 children, they will celebrate the last Christmas without a permanent family or the first Christmas with their new, permanent families. This is a phenomenal achievement, but we need to keep this momentum up for three to five years in order to truly change the culture of foster care adoptions in Commonwealth.”

            For more information about the “Campaign for 1,000” please view the Governor McDonnell and Governor-elect McAulliffe’s video messageand visit http://www.virginiaadopts.virginia.gov/.

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