Governor McAuliffe Announces Selection of Virginia for School Broadband Pricing

Internet Access Here Sign (Photo credit: Steve Rhode)

Governor McAuliffe Announces Selection of Virginia for School Broadband Pricing Project

Goal to Lower Costs and Increase Bandwidth for School Divisions

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Virginia has been selected to participate in a pilot project to help school divisions lower the cost of high-speed Internet access and increase digital learning opportunities for students.

EducationSuperHighway (ESH) — a San Francisco-based non-profit dedicated to improving Internet access in schools — selected Virginia because of the commonwealth’s leadership in digital learning and because of data suggesting that Virginia schools are paying more than the national average for Internet access and network connectivity.

According to ESH, average monthly megabits-per-second costs for Virginia school divisions are $26 for Internet access and $7 for network connectivity, compared with respective national averages of $22 and $3. ESH data also indicate that the percentage of Virginia schools with less-than-ideal access and bandwidth exceeds the national average.

“Ensuring that all Virginia communities have equal and affordable access to broadband technology is a critical component in developing a 21^st Century Virginia economy,” said Governor McAuliffe. "I am grateful that EducationSuperHighway has selected Virginia for this important project which will use transparency to drive down broadband costs and provide greater opportunities for innovative learning in classrooms across the Commonwealth.”

“Virginia is leading the nation in the effort to lower school broadband costs across the state," said Evan Marwell, CEO of EducationSuperHighway. "We are thrilled to partner with Governor McAuliffe to ensure that all of Virginia's students have access to high-speed Internet for 21st-century learning."

School divisions are using an ESH online portal to report detailed information by the end of August on Internet access and broadband pricing.  After analyzing the data, ESH will produce a comprehensive report in early 2015 on access and pricing for all participating school divisions.

“School divisions will have the ability to compare and evaluate prices across the state and determine whether they are getting their money’s worth in access and bandwidth,” Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson said. 

Working with the secretary of technology, Secretary of Education Anne Holton and the Virginia Department of Education, ESH will identify factors and practices driving up costs for school divisions and provide technical assistance to school divisions on cutting costs by promoting transparency, encouraging competition, and identifying new service options.

“Every student in Virginia deserves access to high-quality digital content,” Secretary Holton said. “Our strategy for closing achievement gaps must include a concerted effort at both the state and local levels to make sure that slow connection speeds and inadequate networks don’t bar the way.”   

EducationSuperHighway says the broadband pricing project will include two states, with the second state being named later this summer.

Last month, ESH and the Washington-based Consortium for School Networking called on the Federal Communications Commission to increase federal E-rate funding for schools and libraries by $800 million annually to support much-needed improvements to wireless networks. E-rate provides subsidies to school systems and libraries through fees paid by telecommunications companies. 

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Next Steps in SOL Reform Process

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced the process for the nomination and appointment of members to the Standards of Learning (SOL) Innovation Committee. The 2014 General Assembly directed Secretary of Education Anne Holton to establish the committee as part of a package of reforms to the commonwealth’s assessment and accountability system. The committee’s charge is to recommend further reforms, in addition to an already-approved reduction in the number of required SOL tests. 

“Innovation and accountability are critical components in building a public education system that meets the demands of a 21^st Century economy,” Governor McAuliffe said.  “The challenge for the SOL Innovation Committee will be to chart a course for reform that builds on the strengths of the current SOL system while creating more room for the rich, creative and innovative learning experiences that will prepare all Virginia students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in a global economy.” 

As directed by the 2014 legislation, Secretary of Education Anne Holton is soliciting recommendations and nominations from statewide organizations representing parents, teachers, principals, school boards, superintendents and other stakeholders.

In addition, applications and nominations are being accepted from individuals interested in serving on the SOL Innovation Committee.  Individuals can submit nominations and applications online by visiting the Gubernatorial Appointments page of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website and following the directions. Applicants and nominators should select the Education Secretariat in applying or recommending someone for service on the SOL Innovation Committee. Applications and nominations will be accepted until May 23, 2014.

“My goal is to have the committee begin its important work this summer,” Secretary Holton said. “I look forward to working with a diverse group truly representative of the commonwealth and united by a desire to make our nationally regarded public schools even better.”

The SOL Innovation Committee also will include four members of the House of Delegates appointed by Speaker of the House William J. Howell and two members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules on the recommendation of Senate Committee on Education and Health Chairman L. Louise Lucas. Secretary Holton, Board of Education President Christian N. Braunlich (or his designee) and Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Staples will serve as ex-officio members of the committee.

The reform legislation signed into law last month by Governor McAuliffe directs the SOL Innovation Committee to take a comprehensive look at the SOL assessments — including the computer adaptive tests now being piloted by the Virginia Department of Education — and related accountability and instructional issues and make recommendations to the Board of Education and General Assembly.

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Governor McDonnell Signs Proclamation Designating November as Virginia Indian Heritage Month

Chiefs of Virginia’s State-Recognized Tribes Gather at Annual Consultation Meeting

PHOTO

Pictured from L to R: Upper Mattaponi Tribal Vice Chief Frank Adams, Upper Mattaponi  Council Member Jay Gillespie, Cheroenhaka Nottoway Tribal Vice Chief Ellis “Soaring Eagle” Wright, Cheroenhaka Nottoway Tribal Chief Walt “Red Hawk” Brown, Bill Leighty, Decide Smart LLC, Monacan Tribal Chief Sharon Bryant, Eastern Chickahominy Tribal Chief Gene Adkins, Representative of the Pamunkey Tribe Kevin Krigsvold, Governor Bob McDonnell, Upper Mattaponi  Tribal Chief Kenneth Adams, Pattawomeck Tribal Chief John Lightener, Chikahominy Tribal Asst. Chief Wayne Atkins, Nottoway Tribal Chief Lynette Allston, Doug Domenech, Secretary of Natural Resources, Karenne Wood, Director of Virginia Indian Programs , Monacan Council Member Brenda Garrison , Kathleen Kilpatrick, Director of the Department of Historic Resources, Besty Barton, History and Social Science Specialist, Virginia Department of Education

Not pictured: Rappahannock Tribal Chief Anne Richardson

(Photo Courtesy of Michaele White, Governor’s Photographer)

RICHMOND – Earlier today, Governor McDonnell ceremonially signed a proclamation designating November as Virginia Indian Heritage Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia at a ceremony in Richmond.  The signing took place at Virginia’s annual Tribal Consultation Meeting, chaired by the Secretary of Natural Resources, Doug Domenech.

“Virginia’s First People are not only an important part of Virginia’s history and heritage.  They are vibrant participants in our society today,” said the Governor McDonnell.   “It has been a great honor for me to know and work with these leaders.”

The governor joined the secretary, along with chiefs or their representatives from ten of Virginia’s 11 state-recognized tribes, and leaders of state agencies to discuss government to government issues, ranging from updating published and video tribal histories produced by the Virginia Department of Education, Historic Resources, and VDOT, updating the Story of Virginia exhibit at the Virginia Historical Society museum, and discussing the advantages of being registered as an 8A Small Business.

Virginia’s Tribes include:  The Chickahominy Tribe, the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe, the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe, the Mattaponi Tribe, the Monacan Tribe, the Nottoway Tribe, the Pamunkey Tribe, the Patawomeck Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, and the Upper Mattaponi Tribe.

Text of the proclamation can be found online. 

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Governor McDonnell Announces George Mason University as Location of Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching

English: Hazel Hall, George Mason University School of Law. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching will open in June 2014 on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax County. The center — which the governor proposed as part of his 2013 All Students K-12 legislative agenda — will provide professional development opportunities in instruction, education policy and leadership for 100 exemplary teachers annually.

“By establishing the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching, we continue to elevate the teaching profession and send a message that there is no higher calling than inspiring, mentoring and preparing young people for the future,” said Governor McDonnell. “The center will set a new standard for excellence in classroom instruction and prepare teachers for leadership within their fields and beyond.”

The Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching will conduct four five-day residential summer academies in 2014 with each academy enrolling 25 teachers. Two academies in June will focus on the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and the humanities and language arts. Academies in July will focus on the fine arts and interdisciplinary studies.   

“Public education is dynamic and rapidly changing field,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said. “The Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching will equip teachers to be leaders in local, state and national conversations about policy and practice.”

Each academy will have two George Mason faculty instructors, as well as guest speakers from Mason, local school divisions and the education policy community. Each participating teacher will earn five graduate credit hours, with three credits earned in the summer during the academy and two credits earned through online learning and a conference during the following school year.

Mason is developing an outreach campaign to identify qualified teachers for the center. Participants must hold a five-year renewable Virginia license, be employed by a Virginia school division, have a minimum of five years of successful teaching experience, and have a consistent record of effective instruction and demonstrated leadership ability.

“There are outstanding teachers in every region of the Commonwealth who could benefit from the challenging programs the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching will offer,” Mason President Ángel Cabrera said. “In selecting the participants, we will seek out teachers in every grade level and discipline, and in schools fully representative of Virginia’s urban, rural and suburban communities.”

In approving McDonnell’s proposal, the 2013 General Assembly authorized $220,000 to establish the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching and directed the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to solicit competitive proposals from state colleges and universities to create and operate the center. This month, VDOE awarded the contract to Mason.

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to build upon Mason’s expertise in educator preparation to support teachers from throughout the state,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “By developing teachers’ capacity for leadership within their classrooms, schools, and communities, this center will empower teachers to work towards our shared goals of promoting effective instruction and excellence in public education."

Elizabeth Sturtevant will serve as director of the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching. Sturtevant currently heads Mason’s Division of Elementary, Literacy and Secondary Education and teaches courses in literacy education and teacher leadership.

To learn more about the Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching, email cehd@gmu.edu to be added to the interest list.

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Gloucester, VA Page Middle School Dis Service Announcement 2

We continue our exploration on the communities arguments against the plans of the new Page Middle School on various levels.  Showing numerous communications between local concerned citizens and Gloucester officials responses to community questions.  We have a lot to go over within the next few days.  Everyone needs to know what is going on in this county.  

Mr. Kiser,

Thank you for responding to my questions.

In question number one I am referring to the size school which could be built on the existing Page Middle School site in comparison to building on the proposed site. Many residents including me are under the assumption there are plans to reduce the size of the new school's auditorium and gymnasium to save money. New plan design costs in comparison to purchasing pre-designed plans likely equates to somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 square feet of potential building. Site development costs will likely equate to over 20,000 square feet of potential building. What does that equate to in teacher’s pay, school buses, school supplies, technology, etc? Demolishing the damaged school was the sensible thing to do. Is abandoning the site at the cost of tens of millions of tax payer’s dollars a sensible thing to do?

In question number seven you say, “The new site is large enough to accommodate three schools over the years ahead.” The Virginia Department of Education recommends the following in new school site selection:

3.2 Size of New School Site
A. The following minimum usable site sizes are recommended:
Additional Acreage Per 100 Pupils in
School Type Basic Acreage Ultimate Enrollment
Primary or Elementary (grades pk-7) 4 acres
Middle School, Intermediate, Jr. High 10 acres
Senior High or Combined School 10 acres

Other considerations recommended to evaluate existing or potential school sites are:

1. Adequate site acreage to separate pedestrian, bus, and car traffic
2. Adequate site acreage to meet the needs of the outdoor physical education program
3. Adequate road frontage and ease of access
4. Availability of utilities
5. Proximity to noise and other pollution sources (airport, traffic, industrial)
6. Additional considerations would be the shape of the site, topography, and soil conditions
7. Adequate perimeter road circulation for emergency response vehicles.
8. Where possible, locate new schools in attendance areas that will
promote students to walk or ride bicycles safely to school. When
developing a new school site or altering an existing site the design
should include features that encourage pedestrian or bicycle
access to and from the school site.

Site topography, soil conditions, close proximity of wetlands, traffic and construction costs, especially construction costs, will likely never make it feasible to construct three schools on the new site.

In questions six and seven you infer vacating all School Board land connecting to Roadview Farm. For clarification; are there any conversations by the School Board as a whole or in part about the sale, trade or other means of transferring ownership of the two parcels of land known as Tax Map #39-198A and #39-198B, consisting of almost 26 acres which connect to the proposed school site and were purchased by Harry Corr in December 2011? Are there any conversations by the School Board as a whole or in part about transferring ownership of the existing Page Middle School site and or Bus Garage by sale, trade or otherwise? Careful


Gloucester Point Resident




Find below my answers to your questions in red. Take care.

Ben Kiser
Division Superintendent

A few questions about Page Middle School:

1) Why are over 25,000 square feet of school building being sacrificed to move off of the existing Page Middle School site?
· If you are referencing the portion of Page Middle School that was not destroyed by the tornado, the School Board decided, after much conversation and public input, that rebuilding on the old Page site was not the best solution and that renovating a 60-year old building was not financially prudent. As you know, the remainder of the old school was recently demolished and removed.

Do you realize how much space that is?
· Yes
3) Does the new school building design have wasted space areas that will require constant upkeep such as an internal court yard?
· No. There may be outdoor learning patios designed as part of the instructional houses but they are not interior courtyards.
4) Will the new school be designed to enhance utilization of Smart Board technology?
· Technology will be a component of the new school and smart boards may be one of the components.
5) Will additional wiring conduits for future upgrades be included in the building design?
· Electrical capacity for future utilization will be considered as part of the design.
6) What are the plans for the existing Page site?
· No specific plans at the moment. Some conversations have taken place as to the possibilities but nothing formal. The School Board still has its bus compound on the property. A solution for the bus compound may be required prior to any other use of that property being determined.
7) Are there any plans to obtain more land at the new site?
· The School Board does not have any plans to purchase additional land. The new site is large enough to accommodate three schools over the years ahead.
8) Will a model of the new Page Middle School and grounds be made available on the school website?
· As plans are refined, drawings will be available on the School Board’s website.

Greetings Mr. Kiser,   I know you are a busy person so I won’t take up much more of your time.  Thank you for “your” answers and opinions which you appear to be settled upon.  As I have researched Page Middle School I couldn’t help but notice you use the pronoun “I” disproportionately to “we”.  I have always been taught a community works together.  In a community setting such as Gloucester, people want to be involved.   Gloucester County is rich in professionally intelligent and talented residents who can provide valuable advice and guidance that will never be provided by any hired commercial firms or businesses.  There are many communities who take advantage of those valuable free resources when they undertake a project such as building a new school.  Much of their resident involvement is channeled through the district representatives who seek out and make themselves available to their constituents to discuss issues.  Other community involvement is channeled through today’s technology.   Those communities also have meetings which are advertised and open to the public, as is in Gloucester County.  Unfortunately, that is the only community involvement aspect Gloucester County shares with those other more prosperous and content communities.  In Gloucester most residents are not willing to become involved because of what took place with the attempt by residents to unseat several county supervisors. Many people feel like there is no use in being involved because they feel those who are appointed and elected are going to do what they want with total disregard of those they are entrusted to represent.  Despite the setting being in a rural community or a major metropolis, those who are appointed and elected to ensure the education of children are supposed to work in tandem with those others who have been appointed and elected to represent the interests of the community as a whole. They are supposed to set the example of people working together for our children.  In Gloucester County that is not the way things are.   The Gloucester School Board members have been manipulated to, among other things, take the approach of checking the required blocks as pertains to community involvement and working cohesively with other appointed and elected officials.  Resistance to working in tandem and restricting involvement of others presents a strong appearance of deception efforts which are normally perpetrated by persons with self gain agendas driven by greed.  I certainly hope that does not continue to manifest into being the case in Gloucester County.   Again, thank you.  You have been an enormous help in my continuing research of Gloucester County’s administrative process.

I will first say that I disagree with your assumptions and perceived savings.  The School Board has done due diligence on both sites and agreed to  the best possible solution for replacing Page Middle School after months of vetting the advantages and disadvantages of many scenarios.  Even though some individuals are assuming that several million dollars can be saved just by rebuilding on the previous site, that is simply just not the case.

 

The T.C. Walker Road property far exceeds the minimum guidelines for school construction as established by the Department of Education and will be able to accommodate a middle school, a high school, and an elementary school eventually.

 

Over the past year and a half, many conversations have taken place regarding the potential for the property adjacent to the old Page site and the new property.  At this time, no plans are in place or are being discussed by the School Board regarding the property in question.

 

As I stated in my last email, eventually, the School Board and the Board of Supervisors will agree to the disposition and future use of the old Page site.  At the moment, the School Board owns the property and has its bus compound situated on the property.  No plans have been made by the School Board regarding the future use of the site.

 

Take care.

 

 

Ben Kiser

Some of the conversations seem to be out of place.  This is how they are coming through to us and we are trying to sort them out as best as possible.  The objective however is to let everyone see all the issues surrounding the new school that is being forced on us all.  That is if we allow it to be forced on us.  What should be taken into consideration is that there is an appearance that the Board of Supervisors may have been hoodwinked in areas on this matter.  Take into consideration, if that were the case, they could have denied the funding at any time, so do not be fooled.  If no one is watching what is going on, we are all in trouble. 

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Governor McDonnell Announces 2013 Governor’s Technology Award Winners

English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / Srpski: Застава америчке савезне државе Вирџиније. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND – The annual Governor’s Technology Awards were presented to honorees in 10 categories at a special ceremony today at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond. On behalf of Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey, and CIO, Sam Nixon, presented the awards to a distinguished group of Virginia government entrants, including state and local government and universities. 

            Winners were determined by a distinguished panel of government information technology (IT) experts. For 16 years, the Governor’s Technology Awards program has recognized public sector IT projects that have improved government service delivery and efficiency.

Multiple awards were presented in several categories due to extremely close scores between projects. Executive summaries of each winner and finalist’s entries are posted on the COVITS website, www.covits.org, to provide inspiration and best practice examples to peers and partners.

            The 2013 winners and finalists, by category:

Cross-boundary Collaboration on IT Initiatives

·         WINNER: The Virginia Longitudinal Data System; Virginia Department of Education, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, Virginia Community College System, Virginia Employment Commission

·         FINALIST: Electronic Certification of Birth Records; Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Health

·         FINALIST: Enterprise Active Directory; Virginia Community College System, Virginia Western Community College

IT as Efficiency Driver—Government to Citizen

·         WINNER: Online Voter Registration; State Board of Elections

·         WINNER: Centralized Application and Management System; Department of Housing and Community Development

·         WINNER: CommonHelp; Department of Social Services

·         WINNER: Judicial Electric Filing System; Supreme Court of Virginia

·         FINALIST: Online Marriage License Pre-Application; Fairfax Circuit Court

·         FINALIST: Property QuickSearch v2.0; City of Chesapeake

IT as Efficiency Driver—Government to Business

·         WINNER: Automated Secure Alarm Protocol Message Broker Service; City of Richmond

·         FINALIST: GIS Real Estate Website Redesign; City of Roanoke

·         FINALIST: Transcript Data Exchange; DMV

·         FINALIST: Community Development Information System Zoning Application; Chesterfield County

IT as Efficiency Driver—Government to Government

·         WINNER: VirginiaCORIS Local Inmate Data System; Department of Corrections, State Compensation Board

·         WINNER: Elevated Review Workflow; DMV

·         WINNER: State Police Record IT Exchange (SPRITE); Supreme Court of Virginia, Virginia State Police

·         FINALIST: Mobile Technologies to Increase Productivity and Workflow; Department of Environmental Quality

Innovative Use of Technology in Economic Development

·         WINNER: Regional Education and Training Database; Shenandoah Valley Partnership

·         FINALIST: Online Commercial Property Search; City of Fredericksburg

Innovative Use of Technology in Local Government

·         WINNER: Storm Water Information Tracker (SWIFT); Chesterfield County

·         WINNER: Enhanced Mobility with VDI; Roanoke County

·         WINNER: Rapid Mobilization of Emergency Operations Center; Washington County

·         FINALIST: Law Enforcement GIS Mobile App; Hanover County

·         FINALIST: Emergency Data Gathering Repository; Fairfax County

·         FINALIST: Address Information Resource (Norfolk AIR); City of Norfolk

Innovative Use of Technology in Education

·         WINNER: Bring Your Own Device Initiative; Fairfax County Public Schools

·         WINNER: eMediaVA; Department of Education

·         FINALIST: eLearning for Childcare Professionals; Community College Workforce Alliance

·         FINALIST: Educating Tomorrow’s Global Leaders; Longwood University

Innovative Use of Technology in Healthcare

·         WINNER: Veteran’s Broadband Access for Improved Healthcare; Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance

Innovative Use of Technology in Modeling and Simulation

·         WINNER: Extending Virginia’s Broadband Toolkit; Virginia Tech Center for Geospatial IT, Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, Virginia Geographic Information Network

Innovative Commercialization of Technology Research

·         WINNER: Collegiate Strength Innovations; James Madison University

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