Orange County Education Association

05/11/2022

We hope for sunshine as graduation Saturday is just around the corner!

05/07/2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/07/orange-county-schools-resolution-student-self-identification/

The Orange County school board is considering a policy that would require schools to notify parents of students' "self-identification."

01/30/2022

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/01/28/masks-evidence/

The Virginia Department of Health can't offer any evidence to support Gov. Glenn Youngkin's claims that masks aren't effective in schools.

01/17/2022

"Glenn Youngkin has named two women with track records of opposing “critical race theory” — a once obscure collegiate field that’s become a conservative catch-all term for racial equity and diversity initiatives in public schools — to top posts at the Virginia Department of Education." -NBC12
https://www.nbc12.com/2022/01/15/youngkin-taps-critical-race-theory-opponents-lead-public-education-virginia/?fbclid=IwAR3-9L0w6z67BEgL0lhg6oI1g58uFzkjAJwD_PIJYWzzWug-EtZyBR0BGVQ

Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin has named two women with track records of opposing “critical race theory” — a once obscure collegiate field that’s become a conservative catch-all term for racial equity and diversity initiatives in public schools — to top posts at the Virginia Department of Educa...

12/08/2021

Proposed budget includes raise for Virginia teachers.

Governor Ralph Northam, 73rd Governor of Virginia

11/16/2021

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/parents-protesting-critical-race-theory-identify-new-target-mental-hea-rcna4991?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma

Conservative groups opposed to lessons on racism are now targeting social emotional learning, which they call a "Trojan Horse" for critical race theory.

11/10/2021

https://richmond.com/news/local/education/critics-say-the-virginia-school-boards-association-is-attempting-to-weaken-collective-bargaining-for-teachers/article_cacab203-abec-596c-ad32-8683574400b0.html

After taking a legislative stance against public school teachers’ efforts to unionize, the nonprofit that holds training for school board members is leading a workshop that critics say will teach

11/10/2021

Congratulations to the Orange County High School Marching Band! The OCHS marching band won the VMBC State Championship last Saturday.

11/10/2021

An article from Chesterfield that breaks down how collective bargaining works regarding each locality in Virginia.

Wearing a cowboy hat and denim shirt, an unmasked man walks up to the podium and surveys the five Chesterfield County School Board members. "Alright, let's see what we got. Three minutes,&qu

10/01/2021

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/19/988211478/we-need-to-be-nurtured-too-many-teachers-say-theyre-reaching-a-breaking-point

Educators tell NPR that the stress of teaching through the pandemic has affected their health and their personal lives. "It's like nothing I've experienced before," one teachers says.

09/14/2021

"The collective bargaining ban for public employees in Virginia was finally lifted in May 2021. This now means that our voices are at the table and we can impact decisions. When Virginia educators had collective bargaining decades ago, they were able to negotiate for additional teachers for reading, art, and music instruction. They helped set school calendars and fairer discipline policies.

Now our voices will be heard again.

Collective bargaining means we can advocate for high-quality professional development and safer conditions in all schools. We’ll be able to speak up about the need for additional funds and staffing. I work at a school with a large population of lower-income students, and we need more resources than schools serving wealthier families, not fewer. We will negotiate for additional services to meet student needs, whether that means increases in staffing, improved access to technology, or more books.

I was involved in lobbying efforts through Virginia Education Association and Prince William Education Association. We wrote letters to our elected officials, held rallies, marched at the Virginia Capitol, and spoke to our representatives about repealing the ban on collective bargaining. We just kept talking about it. Our march in February 2020 was particularly impactful because that made our cause visible. It was a good way to start educating the public.

Now, we’re working to organize educators. Our building representatives are holding meetings to explain what collective bargaining is and answer questions. A lot of people don’t know, because so many of us have never had these rights. We’re having those one-on-one conversations with our members and all school employees to show them how collective bargaining rights will benefit them and their students.

So, for other educators fighting for collective bargaining rights in other states…Don’t stop talking about what these rights mean. Every employee deserves to have a union representing their contract negotiations, and every student deserves a well-resourced school. We’re rooting for you!"

Gwen Edwards, Technical Support Specialist, Prince William County, VA

09/01/2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/01/us/us-covid-kids-data/index.html

As students and staff return to school, the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 has caused cases, hospitalizations and death rates to soar across the country.