![Junior Diya Arun stares out a window. For Arun, the winter season brings out the holiday blues. “ I think [the winter] has a negative effect on my mental health because I feel like the cold weather and people around me are also sadder [and] that affects me,” Arun said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_8047-1200x800.jpg)
![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Loudoun County School Board followed a five-hour long agenda including policy changes regarding students’ freedom of speech, public complaints, the lack of distinction in general education across Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and more. Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Chief Academic Officer Ashley Ellis expressed disbelief while reviewing that of the four Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) categories, 60 to 80 percent of LCPS schools fall into the “off track” or “needing intensive support” categories. “It’s pretty hard for me to believe that only one of our middle schools — let alone across the entire state — isn’t doing good work that would make it a distinguished school,” Ellis said. Following the School Improvement section, 12 Rock Ridge Sings students, directed by chorus teacher Jordan Markwood, performed the national anthem in a tradition of having school performing arts programs come in for the pledge and anthem.
State Accountability and Accreditation Overview and LCPS School Improvement Process
Ellis also discussed major updates to the Schools Accountability and Accreditation point system update. This system, which is used to give schools “points” and determine to what level schools will receive support, will be clarified in a streamlining system in which any repeated terms will be wiped to leave behind a clearer structure. The old four-point system, dubbed “complicated and overlapping,” will be streamlined into two: a compliance-based credit-granting system and a performance-based accountability system. This allows for public schools to get support from different levels of government in a faster, better-understood way.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Ellis and Virginia Department of Academics
LCPS Spotlight: English Learners
Director of the Division of English Learners, Cherise Rosario, distinguished Goshen Post Elementary, Sterling Middle School, and Heritage High School for their English Learners program.
Goshen Post uses co-teaching practices and a staff-led framework, accompanied by a strong peer support system and computer science curriculum to support generalizing language skills.
Sterling Middle School shared their key to success: incorporating elective involvement of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) and peer-support systems, the best example of which includes their podcast activities. In these activities, English learners work in groups to work on storytelling podcasts, allowing peer interaction and academic conversation-building skills. Heritage High School, also among the esteemed English Learners programs, educates and involves all staff members in the English Learners agenda, providing an understanding of both the students’ day-to-day learning lives and the program itself. Whether it be the emerging, expanding, or enhancing English Learning pathway provided in LCPS, these three schools received recognition for their excellence in their support and education of English-learning students.
Superintendent’s Report and Procedures for Public Comment
Data extracted from VDOE (Azciel Goodhart)
Student Behavior and Accountability Committee: Revisions to Policy 8273, Student Speech and Expression
Board member Lauren Shernoff moved to adjust the second to last line of Policy 8273 to clarify the inclusion of instructional activity in the clause; however, it was turned down by other board members including Broad Run district representative Linda Deans. Deans argued that nothing was added or removed from this adjustment. “[The last line is] addressing school activities, which may or may not take place during instructional time,” Shernoff said. “Adding instructional time at the end adds additional clarity and protection of instructional time.” Deans, accompanied by the majority of the board, dismissed this motion, insisting they “rely on principals and assistant principals to [sensibly] implement this policy.” While Shernoff’s movement failed to pass, the amendments originally proposed were passed to specify that ethnic hate speech be banned following the new adjustments to the Virginia Human Rights Act, effective July 1, 2024.
The next Loudoun County School Board meeting will be on Sept. 24.
