The legislation passed the Senate 36-4 before it crossed over for consideration in the House. It was killed on a party-line vote in the House Commerce and Labor Committee. Democrats and Virginia21, a college student advocacy group, were disappointed by the bill’s death.

“Education is the key to building a new Virginia economy, but too often crushing student debt prevents our young people from having a fair shot at the American dream,” said Delegate Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria. “This bill would have protected young people from predatory lenders seeking to take advantage of their ambition and aspirations.”

For many new teachers, the classroom is a different world from where they've come from.

"If you're not used to being around someone that's different than you, you can't relate to what their problems are and you won’t be able to resolve it as well as someone who does relate," says Jessica White.

It's why the high school student has already made up her mind to go to college and become a teacher. White says when she shows up to her school:

"You can look at the staff, and it's like 1 in 7 that's a minority or a teacher of color," she said.

"My junior year of high school, I had my first minority teacher. That was my first time having a teacher of color," college freshman Thomas Wilson added.

That's partly because DeVos, a billionaire GOP donor and school choice advocate, comes from a nontraditional background. Unlike nearly every past education secretary, she's never worked professionally in federal or state government, for a school district, or at a university.

And while her supporters say she has deep knowledge when it comes to vouchers, charter schools, and other forms of choice, she appeared confused during her confirmation hearing about other areas of education policy, including special education. That could make staffing all the more important.

So far, key roles haven't been filled. To be sure, it's still early going—the secretary herself has been on the job for just over a week. And a deputy could be named sometime soon. (Allan Hubbard, who worked on economic issues under President George W. Bush, is said to be a top candidate for the deputy role, typically the No. 2 position at the department.)

A conference committee of senior legislators is working to reach a compromise spending plan for the remainder of the current biennium. The members of the budget conference committee are meeting now and through the middle of next week to resolve differences between their respective spending plans. Budget negotiators include Delegates Chris Jones (Suffolk), Kirk Cox (Colonial Heights), Steve Landes (Augusta), John O’Bannon (Henrico), Tag Greason (Loudoun) and Luke Torian (Prince William); and Senators Tommy Norment (James City), Emmett Hanger (Augusta), Janet Howell (Fairfax), Dick Saslaw (Fairfax), Frank Ruff (Mecklenburg), Steve Newman (Lynchburg) and Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach).

The Secretary of Finance announced earlier this week that state revenues for January jumped 7.4% over the same month last year, attributable, in part, to one additional deposit day for payroll withholding. All major revenue sources posted positive growth. On a fiscal year-to-date basis (through January), total revenue collections have risen 4.6%, which is ahead of the annual forecast of 2.9% growth.

Recall that the House and Senate budget proposals differ on provision of a state teacher salary supplement. The Senate proposes $83.1 million for the state share of a 2% pay raise for Standards of Quality (SOQ)-funded teachers and support personnel, while the House plan does not propose a teacher pay hike. The House redirects funds included in the introduced budget for a teacher bonus to the Lottery Per Pupil Allocation, to be sent back to school divisions on a per pupil basis for use at their discretion and without a local match requirement. The Senate reduces the Per Pupil funding to help pay for its teacher salary increase. Both plans provide dollars to school divisions experiencing enrollment loss. The House proposes $9 million in FY18 for divisions with fewer than 10,000 students which have had a 10% drop in enrollment over the last 10 years. The Senate includes $7 million in FY18 to help divisions that experienced a 1.5% or greater enrollment loss since last year.

Click here for a State Superintendent’s memo that contains additional details on the proposed House and Senate amendments to the current state budget.

Education Legislation
Bills that limit suspensions of school students had a rough ride this past week, as legislators appear to be closely divided over if and how to proceed with enacting such limits. The House rejected the Senate substitute for HB 1534 which limited suspensions to 60 days, with provisions to extend longer in cases involving criminal activity. HB 1536 is in a conference committee to resolve differences; in its current form, it prohibits preK-3 students from being suspended long-term or expelled unless their conduct involves weapons, drugs, inappropriate sexual behavior, or serious bodily injury. Meanwhile, the Senate versions of these bills, SB 995 and SB 997, are being held up on the House floor after having been acted on in the House Education Committee this past Monday.

The General Assembly appears to be on its way to approving bills to authorize the creation of regional charter school divisions, which could consist of two or more existing school divisions, one of which must have over 3,000 students and with one or more schools having been denied accreditation for two of the past three years. SB 1283 awaits action on the House floor, while HB 2342 has been reported from the Senate Finance Committee. The school board of such a division is to be composed of appointees of the Board of Education (BOE) and local governing bodies. Charter applicants would submit their application to the BOE, which would review and forward it to the regional school board.

Virtual schools legislation is advancing through the process as well. HB 1400 and SB 1240 have been approved by the money committee in the opposite chamber and will face floor votes next week.

While the Senate defeated its version of the Parental Choice Education Savings Account legislation ( SB 1243), with the Lieutenant Governor breaking a tie vote on the floor, the House version of the bill, HB 1605, remains alive in the Senate, having been approved late in the week by the Senate Finance Committee. The bill enables parents of public school students, in certain cases, to apply to the relevant local school division for a one-year, renewable account, to consist of a percentage of applicable state per pupil and sales tax funds applicable to the student, for use at a private or religious school or for various other education expenses.

The Senate Education and Health Committee has moved HB 2191 forward. The bill calls for local school board procedures for notifying parents of materials with sexually explicit content (defined as any criminal sexual assault or crime against nature), and for providing replacement materials to students of parents who so request. It awaits action on the Senate floor after having been reported from committee on a 9 to 6 vote.

The Committee also unanimously approved HB 1981 directing the development of regulations for "School Divisions of Innovation." This bill would apply to school divisions that have developed a plan of innovation to improve student learning, giving them the opportunity to be exempt from selected regulatory and statutory provisions.

The patron of HB 2142 struck the bill in the Senate Education and Health Committee this past week. It would have delayed the implementation of the redesigned high school graduation requirements by one year.

The House Education Committee is poised to approve SB 1359 next week. The bill would require local school boards to develop and implement a plan to test and remediate potable water from sources identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as high priority for testing. A subcommittee has recommended approval of the legislation. A House version of the bill was defeated earlier in the session.

A House subcommittee scuttled SB 795, which would have required localities and school divisions to post certain, detailed financial information on their website. Panel members expressed support for the bill’s focus on transparency, but were reluctant to push the mandate onto localities and school divisions.

Finally, the House and Senate have endorsed HJ 762, which designates the first weekend in August, in 2017 and in each succeeding year, as the Weekend of Prayer over Students in Virginia. The resolution cites challenges facing students, such as peer pressure to abuse drugs and alcohol, negative media influences, school violence and gang activities, and low self-esteem, and encourages prayer for protection, guidance, and peace, and for opportunities and blessings on the students.