Virginia
The “summer slump” is a real worry for Virginia teachers and lawmakers
School’s out for summer for most of Virginia public schools. And teachers are worried about learning loss.
After schools closed for the pandemic, test scores plummeted. Now, figuring out a way to address that learning loss is even more worrisome for teachers, administrators and legislators who are concerned about the summertime slump.
“What we find is that with the traditional summer break, many students are losing between two and three months’ worth of schooling that they’re needing to make up at the beginning of the next school year,” says Roanoke Delegate Sam Rasoul, who chairs the House Education Committee. “And with a robust summer school program, we’re helping to close that gap.”
He says school divisions should have more resources they could use for summer school. But Senator Schuyler Van Valkenburg, a Democrat from Henrico County who’s also a high school civics teacher, says it’s time to reimagine the summer break.
“It’s really about reimagining the schedule so you don’t have this big two-and-a-half-month gap where we know that particularly kids that are lower down the economic scale tend to have more of a summer slump,” he says. “And so, I think reimagining the school year is probably the most effective way at getting at that slump.”
He points to schools in Richmond that have modified their calendar to have shorter summertime breaks and a more year-round schedule – a trend he says the General Assembly should encourage at divisions across Virginia as the best way to solve the summertime slump.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A victims’ rights advocacy group and the mother of a murder victim have filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano is prioritizing the interests of illegal immigrants over public safety.
The complaint, filed by the Victims Rights Reform Council (VRRC) on behalf of Cheryl Minter, the mother of Stephanie Minter, seeks a federal investigation into whether the prosecutor’s office violated equal protection standards.
The core of the complaint centers on the death of Stephanie Minter, who was killed at a Fairfax bus stop on February 23. The suspect, Abdul Jalloh, is an illegal immigrant with a history of violent offenses.
READ | Illegal immigrant accused in deadly Virginia stabbing previously picked up by ICE in 2018
According to the filing, Fairfax County Police had repeatedly warned prosecutors about Jalloh’s behavior prior to the killing.
Documentation cited in the complaint includes warnings from law enforcement that Jalloh showed a “blatant disregard for human life” and was a “danger to the community.”
SEE ALSO | ICE held Abdul Jalloh for nearly 2 years before judge’s ruling forced his release
The VRRC argues that Jalloh’s release was a direct result of a written office policy titled “Consideration of Immigration Consequences.” The policy instructs prosecutors to negotiate case resolutions that “avoid or lessen” collateral immigration consequences, such as deportation.
“My daughter died because Fairfax prosecutors chose ideology over safety, favoritism over equal justice, and leniency for an illegal immigrant over protection for innocent citizens,” Cheryl Minter said in the complaint.
MORE | Family of murdered mother pushing for recall of Fairfax County prosecutor Steve Descano
The controversy is also moving toward Capitol Hill. Descano was called to testify on May 14 before the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee, where lawmakers are expected to examine the impact of local sanctuary-style policies on community safety.
ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — After months of television ads, mailings, and debates, Virginia voters head to the polls Tuesday to vote on whether to approve a redistricting measure that would radically change Congressional maps in order to favor Democrats.
The measure has the potential to determine which party controls Congress after the midterm elections this fall.
ALSO READ | Virginia redistricting vote draws national attention
Virginia polling locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The election is unusual in that there are no names of candidates on the ballot. Instead, there is just one question to vote yes or no on:
“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
A yes vote would likely lead to a new map that would be expected to give Democrats a 10 to one edge in Virginia’s Congressional delegation. Under the current map, Democrats have six seats and Republicans have five.
Supporters of voting yes said the measure is in response to states like Texas that have gerrymandered in favor of Republicans winning House seats. But opponents who urge a no vote point out the measure would make Virginia one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation, and would create districts in which many voters don’t share common interests with each other.
The vote is expected to be close.
“It seems to me that a strong turnout effort on election day can give either side a win,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “The big challenge for both the yes and the no side is to get people who will support them if they turn out to actually do soI think anybody who is not strongly committed one side or the other is likely to stay home.”
ALSO READ | Virginia voters to decide redistricting that could flip 4 GOP seats
Advertisements and messaging from both sides have left some voters confused. For example, both supporters and opponents of the measure have referenced Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger. She supports the measure to counterbalance Republican actions elsewhere, but in the past she has made strong statements against the type of gerrymandering the ballot measure would allow.
“Usually when people are confused, they don’t vote. Some of them do, but most of them don’t,” said Larry Sabato, the director of The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Sabato said it’s tough to predict which side will win. Even though the limited polling that’s been done has given a narrow edge to the yes vote, data related to early voting may tell a different story.
“Normally, you would think given Virginia’s pretty strong Democratic lean, that this very partisan referendum would be enough to generate Democratic turnout for Democrats to win,” he said. “But I’ll tell you why people are hesitant – they’ve seen large turnouts in conservative, Republican areas. Because [voters in those areas] are mad. Their representatives are being eliminated through this process.”
“This is going to be tied very closely to how one feels about President Trump,” Farnsworth said. “The people who don’t like President Trump will vote in favor of this amendment. The people who do like President Trump will vote against it.”
It’s not clear how many people will actually show up at the polls on election day Tuesday.
“People who were very interested in this, who were knowledgeable about the subject, probably voted early for the most part,” Sabato said.
Mail-in ballots can still be dropped off at official drop boxes until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and if they are mailed they need to be postmarked by Tuesday and received by noon on Friday.
WASHINGTON — Virginia Senator Mark Warner and Lisa Collis are mourning the loss of their daughter Madison.
The 36-year-old died after a “decades-long battle with juvenile diabetes,” the couple said in a statement
“We are heartbroken beyond words by the passing of our beloved daughter,” the statement read. “She filled our lives with love and laughter, and her absence leaves an immeasurable void.”
Warner and Collis said they were are grateful for the loving support of friends and family and asked for privacy as they grieve.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
-
Sports34 seconds agoEli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan
-
Technology7 minutes agoFake Windows update installs hidden malware
-
Business13 minutes agoNetflix plans to buy historic Radford Studio Center
-
Entertainment19 minutes agoAfter Epstein scandal, Hollywood bidders race for Wasserman’s $3-billion agency
-
Lifestyle24 minutes agoThe story behind this rare architectural speaker from cult Japanese fashion brand TheSoloist
-
Politics31 minutes agoBecerra sees momentum, money and movement in the polls in governor’s race
-
Science37 minutes agoFBI probes cases of missing or dead scientists, including four from the L.A. area
-
Sports43 minutes agoRams coach Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is ‘doing really well’ after rehab stint