www.newrivervalley.com

Montgomery County school board members want to get the ball rolling on a superintendent search to replace Tiffany Anderson by next week. And, most say they're in favor of using a national search firm, which could be costly.

Tonight, the seven board members said they'd review this week a proposal from the 2004 search that resulted in Anderson's hiring and plan to approve a similar ad at a meeting Tuesday. That ad would help them find a firm. An ad for the superintendent's position would likely be placed once the board hired a search firm. Anderson leaves the district effective June 30, and the board has 180 days after that to find a replacment.

In the 2004 search, the school board used national firm Ray and Associates, which cost close to $25,000.

The Virginia School Board Association offers statewide and regional search assistance, but Montgomery board chairman Wendel Jones said he wouldn't work with them again  based on a poor experience during the hunt that found Anderson.

Read more »

A school district in Arizona facing a tight budget is looking at whether each school in its division needs a full-time principal. Cutting back vice principals and principals to half-time jobs is just one measure suggested in the Tucson Unified School District.

The ideas got me thinking about some of the early plans discussed in Montgomery County's schools.  School board member Joe Ivers later said he was in favor of making schools share some assistant principals or to have them teach classes.

His ideas drew the ire or some, but it's interesting to see that he's not the only one with the ideas. As this article says, the freedom to choose half-time principals also means choosing not to have one at all. "if they can come up with a way to ensure duties typically carried out by principals are still completed."

What do you think?

RADFORD — A Christiansburg Middle School teacher won a $25,000 regional educational award tonight.

Jayanne Bridges, who teaches sixth-grade science, is one of two top winners in the 2009 McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence from the Bristol-based McGlothlin Foundation.

The regional award, open to teachers from parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, is one of the largest education awards in the country. It was awarded at Radford University.

Bridges has taught in Montgomery County’s school since 1994.

She must use at least $10,000 of the award to travel internationally. The awards are designed to “bring the world” to those who win, according to the foundation. Bridges plans to use the money to travel to Africa. While there, she  plans to work with underprivileged children in reading, math, computer skills and conservation science.

Judges said Bridges impressed them with hands-on lessons and community service projects.

To be eligible, teachers must have been in the classroom for at least five years. Applicants are judged on a four-month long application that includes classroom observations, sample lesson plans and an essay about how they plan to teach students about the world.

Other semi-finalists for the award this year included Troutville Elementary teacher Teresa Hash and Pulaski County High teacher Erin Wigginton. Each won $1,000 and a trophy.

Barring a special meeting, it looks like the board won't be taking up how to replace Tiffany Anderson, whose final day is June 30, until sometime next month.

In the past, Montgomery County school board members have asked the community what they want to see in a school chief. They'll likely do the same, board member Wat Hopkins said today.

In the meantime, tell us what you think is important in a leader.  What do you want to see in a new school superintendent?

Some people already are saying that Anderson's departure is a positive move for the community.

What did you like about Anderson, and what do you think her successor could improve upon?

Montgomery County students could graduate with an associate of arts degree from New River Community College under an agreement in the works now.

On Tuesday, the school board will hear about a dual-enrollment plan called "College Zone" for juniors and seniors. The idea is to amp up the number of dual-enrollment credits - up to 62 hours of transferrable credit -- for students.

Potential courses include:

• English 11 & 12
• US history & government
• pre-calculus
• Weight Training
• Music appreciation
• Principles of economics
• public speaking

Students would have to have a 3.0 gpa and completed Algebra II to be elgible, according to a slideshow to be presented to school board members.

The board meets 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Parents phoning Montgomery County's information line may have wondered what "extenuating" circumstances closed schools this morning.

Well, it was snow fall and black ice, Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said.

Anderson woke up this morning before 4 a.m. to get on the roads to check for their safety. After a first drive, she decided to put schools on a two-hour delay. But, in an e-mail message to subscribers, she advised checking back for a potential closure.

"“After snowfall began in parts of the county, particularly in the areas of higher elevation, we recognized that the snow was freezing upon contact given the low temperatures and this created hazardous road conditions,” she said later on.  Therefore, when we reassessed the roads by driving them again at 6 a.m. as we normally do when there is a delay, we found areas of black ice and continued snowfall.”

This is the second time this year that schools have been shut down after an initial two-hour delay. Anderson admits it's not ideal, but she said it's sometimes needed.

If students don't miss any more days of school this year, they'll be out for the summer by June 8. The district's calendar has six built-in snow days to accomodate inclement weather.

Montgomery County's school board will present a $93,807,307 operating budget to the Board of Supervisors on Monday.

School board members said they recognize money is tight, and they fully expect supervisors to suggest changes to the budget

As approved, the 2009-2010 operating budget freezes hiring of 28 classroom teachers, but maintains athletic trainer supplements, gifted coordinators and teachers, library aides and full 10.5 month contracts for Technology Resource Teachers.

Jayanne Bridges, a sixth-grade science teacher at Christiansburg Middle School, is among the six finalists for the 2009 McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Blue Ridge PBS administers the McGlothlin Awards, now in its 10th year. The awards, which are among the largest teaching prizes in the United States, are given annually by the McGlothlin Foundation of Bristol,
Virginia.  Teachers in parts of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are eligible.

Two teachers will be awarded $25,000 each. The ceremony will take place at Radford University on April 6.

Two winning teachers, one from grades K-5 and one from grades 6-12, must use $10,000 of the $25,000
award for international travel.

The finalists, who were selected from 19 semi-finalists, were judged based on a standards-based lesson plan with a 20-minute video of themselves teaching the lesson in their classrooms.  Judges will next
visit the six teachers at their schools to evaluate their classroom instruction, classroom management, interaction with students, and, if possible, use of instructional technology such as computers, video, or
digital cameras.

Amid the news of a national salmonella outbreak in peanut butter, at least one New River Valley school system is temporarily removing its peanut butter products from cafeterias.

Radford City Schools Superintendent Chuck Bishop said the schools in his district are not using peanut butter as a precautionary measure. Bishop said the peanut-butter sandwiches regularly given to students as a substitute for a hot lunch have been replaced with cheese sandwiches.

Although schools are taking the steps, none of the peanut butter used in the school system has been affected by the outbreak. A complete list of the recalls can be found here.

Other school systems, including Montgomery and Floyd, said they have been notified that all their peanut butter is safe and they are not pullling any from school lunches.

Next week, the U.S. Senate will take up the $819 billion  "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009."  that passed last night through the house.

The House Bill outlines a investment to education over two years, designed to boost programs such as early childhood education, construction, technology and charter schools.

The New River Valley looks to bring in about $11.9 million, according to a preliminary breakdown from the House Appropriations Committee. Two-year totals for each of the valley's divisions are:

• Montgomery County - $ 5,074,700
• Radford City -$ 600,800
• Giles County - $ 1,525,200
• Pulaski County - $ 3,512,400
• Floyd County - $ 1,206,200

You can see a complete list of Virginia's share here.

What is your take on the stimulus? Where do you think the money should go?