Arlington Public Schools | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 25, 2022 at 7:30AM

Wreaths being removed from Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday (Photo by Staff Sgt. Priscilla Desormeaux/U.S. Army National Guard)

Beyer Running for Reelection — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) made it official on Monday. He will be running again to represent the Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, according to a statement released Monday. Victoria Virasingh, who launched her campaign back in August, will face Beyer in the Democratic Party Primary on June 21. So far, two GOP candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the 8th Congressional District seat, Monica Carpio and Heerak Christian Kim.” [Patch]

Fate of Police Auditor Bill Uncertain — “Legislators working on behalf of a request from the Arlington County government are shepherding measures through the General Assembly providing for creation of an independent police auditor for the county… an enabling measure by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington-Fairfax-Loudoun) cleared the Committee on Local Government 10-5, but passed the state Senate on a slim party-line 21-19 vote. That could spell trouble in the House of Delegates, where Republicans now hold the majority.” [Sun Gazette]

News

Arlington School Board sues to challenge Youngkin’s mask order

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 24, 2022 at 9:30AM | Updated January 24, 2022 at 3:40PM

A discarded face mask in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(updated at 3:35 p.m.) The Arlington School Board is suing to stop Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that doesn’t allow school systems to require students to wear masks.

The lawsuit filed this morning (Monday) challenges the order issued by Youngkin on Jan. 15, his first day in office. Arlington joined school boards from Fairfax County, Alexandria City, Falls Church City, Hampton City, Prince William County and the City of Richmond in the suit.

Opinion

Most-read Arlington stories of the week: Jan. 17-21

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 21, 2022 at 3:45PM

Scooters under I-395 along Joyce Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

This week was yet another filled with plenty of news about snow, but unlike previous January weeks not a lot of actual snow.

Using its last traditional snow day allotment, Arlington Public Schools closed Thursday for what turned out to be a bust — a rainy, cold day. Lucky for students looking to enjoy the weather when school’s closed, this weekend should at least be sunny, albeit a little cold, in Arlington.

Schools

APS says it has ironed out many wrinkles in virtual learning program

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 21, 2022 at 1:30PM | Updated February 3, 2022 at 12:09PM

APS Chief of School Support Kimberley Graves (via APS)

(Updated at 12:05 p.m. on 2/3/21) During the Arlington School Board meeting last night, public school administrators made the case for why the fledgling, controversial in-house virtual learning platform now deserves better grades.

Last fall, Arlington Public Schools launched its Virtual Learning Program for families with reservations about in-person school amid the pandemic or whose students preferred online classes.

News

Morning Notes

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 20, 2022 at 7:30AM

New Deputy County Attorney Named — “Mr. Ryan Samuel, who joined the County Attorney’s Office (CAO) in 2018, serves as a board member for the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia and is a member of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court.” [Arlington Government]

APS Launches Test to Stay — The Virginia Department of Health has authorized Arlington Public Schools to implement its “test to stay” pilot program, which consists of contact tracing and serial COVID-19 testing so students can continue attending school during after being a close contact to someone who tested positive. [APS]

News

BREAKING: APS closes schools Thursday due to expected snow

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 19, 2022 at 5:10PM

Arlington school bus on a snowy morning (file photo)

Arlington Public Schools and offices will be closed Thursday due to the expected snow and messy commute.

“Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled,” the school system announced today (Wednesday).

Schools

School Board Chair Barbara Kanninen to step down in December

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 18, 2022 at 11:30AM

School Board Chair Barbara Kanninen during an in-person meeting in December (via APS)

School Board Chair Barbara Kanninen will not seek re-election after her term ends this December.

The chair said in an announcement on Sunday that she will “continue the hard work of serving our students, staff, and the Arlington community” for the rest of her term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2022.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Should APS continue to require masks in schools?

By ARLnow.com

Published January 18, 2022 at 9:30AM

Arlington Public Schools is not alone in defying Virginia’s new governor.

One of the first acts in office for Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) was an executive order intended to let parents decided whether their children wear masks to school. But APS — along with Alexandria and Fairfax County, among other public school systems — says that masks are still required, despite the order.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 18, 2022 at 7:30AM | Updated January 18, 2022 at 8:13AM

Snow being plowed (Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann)

Weekend Snowfall Total — From the Capital Weather Gang: “Observer at Reagan National Airport reports 2.6 inches, pushing Jan. total to 12.2″ – most since 2016 and more than double the norm. Most of the immediate area saw 1.5 to 3 inches.” [Twitter]

Long-time Hospital CEO Retiring — “Virginia Hospital Center ‘was quite a different place’ when Jim Cole arrived in 1985, he recalls… Now 37 years later, Cole is getting ready to retire from one of the area’s only independently owned hospitals — for real, this time after delaying his planned departure in 2020 to remain at the helm through the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Washington Business Journal]

Schools

JUST IN: APS says masks still required for students, despite Youngkin’s order

By ARLnow.com

Published January 15, 2022 at 7:25PM | Updated January 18, 2022 at 2:08AM

A discarded face mask in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 7:40 p.m.) Students and parents are in the middle of a tug-of-war between Arlington Public Schools and newly-inaugurated Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

One of the Republican’s first acts today (Saturday) after succeeding now-former Gov. Ralph Northam (D) was issuing eleven executive actions, including one that allows parents to “elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the child’s school or educational program.”

Schools

APS brings athletics back early, changes Covid guidelines during surge in cases

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 13, 2022 at 11:45AM

(Updated at noon) Arlington Public Schools is bringing athletics back early and reducing quarantine periods, despite more than a thousand Covid cases reported among students and staff this past week.

Starting next week, the school system will adopt revised CDC guidance, Superintendent Francisco Durán wrote in an email to the school community Wednesday. The isolation period for staff members who test positive will be halved to five days. The new guidelines also reduced the quarantine period to five days for a student or staff member who is considered a close contact to someone who tested positive.

News

Morning Notes

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 12, 2022 at 7:30AM

Athletics Ban Not Consistent with County — “Arlington’s newest School Board member opened her tenure by intimating that, if the county school system’s ban on athletics and extracurricular activities is extended past its current Jan. 14 deadline or resurrected later, the county government should follow suit and shut down park programs for adults.” [Sun Gazette]

Universal Basic Income in Arlington? — “Every Arlingtonian, rich and poor alike, could be given $550 a month, leaving few families below the poverty line, if the property tax rate were tripled. The net income of a family of four living in a house worth less than $1.36 million would be higher, as this UBI dividend would exceed the increase in tax.” [Greater Greater Washington]