Latest news with #MelindaRogers
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
VBCPS board votes to adopt changes to 2025 & 2030 strategic frameworks
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Some of the changes that will be made in Virginia Beach City Public Schools in the wake of a recent decision to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the school division are coming to light. Virginia Beach board votes to keep suspension of DEI in place The Virginia Beach School Board, by a 6-5 vote, adopted changes Tuesday to the strategic framework for Compass to 2025 and Compass to 2030. 'The decisions we make here, the trickled down effects to our staff, is important,' said District 5 School Board member Melinda Rogers. And though many are still calling for the board to keep DEI in place inside Virginia Beach public schools, the board is standing firm in its decision to move forward with the suspension. VB NAACP hosts public town hall with VB school board members, superintendent The adopted changes will remove words like equity from the framework and replace the word diverse with the phrase, 'a wide range.' Many community members and students are not happy about the decision. There is also lots of uncertainty among board members. 'I'm just concerned that we aren't as concerned about the job that we were voted in to do to govern the school board and to protect our students,' said at-large board member Sharon Felton. 'We're doing everything in such a rush. What is the rush all about?' More information on other changes that could possibly happen will come later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach board votes to keep suspension of DEI in place
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Beach School Board voted 6-5 Tuesday to move forward with its initial vote to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. This is the third vote the board has taken on the matter. 'I want to thank the public for coming to the school board meetings repeatedly to voice your overwhelming support for our educational practices that support all students in our division,' District 5 board member Melinda Rogers said in a Facebook post on the vote. 'While the board majority voted in favor to remove needed supports, I will continue to work to support ALL staff and students, including listening to my constituents and educating myself in the policies and data that best support our community so I can make informed decisions on the dais.' Rogers posted her statement above a worded image that states: 'Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome.' With little notice, the board first adopted a resolution to suspend DEI initiatives in school division programs and curriculums at an April 9 meeting. VB board adopts resolution to suspend DEI initiatives That initial vote came after the Trump administration's Jan. 29 executive order to cut federal education funding for schools who refuse to drop diversity, equity and inclusion programs. On April 3, K-12 schools throughout the country received a notice stating they had just 10 days to certify they would comply with the executive order. The resolution passed stated that it is 'to comply with legal obligations in exchange for receiving federal financial assistance.' Virginia Beach City Public Schools receives more than $74 million in federal funding. At a May 6 meeting, a vote to amend the resolution resulted in a stalemate — with District 8 board member David Culpepper absent — leaving the original decision intact, but it forced a third vote on the the matter Tuesday. After more debate, the board voted around 11:30 p.m. to keep its original decision intact, turning aside the motion to amend the resolution, with members Michael Callan, Culpepper, Carolyn Weems, Kathleen Brown, Mark Bohenstiel and Rose Dwyer voting against the motion, while Matt Cummings, Sharon Felton, Kim Melnyk, Dr. Alveta Green and Melinda Rogers voted in favor of amending the resolution. The decision to suspend DEI initiatives in the school division has continued to divide staffers, students and parents, and has been met with backlash from many in the community who say DEI is vital to school programs and school frameworks. Though the board voted to keep the suspension of DEI initiatives in place, school board attorney Kamala Lannetti said more information on what changes will be made to school programs and offerings will come in future meetings. Some of those changes will come in division frameworks. For example, one of its policies, the Educational Equity policy, could be retitled to Educational Opportunity and Achievement. And words such as diversity and equity would be removed from the policy altogether. Changes would also come to the school division's Compass to 2025 and Compass to 2030 strategic frameworks, removing words like equity and replacing the word diverse with a phrase like, 'a wide range.' The board expects to hear more and possibly vote on policy changes at its May 27 meeting. agendaDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stalemate by VB board leaves decision to suspend DEI programs intact
Note: District 2 Virginia Beach School Board member Kim Melnyk's last name was misspelled in the above video. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Beach School Board's original decision to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the city's public schools will stand after a vote Tuesday to amend that resolution resulted in a stalemate. VB board adopts resolution to suspend DEI initiatives The vote to amend the April 8 resolution to suspend DEI initiatives in the city's public schools was 5-5, with one board member, District 8's David Culpepper, absent. 'After this evening's special school board meeting, I am more affirmed that our community will have a much better understanding of what is happening in our schools by joining me tomorrow evening,' said District 5 board member Melinda Rogers in a Facebook post. Rogers is taking part in a DEI town hall meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Princess Anne Middle School at 2509 Seaboard Road in Virginia Beach. She said she has a presentation prepared and would be discussing DEI in schools and taking questions. Board members did not have an answer on what programs or curriculum would be impacted by the board's original decision to suspend DEI programs as they await further guidance from federal courts. The original vote to suspend DEI initiatives in the city's public schools was 6-3 in favor. It came after the Trump administration's Jan. 29 executive order to cut federal education funding for schools that refuse to drop DEI programs. On April 3, K-12 schools throughout the country received a notice stating they had just 10 days to certify they will comply with the executive order. 'Let's keep the main thing the main thing,' said District 6 board member Michael Callan. 'And the main thing is a solid education, preparing them for the difficulties that life will bring.' It's a decision dividing staffers, students and parents. The adopted resolution states that it is 'to comply with legal obligations in exchange for receiving federal financial assistance.' In the meeting, School Board Chairwoman Kathleen J. Brown said Virginia Beach City Public Schools gets $74,285,975 in federal funding. District 7 School Board member Matt W. Cummings asked at the last board meeting how suspending the policy would impact the curriculum, particularly at Tallwood High School's Global Studies and World Languages Academy, which has a number of events celebrating cross-cultural awareness and celebrating diversity. District 2 Board member Kim Melnyk said the executive order may affect things in the school division, and she's seeking clarity on what it will mean for the division's schools. 'This executive order may affect things,' Melnyk said. 'And that's what I'm worried about, and I want clear direction for our school division. We're the fourth-largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia and we have a very large community who deserves the answers and the directions. They need to know what we're doing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
