Budget Special Session, Hampton Man Sentenced to Two Life Terms Exonerated, Graduation Season
🚩 There are 36 days until the June 18, 2024 primary. Early voting 🏃🏼♂️ has begun
🚩 There are 176 days until Election Day November 5, 2024.
3% Raise for Teachers is in State Budget, K-12 Money
Today the General Assembly will start a special session to consider a budget compromise announced late last week. Part of the deal made in a politically divided government that has had its fare share of predictable disagreements, includes a key priority for Democrats: Funding for a 3% raise for teachers and school support staff.
In Virginia, teacher pay is under the national average of $69,544 with an average starting salary of $44,530. According to the NEA, the average teacher salary in Virginia is $63,103.
The budget also includes funding increases for K-12 schools and higher education.
Newport News Mayor Phil Jones pointed out on twitter that the budget also includes, “a short-term, interest-free, state-supported treasury loan in an amount up to $40,000,000 to the City of Newport News to support investment from the Navy related to housing infrastructure.”
After Students Tear Gassed at VCU Graduates Walk Out on Youngkin
On May 11, Governor Glenn Youngkin delivered the commencement address at Virginia Commonwealth University. As the Governor began speaking, many graduates stood up and waled out.
Virginia Child Care Rating System Seeks to Improve Readiness
By Nathaniel Cline for the Virginia Mercury | Virginia has implemented new guidelines to establish a unified rating and improvement system to assess the commonwealth’s publicly funded early childhood care providers.
Approximately 75% of child care programs that received public funding previously did not participate in the state’s voluntary quality measures, according to Del. David Buolva, D-Fairfax, who co-patroned 2020 legislation that led to all publicly funded providers being required to participate.
In the following year, a pilot system known as the Unified Virginia Quality Birth to Five system, or VQB5, was created to improve children’s school readiness and expand access to parents and support providers. Advocates say the new system is a critical tool for the state, providers and families to gauge the effectiveness of Virginia’s early childhood education programs. READ ENTIRE
Hampton: Man Sentenced to Two Life Terms Released After False Sexual Assault Allegation
In 2019, Hampton resident Keshawn Duffy was found guilty of two counts of forcible sodomy and to two consecutive life sentences.
But on April 29, Attorney General Jason Miyares issued a “writ of actual innocence” in Duffy’s case after his accuser (who was 11 in 2019) recanted his testimony stating that his mother pressured him into the false allegations.
“Since then, additional evidence has indicated that the victim was pressured by his mother to falsely accuse Duffy,” Miyares’ press release read.
On May 10, 2024, Duffy was released from prison.
A Few Photos from Graduation Season
Events
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