The State of NoVa: Schools


Posted at 06:15 PM ET, 12/21/2012

Fairfax Underground website ordered to remove Fairfax High School grades
By Tom Jackman
More than 2,000 pages of grades from last year posted anonymously

By Tom Jackman  |  06:15 PM ET, 12/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools, Fairfax City, Courts | Tags:  Fairfax Underground, Cary Wiedemann, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax High School

Posted at 01:13 AM ET, 11/08/2012

Sean Lanigan: The rest of the story (Vol. 3)
By Tom Jackman
A report concluded the district saw Sean Lanigan as ‘an unsavory fellow.’

By Tom Jackman  |  01:13 AM ET, 11/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Centreville, Schools, Courts | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Fairfax County Public Schools

Posted at 11:57 AM ET, 10/31/2012

George Mason U. to launch South Korean campus
By Tom Jackman
The university is making its second attempt at a campus outside Virginia.

By Tom Jackman  |  11:57 AM ET, 10/31/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  George Mason University, Schools, Fairfax County | Tags:  George Mason University, Songdo Global University, Incheon Free Economic Zone, New Songdo City

Posted at 02:25 AM ET, 09/10/2012

Springfield’s Sydenstricker Schoolhouse added to National Register of Historic Places
By Tom Jackman
The Sydenstricker Schoolhouse, formerly Pohick School #8, was last one-room school in Fairfax.

By Tom Jackman  |  02:25 AM ET, 09/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Springfield, Schools | Tags:  Sydenstricker Schoolhouse, Springfield, Va., Pohick

Posted at 07:58 AM ET, 08/17/2012

Fairfax residents troubled by city’s plan to build school bus lot on Pickett Road gas tank farm
By Tom Jackman
The site of a massive gasoline spill is under EPA supervision, but the land is reported to be clean.

By Tom Jackman  |  07:58 AM ET, 08/17/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax City, Schools | Tags:  Fairfax City, Pickett Road tank farm, Motiva Enterprises, Pickett road gasoline spill, Mantua

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 07/16/2012

Alexandria reporter Carla Branch covered and worked for Alexandria schools. Is that kosher?
By Tom Jackman
Carla Branch took a six-month contract to help the schools’ communication system. But she continued to cover them.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 07/16/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Alexandria, Schools, Media | Tags:  Carla Branch, Alexandria schools, Alexandria News.org

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 06/25/2012

Sean Lanigan: The rest of the story (Vol. 2)
By Tom Jackman
If Fairfax County had paid his legal fees in 2010, his case would have faded from public view.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:30 AM ET, 06/25/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Fairfax County schools

Posted at 04:30 AM ET, 05/22/2012

Vienna’s Wolftrap Elementary School gets $800,000 building from alumnus Chris Shumway
By Tom Jackman
Alumnus Chris Shumway honors one of his favorite teachers.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:30 AM ET, 05/22/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Vienna, Schools | Tags:  Chris Shumway, Wolftrap Elementary School, Candace Leyton, philantrhopy

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 05/02/2012

NoVa ‘Girls on the Run’ learn, raise money, run more
By Tom Jackman
Thousands of elementary and middle school girls are learning about life and running in a popular after-school program.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:30 PM ET, 05/02/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Schools, NoVa, Sports | Tags:  Girls on the Run, Kim Copenhaver, Terra Centre Elementary School, Weems Elementary School

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 03/08/2012

Fairfax schools may honor military enlistees
By Tom Jackman
Parents say those who go to college aren’t the only ones who deserve recognition at spring commencement ceremonies.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:15 PM ET, 03/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Military enlistees

Posted at 11:09 AM ET, 03/08/2012

Loudoun’s Ari Dyckovsky, 18, blazing trail in quantum physics
By Tom Jackman
Ari Dyckovsky, 18, is a finalist today in the Intel Science Talent Search, for his work in quantum physics. What were you doing when you were 18?

By Tom Jackman  |  11:09 AM ET, 03/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools, Sterling | Tags:  Ari Dyckovsky

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 12/09/2011

Thomas Jefferson High to be outfitted by Under Armour?
By Tom Jackman
The top-rated Fairfax County science and technology school is in second place so far in a national spirit competition to win free uniforms and gear.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:00 PM ET, 12/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools, Sports | Tags:  Thomas Jefferson High School, Virginia

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011

Loudoun teacher: I drank the night before school, not on a school day
By Tom Jackman
Radhakirishnan Sivaramapillai, middle school physics teacher, said he had a little the night before and he didn’t know what happened. He got arrested for being drunk in public, that’s what happened.

By Tom Jackman  |  02:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  Radhakirishnan Sivaramapillai, Virginia

Posted at 11:04 PM ET, 11/13/2011

Alexandria’s Stacy Hoeflich is National History Teacher of Year
By Tom Jackman
The fourth grade teacher at John Adams Elementary School is recognized both for her innovation in the classroom and her willingness to spread her experience to others.

By Tom Jackman  |  11:04 PM ET, 11/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Alexandria, Schools | Tags:  Stacy Hoeflich, Virginia

Posted at 05:47 PM ET, 09/29/2011

Dale City 2nd grader drinks hand sanitizer, hospitalized
By Tom Jackman
A 7-year-old girl at Neabsco Elementary School apparently drank a quantity of hand sanitizer, outraging the girl’s father, who said she should have been better supervised.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:47 PM ET, 09/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Dale City, Schools | Tags:  Hand sanitizer, Virginia

Posted at 04:49 PM ET, 08/30/2011

Sean Lanigan sues Fairfax schools for his legal fees
By Tom Jackman
The former Centreville elementary school teacher, acquitted of molesting a 12-year-old girl, asked the school board to repay $107,000, but the board only offered $60,000, conditional on a waiver of future liability.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:49 PM ET, 08/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Centreville, Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Virginia

Posted at 04:45 AM ET, 08/30/2011

How did Loudoun schools start early? Here’s how
By Tom Jackman
Virginia is stubbornly sticking to its No School Before Labor Day law, but Loudoun had accumulated so many snow days it got a waiver. Will Virginia ever extend its school year? Maybe.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:45 AM ET, 08/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  summer vacation, Virginia

Posted at 09:06 PM ET, 08/25/2011

Fairfax taking hard look at youth sports head injuries
By Tom Jackman
THE STATE OF NOVA | One Fairfax supervisor wants to educate parents about spotting and dealing with head injuries.

By Tom Jackman  |  09:06 PM ET, 08/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Sports, Schools

Posted at 05:15 AM ET, 08/23/2011

University of Northern Virginia: What is it? Part 1
By Tom Jackman
Immigration authorities raided them, the chancellor just quit, and the University of Northern Virginia is now out in the open, after 13 years of quiet, unaccredited education of mostly foreign students.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:15 AM ET, 08/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Annandale, Schools | Tags:  University of Northern Virginia, Virginia

Posted at 06:23 PM ET, 08/04/2011

Arlington’s Martha Ann Miller is turning 100
By Tom Jackman
Martha Ann Miller won a college scholarship at 13, raised four children in Arlington and played a pivotal role in the county’s educational history as a teacher at Stratford Junior High School.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:23 PM ET, 08/04/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Arlington County, Schools | Tags:  Martha Ann Miller, Virginia

Posted at 01:57 PM ET, 07/11/2011

Annandale High parents don’t want students transferred to higher-rated Woodson
By Tom Jackman
W.T. Woodson High School, just outside Fairfax City, is one of the top high schools in the area. But many Annandale High parents are opposed to a redistricting that would send their students there.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:57 PM ET, 07/11/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Annandale, Schools, Fairfax County | Tags:  Annandale High School, Virginia

Posted at 04:30 AM ET, 07/05/2011

Fairfax City’s Lanier Middle School given national ‘green’ award
By Tom Jackman
Out of more than 500 schools nationwide striving to preserve and protect the environment, Lanier was one of only three to be recognized by the National Wildlife Federation.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:30 AM ET, 07/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax City, Schools | Tags:  Lanier Middle School, Virginia

Posted at 09:38 PM ET, 06/19/2011

Loudoun school principal eats stink bug tacos — and lives
By Tom Jackman
Hilllsboro Elementary School principal Dave Michener asked his students to read 20 minutes a night for the entire school year. They did, and he rewarded them by eating about the most disgusting thing you can imagine.

By Tom Jackman  |  09:38 PM ET, 06/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  Dave Michener, stink bug tacos, Virginia

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 06/10/2011

Lake Braddock Band’s Roy Holder steps down
By Tom Jackman
Roy Holder led the Lake Braddock Band to 30 consecutive years of superior ratings, an unmatched streak in Virginia. His final concert at the Burke school is Saturday night.

By Tom Jackman  |  10:00 AM ET, 06/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Schools, Fairfax County, Music | Tags:  Ron Holder, Lake Braddock Band, Virginia

Posted at 04:50 AM ET, 06/08/2011

Jeff Bridges returns to Arlington (Road) to fight hunger
By Tom Jackman
The actor is a long-time advocate for ending child hunger, and he appeared at Barcroft Elementary School along with Gov. Bob McDonnell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:50 AM ET, 06/08/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Arlington County, Schools | Tags:  No Child Hungry, Jeff Bridges, Virginia

Posted at 05:31 PM ET, 06/06/2011

Clifton Elementary School parents lose Supreme Court appeal
By Tom Jackman
The Virginia Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by parents of students at Clifton Elementary School, meaning the school will likely close for good June 21.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:31 PM ET, 06/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Clifton Elementary School, Virginia

Posted at 04:45 AM ET, 06/06/2011

Herndon High School teacher flies in airborne observatory
By Tom Jackman
Astronomy teacher Mary Blessing was one of six teachers nationwide chosen to fly on SOFIA, a modified 747 with a gigantic, high-powered infrared telescope.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:45 AM ET, 06/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Herndon, Schools | Tags:  Mary Blessing, SOFIA, Virginia

Posted at 04:45 AM ET, 05/31/2011

NoVa’s crazy smart kids
By Tom Jackman
Four fifth- and sixth-graders from Leesburg and Herndon won an international science contest for designing a new combat helmet, robotics students from Ashburn were honored, and an Arlington kid sure can stack three cups and unstack them quickly.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:45 AM ET, 05/31/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Schools | Tags:  First Lego League, robotics, stacking cups, Virginia

Posted at 01:41 PM ET, 05/23/2011

Lanigan update: Readers send thousands to defense fund
By Tom Jackman
Fairfax County schoolteacher Sean Lanigan has received thousands of dollars in donations for his legal defense fund.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:41 PM ET, 05/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Centreville, Schools | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Virginia

Posted at 04:45 AM ET, 05/23/2011

Oakton twins come in package deal only (UPDATE: Coyers pick Villanova)
By Tom Jackman
Oakton High School twins Caroline and Katherine Coyer are receiving scholarship offers for their basketball and soccer prowess, but they’ve agreed on something: They’ll only go to a school that takes them both. (UPDATE: They’ve chosen Villanova.)

By Tom Jackman  |  04:45 AM ET, 05/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oakton, Sports, Schools | Tags:  Caroline Coyer, Katherine Coyer, Virginia

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 05/16/2011

Lanigan update: Fairfax schools issue statement
By Tom Jackman
The Fairfax County schools issued a statement on the Sean Lanigan case Monday evening, saying it was standard practice to transfer a teacher after a “serious disciplinary proceeding,” and that Lanigan should seek reimbursement from the teachers’ association.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:30 PM ET, 05/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Fairfax County schools, Virginia

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 05/16/2011

Sean Lanigan: The rest of the story (Vol. 1)
By Tom Jackman
In the wake of Sunday’s story about the saga of Fairfax County school teacher Sean Lanigan, here are more details about the case including new photos of the gym equipment room where Lanigan was falsely accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl.

By Tom Jackman  |  08:00 AM ET, 05/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Centreville, Fairfax County, Schools, Police | Tags:  Sean Lanigan, Nicole Christian, Virginia

Posted at 12:57 PM ET, 05/11/2011

Fairfax PTAs weigh in on school system disciplinary process
By Tom Jackman
As the Fairfax County school district weighs how to change its disciplinary process for students, the countywide Council of PTAs releases its own recommendations.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:57 PM ET, 05/11/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools

Posted at 06:05 PM ET, 05/06/2011

Woodbridge Middle School announces Usher show, doesn’t tell Usher
By Tom Jackman
Woodbridge Middle School decided to celebrate its naming as a Prince William County School of Excellence with a day-long pep rally headlined by Usher. But nobody told Usher, and he didn’t show.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:05 PM ET, 05/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Woodbridge, Schools | Tags:  Usher, Woodbridge Middle School, Virginia

Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 04/29/2011

Fairfax schools struggle with long kiss-and-ride lines
By Tom Jackman
The cars are piling up outside Fairfax County schools during morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups, and school officials say they’re having a hard time changing parents’ attitudes about driving kids to school.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:20 PM ET, 04/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  kiss and ride, Virginia

Posted at 12:04 PM ET, 04/29/2011

Lawsuit: Herndon boy told to jump from moving school bus
By Tom Jackman
Delontae Wingfield says his Fairfax County school bus driver wouldn’t let him off the bus. So he jumped. Two years later, he’s still having headaches and seizures. Now his family is suing.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:04 PM ET, 04/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Herndon, Fairfax County, Schools | Tags:  Delontae Wingfield, Virginia

Posted at 11:59 AM ET, 04/20/2011

McDonnell cites 51 NoVa schools for teacher merit pay
By Tom Jackman
Gov. McDonnell cited 51 NoVa schools as “hard-to-staff” and eligible for merit pay bonuses for teachers who stay and excel there. Here’s the list.

By Tom Jackman  |  11:59 AM ET, 04/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Schools | Tags:  Teacher merit pay, Virginia

Posted at 06:08 AM ET, 04/13/2011

Prince William schools, ACLU tussle over gay Internet access
By Tom Jackman
The ACLU is accusing Prince William schools of using an Internet filter that prevents access to educational gay websites, but allows access to anti-gay sites.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:08 AM ET, 04/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prince William County, Schools | Tags:  school Internet filters, Virginia