Board of education

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Partner Appointed to White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 26, 2024

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP is pleased to announce that Nimish Patel , Chair of the firm’s Corporate & Business Transactions practice group, has been appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations by President Joe Biden.

Key Points: 
  • Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP is pleased to announce that Nimish Patel , Chair of the firm’s Corporate & Business Transactions practice group, has been appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations by President Joe Biden.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226711477/en/
    Nimish Patel, Partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    The Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations provides overall policy advice to the United States Trade Representative on matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States.
  • degrees from the University of San Diego and his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California.

VDOE Awards Grant to PWCS, Eight Other School Divisions for Apprenticeship Program to Address Teacher Shortages

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024

Her expertise and commitment to education are invaluable as we continue to enhance our teacher recruitment programs," said Dr. Babur Lateef, Chairman At-Large, School Board.

Key Points: 
  • Her expertise and commitment to education are invaluable as we continue to enhance our teacher recruitment programs," said Dr. Babur Lateef, Chairman At-Large, School Board.
  • The program is based on the national apprenticeship model and is meant to help address teacher shortages by removing cost barriers and providing quality teacher preparation.
  • “Looking ahead, we envision a future where the Grow Your Own Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program becomes an exemplary model for others to follow.
  • The Grow Your Own – Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program will afford PWCS and partnering divisions the opportunity to significantly expand the pipeline for recruiting and retaining quality teachers.

70 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, public schools still deeply segregated

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 5, 2024

At the time of the 1954 ruling, 17 U.S. states had laws permitting or requiring racially segregated schools.

Key Points: 
  • At the time of the 1954 ruling, 17 U.S. states had laws permitting or requiring racially segregated schools.
  • With Brown, the justices overturned decades of legal precedent that kept Black Americans in separate and unequal schools.
  • As a professor of education and demography at Penn State University, I research racial desegregation and inequality in K-12 schools.

Recent setbacks

  • The decision followed the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated racial inequalities in the U.S.
  • Meanwhile, politicians and school boards have banned or removed books by authors of color from school libraries and restricted teaching about racism in U.S. history.
  • I believe these legal setbacks amid the current political climate make finally realizing the full promise of Brown more urgent.

Resistance to Brown ruling

  • The Brown vs. Board of Education decision did not immediately change the nation’s public schools, especially in the completely segregated South, where there was massive resistance to desegregation.
  • Resistance was so fierce in the first decade after Brown that compliance with desegregation orders at times required federal troops to escort Black students to enroll in formerly all-white schools.


While only 2% of Southern Black K-12 students attended majority white schools in 1964 – 10 years after Brown – the number had grown to 33% by 1970. The South surpassed all other regions in desegregation progress for Black students.

Segregation persists

  • At the time of Brown, about 90% of students were white and most other students were Black.
  • Today, according to a 2022 federal report, 46% of public school students are white, 28% are Hispanic, 15% are Black, 6% Asian, 4% multiracial and 1% American Indian.
  • Based on my analysis of 2021 federal education data, public schools in 22 states and Washington, D.C., served majorities of students of color.
  • In 2021, approximately 60% of Black and Hispanic public school students attended schools where 75% or more of students were students of color.

Benefits of diversity


While Brown was an attempt to address the inequality that students experienced in segregated Black schools, the harms of segregation affect students of all races. Racially integrated schools are associated with reduced prejudice, enhanced critical thinking or simply building cross-racial friendships that teach children how to work effectively with others.
White students are the least exposed to students of other races and ethnicities, and therefore they often miss out on the benefits of diversity. Nearly half of white public school students attend a school in which white students are 75% or more of the student body.

Factors that exacerbate segregation

  • How those boundaries are drawn or redrawn can exacerbate or alleviate school segregation.
  • A high level of income and racial segregation also exists between neighboring school districts.
  • And district secession – when schools leave an existing school district to form a new district – is linked to higher segregation.
  • One study found that areas with more students enrolled in charter schools were associated with higher school segregation.

Potential solutions

  • For the rest of the country, voluntary integration efforts are attempts to finally achieve the goals of the Brown decision.
  • Finally, since reducing residential segregation could also reduce school segregation, some efforts have combined school desegregation and housing integration policies.


Erica Frankenberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

GreenPower Delivers Four Nano BEAST All-Electric, School Buses to West Virginia School Districts

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 14, 2023

"Delivery of the four Nano BEASTs represents the first all-electric, purpose-built school buses manufactured in West Virginia," said Michael Perez, Vice President of School Buses, Contracts and Grants for GreenPower.

Key Points: 
  • "Delivery of the four Nano BEASTs represents the first all-electric, purpose-built school buses manufactured in West Virginia," said Michael Perez, Vice President of School Buses, Contracts and Grants for GreenPower.
  • "These Nano BEASTs are part of the 41 all-electric GreenPower school buses purchased by the state of West Virginia for school districts across the Mountain State.
  • "It's an exciting time for West Virginia and the Clay County School District is ecstatic to receive a GreenPower Nano BEAST Access," said Philip Dobbins, superintendent of Clay County Schools.
  • Our school district proudly supports the manufacturing of GreenPower school buses right here in West Virginia, contributing to our local economy and technological advancements."

United States Senate Federal Credit Union Remembers Herbert "Bertie" Bowman

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For over six decades, Bertie Bowman bore witness to history's relentless march. From the poignant loss of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the turbulent times of World War II to the transformative moments of Brown vs. Board of Education, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the tumultuous Watergate scandal, Bertie's life became intertwined with the tapestry of our nation's journey.

Key Points: 
  • Bowman's tenure of service to the Credit Union began in 1966 when he became a volunteer member of the Credit Committee.
  • For fifty-three years, Bertie's dedication and support to the Credit Union stood unrivaled, a record of service unmatched within the organization.
  • In 2020, Bertie received industry-wide recognition when he was inducted into the African American Credit Union Coalition's Hall of Fame, further solidifying his allegiance to the Credit Union's mission.
  • Bowman leaves behind a profound imprint on the United States Senate Federal Credit Union.

Navigate360 Announces Pioneering Comprehensive Curriculum Solution for Florida Schools, Addressing Changing Mandates

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023

RICHFIELD, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Navigate360, a visionary leader in safety and well-being solutions, announces its swift response to Florida's evolving curriculum requirements with its Resiliency and Character Education curriculum. The innovative solution aligns with the new mandates set forth by Florida's Resiliency Education initiative and the State Board of Education's revisions, which shift the focus of the five hours of required instruction from mental health to Resiliency Education. Resiliency Education incorporates key skills, including perseverance, gratitude, empathy and responsibility.

Key Points: 
  • "Navigate360 is committed to upholding educational excellence, as demonstrated by our swift response in equipping Florida schools with a unified resource to fulfill a wide range of curriculum needs," stated JP Guilbault, CEO of Navigate360.
  • "We take pride in pioneering a holistic curriculum solution that caters to Florida's evolving educational requirements.
  • "Our standards-aligned, research-based curriculum has been developed to equip Florida students with comprehensive lessons and resources, empowering them for what they will encounter now and in the future.
  • Navigate360's curriculum solution aids Florida Superintendents, Principals, Counselors, Curriculum Directors and Student Services Directors in aligning their programs with the new state standards.

Ballotpedia's Coverage of School Board Races Expands in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 4, 2023

MIDDLETON, Wis., Oct. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballotpedia currently covers school board elections in all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment in addition to nationwide coverage of school board recall elections. This year, the organization is adding to its coverage with a comprehensive look at all 2023 school board elections across ten states: Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Key Points: 
  • MIDDLETON, Wis., Oct. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballotpedia currently covers school board elections in all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment in addition to nationwide coverage of school board recall elections.
  • Our contemporary and historical school board coverage spans everything from recalls and district information to disagreements on conflict issues," said Geoff Pallay, Ballotpedia Editor-in-Chief.
  • Ballotpedia's expanded coverage kicked off yesterday , with information about the seven candidates running for three seats on the Douglas County* School Board in Colorado.
  • Throughout the remainder of 2023, Ballotpedia will capture, track, and analyze endorsements in school board elections across the ten states listed above.

Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023

Some of these efforts have resulted in laws that threaten to jail librarians.

Key Points: 
  • Some of these efforts have resulted in laws that threaten to jail librarians.
  • Bans – and the banning of bans – have already ended up in the courts.
  • They alleged that school officials violated students’ First Amendment rights when they removed books that discussed, race, racism and LGBTQ+ people.

Encounters with new ideas

    • The case specifically focused on the school library and was not about curriculum in the classroom.
    • One student, on behalf of four other students in the school district, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
    • The suit claimed that removing the books from the library infringed upon the students’ First Amendment rights to freely access ideas and information.

An unclear ruling

    • The ruling was divided – five justices affirmed the appeals court’s decision in favor of the students, though not all of them agreed on exactly why.
    • Justices Thurgood Marshall and John Paul Stevens signed on to this opinion, which was not a majority opinion.
    • Two justices wrote concurring decisions, but only one agreed with the trio’s overall conclusion that the board had unconstitutionally infringed on students’ rights.

The current state of the law

    • Therefore, they ruled, school officials may remove books only for sound educational reasons or legitimate purposes – such as pervasive vulgarity or lack of educational suitability.
    • If any of the current cases reach the Supreme Court, the current justices could rule differently, of course.

SCOTT SMITH, THE FATHER OF STUDENT ATTACKED AT A LOUDOUN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL WHO WAS CRIMINALLY CHARGED AFTER ATTENDING SCHOOL BOARD MEETING GIVES STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN'S PARDON

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, September 10, 2023

Scott Smith also responded to the actions of the Governor of the Commonwealth.

Key Points: 
  • Scott Smith also responded to the actions of the Governor of the Commonwealth.
  • The trial on the remaining count of "disorderly conduct" was set to be heard before a jury on September 25th.
  • Smith's Attorneys Bill Stanley and Mike Joynes stated: "Today, the Governor declared by his absolute pardon what we already knew – that Scott Smith is an innocent man who was wrongfully and unjustly arrested & charged.
  • When the School Board abruptly ended the meeting, I was confronted and taunted by activists supporting the School Board's bathroom policy.

Phoenix Motorcars Delivers All-Electric, Zero Emission Service Truck to San Bernardino City Unified School District

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Phoenix Motor Inc. (Nasdaq: PEV) (“Company” or “Phoenix”), a leader in manufacturing of all-electric, medium-duty vehicles, today announced the recent delivery of an all-electric, zero-emission service truck to the San Bernardino City Unified School District.

Key Points: 
  • Phoenix Motor Inc. (Nasdaq: PEV) (“Company” or “Phoenix”), a leader in manufacturing of all-electric, medium-duty vehicles, today announced the recent delivery of an all-electric, zero-emission service truck to the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
  • The electric service truck was built on a Ford E-450 chassis powered by Phoenix Motorcars and will serve the school district.
  • That’s a testament to our dedicated Board of Education, which truly values putting students first,” said Samuel Precie, Administrator of Operations, San Bernardino City Unified School District.
  • “Phoenix Motorcars is excited to bring a zero emission service truck into the school district’s fleet,” said Denton Peng, CEO of Phoenix Motorcars.