Moving Virginia's Learning Forward
October 2021
A Message From Our Executive Director: We Are Here For You!
Learning Forward is a professional organization that provides resources and learning opportunities for educators to develop the knowledge and skills they need to organize equitable and effective professional learning. Our organization is comprised of educators from across the Commonwealth. These educators are all volunteers, freely giving their time and knowledge to effect positive and lasting change that achieves equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
Learning Forward Virginia thanks each and every one of our board members. Your commitment to high quality professional learning impacts our students and our educators. THANK YOU!
It is my great pleasure to introduce our 2021-2022 Learning Forward Virginia Board:
President Barbara Patterson Oden Chesapeake County
President-Elect Kim Richardson Hampton City
Past President Sue Sarber Arlington County
Executive Director Judy Newhouse Retired, Prince William County
Treasurer Rich Hall Retired, Henrico County
Finance Director Suyi Chuang Loudoun County
Communications Chelyse Miller Virginia Beach City
Secretary Isabel Sawyer Collaborative Classroom
Region Representatives
Region 1 Angela Stewart Henrico County
Region 2 Kristi Hingerty Virginia Beach City & Maria Arnett Collaborative Classroom
Region 3 Emily Horne Fredericksburg City
Region 4 David Goldfarb Fairfax County
Region 5 Ashley Wallace Walsh Campbell County
Region 6 & 7 Melissa Lisanti Radford University & Ruth McLachlan Retired
Region 8 Vacant
Regional Committee Dalphine Joppy Charles City & Autumn Nabors Richmond City
Registar Heather Hurley
Thought Partner Deborah Jackson Retired, Fairfax
LFVA is pleased to welcome Maria Arnett to our board. Maria joins Kristi Hinkley as Region 2 Representatives. Maria is the Manager for Educational Partnerships for Collaborative Classroom. Welcome Maria!
We also want to recognize Amie Seigle, who rotated off the board. Amie served as Region 2 Representative for two years, and has now taken a new position in Chesapeake Schools as the Media Supervisor. We wish Amie much success in her new position.
As THE professional learning association, we know what constitutes effective professional learning, how adults learn best, what learning designs best meet their identified needs, and how to plan support to sustain the change in their practice. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our schools, and colleagues to ensure the professional learning being offered is of the highest quality. A strong system of support and learning will not only reveal gaps, but will identify and build on educators’ strengths.
An example of what this may look like follows: A friend shared this airport experience with me. She was in an airport waiting for a flight that had been delayed….and delayed again. It was around 2am and she was fighting to get a beverage out of the vending machine. She was tired, hungry and thirsty, and wished the vending machine could give her what she really wanted: a good night’s sleep, a warm blanket and a quick flight home. She finally retrieved her beverage, and began thinking of the fun you could have with a magical vending machine that could grant educators’ self-care and inspiration needed: a Vending Machine for Educators.
What do you wish the vending machine could give you at this point in the school year to make your days a bit more productive and a bit more enjoyable?
What do you need to do the work?
By asking teachers what they want and need to feel successful, we are ensuring their voices are heard and valued. Use the information to plan for upcoming professional learning experiences.
Vending machines are there for quick snacks when we need them. What fuels you when you need some inspiration?
Please visit our LFVA website (www.learningforwardvirginia.org) to find out more information about our association.
Thank you!
Judy Newhouse
Executive Director
Learning Forward Virginia
Hot Topic: Advocacy
written by Ms. Chelyse Stefanik-Miller
When you think about your favorite leader, at some level that leader advocated. The leader could advocate for programs. But I believe some of the greatest leaders advocate for people. My favorite leader is Mother Teresa. She advocated for peoples’ basic dignity. In schools we advocate for students. That may seem obvious. I mean, why else would we be in education? Our students deserve the best - the best programs, the best learning environment, the best curriculum and the best teachers.
To become the best teacher it takes lots of learning, reflecting, and perfecting the art of teaching through experience. That’s where Learning Forward VA comes in. We pour into teachers the best professional learning focused on equity, the 5Cs, and job-embedded coaching. As an organization we advocate to law-makers and school divisions for the resources to provide the best professional learning. In fact, Learning Forward advocated to keep Title II funding when it was slated to be eliminated. Learning Forward VA members went to Capitol Hill to advocate to keep Title II funding. But that is not enough.
We ask that each of our members think about a way you can advocate for teachers and others on staff. On October 6, Learning Forward is launching a national advocacy campaign. We at Learning Forward Virginia support this campaign and ask you to get involved in one of the following ways:
Write to your congressional representative or senator and ask them to expand Title II funding, the funding source for professional learning.
Write to your state delegate and ask for their support of professional learning.
Talk to your superintendent about allocating additional funding for professional learning.
Talk to your supervisor about attending Learning Forward in December where you will gain more insight on providing the best professional learning and learn additional ways to advocate.
For templates and other resources click here and look at the resource menu on the right side.
We know by pouring into our teachers the very best professional learning, our students benefit. So commit to advocacy today.
We would love to see what our members are doing to advocate for professional learning so that we can share it in upcoming newsletter. Please share your efforts to lfvacommunications@gmail.com.
News From Around the Commonwealth
Region 8
Are you in Region 8 and interested in becoming a part of leading Learning Forward Virginia? Region 8 is in need of a Regional Representative. Contact lfvacommunications@gmail.com if you are interested!
News From Learning Forward
We are the Virginia affiliate of Learning Forward
Website: https://learningforward.org/
Location: 504 S Locust St, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Phone: 800-727-7288
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learningforward
Twitter: @LearningForward
Contact Us
Executive Board
Executive Director: Judy NewhousePresident: Barbara Patterson Oden
President-Elect: Dr. Kim Richardson
Secretary: Dr. Isabel Sawyer
Treasurer: Dr. Rich Hall
Finance Director: Suyi Chuang
Past-President: Dr. Sue Sarber
Communication Director: Chelyse Miller
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!!
Email: lfvirginia@gmail.com
Website: https://www.learningforwardvirginia.org/
Facebook: facebook.com/learningforwardvirginia
Twitter: @lf_virginia