AMHERST â A group of educators criticized the Amherst County School Boardâs recent direction to school administration staff to postpone a lesson plan on equity and social justice, blasting the move during the public comments session of the boardâs Jan. 14 meeting.
Hollie Jennings, Amherst County Public Schoolsâ supervisor of discipline and compliance, said the lesson was set to roll out beginning the week of Jan. 11 at Amherst County High School, Amherst Middle School and Monelison Middle School. The term equity refers to striving for culturally responsive schools, Jennings said, and the lesson focused on students analyzing media portrayals of past historical events, forming their own opinion and using skills to solve problems.
AMHERST
A month before the Virginia General Assemblyâs 2021 session, three local legislators observed Monday how Amherst County Public Schools is operating in the gauntlet of daily challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg; Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg; and Del. Ronnie Campbell, R-Rockbridge County, joined school officials in a tour of Central Elementary School before a virtual conversation with the Amherst County School Board. Superintendent Rob Arnold walked the trio through the school while explaining protocols and procedures for keeping the divisionâs classroom settings as safe as possible.
âItâs quite a production,â Arnold said to the state representatives, later adding of Amherst educatorsâ efforts: âOur ability to get this far without having to shut down is a tribute to work all these guys have done.â