Buckingham County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Daisy Hicks along with School Board members Thomas Hutcherson, Theresa Bryant and Joii Goodman attended the Virginia School Boards Association’s Capital Conference Jan. 23-24 in Richmond. The event brought together school board members, superintendents, state delegates and senators, and others to consider the major educational issues facing the 2019 General Assembly.

Attendees heard from a variety of presenters and speakers, including: The Honorable Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia; The Honorable Atif Qarni, Virginia Secretary of Education; Dr. James Lane, Virginia Superintendent for Public Instruction;

Dr. Bob Holsworth, President, Virginia Tomorrow, LLC; Ron Jordan, Managing Director, Advantus Strategies; Deborah Rigsby, Director of Federal Legislation, National School Boards Association; and Stacy Haney, Lobbyist, Virginia School Boards Association.

Those in attendance also received information from subject-area experts on a variety of topics, including the ever-changing political scene in Virginia, state budget issues, and legislation being considered that will have an impact on public education and school board operations. Participating school board members were encouraged to visit with their respective legislators and attend the General Assembly session on day two of the conference.

Dr. Hicks stated “The conference was very informative which included legislative updates on proposed bills and the Governor’s proposed budget. Buckingham County School Board members and I met a with our legislatures a few months ago to discuss the needs of our county because we believe one of our main roles is to advocate for our students.”

According to Gina Patterson, VSBA executive director, “The VSBA Capital Conference is grassroots lobbying at its best. It gives Virginia school board members the opportunity to share important information with legislators about the future of education in Virginia.”