ACPS Has Partnered With DonorsChoose!

DonorsChoose Support a Classroom

We’re excited to announce that ACPS has formally partnered with DonorsChoose to fully leverage their community of citizen donors and corporate matches to serve our students. ACPS teachers and staff have already raised more than $300,000 in classroom resources through DonorsChoose over the years. While our district is committed to providing you with the materials needed to teach in the classroom or conduct distance learning, posting a project on DonorsChoose is a great way to bring those additional resources you feel are important for your students to make learning even more joyful and engaging. Continue reading

VDOE Update Regarding Licensure Correspondence

VDOE Facebook Logo

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will no longer mail teaching licenses, licensure letters, or correspondence to teaching licensure applicants. Applicants and license holders can use the e-Government (eGOV) Online Licensing Portal to check the status of their licensure and to access all licensure documents from the VDOE. You must register for an eGOV account to use the portal; directions are provided below. Please also note: Continue reading

Quarterly Assessments

ACPS logo

Dear Classroom Teachers,

The mission of Albemarle County Public Schools states:

Working together as a team, we will end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high-quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds.

We will know every student.

Among the key metrics we use to gauge our progress toward accomplishing our mission are our school division’s SOL results. As reported in the SOL Data Review we presented to the school board in September, we made progress by improving student achievement in 75% of the categories used to measure our success. Continue reading

Virginia Tech Educational Leadership Programs: Three Upcoming Info Sessions

Virginia Tech School of Education logo FB

For over 50 years, Virginia Tech’s Educational Leadership programs have prepared aspiring and current educational administrators throughout the Commonwealth and beyond for the important “next step” in the advancement of their career. Virginia Tech’s Educational Leadership programs are designed to fit the needs of working professionals with fully online and hybrid courses that balance modern academic theory with a focus on practical application.

Interested in learning more? Attend an information session! The following sessions will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and you can attend in person or online: Continue reading

October ACPS TechKnow: Digital Citizenship Week

teacher teaching students using laptops

Welcome to the first edition of ACPS TechKnow, a monthly series to keep students, families and staff in the know about all things technology within ACPS! In addition to featuring articles in the Compass for employees, we’ll communicate with families and secondary students via email about common topics.

This month’s topic: Digital Citizenship Week!

Did you know that ACPS is certified in Digital Citizenship through a partnership with Common Sense Media? As part of the certification, schools are teaching students how to use technology in safe and healthy ways. As a division, we would like to highlight the importance of this work during National Digital Citizenship Week, October 16-20. Continue reading

Google Has a New Policy to Protect Student Data

Google

Google is implementing a new policy, intended to protect student data, that affects how students log in from Google to third-party applications. This policy is resulting in a mandated change to our technology environment, which impacts the student experience when logging into apps.

What’s changing and how does this affect me?

As of October 23, 2023, students will only be able to use the “Sign in with Google” method for ACPS-approved applications. Teachers will still be able to use this method for all third-party applications. Continue reading

2023-24 DPLC & CRT Professional Development Schedule

PLC sign on top; CRT sign on bottom

We are looking forward to our next Division Professional Learning Community (DPLC) and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) Professional Development (PD) Day on Friday, September 29. Please reference the schedule for the times and locations of your DPLC meetings and your Culturally Responsive Teaching PD.

Important Notes:

  1. Not all DPLCs are meeting based on level. Please check each DPLC offering to find your group.
  2. If you are unable to attend your grade-level CRT PD because it conflicts with your DPLC meeting time, please attend the session that offers the most benefit and convenience for you.

As a reminder, the following dates are reserved on our 2023-24 School Year Calendar for DPLC meetings and CRT professional development: September 29, October 30, January 25, March 5, and April 29.

More About Our Culturally Responsive Teaching Credential

Office of Community Engagement Logo

The ACPS strategic plan sets the goal for all licensed staff to earn an ACPS Culturally Responsive Teaching Certification or Micro-Credential by 2026 (or, for new teachers, within three years of hire). Currently, we have over 380 credentialed educators in the division, and another 530 have already registered their 2023-24 plan in the Professional Learning Management System (PLMS). Keep reading for information about what you should register for prior to the launch of our current-year programs on September 29. Continue reading

Reminder: Making Connections Call for Proposals – Submissions Due Sept. 22

Making Connections 2023 logo

Mark your calendar! Our annual Making Connections professional learning event will be held Monday, November 6. Programming will consist of sessions facilitated by visiting educators as well as ACPS teachers and administrators. We are especially excited that Making Connections 2023 will again include opportunities for support staff to participate in professional learning! Sessions for instructional staff will be hosted at Monticello High School, while sessions for support staff will be offered at Albemarle High School.

As a reminder, any instructional or support staff member who is interested in presenting at Making Connections must submit a session proposal by Friday, September 22. Continue reading