News

Do you know a teacher who could provide helpful solutions and advice to improve our schools? 

Yesterday, Governor McDonnell announced the establishment of the Governor’s Teacher Cabinet. This Cabinet will advise the Governor and Secretary of Education on policies related to the status of teaching in Virginia.

The Administration is now accepting applications from teachers interested in joining the Cabinet. Applications are due by May 15th.

Additional details, including information on how teachers can apply to serve in the Cabinet, are listed below.

How to Apply:

Full-time teachers from across the Commonwealth are encouraged to apply to serve on the Cabinet by visiting the Commonwealth’s Online Application System (OASYS). The application can be accessed at this link: https://solutions.virginia.gov/OASYS/. Each applicant must submit two letters of recommendation, one from an administrator, and one from a student or parent. The letters may be attached as one document on the application or submitted by the nominator at this link: https://solutions.virginia.gov/OASYS/Nomination.aspx. When using the online form, please select ‘Designated’ under the Secretariat Heading and then ‘Governor’s Teacher Cabinet’ under Boards and Commissions. Applications are due by May 15th.

Responsibilities of the Governor’s Teacher Cabinet:

1. Identify additional resources, learning tools and professional development opportunities that the Department of Education could make available to local school divisions;
2. Recommend strategies for greater parent and community engagement;
3. Recommend strategies to improve the K-12 education, higher education and workforce collaboration;
4. Identify any needed improvements to administrative responsibilities; and
5. Recommend strategies to close the achievement gap and assist disadvantaged students.

For additional information on the Governor’s Teacher Cabinet, please visit http://governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1796.

Caroline, VA – Delegate Robert D. “Bobby” Orrock, Sr. (R – Caroline) announced today the start of his campaign for re-election and his endorsement by Congressman Eric Cantor.

“As a Delegate, I have focused on creating new jobs, cutting wasteful government spending, improving educational opportunities, making health care more affordable, and defending our traditional values,” said Orrock. “We have had numerous successes over the years, and I am running for re-election to continue to keep moving Virginia in the right direction.”

Congressman Eric Cantor (VA – 7), House Majority Leader, announced his support for Delegate Orrock.

“I served with Bobby Orrock in the House of Delegates, and I am proud to support his re-election,” said Cantor. “Bobby is a strong commonsense conservative who has fought to reduce wasteful spending and to protect our liberties.”

Delegate Orrock has been committed to helping small businesses grow to create new jobs and opportunities. As a strong supporter of Virginia’s largest industry– the agriculture industry, he wrote the law that will make it easier for farmers to sell their goods directly to the public.

Orrock has worked to reduce the size of government by cutting wasteful spending. Over the past five years, he has helped cut wasteful spending by $7 billion while maintaining core services and not raising income taxes.

As a public school teacher at Spotsylvania High School for nearly three decades, Orrock believes strongly that every child deserves a quality education. He has supported legislation to make college more affordable and put more dollars into the classroom instead of the central administrative offices.

As the Chairman of the Health Welfare, and Institutions Committee in the House, Orrock plays a key role in shaping legislation related to health care. This year, he supported the establishment of the Medicaid Reform Commission to stop Medicaid expansion unless major reforms are made first. In 2012, Orrock successfully sponsored legislation that requires physicians performing mammograms to disclose information on dense breast tissue directly to women.

A strong believer in giving back to the community, Orrock remains heavily involved in local civic organizations. He is an EMT and trustee with the Ladysmith Volunteer Rescue Squad and a trustee of Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad, a board member for the Moss Free Clinic. He also serves as a board member of the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and is on the Advisory Board of the Fredericksburg Area Habitat for Humanity.

A devout Christian, Orrock is a lifetime member of Bethany Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon and trustee. He also is a part-time host of a gospel show on 93.3 WFLS radio in Fredericksburg.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of the 54^th District in the House of Delegates,” Orrock concluded. “With their support on June 11^th, I will continue to represent our shared Virginia values in Richmond.”

Virginia’s main transportation revenue source is the gas tax, that was set in 1986 at 17.5 cents/gal, worth approximately 8 cents today. Even though we have added over $500 million in general fund money in recent years, we cannot continue to do so. With the current revenues ALL transportation dollars will be needed for maintenance by 2016, meaning NO new construction. The current reality is that for the last 10 years or more, our transportation revenues have been declining while road construction and maintenance costs continue to climb. Obviously, this has to be corrected.

In conversations with local business owners, they all have expressed concern with our current road problems. They relate how that the current conditions make it more difficult to conduct business and are already having to increase the costs of their goods or services because of the added time it takes to travel.

In the specifics of the bill, our area will see only a slight increase in transportation costs, as we have removed the per gallon tax and replaced it with a much smaller sales tax at the wholesale level. For No. Va. and Tidewater, they will have the ability to impose significantly higher fees with the extra money to be used to address the needs in their respective regions. This regional approach will also allow us to focus more of our future spending on the needs of the rest of the state.

In trying to generate jobs and work to improve the economy, it is clear that the current transporation problems are a major impediment. I feel that it would be irresponsible to think that the economy can grow without making the necessary investment to solve the critical transportation problem. Transportation problems are the single biggest factor in restricting increases in business activity.

While I do not agree with all of the specific provisions of the plan, as a whole, I feel that investing in our future is critical.