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    <title>Education for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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        <title>Education for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
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    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-07T19:34:02-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>John Tyler Community College to hold college fair</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/JTCC07_20091106-220804/304181/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
John Tyler Community College will host a college-information fair Monday with representatives from more than 90 colleges and universities. College Night will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Nicholas Student Center on John Tyler&#8217;s Chester campus, 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway. The event, which is free and open to the public, is held in cooperation with the Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:33 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>VCU alumni start $50 million fundraising campaign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU06_20091105-221607/304000/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Noting the steep drop in state financial support, yesterday Virginia Commonwealth University alumni launched a campaign to raise $50 million for scholarships and fellowships for the academic and medical campuses. The VCU and Medical College of Virginia alumni associations said the money raised for Opportunity VCU would support undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships for graduate students across all academic units.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:57 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>About the VCU fundraising campaign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU06G1_20091105-221607/304001/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
More information is &nbsp; available at www.  advancement.vcu.edu.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>UR, W&amp;L named best values by Kiplinger&#8217;s</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UNIV06_20091105-221607/303999/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two Virginia universities have made Kiplinger&#8217;s rankings of the best values in private education. The University of Richmond ranked 14th on the Top 50 list of private universities, while Washington and Lee University was ranked seventh on a companion list of liberal arts colleges. The Kiplinger&#8217;s Personal Finance report said that despite plunging endowments, the nation&#8217;s independent schools increased financial aid by 9 percent while keeping tuition increases to an average of 4.3 percent, the lowest levels in four decades.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Kaine to teach part time at UR after he leaves office</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UOFR06_20091105-221406/303988/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Saying he wants to keep a base in Richmond as he serves as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced yesterday that he will join the University of Richmond faculty when he leaves office in January. Kaine will teach one class per semester, beginning in the spring with an undergraduate course in leadership studies. In the fall, he will teach a law school class.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Anti&#45;dropout effort in Chesterfield uses details from prison life</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CBUS05_20091104-222413/303793/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Keeping Chesterfield kids in school Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of school. Three out of four end up in prison. Some Chesterfield County middle school educators hope that stepping into a small reproduction of a prison cell and hearing the grim details of prison life will discourage students from choosing to drop out.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond charter school still working on details</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/RSKL03_20091102-221804/303298/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Hurdles remain as the opening of Richmond&#8217;s first public charter school nears. Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, set to open in July, still needs to reach compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and solve transportation problems, Richmond School Board members pointed out last night. &#8220;It seems to me, this is late in the process to be talking about how to transport the students,&#8220; said Kimberly B. Gray, vice chairwoman of the School Board. &#8220;It is critical to make sure all of our programs . . . are accessible to all children.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>U.Va. law school to offer public&#45;service program</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UVAA03_20091102-212806/303248/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A select group of students at the University of Virginia School of Law will have a chance to focus their attention more on public service this spring thanks to a new program. The first course of the new Program in Law and Public Service will be held in the spring. As many as 20 first-year students and five second-year students will be admitted each year for the program, which includes courses, independent study and faculty mentoring.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond School Board to discuss building schools</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/RSKL02_20091101-214003/303045/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Will a new Huguenot High School be built by the end of 2013? The School Board will meet Thursday for the first of two scheduled work sessions to discuss building new schools in the city for the first time in a decade.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Chesterfield students get sneak peek at government</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-GOVE01_20091031-195804/302878/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Christi Uminski, a senior at Midlothian High School, felt a little anxious to be in the Model County Government program, in which she had the opportunity to mingle with county officials and shadow an employee for half a day. &#8220;It&#8217;s a little nerve-racking,&#8220; she said, referring to the upcoming shadow day with her mentor. This year, the three-day Chesterfield County program was moved up to the fall so students could reflect on their participation in college applications, said Tim Bullis, schools spokesman.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>SCHEV accepts college remediation plans</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SCHV30_20091029-221809/302509/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has accepted remediation plans by Richard Bland College and the University of Virginia&#8217;s College at Wise intended to bring the schools into compliance with certification standards.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Documentary follows VSU, U.Va. bands during election</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/W-BAND29_20091028-191210/302136/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A French documentary that explores last fall&#8217;s presidential election through the sounds of two Virginia marching bands will make its U.S. debut next week.&nbsp; Virginia State University and the University of Virginia provide the fanfare for &#8220;Marching Band,&#8220; which is a portrait of young voters that melds personal stories of band members with the historic election.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:06 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>SCHEV seeks $58.7 million more for student aid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SCHV28_20091027-215604/301979/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia will urge the General Assembly to appropriate an additional $58.7 million in undergraduate financial aid over the next two years to offset the decrease in state support that has resulted in higher tuition. Noting the declining fortunes of the state&#8217;s colleges and universities, SCHEV yesterday adopted a resolution that set student aid as its top priority for the 2010-12 budget biennium.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Mary Washington president&#8217;s security test stirs debate</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UMWW26_20091025-215003/301579/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The president of the University of Mary Washington has formed a task force to study campus safety after she pressed an emergency alarm and didn&#8217;t like the response she received. During an annual safety walk, Mary Washington President Judy G. Hample called university police from the &#8220;blue light&#8221; alarm system in a parking deck and said she needed help.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>VCU board may shift some hiring decisions to president</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU26_20091025-214204/301576/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Commonwealth University&#8217;s governing board is considering a change in its bylaws that would let the new president sign off on most hiring and compensation decisions&#8212;unless they&#8217;re politically sensitive or involve large bonuses. The proposed change taken up by the board of visitors executive committee last week is an effort to streamline the process, said university Rector Anne G. &#8220;Panny&#8221; Rhodes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Students learn about specialty centers, governor&#8217;s schools</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-CHES25_20091024-214202/301449/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Manchester Middle School student Michael Turner thinks he would like to apply for the International Baccalaureate program at Meadowbrook High School for next fall, when he&#8217;ll start as a freshman. &#8220;I&#8217;m open to a lot of ideas and opportunities,&#8220; he said Thursday evening while he waited with his parents for an IB presentation at Meadowbrook High.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>VCU Quidditch team going to World Cup tourney</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/QUID24_20091023-221606/301293/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Acouple dozen Virginia Commonwealth University students are off on a flight of fancy this weekend. Kind of. They can&#8217;t actually fly, you know&#8212;life as a muggle does have its drawbacks&#8212;but that&#8217;s about the only thing that&#8217;ll keep them grounded as they head to Middlebury, Vt., for tomorrow&#8217;s Intercollegiate Quidditch Association World Cup III.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:01:46 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Six Va. schools among top research universities</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UNIV24_20091023-221606/301294/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Six Virginia schools made the National Science Foundation&#8217;s rankings of the top 200 research universities in the nation. Virginia Tech ranked 46th in the 2008 list based on research and development expenditures. Tech reported expenditures of about $373.28 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Virginia Commonwealth University was ranked 108th. It reported $148.65 million in expenditures, an 11 percent increase.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Governor&#8217;s School students plan to stage world&#45;record dodgeball game</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/DODG23_20091022-220407/301072/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Beware of flying balls this afternoon at Maggie L. Walker Governor&#8217;s School. Two seniors are organizing what they hope becomes the world&#8217;s largest dodgeball game. Wil Van Winkle of Richmond and Carter Hadley of Chesterfield County are rallying their classmates and teachers to help break the world record of 120 participants set on March 13 by Portlethen Academy in Portlethen, Scotland.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:01:58 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Education officials seek rules for staff levels</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUC23_20091022-220002/301062/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Virginia Board of Education wants the state to set staffing levels for full-time teachers of special, gifted, and career and technical education. Each school division would be required to hire at least 58 licensed, full-time-equivalent instructors per 1,000 students, under proposed changes to Virginia&#8217;s Standards of Quality, state-mandated goals for public schools.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Private school in Henrico closes two days because of illnesses</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/private_school_in_henrico_closes_two_days_because_of_illnesses/300969/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A Henrico County private school is closed today and tomorrow because of illnesses.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:55:48 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Flulike illnesses at Va. colleges show no pattern</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/COLL22_20091021-222007/300874/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
At the Virginia Military Institute, where three to six cadets share rooms &#8220;so small they put their bunks up during the day so they can get around,&#8220; officials had expected roommates also would share the swine-flu virus. &#8220;But that&#8217;s not happening,&#8220; said VMI spokesman Stewart MacInnis. &#8220;We&#8217;re really not sure of the pattern&#8221; of how the virus is spreading among cadets on the Lexington campus, he said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond targets school dropouts</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/RSKL22_20091021-221205/300862/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond School Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon unveiled yesterday a plan she hopes will further decrease the school system&#8217;s dropout rate, which most recently went from 16.2 percent to 14.8 percent. The school system&#8217;s Dropout Prevention Initiative aims to get dropouts back into the classroom to graduate. &#8220;We are looking at why students are dropping out and developing ways to re-engage those students who have become disengaged,&#8220; she said. &#8220;The plan is not just about getting them in, but getting them to become motivated to stay in.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:27 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>VCU student dies in residence hall</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU22_20091021-221408/300867/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A Virginia Commonwealth University student has died of what appears to be natural causes in a residence hall. The student was found unconscious in Gladding Residence Center yesterday morning and pronounced dead after emergency crews arrived. VCU spokeswoman Pam Lepley said foul play is not suspected. The student was of college age, but no other details were released pending notification of family.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Jones outlines schools building plan for Richmond</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/RSKL21_20091020-220404/300565/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones unveiled an aggressive plan to build four schools in the city by 2014 and start construction on the first in a little over a year. Jones identified replacing Huguenot High School as a priority during a meeting last night with the Richmond School Board. &#8220;I really have a desire, or want to suggest, building a high school in the first phase,&#8220; Jones said. &#8220;We have not built a high school in about 40 years. I can say without fear, Huguenot definitely needs to be replaced.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Marian Wright Edelman to speak at foster&#45;youth forum</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCCS21_20091020-220404/300567/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children&#8217;s Defense Fund, will speak Friday at the second annual Great Expectations Education Forum. The forum, which begins at 10 a.m. at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, also will feature Virginia first lady Anne Holton, who will be the moderator for a panel on foster youth. Great Expectations is a program of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education that seeks to raise awareness about the challenges facing Virginia&#8217;s foster youth.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. graduation, dropout rates improve over last year</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUC21_20091020-223005/300627/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia&#8217;s graduation and dropout rates improved slightly over last year, with varied results across districts in the Richmond region. Data released yesterday by the Virginia Department of Education showed 83.2 percent of students who started ninth grade in the 2005-06 school year earned a state-approved diploma within four years. The on-time graduation rate for the 98,043 students in the Class of 2009 is an uptick from the four-year graduation rate of 82.2 percent for the Class of 2008.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:01:06 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Technology plan proposed for Chesterfield schools</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CSKL19_20091018-221207/300164/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In a proposed five-year technology master plan for Chesterfield County schools, all teachers and administrators would receive netbooks, smaller and inexpensive laptop computers. Teachers would be required to integrate technology&#8212;already in the curriculum&#8212;into their lessons. They would have the opportunity to create blogs to ask questions to elicit staff discussions about school-related issues. Wireless services would be installed in all schools.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Around Campus</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAMP19_20091018-221207/300159/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Commonwealth University has been ranked No. 11 in a survey of the top 25 &#8220;best neighbor&#8221; universities. Among programs cited were the &#8220;40 Acts of Caring&#8221; project that was part of VCU&#8217;s 40th anniversary commemoration last year and its partnership with the Carver community. The rankings were announced last Monday in Philadelphia at the 15th annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California tied for the top position.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Young chess players take on older opponents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-CHSS18_20091017-210805/300009/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
They&#8217;re young, not yet in high school, but six students at Moody Middle School in Henrico County welcome the opportunity to compete against older, more experienced chess players. The group of six&#8212;Yash Tekriwal, Greg Akerman, Vignesh Rajasekaran, Vikas Rajasekaran, Tip Wolfe and Abhishek Penumala&#8212;use those experiences against adult and, at times, master chess players to better themselves as players.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Liberty plans to build an engineering campus</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/LIBE16_20091015-234001/299696/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Liberty University plans to build an engineering campus that eventually would accommodate 2,000 students, a small research park and new degree programs for its School of Engineering and Computational Sciences. The project is slated for Liberty-owned land just across the city line in Campbell County, said Ron Sones, dean of the engineering school.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>VSU wins $3 million federal award</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VSUU16_20091015-223203/299690/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia State University has been awarded $3 million from the U.S. Department of Education for its master&#8217;s degree programs. The department&#8217;s Historically Black College or University Master&#8217;s Degree Program Award will be paid in $500,000 increments over a six-year period. The funding will be used for the VSU School of Engineering, Science and Technology&#8217;s biology, computer science and mathematics master&#8217;s programs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VSUU16_20091015-223203/299690/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Richmond&#45;area schools to offer free swine&#45;flu vaccinations</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VFLU15_20091014-220806/299419/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In the coming weeks, area schools in partnership with regional health departments will be offering free school-based H1N1 flu-vaccination clinics to protect students against the virus that has been blamed for several deaths in Virginia. &#8220;The number of cases is increasing,&#8220; said Dr. William R. Nelson, director of the Chesterfield County Health District. &#8220;It&#8217;s clear that we&#8217;re in a significant outbreak.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:01:34 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Data on adult&#45;education students missing</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VDOE15_20091014-221605/299434/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A flash drive containing personal information for more than 100,000 former adult-education students is missing, according to state officials who now are trying to notify all those affected by the security breach. As of late yesterday, there was no indication the flash drive had been found or that the information on it&#8212;including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and other personal information&#8212;had been accessed, according to the Virginia Department of Education.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>In head count, George Mason edges VCU</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/GMUU15_20091014-221605/299431/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
George Mason apparently has edged past Virginia Commonwealth as the state&#8217;s largest university. GMU&#8217;s unanticipated growth this fall&#8212;amid state and federal campaigns to increase the number of college graduates&#8212;should be a good thing.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:01:01 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Va. education department: Personal data of 100,000 students is missing</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VDOEGAT14_20091014-123401/299290/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A flash drive containing personal information for about 100,000 former adult education students has been lost, and now the Virginia Department of Education is trying to notify all those affected. The DOE is mailing letters to 77,577 former adult education students for whom the department has addresses. Education department employees are also trying to notify another 25,693 former adult education students whose addresses are not known. They are asking that people who do not receive a letter, but who finished an adult education course between April 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009, or who passed a high school equivalency test between January 1, 2001, and June 30, 2009, call the department at 877-347-5224 for more information.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:34:55 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Goldman, Allen, call for public&#45;private approach to school renovations</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUCGAT13_20091013-081202/299083/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
An outspoken Democrat and former Republican governor of Virginia are advocating a public-private approach to paying for costly school renovations and say they already have financial commitments for what would be Virginia&#8217;s largest local school modernization program. Paul Goldman, a former chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, and George Allen, a Republican who served as governor from 1994 to 1998, promote in an op-ed article in today&#8217;s New York Times the creation of a School Modernization and Revitalization Credit they dub a &#8220;Smart Credit.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:12:04 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUCGAT13_20091013-081202/299083/#When:13:12:04Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Around Campus</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAMP12_20091011-221002/298821/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Commonwealth University has been awarded a $190,580 grant to work with Richmond groups to reduce poverty in the region. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund awarded the three-year grant to create the VCU-United Way Financial Stability Alliance. In addition to the United Way, the alliance includes The Community Foundation of central Virginia, the Greater Richmond Earned Income Tax Coalition and New Visions New Ventures.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>20% of community college students lack access to federal loans</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/DEBT12_20091011-220003/298817/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
More than 20 percent of community college students in Virginia do not have access to federal loans, according to a national study. The report by the Project on Student Debt found that one in 10 community college students in the United States are barred from financing their education with federal loans, considered the most affordable option.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Steward School show features works of 21 artists</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-ARTS11_20091010-171404/298646/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Steward School has always had the arts at the core of its curriculum. Now arts are the core of the school&#8217;s fall festival, too. The first fine-arts show at the school&#8217;s Cramer Center Art Gallery on Gayton Road in Henrico County features works from 21 artists, most of them local. Prices range from $160 for the stained-glass &#8220;MacKintosh Mirror&#8221; from Atkinson-Betts Stained Glass to $4,600 for &#8220;Barn in the Wings,&#8220; an oil painting by Greg Osterhaus.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Values Institute of America announces essay winners</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VALU08_20091007-223006/298132/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Values Institute of America has announced the winners of its &#8220;Value of Sports&#8221; essay contest. Colin Smith of Moseley was the first-place winner. Second place went to Anna Kuno of Midlothian, and third was awarded to Logan Dawkins of Moseley. Honorable mention recipients included: Abby Portyrata of Midlothian, Calan Pillow of Glen Allen, and Roman Jones, Parker Lamb and Christopher Salentine of Fork Union.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:57 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>James River High School alumni game set</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/FUND08_20091007-223006/298127/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The James River High School field hockey team will hold an alumni game Saturday as part of a daylong carnival to raise money for a former player. Carolyn Heuser Powell, a 2000 James River graduate and a mother of two, collapsed when her heart stopped July 5. She suffered neurological damage and has been undergoing extensive physical therapy. Meanwhile, friends set up a Facebook page and made plans for a fundraiser to help her family with medical bills.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:27 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Tuckahoe students celebrate feet during Walk to School Day</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/WALK08_20091007-223006/298133/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
School buses were pulling up empty yesterday at Tuckahoe Elementary School, and people couldn&#8217;t have been prouder. To celebrate International Walk to School Day, which promotes healthy communities, more than 90 percent of the school&#8217;s 665 students used foot power to get to class yesterday. According to Muriel Brinkley, an assistant principal, only 62 children rode school buses, which usually transport 80 percent to 90 percent of the school population.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>VCU names finalists for dean of business school</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU08_20091007-221202/298086/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Commonwealth University has named six finalists for dean of its Business School, including the interim dean and the retiring president of Disneyland Resort. The finalists, who will be on campus for interviews and meetings with students and faculty during the next month, are:   David Urban, a VCU marketing professor who is serving as interim dean of the School of Business;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:10 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Classes begin at new South University in Short Pump</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/UNIV06_20091005-222408/297690/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The village now has a school. Classes started yesterday for about 100 students at South University in West Broad Village&#8212;nearly triple the number the school had anticipated for its start-up enrollment. The campus is just behind Whole Foods Market in the new Short Pump development, where empty storefronts reflect the recession&#8217;s impact.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>New data system gives Chesterfield teachers quick access to student records</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/DASH05_20091004-220606/297450/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sarah Fraher, principal at Elizabeth Davis Middle School, and her teachers used to consume hours going through Standards of Learning test data manually to figure out students&#8217; performance. &#8220;That was a laborious task and took so much time,&#8220; she said. That is about to become a thing of the past. This year, all of Chesterfield County&#8217;s core teachers and central office instructional leaders have students&#8217; class grades, test scores, attendance, discipline and other data at their fingertips through Dashboards, a digital information management data warehouse.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>30 taking acoustic guitar class at Chesterfield middle school</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-GUIT04_20091003-221007/297318/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
William Ashanti Hobbs IV, an eighth-grader at Elizabeth Davis Middle School, is not into trumpets and percussion, so he did not sign up for music education in sixth and seventh grade. About a year ago, he discovered his dad&#8217;s acoustic guitar in the closet, and he wanted to learn to play it. As luck would have it, his school is offering the only acoustic guitar class at the middle school level in Chesterfield County this fall. He is one of 30 students taking the class.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-GUIT04_20091003-221007/297318/#When:05:01:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Higher education slips as a priority, say four former governors</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUC02S_20091001-220003/296884/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Higher education has slipped as a national priority even though it is key to both the country&#8217;s economic recovery and its standing as a world leader, four former governors said yesterday. &#8220;I think that higher education is at risk, and that message is not being communicated clearly and sufficiently enough,&#8220; former Virginia Gov. Gerald L. Baliles told a coalition of business and education leaders at a daylong conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:01:54 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Study finds high return on state&#8217;s higher&#45;education investment</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/ECON01_20090930-221603/296629/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia receives $1.39 in state tax revenue for every dollar it invests in public higher education, says a study by a business coalition that is campaigning for increased support for colleges and universities. The Virginia Business Higher Education Council will present the report today at a summit on economic competitiveness and higher education. The summit, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, will include remarks by both gubernatorial candidates and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>VCU&#8217;s Prince Edward collection</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU29G1_20090928-221005/296123/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>VCU library collection breaks 2 million milestone</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU29_20090928-221005/296122/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Commonwealth University&#8217;s library has acquired its 2 millionth volume: a Spider-Man comic featuring President Barack Obama. A public event celebrating the milestone will be held at 2 p.m. Friday on the first floor of the James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Marvel Comics&#8217; &#8220;Amazing Spider-Man, #583,&#8220; released in recognition of Obama&#8217;s inauguration, was added to VCU&#8217;s Comic Arts Collection, which includes more than 125,000 items.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Obtaining a free college education</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PHIL29G1_20090928-221005/296116/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Seminar offers advice on college expenses</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PHIL29_20090928-221005/296115/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Charles J. Phillips says he didn&#8217;t pay for his college education and you shouldn&#8217;t have to, either. Phillips, who wrote a book about how he did it, will offer a free seminar Saturday to share tips on how to finance a college degree through scholarships and grants. A Chesterfield County resident who works as a sales representative for DuPont, Phillips graduated from Prairie View A&amp;M University in Texas in 2002.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PHIL29_20090928-221005/296115/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>U.Va. Civility Project bringing George Washington&#8217;s rules to the 21st century</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CIVL28_20090927-231801/295998/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
George Washington wrote down this rule to guide his behavior: &#8220;Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Proffesses; it Savours of arrogancy.&#8220; &#8220;Nate from UVA&#8221; wrote this one: &#8220;If you can clearly understand someone&#8217;s post or chat online, don&#8217;t critique their grammar or spelling just because you have nothing of substance to say. Typos happen.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CIVL28_20090927-231801/295998/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>VCU kicks off Year of the Environment this week</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/ENER28_20090927-221003/295910/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Year of the Environment begins Thursday at Virginia Commonwealth University with a two-day E-Festival that includes a sustainability symposium and the chance to paint a Dumpster. At the University of Richmond, students are using pedal power to get around the 350-acre campus, borrowing green bicycles with sturdy tires and big handlebars available for anyone to use.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/ENER28_20090927-221003/295910/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Once again, a Chesterfield teacher wins Region 1 title</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CARO26_20090925-221609/295575/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Carolyn Wilkerson worried yesterday that something was wrong when she heard her principal&#8217;s serious tone over the intercom asking teachers to take all 1,100 students to the gym. Wilkerson, a math and science teacher at Tomahawk Creek Middle School in Chesterfield County, couldn&#8217;t have imagined what happened next. Top county school officials announced that she had been chosen by the state as central Virginia&#8217;s 2010 teacher of the year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Chesterfield teacher captures regional honor</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/chesterfield_teacher_captures_regional_honor/295461/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Carolyn Wilkerson, a science and math teacher at Tomahawk Creek Middle School in Chesterfield, was named the Central Virginia region 2010 teacher of the year. 
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:27:47 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/chesterfield_teacher_captures_regional_honor/295461/#When:17:27:47Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Virginia Tobacco Commission awards $300,000 to community college program</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCCS25_20090924-213002/295310/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A program that helps foster-care youths continue their education has received a $300,000 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission. The two-year grant to Great Expectations, an initiative of the state&#8217;s community colleges, will allow the program to be expanded to four community colleges in Southwest and southern Virginia. Mountain Empire, Patrick Henry, Southwest Virginia and Wytheville community colleges will establish transitional education programs next summer.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:01:32 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCCS25_20090924-213002/295310/#When:05:01:32Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>State provides swine&#45;flu videos for parents, educators</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/FLUU25_20090924-221608/295356/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The state&#8217;s health and education agencies have produced online videos to help inform parents and educators about how to prevent the spread of the highly contagious H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. The Virginia Department of Education, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health, has released &#8220;H1N1 for Parents&#8221; and &#8220;H1N1 for Educators.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:01:23 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/FLUU25_20090924-221608/295356/#When:05:01:23Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Appomattox Governor&#8217;s School celebrates its 10th anniversary</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/ARGS25_20090924-221608/295352/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PETERSBURG&#8212;Thadd Williams is an aspiring filmmaker living in Los Angeles. His road to the mecca of the movie industry began 10 years ago at a brand-new school in central Virginia. Williams was one of the original students to enroll at the Appomattox Regional Governor&#8217;s School for Arts and Technology. It was there, in the newly renovated building on West Washington Street, that his career was molded. He studied theater and took his first filmmaking class during his senior year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/ARGS25_20090924-221608/295352/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Workshop to focus on paying for college</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/TUIT24_20090923-211204/295049/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A free workshop on how to pay for college will be held Saturday at John Tyler Community College&#8217;s Chester campus. The workshop for students and parents is sponsored by the Sallie Mae Fund, a nonprofit college-access organization. Students who are juniors or seniors can enter to win a $500 scholarship from the fund. The 90-minute event will begin at 10 a.m. at John Tyler&#8217;s Bird Hall, 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway. Registration at http://www.salliemaefund.org is recommended but not required.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Around Campus</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAMP24_20090923-211204/295048/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children&#8217;s Defense Fund, will speak at the second annual Great Expectations Education Forum next month. Great Expectations is an initiative of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education to improve education and employment opportunities for youths in foster care. First lady Anne Holton also will speak at the forum, which will be held Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>U.Va. professor wins &#8220;genius grant&#8221; for her short fiction</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/MCAR23_20090922-214605/294807/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Deborah Eisenberg had a student conference in the morning and a writing class in the afternoon. It was just a normal day for the University of Virginia professor &#8220;with a hiatus of abnormality&#8221; in the middle, she said. Yesterday, Eisenberg, a short-story writer teaching two courses this semester, was named one of 24 winners of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation &#8220;genius grant.&#8220; She said she plans to take her creative-writing students to dinner to celebrate.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Highland Springs High kicks off literacy campaign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-HSKL20_20090919-204809/294158/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Student, teacher, custodian, cafeteria worker&#8212;whatever position you hold at Highland Springs High School this year, you have one thing in common: You&#8217;re reading the same book. &#8220;We Beat the Streets: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success&#8221; is the focus of a total school literacy campaign. The book tells the story of three boys in Newark, N.J., who beat the odds together to go to college and become physicians.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Chesterfield student artwork being exhibited in Washington</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-ARTS20_20090919-204604/294149/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Constance Willoughby, a senior at Monacan High School, says her interests in fashion, cars and music from the 1920s,&#8216;40s and&#8217;50s has kept her from fitting in at school. That bothers her a little. But when she spent months last year trying to come up with a theme for her Advanced Placement photography class, that sense of not fitting in but wanting to belong became the inspiration for her assignment.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Petersburg schools show gains</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PETE18_20090917-222607/293741/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Petersburg School Superintendent James M. Victory once referred to the city&#8217;s schools as the poster child for school improvement. City school officials have said for months that the division is making gains in student achievement, and the results are showing. When the Virginia Board of Education voted unanimously yesterday to give A.P. Hill Elementary School full accreditation status, it gave the city four fully accredited schools - a marked increase from last year&#8217;s one school out of the district&#8217;s seven.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Education board members oppose setting a single ratio for all school support staff</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUC18_20090917-222607/293737/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Board of Education members said yesterday that they back creating ratios for the number of state-funded school support staffers to instructional employees. But they do not like the idea of a single ratio for all support employees, a broad category that ranges from nurses to bus drivers to assistant superintendents. This year, state lawmakers agreed with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine&#8217;s plan for a funding cap in 2010 of one support position per 4.03 instructional positions funded through the Standards of Quality, which outline the basic requirements for public education in Virginia.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Va. Board of Education members urge flexibility on support&#45;staff ratios</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/EDUCGAT17_20090917-133602/293572/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia Board of Education members indicated today that they support implementing ratios for the number of state-funded school support staff to instructional staff. But what they can&#8217;t get behind, they said, is one ratio for all employees in the &#8220;support staff&#8221; category, which is so broad that it ranges from nurses to bus drivers to assistant superintendents.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:36:02 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Petersburg school investigated for SOL irregularities gains accreditation</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/petersburg_school_investigated_for_sol_irregularities_gains_accreditation/293551/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A.P. Hill was the subject of an investigation after the Virginia Department of Education received a report that students were removed from class and did not participate in Standards of Learning assessment testing. 
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:43:12 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/petersburg_school_investigated_for_sol_irregularities_gains_accreditation/293551/#When:16:43:12Z</guid>
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          <title>Virginia schools show steady gains in SOL testing</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SOLS17_20090916-222403/293451/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the second consecutive year, a record number of Virginia&#8217;s public schools have reached full accreditation after passing state tests in math, English, science and history during the 2008-09 academic year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:01:40 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Around Campus</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAMP17_20090916-222607/293454/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ROTC units from James Madison University and Virginia Military Institute will begin a 61-mile march today with the game ball for Saturday&#8217;s football game. The JMU Duke Battalion and VMI&#8217;s Marshall-New Market Battalion will march the ball from Lexington to Harrisonburg as a tribute to the sacrifice of those serving in the armed forces.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Virginia seeks to move up use of stimulus money for higher ed</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SCHV16_20090915-214410/293159/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The state will seek a waiver from the federal government that would allow Virginia to move forward stimulus funding to help offset more than $196 million in budget cuts to higher education this year. Secretary of Finance Richard D. Brown told the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia yesterday that it appears the state will qualify for the federal waiver that is required to use $91.5 million in stimulus money this fiscal year instead of next.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:01:53 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Many teachers already receive additional pay</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/TPAY14S1_20090913-215608/292686/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Although the debate about performance-based pay for teachers is a long way from being settled, many Richmond-area teachers already receive thousands of dollars in additional pay for education degrees and certifications through state grants. Some call it performance-based pay or merit pay; others call it incentive pay. The Henrico County school system paid about $260,000 in extra pay for teachers in the 2008-09 school year through different state-administered programs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Study: Half of area school cafeterias had no critical violations</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAFE14_20090913-215002/292634/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Nearly 50 percent of public school and private school cafeterias in the Richmond area came out of unannounced Virginia Department of Health inspections with no critical violations during the past school year, a review of health inspections shows. Inspections of 252 schools and related facilities in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg and Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties show that 127 had no critical violations at all, while 97 had two or less for the school year. Inspectors made at least two unannounced visits throughout the 2008-09 school year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Interest renewed in tying teacher pay to student achievement</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/TPAY14_20090913-215409/292666/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Henrico County school system is poised to start a pilot program in which teacher pay would be tied to student performance. It is the only school system in the Richmond area to consider such a program. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been talking about that in Henrico for the last two years now,&#8220; said Patrick Kinlaw, assistant superintendent for administrative services. &#8220;We&#8217;ve done a study of the literature, and we&#8217;re ready to explore our own internal performance-based incentive pay program.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Breakdown of cafeteria inspections</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CAFE14G1_20090913-201403/292608/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
120 had no critical violations during inspections conducted during the 2008-09 school year; and  93 had two or fewer total  critical violations for the year  Here are some examples of critical violations inspectors found at area schools. These  violations were corrected:  Oct. 30, 2008: Employees were observed handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands at            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Class Reunions for September 13</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/S-REUN13_20090909-192003/291637/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Oct. 16-17: Douglas Southall Freeman Class of 1984, 25th reunion. Any class member who has not received an invitation should e-mail Lynn &#8220;Parrish&#8221; Edris at ledris@msn.com.   Send class reunion news to community@timesdispatch.com.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Hanover center gives students a jump in finding a career</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/B4-HANO13_20090912-211405/292465/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Lee-Davis High School junior Haley Herbert doesn&#8217;t have a job yet, but when she&#8217;s ready, she has one waiting for her. Herbert is a second-year cosmetology student at the Hanover Center for Trades and Technology. Her personal hairstylist &#8220;knows I&#8217;m enrolled in cosmetology [and] she offered me a job&#8221; at the completion of the program, Herbert said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:20 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Schools: Online writing tool boosts test scores</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CSKL13_20090912-214606/292490/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Last school year, five Chesterfield County middle schools piloted an online essay-grading tool and saw as much as 21 percent gains on eighth-graders&#8217; Standards of Learning writing test scores. Last week, the School Board authorized the school system to spend about $45,000 to buy licenses for all eighth-graders to use the MyAccess online writing tool to supplement writing instruction, and an additional $5,000 to train teachers. The funds to purchase 3,000 licenses will come from the county schools&#8217; instructional operating funds and federal grants.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:05 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Two Petersburg elementary schools will receive U.S. stimulus funds for expansions</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PSKL11_20090910-220010/292064/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two Petersburg elementary schools will receive federal stimulus money for school renovation and expansion projects, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced yesterday. Robert E. Lee Elementary School will receive $6.4 million and Walnut Hill Elementary School will receive $5.8 million in no-interest construction bonds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Kaine announced a total of $71.6 million in bonds for eight projects throughout Virginia.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Local schools now plan to show Obama&#8217;s speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAM10_20090909-220006/291780/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A day after President Barack Obama&#8217;s televised remarks to students, area school officials yesterday were more supportive of his speech. That was a contrast from the days leading up to Obama&#8217;s address, when a national fervor led school districts nationwide&#8212;and all but one of the largest districts in central Virginia&#8212;either to ban the broadcast or restrict access to it.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>&#8220;Stop the Pain 804&#8221; premieres at the Byrd Theatre</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/stop_the_pain_804_premieres_at_the_byrd_theatre/291569/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Watch scenes from a film Richmond police hope will help them reduce youth violence.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond students among few in area to see Obama speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAM091_20090908-234002/291534/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The message yesterday was simple, and the kids seemed to get it: President Barack Obama implored the nation&#8217;s schoolchildren to take charge of their futures. A group of about 30 students at Richmond&#8217;s Linwood Holton Elementary School sat intently in the media center, their eyes glued to the pull-down screen at one end of a large room. They listened as Obama spoke of his upbringing and how he worked hard&#8212;and took advantage of the occasional stroke of good luck&#8212;to get to where he is.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:01:11 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Top places to attend college</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/COLL09G_20090908-215607/291493/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Top localities The American Institute for Economic Research ranked the top localities in which to attend college. Here are the top five in the four population categories.&nbsp;  Major metros:  localities with 2.5 million or more residents: &nbsp; 1. New York City &nbsp; 2. San Francisco &nbsp; 3. Boston &nbsp; 4. Washington            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond, Charlottesville among best college cities</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/COLL09_20090908-215607/291492/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond and Charlottesville rank among the best places in America to attend college, according to a Massachusetts-based research organization. The American Institute for Economic Research, a nonprofit educational organization, chose America&#8217;s 75 best college cities, using 12 criteria to rate the localities&#8217; academic environment, quality of life and professional opportunities.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>In school speech, Obama advises caution in what kids put on Facebook</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAMGAT08_20090908-125001/291361/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ARLINGTON (AP)&#8212;In a pep talk that kept clear of politics, President Barack Obama today challenged the nation&#8217;s students to take pride and ownership in their education&#8212;and stick with it even if they don&#8217;t like every class or must overcome tough circumstances at home.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:50:11 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond&#45;area students head back to school</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/BACKGAT09_20090908-093401/291353/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Dreary weather notwithstanding, students packed up and headed off to the first day of the new school year in the Richmond region today. 

it was a great morning at Richmond Community High School. Facing a record-size student body of 250, including six foreign exchange students, principal Thomas Beatty opened the school year a little after 7 a.m. with a friendly welcome and a big smile. &#8220;Welcome back,&#8220; he shouted over the din of students assembled in the cafeteria of the school&#8217;s new home, the former Chandler Middle School on Brookland Park Boulevard. &#8220;Who&#8217;s happy to be here?&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:34:22 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Most Richmond&#45;region schools to skip Obama&#8217;s speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAM08_20090907-215007/291254/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
When President Barack Obama urges America&#8217;s students today to &#8220;write your own destiny&#8221; by working hard in school, thousands of students in the Richmond area won&#8217;t be watching. Yesterday, the debate over Obama&#8217;s speech continued during Labor Day cookouts and final outings to the park before classes start. Schools in the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Powhatan and the cities of Colonial Heights and Petersburg do not plan to show the speech today. Henrico County is requiring teachers to get permission from every parent and preview the speech if they want to show it today.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:01:13 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Schools asked to report absences to help track flu</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VFLU08_20090907-215007/291259/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the first time in as long as state officials can recall, every school district in Virginia is being asked to report daily absenteeism among students and faculty to the state Health Department in an attempt to track flu patterns better. The policy is part of the broad public health effort to try to manage flu cases as the state&#8217;s 1.2 million public school students pack hallways, gyms, cafeterias and classrooms.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:01:05 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Read the full text of Obama&#8217;s school speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SPECHGAT07_20090907-131402/291206/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The following was posted on the White House Web site today: Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event, Arlington, Sept. 8, 2009 The President: Hello everyone how&#8217;s everybody doing today? I&#8217;m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we&#8217;ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I&#8217;m glad you all could join us today.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:14:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SPECHGAT07_20090907-131402/291206/#When:18:14:02Z</guid>
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          <title>White House posts details of Obama&#8217;s school speech on Web</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAMGAT07_20090907-123601/291204/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON (AP)&#8212;President Barack Obama plans to tell the nation&#8217;s school children that they ultimately are most responsible for their own education. The White House posted Obama&#8217;s remarks, scheduled for tomorrow, in advance on its Web site. Obama&#8217;s planned talk has been controversial, with several conservative organizations and individuals accusing him of trying to delve too directly into local education. But White House officials, including Education Secretary Arne Duncan, have said the charges are silly.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:36:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/OBAMGAT07_20090907-123601/291204/#When:17:36:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Colonial Heights schools won&#8217;t show Obama speech tomorrow</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CHTS07_20090906-214604/291160/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Colonial Heights is joining the list of school systems in central Virginia that are electing not to air tomorrow&#8217;s daytime presidential address to students. Last week, controversy erupted across the nation as parents and officials opposed President Barack Obama&#8217;s address to schoolchildren. Superintendent Joseph O. Cox Jr. wrote in a brief letter posted Saturday on the school system&#8217;s Web site that Colonial Heights won&#8217;t show Obama&#8217;s address during the school day tomorrow, the first day of school for many metropolitan Richmond localities.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond teachers get peaceful start to new careers</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/RSKL07_20090906-214404/291158/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
You never know what you&#8217;ll hear if you listen. &#8220;There are so many different dimensions to a conversation,&#8220; conflict-resolution specialist Iman Shabazz said late last month during a break in a class he was helping lead for new Richmond teachers. &#8220;Hopefully, this will teach them to be mindful of all that&#8217;s involved.&#8220; Shabazz and Santa Sorenson, both of the Richmond Peace Education Center, were helping the city&#8217;s newest crop of middle school teachers learn good ways to defuse tense moments. Along the same second-floor hallway at Armstrong High School, three other groups of mediators from the center were leading similar sessions for incoming elementary and high school teachers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Budget cuts hit the classroom</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/CUTS07_20090906-213805/291144/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Richmond school system eliminated half of its funding for field trips. The Hanover County schools cut an elementary school strings program. The Chesterfield County schools laid off many reading teachers and math coaches. With the exception of the Henrico County schools, area school districts are starting this school year with fewer resources, after having to cut millions of dollars to make up budget shortfalls.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>New year, but no new schools</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/BLDS06_20090905-203003/290942/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The school year starts Tuesday without a single new school opening in the city of Richmond or the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. While the counties have opened schools in recent years, Richmond has not opened one since 1999, when Blackwell, Linwood Holton and Miles Jones elementary schools opened. But there&#8217;s noise in City Hall about building a replacement Huguenot High School and four new elementary schools, and the city&#8217;s chief administrative officer said construction could begin by the end of next year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:16 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Career switchers head back to class</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/SWIT06_20090905-191203/290904/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Even before he was laid off, Jerry Dawson was considering a new career. An industrial engineer for Qimonda, he was in one of those &#8220;midlife what-do-I-want-to-do-when-I-grow-up&#8221; self-assessments when he signed up for a landscaping design certificate program at the University of Richmond last September.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:09 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Timeline of Richmond&#8217;s public schools</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/BLDS06S_20090905-203203/290946/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Year opened  1880s  1886: Carver Elementary   1910s  1911: William Fox Elementary  1911: Open High (opened as Grace Arents)  1913: Bellevue Elementary  1913: Oak Grove Elementary  1914: Swansboro Elementary (opened as  Franklin School)  1915: Binford Middle  1916: Ginter Park Elementary  1918: Bellemeade Elementary (now an annex of  Oak Grove Elementary)  1919: Summer Hill Elementary   1920s  1922: George Mason Elementary  1922: J.E.B. Stuart Elementary  1923: Adult Career Development Center (opened as  Armstrong High)  1925: Richmond Community High (opened as  Northside Junior High; later operated as  Chandler Middle)  1926: Albert Hill Middle  1929: Franklin Military (opened as East End  Junior High)   1930s  1930: Thomas Jefferson High  1937: Broad Rock Elementary   1940s  1941: Elkhardt Middle   1950s  1951: Mary Munford Elementary  1951: E.D. Redd Elementary  1953: Mary Scott Elementary (now an annex of  Ginter Park Elementary)  1954: John B. Cary Elementary  1954: Westover Hills Elementary  1954: Woodville Elementary  1957: Maymont Elementary  1958: Fairfield Court Elementary  1958: G.H. Reid Elementary  1959: Southampton Elementary   1960s  1960: Huguenot High  1960: John Marshall High  1960 :George Wythe High  1961: Amelia Street  1964: Martin Luther King Middle  1965: Ruffin Road Elementary (now an annex of  Summer Hill Elementary)  1965: Thompson Middle  1966: J.B. Fisher Elementary  1966: Richmond Technical Center South  1967: Clark Springs Elementary  1968: Armstrong High (opened as Kennedy)  1968: Chimborazo Elementary  1968: J.L. Francis Elementary   1970s  1971: Richmond Technical Center North  1973: Henderson Middle  1977: Overby-Sheppard Elementary   1980s  1986: T.C. Boushall Middle   1990s  1998: Lucille Brown Middle School  1999: Blackwell Elementary  1999: Linwood Holton Elementary  1999: Miles Jones Elementary             ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Class Reunions for September 6</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/S-REUN06_20090902-190209/290045/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sept. 26: John Marshall High School Class of 1949, 60th reunion at Jefferson-Lakeside Country Club. Any class member who has not received a letter about the reunion and any John Marshall alumni interested in attending should contact Mary Thurman Atkinson at (804) 746-5560. Oct. 6: Madison College classes of 1935-1975, reunion at the Virginia Historical Society. Buffet luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $20. Reply by Oct. 1. For details, call the Office of Alumni Relations at (888) 568-2586 or Betty Mann at (804) 447-0950.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Hanover, Henrico counties shift plans on showing Obama speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PRES05_20090904-215807/290820/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two more Richmond-area school divisions have changed their plans for Tuesday&#8217;s daytime presidential address. Hanover County sent e-mail notices and phone messages yesterday to parents saying the district has decided not to show President Barack Obama&#8217;s address during the school day on Tuesday but instead will record it and provide the speech and its supplemental instructional materials for teachers to use later, schools spokeswoman Dale Theakston said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:01:30 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Controversy spreads before Obama&#8217;s school speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/PRES04_20090903-215204/290542/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The controversy over President Barack Obama&#8217;s plan to address the nation&#8217;s schoolchildren Tuesday&#8212;during a noon broadcast from an Arlington County high school&#8212;picked up steam yesterday. Chesterfield County school officials joined those in neighboring Powhatan County in deciding not to broadcast the speech.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:01:23 EST</pubDate>
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