One of the enduring problems confronting those who wish to improve public education is teacher tenure. Getting rid of incompetent instructors can prove devilishly difficult. (Perhaps you’ve seen flow charts like the one that pertains to New York; look it up at http://commongood.org/burdenquestion-6.html.) A new report from three groups—the liberal Center for American Progress, the conservative American Enterprise Institute, and the centrist U.S. Chamber of Commerce—grades the states on the ease with which they can shunt a poor teacher aside. Maryland and the District of Columbia both received an F. Virginia earned an A.

MADISON, Wis.—Three cash-strapped states may find themselves left at the starting line in the competition for more than $4 billion in education stimulus funding if they don’t amend laws that prevent student test results from being tied to teacher evaluations. That requirement is a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s education-reform efforts and has set off a rush to change the laws before time runs out on the funds. Obama believes so strongly that teachers are key to fixing schools and helping kids learn that he refuses to dole out the stimulus dollars if states don’t heed his wishes.

Warsaw resident Charles Willard Hoskins Warner, who loved history, had enormous capacity for remembering detail. “He had the incredible ability to sit down and tell people their genealogical lines from memory, and he was good with dates,“ said his wife, Anne Dudley George Hagerty Warner, whom he married in 1981. The 82-year-old griot, whose family history research appeared in Virginia newspapers, historical magazines and bulletins—some of which he edited—and led to the dedication of historical markers and portraits of historical figures, will be laid to rest today, Sunday. A graveside service will begin at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Miller’s Tavern.

Eduardo “Ned” Sayoc had been through many career changes. As he neared his 30s, he was wondering what he could do to make money, change lives and make his family proud. A couple of years ago, he was living with friends who were teachers, and their stories motivated him to seek a master’s in teaching from VCU.

In a report to the Chesterfield County School Board, the human resources director said 670 employees would be eligible to qualify for a state-proposed early-out retirement program for teachers. But, she said, most of the employees would benefit more from the county’s supplemental retirement program. The state proposal, designed to help school divisions cope with budget cuts, is intended for teachers who are at least 50 years old and have a minimum of 25 years of service. Participants would have to retire between this July and June 30, 2010.

The Virginia Lottery and the Virginia PTA are planning to honor local teachers in the second annual Virginia Lottery Super Teacher awards, which will help shine a spotlight on dedicated and talented public school teachers. “I was honored to meet one of last year’s Super Teachers and was again reminded of the tremendous impact a teacher can have on a child,“ said Governor Kaine. “The Virginia Lottery’s contribution to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth is vital and these awards highlight that effort. I encourage Virginians to nominate a deserving teacher this year.“

Several teachers from Chesterfield County Public Schools have recently attained National Board Certification. They are: Meredith Nicole Ford Early Adolescence/English Language Arts Providence Middle School Gregory B. Goehle Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Math Lloyd C. Bird High School Renae F. Hedrick