Franklin City School Board approves divisionwide Virginia support and improvement plan

The Franklin City School Board on March 5 approved a divisionwide Virginia Support and Improvement Plan and directed staff to submit it to the Virginia Department of Education for review.

Superintendent Doctor Carter presented the plan as a replacement of the traditional school improvement plan, saying it is "more comprehensive" and includes academic supports, professional development, school-climate work and staffing supports. She told the board that each school will have a tailored plan based on federal identification and that the division plan and school plans must be approved before posting to the division website.

The plan sets multi-year SMART goals, including targets for students with disabilities and for raising math proficiency. Carter emphasized the multi-year nature of the goals, telling the board these are not one-year fixes: "When you have turnover in staff...you have to give them an opportunity even if they've taught in another division, in another state. They have to adjust to the Franklin context." (Doctor Carter)

During discussion, a teacher who identified herself as classroom staff told the board that students' advisory-council feedback indicated many find virtual instruction "ineffective," and raised concerns about how virtual programs such as IXL align with student needs. The teacher said the division is "currently ranked towards the bottom" of the state and asked whether chosen interventions match stakeholder feedback. (Teacher)

Carter responded that interventions included in the plan were required to meet federal identification tiers and defended IXL as "an evidence based intervention approved by the state as well as the federal government," and described curriculum specialists working side-by-side with teachers on lesson modeling and coaching. (Doctor Carter)

Board members pressed for data and for teacher feedback loops; Carter said schools will revisit the plans quarterly and that teacher input is collected through PLCs and other feedback mechanisms. One board member specifically asked for program enrollment counts to make clear "where the rubber meets the road." (Board member)

A motion to accept the divisionwide plan was moved by Doctor Johnson and seconded; the motion passed and will be sent to the VDOE. One board member abstained during the roll call on the motion; that abstention was recorded in the transcript as Grama. The transcript does not provide a complete numeric tally for all named members on the motion beyond that abstention.

The plan will be posted to the Franklin City Public Schools website after board approval and VDOE submission, and staff said they will update the plans on the website after subsequent quarterly revisions.

The board's action advances the division's multi-year strategy for improving student outcomes, while several members requested additional implementation data and program enrollment numbers to monitor impact and ensure strategies align with student feedback.