Advisory committees give annual reports; EDAC, SEAC and GIAC outline priorities for 2026–27

During the May 14 work session Henrico County's advisory committees presented annual updates and recommended priorities for 2026–27.

Tiffany Lewis, chief of Empowerment, Development and Opportunity, introduced Charmaine Eaglin who said the Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC) held five meetings in 2025–26, is limited by bylaws to 20 voting members, and recommended professional development for teaching diverse student populations, better family communication about pathways and translation of materials, and use of QR codes and one-page guides to increase access.

Katie Smith, director of exceptional education, presented the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) report. SEAC held five meetings this year and recommended establishing a special-education PTA liaison in every school and bolstering supports to retain novice special-education teachers, including parent involvement in novice-teacher training.

Mike Dussault, director of teaching and learning, delivered the Gifted Education Advisory Committee (GIAC) report. GIAC recommended a targeted talent-development pilot in grade 1 at Title I schools (30 minutes weekly), grades 3–5 math aptitude services, continued rollout of the A.Cubed fourth-grade supplemental math curriculum after this year's pilot, and advocacy for additional gifted‑program staffing to expand equitable access.

Board members praised cross-committee collaboration and asked about scaling, targeting and partnerships (including outreach to Virginia Commonwealth University for guidance). Gillings of overlap between EDAC and GIAC initiatives prompted board members to note coordination benefits.

What happens next: Administrators said they will work with each advisory committee as officers and membership are approved and will report on implementation progress and any required resources in follow-up updates to the board.