COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 177

August 31, 2007

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Seeking Nominations: Board of Education 2007-2008 Student Advisory Committee

The Virginia Board of Education is seeking applications for the Student Advisory Committee for the 2007-2008 school year. Student members will be selected to serve a one-year term. For information about the Student Advisory Committee, please see: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/VA_Board/sac/

Nominations may be submitted as follows:

Each public high school may submit one nomination;

Each public middle school may submit one nomination; and

Each statewide student organization may submit one nomination.

Student membership will consist of one high school student from each of the eight Superintendents Regional Study Groups and four middle school students selected at-large from the Commonwealth. If there are no high school student nominees from a Superintendents Regional Study Group, the selection committee will select a middle school applicant to represent the region. In the event that there is no middle school applicant from that region, the committee will select a high school student from another region.

All students may be considered for nomination by their school or statewide student organization; however, only one nomination can be accepted from each school or organization.

Nominees should demonstrate:

Solid academic performance;

Strong communication and leadership skills;

Involvement in a variety of co-curricular and/or extra-curricular activities; and

An interest in learning about and contributing to state policies affected by the Virginia Board of Education.

Please note that all students selected for the committee must have access to e-mail and the Internet, either through their home or at the school. Frequent communications to and from the Board of Education and the student members will be necessary. The e-mail addresses will be for Department and committee use and will not be distributed publicly.

The Student Advisory Committee will meet in Richmond at least three times during the 2007-2008 school year and will make presentations to the Board. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. Subsequent meetings are tentatively scheduled for February 20-21, 2008, and April 22-23, 2008. Meetings are scheduled to coincide with the Board of Educations business meetings. All students are expected to attend each meeting.

Each student member under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a supervising adult for the committee meetings. Travel expenses for both the student and the supervising adult will be reimbursed by the Board of Education in accordance with state guidelines.

Each student nominated by his/her school should complete and mail the attached application packet. Applications will be accepted by mail or by fax. Applications must be postmarked by October 31, 2007, and mailed to Margaret N. Roberts, executive assistant to the Board of Education, Virginia Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218-2120. Applications sent by fax must be sent by close of business on October 31. The fax number is 804/225-2524.

A selection committee consisting of members of the Board of Education will review the applications. Students applying to serve on the Student Advisory Committee will be notified of the selection committees decisions by November 30, 2007.

For further information, please contact Margaret Roberts, executive assistant to the Board of Education at the Virginia Department of Education, by phone at (804) 225-2924 or by e-mail Margaret.Roberts@doe.virginia.gov.

BKCJr/ADW/MNR/mfm

Attachment

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2007/inf177a.pdf