A State Education Contract, Changes at VCU, and Flouride is Back
Cheers RVA!
Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 74 and a low of 57, with a slight chance of an afternoon or evening shower.
the juice:
The city announced Monday that the system that adds fluoride to the city water supply is back online and all safety checks have been completed.
The system had been damaged during the power outage and subsequent flooding back in January.
Over the next couple of days the level of fluoride will be gradually increased to the recommended level of 7 mg/L.
the pulp:
The Virginia Department of Education did not follow state law when extending an $83 million contract to Pearson, an educational assessment company, according to Anna Bryson at the RTD. State law requires bids be posted on eVA, the state’s online procurement system. Pearson has provided services, including assessing the Standards of Learning tests, for the state since 2005.
Richmond has ranked #13 in the country for Best Summer Travel Destinations, via RVAMag.
the dive:
Jack Jocobs from Bizsense dives into some of the changes VCU has made as a result of executive orders regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, noting the university has nixed nearly a quarter of the dozens of jobs reviewed for compliance.
A review of 60 positions results in 13 positions being eliminated, with most employees accepting roles elsewhere at the university.
Jacobs writes:
The VCU Board of Visitors was recently briefed on steps being taken by VCU after the board’s vote in the spring to dissolve the Division of Inclusive Excellence, which was first established in 2013, and initiate the review. That move was criticized by some board members who said it was a rushed decision and at odds with VCU’s mission to serve minority students.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a cooler day RVA!
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