The Success in the Middle Act of 2011, recently introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), brings needed recognition and focus on the middle grades as a pivotal point in the education spectrum. This landmark bill provides $1 billion annually for school improvement efforts in low-performing schools that contain middle grades, and $100 million for research on middle grades practices. See additional information on the summary page attached to this message.

Visit http://www.nmsa.org/Advocacy/MessagesfromNMSA/SuccessintheMiddleAct/tabid/1482/Default.aspx for full text of the senate bill and information about working with your members of Congress to gain additional co-sponsors.

Consider joining the Leadership Team of VMSA! Several leadership opportunities exist for dynamic and ambitious middle school professionals:

Region 3 Director - A middle level educator who is willing to support and report on activities in the region and attend quarterly or more frequent board meetings as well as conference calls. The Regional Director serves as a conduit for information from the board to the schools as well as providing information to the board from the schools.

Teacher Representative - The teacher representative will represent all middle level teachers in their region to the board. The teacher representative serves as a conduit for information from the board to the schools as well as providing information to the board from the schools.

New Teacher Representative - The new teacher representative is a teacher who is relatively new to the profession with a minimum of three years teaching experience and no more than five years at time of board appointment. The new teacher representative will also represent teachers in their region and provide information to and from the board.

If you are interested in serving middle level educators and students in your region and throughout the Commonwealth, please contact Virginia R. Jones, President, at vjones@ferrum.edu or vjones@wildblue.net for more information.

VMSA loses one of its own.

Karen Poindexter, Executive Director, lost her battle with Cancer November 18, 2010. She is remembered by friends and colleagues as an outstanding educator with a stellar reputation, a mentor, coach, and friend. She is survived by a son, Bradley, daughter-in-law Katie, and grandson Tyler. Her husband of 32 years, Theodore Poindexter, preceded her in death.

Poindexter retired from Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) in 2005 after 36 years. In her career, she was a physical education teacher, assistant principal, and principal. She was principal of Marsteller Middle School for 10 years prior to her retirement. In 2003, Poindexter received The Washington Post Outstanding Educational Leadership Award and was named Principal of the Year for Prince William County Public Schools. She served as a mentor to new principals through the School Division’s Retirement Opportunity Program from the time of her retirement until her death.

Karen served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Middle Schools Association (VMSA) for 12 years and was a member of the association for many years prior to that. At the time of her death, she was the executive director of VMSA and a member of the Virginia Schools to Watch site visit team. She was a regular presenter at both the National Middle Schools Association and the Virginia Middle Schools Association conventions.

“I am saddened by the loss of such a great and dedicated educator,” said Virginia R. Jones, president of VMSA. “We at VMSA feel her loss profoundly and realize all the wonderful contributions she made not only to our organization but also to all middle school students in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Team of Manassas.  You may donate on line at www.relayforlife.org.  Search for Manassas, VA; then Karen's team, named "Just Us."

All of us involved with middle schools wish Karen's family our thoughts and prayers.