Parents and educators press Accomack County School Board over volunteer policy, staffing and transparency; board adopts draft 4

Dozens of parents and educators told the Accomack County School Board on Oct. 20 that revised volunteer approval practices, sudden staff reassignments and shortages of key positions have disrupted schools and curtailed family involvement.

Athena Farlow, reading for Mary Beth Phillips, said: "Staff morale is at an all time low. Teachers and support staff are being written up frequently for minor and or unclear reasons, often without fair consideration or context." Farlow listed moves of principals and other staff, fewer counselors and librarians, and restrictions that she said have limited students' access to books and classroom resources.

"Parents were first told they could volunteer and help set up, only to be told at the last minute on the very day setup was supposed to begin that they could not because they needed to be board approved," said Stephanie Parks, a parent who described PTA volunteers being blocked from helping at a school book fair despite completing background checks and training. "Teachers are using their own planning periods to fill in because parents aren't…