Coraggio Consulting
Virginia Board of Education, Work Session, Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Place: Virginia Board of Education (Virginia Department of Education), Richmond, Virginia
Length: 4h 1m (video)
Official meeting video (VDOE, YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHL_dUhVZI
Board of Education meetings, agendas and minutes (VDOE): https://www.doe.virginia.gov/state-board-data-funding/virginia-board-of-education

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-22. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:12:52] welcome um can you hear me give me it's on it says good morning but my script but it is afternoon uh good afternoon my name is mishay ashton i am presiding president of the virginia board of education and i'd like to call this meeting to order um before i do that i do want to welcome our new board members mr robinson and dr bridges we welcome you to the virginia state Board and we all look forward to working with you. I also want to congratulate

[00:13:30] Superintendent Conway for her first meeting as well. We look forward to working with you on behalf of the students and families in the state of Virginia. But at this time I would also note that I have approved the remote participation of Mrs. McPherson under the board bylaws and the Code of Virginia due to a personal matter and with that at this time the chair will entertain a motion for the board to go into executive session so move great the chair recognizes vice president hansen i move

[00:14:09] that the virginia board of education convene in a closed meeting for the following purposes discussion or consideration by the board of education of information relating to the denial suspension or revocation of teacher licenses subject to the exclusion in subdivision 11 of section 2.2-3705.3 pursuant to section 2.2-3711A40 of the Code of Virginia and consultation with counsel regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice pursuant to Virginia Code section 2.2-3711A8 of the Code of Virginia

[00:14:47] and the legal counsel to the Virginia Board of Education and Staff whose presence will aid in the board's consideration of this matter, participate in the closed meeting. Great. The motion has been made and has been seconded. I will do a roll call for this.

[00:15:05] We do. Okay, great. So I will call a roll call. Please signify by saying aye or no. Dr. Bridges. Aye. Ms. McPherson. Nope, not here.

[00:15:20] Okay. Mr. Hanson. Aye. Dr. Northam. Aye. Mr. Robinson. Aye. Ms. Kilgore? Aye. And chair writes, aye. Okay, motion has carried. The board is now in executive session. All staff and members of the public who have not been authorized to participate in executive session, please exit the room at this time. The board will reconvene in a public meeting immediately upon the conclusion of the executive session.

[00:15:53] We'll take a motion from Vice President Hanson to reconvene.

[03:32:33] We convene today in a closed meeting pursuant to record a vote on the motion above in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Excuse me, I might be on the bottom one. Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires that the board certify that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempt from open meeting requirements under this chapter and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed

[03:33:09] meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered. Any member who believes there was a departure from these requirements shall so state prior to the vote, indicating the substance of the departure that in his or her judgment has taken place. The statement of the departure will be recorded in the minutes. Okay, so our next item of business is to vote on a series of licensure matters that have been under review by the board of education during executive session these will be roll call votes all in favor signify by saying aye those opposed signify by saying no

[03:33:49] in case number 2547 the chair will entertain a motion to issue the license so moved is there a second. Second. All in favor signify by aye. Dr. Bridges. Aye. Ms. McPherson, is Ms. McPherson online? Mr. Hanson. Aye. Dr. Northern. Aye. Mr. Robinson. Aye. Miss

[03:34:23] Kilgore. Aye. And chair votes aye as well. In case number 2606, the chair will entertain a motion to issue the license. So moved. Is there a second? Second. Dr. Bridges. Aye.

[03:34:46] Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Mrs. Kilgore? Aye. And Chair Rhoads, aye. In case number 2605, the Chair will entertain a motion to issue the license. Dr. Bridges? Aye.

[03:35:08] I'm sorry, so moved. Oh, so, is there a motion? Second. Yeah, sorry, is there a motion? Yes. Second. Great, sorry. Dr. Bridges? Aye. Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye.

[03:35:27] Ms. Kilgore? Aye. And chair votes aye. Thank you. In case number 2604, the chair will entertain a motion to deny a license to Sherry Nicodemus. So moved. Second. Second. Roll call. Dr. Bridges? Aye.

[03:35:54] Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Ms. Kilgore? Aye. Chair votes aye. Okay. In case number 2601, the chair will entertain a motion to suspend for five years the license of Ashley Fletcher. So moved. Second. We'll call. Dr. Bridges. Aye. Mr. Hanson. Aye.

[03:36:28] Dr. Northern. Aye. Mr. Robinson. Aye. Mrs. Kilgore. Aye. And chair votes aye. In case number 2544, the chair will entertain a motion to issue the license. So moved.

[03:36:49] Oh, sorry, did I skip one? I'm sorry, you're right. Case 2544? Yes. Okay, is there, the chair will entertain a motion to issue the license? So moved. Second. Great. Dr. Bridges? Aye. Mr. Hanson? Aye.

[03:37:08] Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Mrs. Kilgore? Aye. And chair votes aye. In case number 2603, the chair will entertain a motion to reprimand the license of Elizabeth Molina-Nicholas.

[03:37:32] So moved. Is there a second? Second. Roll call. Dr. Bridges? Aye. Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Mrs. Kilgore? Aye. And chair votes aye.

[03:37:47] In case number 2548, the chair will entertain a motion to take no action against the license. Is there a motion? Second. Great.

[03:38:05] Roll call, Dr. Bridges. Aye. Mr. Hanson. Aye. Dr. Northern. Aye. Mr. Robinson. Aye. Mrs. Kilgore. Aye. And chair votes aye. In case number 2546, the chair will entertain a motion to revoke the license of Thomas Dermharder.

[03:38:29] So moved. Is there a second? Second. Roll call. Dr. Bridges? Aye. Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Mrs. Kilgore? Aye. And Chair Rhoads, aye.

[03:38:47] I think that's it. Okay, that concludes our actions for today. I will entertain, let me see, actually, what do I do now? I have a motion. Oh, I would like to entertain a motion to go to closed session.

[03:39:04] I move that the Virginia Board of Education convene in a closed meeting for the following purposes, consultation with legal counsel employed by or retained by a public body regarding specific legal matters requiring a provision of legal advice by such counsel pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A8 of the Code of Virginia and the legal counsel to Virginia Board of Education and staff whose presence will aid in the board's consideration of this matter participate in the closed meeting.

[03:39:34] Is there a second to motion? Okay. Roll call. Dr. Bridges? Aye. Mr. Hanson? Aye. Dr. Northern? Aye. Mr. Robinson? Aye. Mrs. Kilgore? Aye. And chair votes aye. We will now go into closed session.

[03:39:50] We convene today in a closed meeting pursuant to a recorded vote on the motion above and in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.

[03:59:21] Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires that the board certify that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempt from open meeting requirements under this chapter, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered.

[03:59:41] Any member who believes there was a departure from these requirements shall show state prior to the vote indicating the substance of the departure that in his or her judgment has taken place. The statement of the departure will be recorded in the minutes.

[03:59:56] - So moved. - Aye. - Mr. Hansen? - Aye.

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