For-profit teacher training falls short on special ed and more Va. headlines

• Education officials convinced a state board to approve a partnership with a for-profit teacher training company even though a review had already determined the company’s special education courses didn’t meet state standards.—Richmond Times-Dispatch

• Court testimony began this week in a trial over whether Loudoun County’s former school superintendent retaliated against a special education teacher who says she was fired for airing concerns about being repeatedly groped by a student.—Loudoun Times-Mirror

• The Virginia Beach School Board delayed making a decision on how to handle Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed policies for transgender students.—Virginian-Pilot

• Emergency room visits are taking longer in Virginia, hitting a median time of 2 hours and 52 minutes after a steady increase from the pre-pandemic years.—Axios

• A developer wants to convert an old hydroelectric power plant in downtown Richmond into a pickleball and “racquet sports” venue.—Richmond BizSense