GRAVES NAMED CHAIR OF BEACH SCHOOLS' COMPASS TO 2015

Bill Graves, dean of Old Dominion University's Darden College of Education, has been named chair of Virginia Beach City Public Schools' Strategic Planning Steering Committee: Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success.

The committee will review community input, division achievement data, trends impacting education and future challenges to be met.

James Merrill, superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, said, "Our school board has set as one of its highest priorities the review and revision of our strategic plan. While we know that Virginia Beach City Public Schools offers an array of high-quality educational programs, we also believe in the wisdom of continuous improvement. Consequently, we are embarking upon a comprehensive strategic planning process that we are calling Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success.

"A plan as important as this must be shaped with input from our stakeholders. I am pleased that Dr. Graves has agreed to serve as the chair of the Steering Committee that will guide this effort. His experiences in various local, state and national leadership positions will bring a perspective on P-16 education that will add value to the committee's work," Merrill said.

"As dean of the Darden College of Education, he is also familiar with the needs and aspirations of our students, teachers and school leaders who pursue their degrees through Old Dominion University. Finally, he shares a commitment to building consensus among our stakeholders about how we can help our students and school division achieve greater success in the future," Merrill added.