Dogwood Daily: Virginia teachers increasingly rely on crowdfunding to buy school supplies

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But First…

The gap between what men and women earn in Virginia has shrunk by only 4 cents over the last 20 years, according to a new report from the National Women’s Law Center. 

5 Things you need to know today

1. Virginia teachers increasingly rely on crowdfunding to buy school supplies – Teachers in Hampton Roads have turned to crowdfunding websites after failing to receive enough funding for school supplies. As teachers struggle to receive adequate support, they have launched campaigns on websites like GoFundMe, DonorsChoose, and Amazon to help fill the gaps. In Norfolk alone, there have been about 1,700 projects funded through DonorsChoose since 2007. – Daily Press
   
   
2. Virginia fined more than $3.8 million by the federal government for SNAP errors – The federal government is fining the Virginia Department of Social Services more than $3.8 million over its high rate of payment errors in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the past two fiscal years. Virginia’s DSS had an error rate of 9.6%, compared to the national average error rate of 6.5%. An internal audit of the DSS found several causes for the high error rate, including high turnover, local government budget cuts, a need for training, and high caseloads for DSS employees. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
3. National gun safety group pours money into Virginia elections– Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that organizes against gun violence, has launched a campaign against Virginia Republicans. The group is expected to spend $2.5 million in advertising this year, targeting suburban swing districts currently represented by Republicans. Virginia Republicans have long opposed new gun safety legislation, ending the General Assembly’s July special session on the subject after just 90 minutes. “We have one simple goal: Hold gun lobby lawmakers accountable for their choices,” John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety, said. – The Washington Post
   
   
4. Valuing Black Lives Summit confronts racism in U.S. History – The Community Healing Network, an organization that aims to confront the myth of black inferiority, held its annual Valuing Black Lives Summit in Richmond this week, during which attendees addressed the issue of racism. Christy Coleman, CEO of the American Civil War Museum, appeared on a panel and spoke about the importance of telling the full history of America, especially in places that may not be receptive to it. This year’s three-day event commemorates the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to English North America 400 years ago. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
5. Renewable energy companies triumph in case against Dominion – Two renewable energy companies, Direct Energy and Calpine, earned a victory on Wednesday, when the State Corporation Commission ruled that they could begin processing orders from Dominion Energy customers. Dominion had previously blocked the companies from signing up their existing customers. While the outcome is a victory for renewable energy, the companies’ futures will remain unclear until the commission rules on a more complicated case that will decide what “100 percent renewable energy” is and whether those companies are selling it. – The Virginia Mercury

From the Gram