State Articles of Interest
Charlottesville-area schools paying teachers more than state average
National ranking shows despite hike, Virginia teachers’ pay is stagnant compared to other states.
Winchester School Board OKs $750 retention bonus, pending final state budget
Henrico schools to provide ‘vetted’ resources on subjects deemed controversial
Smile Programs brings dental care to SCPS – The Tidewater News
Albemarle County Schools Plan New Centers, Expand Student Support – Cville Right Now
National Articles of Interest
Trump’s FY26 budget would slash more than $4.5B from K-12
Need for high-dosage tutoring remains after ESSER funds end | K-12 Dive
Pencils down: AP Exams will mostly be delivered online this testing season | K-12 Dive
Charter School Supreme Court Case
What’s next for the registered teacher apprenticeship movement? | K-12 Dive
Congress passes bill criminalizing illicit deepfakes as students are targeted | K-12 Dive
DOE Updates
Release of History and Social Science Instructional Guides Status Update – Grade 3 and World History and Geography: 1500 to the Present!
Article: 2025-17-212
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, vdoe.hss@doe.virginia.gov
The History and Social Science department at VDOE is pleased to announce the release of the history and social science instructional guides. Instructional guides are companion documents to the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning – amplifying each standard by defining the core knowledge and skills in practice, supporting teachers and their instruction, and serving to transition classroom instruction from the 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning to the newly adopted standards. The local History and Social Science curriculum should include a variety of information sources, readings, learning experiences, and forms of assessment selected to create a rigorous instructional program.
Instructional guides include five distinct sections, now inclusive of dynamic and interactive components: Changes and Revisions, Understanding the Standard, Supporting Questions, Skills in Practice, and Concepts and Connections aligned to each standard.
Grade 3 and World History and Geography to 1500 will be released this week with the dynamic and interactive components. Next week, the following instructional guides will be released:
| Grade Level/Course Grouping | Date |
| Grade 2 | Week of May 5, 2025 |
| Grade 10 – World History and Geography: 1500 to the Present | Week of May 5, 2025 |
Educators should continue to monitor the History and Social Science webpage for additional information. Department staff will provide regional professional learning sessions through multiple means to ensure that teachers and those that support them (e.g., principals, central office personnel, directors) will learn about the purpose, intention, structure, content, and context for implementation. Further announcements of such training will be provided in upcoming Virginia Education Update newsletters.
Summer Teacher PD Opportunities
The Valentine Museum in Richmond is excited to share several Teacher Professional Development opportunities this Summer:
–July 8: Landmarks and Legos!
–July 9: Social Studies Boot Camp: US History – 1865
–July 23: Social Studies Boot Camp 1865-Present
Additional information along with other events can be found on the museum website.
