State Articles of Interest
Mentors can improve student achievement | The Farmville Herald
School board looking to increase public participation in meetings | News | cbs19news.com
Spanberger names former Hampton superintendent as secretary of education
Richmond schools show progress under new VDOE grading system | WRIC ABC 8News
National Articles of Interest
School shootings dropped in 2025. Here’s what to know for 2026. | K-12 Dive
Increasing rates of student loneliness present challenge for schools | K-12 Dive
Lawsuits challenge $60M cancellation of community schools grants | K-12 Dive
Can schools handle federal calls for fewer ultra-processed foods? | K-12 Dive
DOE Updates
10 Items to Know from Last Week’s Board of Education Meeting
? The Board appointed Member Mashea Ashton to serve as President and welcomed new member Marc Carraway to the Board. ? Thank you to former President and Board member Grace Creasey for her service to Virginia’s students, families, and educators.- ? The Board successfully exceeded EO19 goals and successfully repealed or streamlined 19 regulatory chapters, eliminated 3,527 discretionary regulatory requirements for a 62.69% total reduction, de-activated 50 guidance documents, and removed 438,496 words or 28.75% of the 2022 baseline. Moving forward, the Department will set up an Office of Regulatory Management to continue this effort into the new administration in partnership with the Board.
- ? The Board unanimously approved of adding Advanced Placement Business with Personal Finance as a course to count for the graduation requirements of Economics and Personal Finance. Divisions had expressed interest in offering this course in the 2026-2027 school year and this course will provide students greater flexibility to meet graduation requirements.
- ? The Board has requested additional input by the newly established CTE Advisory Committee to the Board and for a tiered CTE Industry Recognized Credentials list ahead of the March 26 Business Meeting prior to taking a final vote. Interested in providing input? Submit to VDOE.CTE@doe.virginia.gov.
- ? NEW opportunities to provide input for the Board will be up later this week on VDOE’s website and information on how to provide input will be shared in the newsletter later this week on two items: 1) the draft amendments to the strategic plan and 2) Every Student Success Act state plan modifications.
- ?? Two new School Construction Assistance Program grants were unanimously awarded by the Board with reallocated funds to support Sussex Central High School in Sussex County Public School Division and Petersburg High School in Petersburg City Public School Division. SAVE THE DATE: The next SCAP application window will open in March 2026.
- ? The Board approved of revisions to the Reading Specialist Endorsement regulation to align with requirements defined by the Virginia Literacy Act.
- ? The Board reviewed proposed changes to the Board-Approved Textbook and High-Quality Instructional Materials process which was last updated in 2011. Final consideration will be at the March 26 Board meeting.
- The Board received a written update on teacher licenses, which show high-quality teacher candidates and divisions are utilizing additional pathways to staff their classrooms.
- The Board received a written update and presentation on History and Social Science instructional guides and professional learning opportunities, including new resources that are available for teachers ahead of the spring semester.
Governor Youngkin’s Amended FY 2026 and Introduced 2026-2028 Biennial Budgets & Calculation TemplatesOn December 17, 2025, Governor Youngkin presented his amended FY 2026 budget and his introduced 2026-2028 biennial budget before a joint session of the Senate Finance and Appropriations, the House Appropriations, and the House Finance committees. The Governor’s budgets will be considered by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly, which is scheduled to convene on January 14, 2026. The amended FY 2026 budget is comprised primarily of technical updates to Direct Aid Programs. The Virginia Department of Education published calculations templates and budget information related to the Governor’s amended FY 2026 budget and introduced 2026-2028 biennial budget. Information can be found on the Virginia Department of Education website.
