State Articles of Interest 

Evolv-ing security measures: Spotsylvania adds weapons detection system to high school stadiums – Fredericksburg Free Press

Staunton City Schools weighs in on potential raising of SOL cut scores – Rocktown Now

Fairfax County becomes 1st Virginia school district to start using FBI background check program – WTOP News

Alexandria schools clarify no federal funds withheld despite ‘high-risk’ status | ALXnow

Prop[osed Raised SOL Scores Concern School Officials

Virginia senators demand Education Department restore funding to Northern Virginia schools | ALXnow

Virginia DOE warns teachers who praised Charlie Kirk shooting could lose licenses; Newport News employee on administrative leave

National Articles of Interest

Rising Leaders: 10 standout assistant principals and district leaders you should know in 2025-26 | K-12 Dive

How to fix the stubborn decline in math achievement | K-12 Dive

American satisfaction with K-12 hits record low — but parents tell a different story

How to help students build metacognitive skills | K-12 Dive

The K12-to-college pipeline is rockier for high-poverty students | K-12 Dive

What does the MAHA strategy mean for school meals? | K-12 Dive

State Articles of Interest 

Arlington Public Schools launches new pilot program after parent push

RCPS Leaders Report Early Success with New High School Cell Phone Policy — Parents, Teachers Weigh In

COVID babies are now in kindergarten; how Norfolk Public Schools prepared for them | WAVY.com

APS seeks to help more students earn college degrees while in high school | ARLnow.com

National Articles of Interest

Energy Department withdraws controversial Title IX athletics rule | K-12 Dive

NAEP results

House panel approves 26% cut to Title I funding for FY26 | K-12 Dive

States struggle with increase in special education complaints | K-12 Dive

Educators join lawsuit challenging Trump policy after ‘violent ICE enforcement’ | K-12 Dive

DOJ to crack down on ‘rise in abusive conduct’ against parents | K-12 Dive

5 takeaways from another round of disappointing NAEP results | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates VDOE Virginia Literacy Act Updates
This year, school divisions will continue to implement the requirements of Virginia Literacy?Act?by expanding literacy supports and interventions in Grades 4-8. To support the continued implementation, VDOE?has?released?an?extensive Literacy Update. The updates will be released on a quarterly basis to provide school divisions with just-in-time support. Educators at the elementary and middle school levels are encouraged to read more about these updates from VDOE.

State Articles of Interest 

Waynesboro educator’s participation in DOE program provides kits for other teachers

‘They met those high expectations:’ Va. educators praise improved test scores, attendance

Henrico School Board to discuss results, expansion of new mental health program at Aug. 28 meeting

Teacher Wellness Space

Charlottesville May Bring Back SRO’s

National Articles of Interest

These 4 trends are shaping the 2025-26 school year | K-12 Dive

6 ways administrators are handling cellphone bans in the new school year | K-12 Dive                         

Charter school expansion slows amid closures, low enrollment, report says | K-12 Dive

How can districts help families navigate rising school supply costs? | K-12 Dive

Severe weather eroding school finances and learning | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates 

STEM Professional Learning Series

The Offices of STEM is pleased to announce a fall professional learning series designed to support the implementation of the 2023 Mathematics Standards of Learning, the 2024 Computer Science Standards of Learning, and the 2018 Science Standards of Learning, utilizing an integrated instructional approach. The first one-hour webinar will be held on September 10 at 4 p.m. The topic is Making the Most of Instruction Using an Integrated STEM Approach to Learning.  In this session, attendees will learn more about the standards and VDOE instructional resources and how these resources can inform discipline instruction. Registration is now open!

Free College Board Fall Counselor Workshops

These free workshops are available for Virginia educators.  There will be two in-person events in Virginia this September. Join at either George Mason University or the University of Richmond to gain valuable insights, resources, and strategies to support your students during the 2025–26 school year.

State Articles of Interest 

Chesterfield schools demonstrate new weapons scanners

Survey finds gaps in use of top-tier teaching tools across Virginia

Botetourt County Schools outline new random drug testing policy

Campbell County Schools introduce AI and wellness program for new school year

Amherst County schools to introduce AI regulations for new school year

Smart Security: AI Cameras Take Aim at School Safety in Salem

National Articles of Interest

Federal judge halts Education Department’s anti-DEI measures | K-12 Dive

3 risk factors making states vulnerable to federal funding cuts | K-12 Dive

Federal judge stands by order requiring OCR be restored | K-12 Dive

The Importance of Music Education

Trump ICE policies create student trauma — but schools can help, researchers say | K-12 Dive

7th Circuit revives Christian teacher’s religious accommodation claim | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates 

Free Zearn Training for Virginia Teachers and Leaders 

Article: 2025-30-404
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Vickie Bohidar, Mathematics Coordinator, Victoria.Bohidar@doe.virginia.gov

ALL In Tutoring continues through 2025-2026, including the use of Zearn in mathematics, with 104 school divisions opting into this statewide personalized tutoring option. During the school year, all school divisions can receive live training from the Zearn team at no cost to support strong implementation and drive impact with students. School division leaders should contact their Zearn representative to schedule live training for teachers and leaders.? 

Additionally, all educators whose school divisions have opted into Zearn Math can access Zearn’s on-demand Curriculum Study PD content at no cost, directly from their Zearn account. Each session reviews teaching strategies related to specific math objectives, supporting educators in planning instruction that engages all learners. Explore PD with Zearn. 

2026 Virginia Outstanding Middle and High School Principals and Assistant Principals of Virginia Award

Article: 2025-30-406
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Olivia Hampton, ohampton@vassp.org

The Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals annually recognizes four outstanding school leaders in Virginia – one outstanding middle school principal and one outstanding high school principal; one outstanding middle school assistant principal and one outstanding high school assistant principal – who have demonstrated success in leadership, curriculum, personalization and contributions to the profession. Their interactions with fellow administrators, teachers, students and parents impact education and student achievement in exceptional ways.

Do you have an outstanding school leader that you would like to recommend for recognition? Specifically, someone who has demonstrated impactful efforts for at least three years; who led a major project or program for the betterment of their school or division; or who strategically included stakeholders in unique and insightful ways.

VASSP is now accepting recommendations until October 1 for candidates who display these strong attributes as school leaders. 

All recommendations are sent directly to the VASSP Principal Awards Committee for initial review. Selected principals and assistant principals will be formally invited in October to apply for the award. After a thorough screening process, including personal interviews, names of finalists are submitted to the VASSP Board of Directors for final approval.

Once selected, the Outstanding High School Principal of Virginia, Outstanding Middle School Principal of Virginia, along with the Outstanding Middle School Assistant Principal of Virginia and Outstanding High School Assistant Principal of Virginia will be recognized at the 2026 Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference & Exposition. Use this form to recommend a principal and/or assistant principal today!

Draft 2025 Expanded High School Science Standards of Learning 

On July 31, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education held first review for the draft 2025 Expanded High School Science SOL. The draft describes the Commonwealth’s expectations for student learning and achievement in eleven high school science courses that are approved by the Board but do not have current academic standards. The 2018 Science SOL for Kindergarten – Physics remain unchanged in content and practices. The Board is accepting public comment on the draft Expanded High School science standards.More information is available from VDOE. 

Free College Board Fall Counselor WorkshopsThese free workshops are available for Virginia educators.  There will be two in-person events in Virginia this September. Join at either George Mason University or the University of Richmond to gain valuable insights, resources, and strategies to support your students during the 2025–26 school year.

This will be the last Member Update of the 2024-25 school year. We will return on August 11, 2025. Have a great summer!

State Articles of Interest 

ACPS announces new partnership with NOVA for Health Sciences Academy | ALXnow

Youngkin issues executive order to combat antisemitism in Virginia schools

RPS aims to get more licensed teachers in classrooms

VBCPS superintendent weighs in on recent suspension of DEI policies

Record number of students complete Chesterfield Recovery Academy

Full-time online learning for Virginia Beach 6-12 graders | WAVY.com

National Articles of Interest

3 things to know from Linda McMahon’s FY 2026 testimony | K-12 Dive

California agrees to include religious schools as special education placements | K-12 Dive

Despite growth, average teacher salaries lag behind inflation | K-12 Dive

Specialized charter schools need to ensure inclusive practices, report says | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates 

“Before, During, and After Crisis Management” Training Opportunity

Article: 2025-20-268
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Childcare Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff, Crisis Management Team Members
Contact: Center for School and Campus Safety and Crisis Management Supervisor, Shellie Evers, Shellie.Evers@dcjs.virginia.gov, (804) 629-7042?

Provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, this training offers division and school administrators, emergency managers, crisis team members, and school security staff unique opportunities to collaborate with first responders and subject matter experts to enhance existing plans just in time for the August 31 annual Crisis Management Plan certification and the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

Attendees will gain a unified understanding of current best practices, implications of new legislation, and develop the tools needed to address questions that may arise when discussing potential crises in schools.

Three opportunities are offered to participate: 

• June 2, 2025: King William High School, 80 Cavalier Drive, King William, VA 23086 
• June 3, 2025: Petersburg High School, 3101 Johnson Road, Petersburg, VA 23805 
• June 4, 2025: Russell County Government Center, 139 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266 

Additional information and registration links can be located on the “Before, During, and After All Hazards Crisis Planning for Schools” webpage.

Planning for Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) 4-8 Implementation

Article: 2025-20-262
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Jill Nogueras, Associate Director of K-12 English & Literacy, Jill.Nogueras@doe.virginia.gov

As divisions are planning for the 2025-2026 school year, and year two of VLA implementation to include the legislative expansion through grade eight, the Virginia Department of Education will continue to provide updates regarding pertinent information for Grades 4-8. As additional decisions are made, information will be shared with the field.? 

To date, the following information can be utilized by divisions to plan for VLA 4-8 implementation: ? 

• Students who score in the basic or below basic range on the end of year Standards of Learning assessment for reading (grades 3-7 in the current school year) will be screened using the VALLSS 4-8 screener in the fall of the following school year. These students will also have individual student reading plans to support their literacy intervention and development.
  
• Teachers may administer VALLSS: 4-8 to students who are not required to participate. The decision to administer VALLSS: 4-8 to students who are not required to participate will be a school level decision. Parents may also request that their child be screened, regardless of the student’s SOL score.
  
• In grades 4-8, local school divisions may determine how schools meet the additional instruction time for intervention. There is not a time requirement for intervention instruction as there is with grades kindergarten through grade three through the Early Intervention Reading Initiative. Local intervention decisions will depend on the master schedule, staffing, resources available, and individual student’s needs. School divisions have flexibility and can use a combination of any of the options included below to ensure that students receive literacy intervention. This is an opportunity for middle school grade level teams to collaborate and determine the best interventions and supports for students.?Intervention may include the following services for the student:
  • instruction from a reading specialist, trained aide, computer-based reading tutorial program, or classroom teacher with support from an aide,????
  • extended instructional time in the school day or school year,???
  • an additional literacy course, outside of the required SOL English course, that provides the specific evidence-based literacy instruction identified in the student’s reading plan (optional for grades 6-8).?
• Intervention materials for grades K-8 must be selected from the Board Approved Intervention List for K-5 and the  Board Approved Intervention List for Grades 6-8.?
  
• Any student who receives intervention services will require a Student Reading Plan (SRP). The SRP for grades 4-8 is currently in development, however, like the SRP template for grades K-3, the plan will target the specific needs of the student.
  ?
• A reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives reading intervention services, shall develop, oversee implementation of, and monitor student progress on a student reading plan.??School divisions may employ certified reading specialists or educators who have successfully completed the Reading Specialist microcredential course and received the add-on endorsement. Any add-on endorsement that results from completion of such microcredential program shall be provisional for a period of five years.
  • Reading specialists are SOQ funded. Division literacy leaders should collaborate with division finance personnel to determine how many reading specialists are allocated at the secondary level to meet the 1:1100 requirement of the Virginia Literacy Act.?
• Local school divisions may establish additional communication and protocols regarding division-level decisions around participation in the?VALLSS Screener, Student Reading Plan, or intervention services. Parents may opt their student out of these services.
  
• Updated Biennial Division Literacy Plans are due June 30, 2025. Divisions will need to identify selected supplemental and intervention materials for Grade 6-8. Additionally, divisions will update their plans to include communication planning, training, monitoring student progress, assessing division level progress, and engaging parents, caregivers, and community in grades K-8.? ?? 

Divisions should send any questions to vla@doe.virginia.gov  for consideration and to share as more information as it becomes available.

State Articles of Interest 

Salem to implement AI weapons detection system at high school

ACPS sees big hike in employee health care costs | News | cbs19news.com

Waynesboro Schools makes volunteer application process digital, more efficient

New outdoor space works to connect students with nature

$250 fines begin for passing stopped school buses in Fairfax County

Virginia overhauls SOL testing to boost student achievement

Henrico teachers now will be paid for certain extracurricular work, lost planning time

Fairfax Co. school leaders adopt a compromise on student cellphone use – WTOP News

National Articles of Interest

How much does chronic absenteeism cost communities? | K-12 Dive

3 takeaways from House debate on charter schools | K-12 Dive

Federal private school choice program advanced by House committee | K-12 Dive

Math Gap

States lead the charge in expanding private school voucher programs | K-12 Dive

No quick fix: How can schools make real change to overcome student underachievement?

DOE Updates 

History and Social Science Professional Learning Webinars for Division Leaders and Teachers

Article: 2025-19-252
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 professional learning to support the implementation of the instructional guides. Interested Candidates must register in advance for the sessions specific to either division leaders or teachers.  

Sessions for Division Leaders: The focus of these sessions will be on inquiry-based learning practices and concepts such as active learning, scaffolding, questioning, reading for investigation and research, predictions, information source analysis, writing for discussion and communication, and checking for understanding. 

Registration link – 2023 History and Social Science Standards of LearningInstructional Guides Overview for History and Social Science Leaders 

• Option 1: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (10-11 a.m.)  
• Option 2: Thursday, May 22, 2025 (1-2 p.m.) 

Registration link – Inquiry-based Learning 

• Sessions will be held the second Tuesday of each month beginning June 10, 2025, through December 9, 2025, 10-11 a.m. 

Sessions for Teachers: The VDOE will work with educators by course to teach, discuss, and learn about the instructional implications of the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. These meetings are meant to provide a forum for collaboration and will provide a scaffolded approach in various stages of inquiry-based learning. Educators will have two opportunities to attend sessions of their choice to accommodate their division and personal schedules. The topics for each week/day will be as follows:  

Registration link 

• Option 1: Week of June 23, 2025  
• Option 2: Week of August 18, 2025

Further announcements of professional learning offerings will be provided in upcoming Virginia Education Update newsletters.   

Section 504 Best Practices Webinar 

Article: 2025-19-251
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Non-teaching staff, School-based mental health professionals
Contact: Alexandra Javna, School Social Work Specialist,Alexandra.Javna@doe.virginia.gov

The Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety is hosting the Section 504 Best Practices webinar Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 9 to 10 a.m. The presentation will provide information on the legal requirements for Section 504, how to utilize data to make productive decisions related to common Section 504 practices, how to write appropriate and data driven accommodations, and how to facilitate a good meeting. 

Those interested in attending can register via the Section 504 Best Practices registration form. A recording will be made available to all registrants.

Release of History and Social Science Instructional Guides Status Update – Grade 4 and Virginia Studies and United States History!

Article: 2025-19-248
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 4 and World History and Virginia Studies and United States History will be released this week with the dynamic and interactive components. At the conclusion of this week, all History and Social Science Instructional Guides will have been released to the field.

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

Advanced Placement Participant GrantsThese grants are available to AP teachers who are teaching one of the following courses in the 2025-2026 school year: AP African American Studies, AP Precalculus, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Seminar.  Participant grants support the tuition cost of an in-person or virtual Advanced Placement Summer Institute in June, July, or August. Additional information on how to apply is available in this flyer.

State Articles of Interest 

Virginia teachers struggle to keep up as history guide rollout lags

Fairfax County teachers’ union blames supervisors after budget crushes labor agreement | FFXnow

RPS, bus drivers clash over alleged strike and firing of five employees

Virginia Beach school board keeps anti-DEI policy

Move to disband LCPS Equity Committee rejected | 1local | loudountimes.com

Virginia sees spike in superintendent turnover – Axios Richmond

SPS to increase bus safety protocol – The Suffolk News-Herald

Youngkin signs bill to limit social media for kids under 16 | wusa9.com

National Articles of Interest

What’s needed to strengthen career and college pathway commitments? | K-12 Dive

Denver Public Schools gets the OK to award associate degrees | K-12 Dive

Senate approves repeal of E-rate Wi-Fi hotspots for schools, libraries | K-12 Dive

Judge orders Education Department to restore COVID spending extensions | K-12 Dive

Federal DEI Cuts and Mental Health Services

Should computer science be required to graduate? These CEOs say yes. | K-12 Dive

How educators can account for student anxiety during lessons | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates

Share Your Voice: Phones in Focus Educator Survey

Article: 2025-18-230
Audience: Superintendents, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Jeremy Raley, Chief of Staff, Jeremy.Raley@doe.virginia.gov

We are encouraging educators across the Commonwealth to share your thoughts in this national survey from Phones in Focus. This non-partisan research is led by the psychologist Angela Duckworth (University of Pennsylvania) and the economists Hunt Allcott and Matt Gentzkow (Stanford University) and is focused on providing school division superintendents and principals with evidence-based recommendations for school phone policies that optimally support academic learning, healthy social relationships, and emotional well-being. The Phones In Focus survey asks educators about their current and prior cell phone policies and enforcement. This data allows state and school division decision makers get a better understanding of school cell phone policies and their implementation across the Commonwealth. 

Section 504 Best Practices Webinar 

Article: 2025-18-233
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Non-teaching staff, School-based mental health professionals
Contact: Alexandra Javna, School Social Work Specialist, Alexandra.Javna@doe.virginia.gov

The Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety is hosting the Section 504 Best Practices webinar Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 9 to 10 a.m. The presentation will provide information on the legal requirements for Section 504, how to utilize data to make good decisions related to common Section 504 practices, how to write appropriate and data driven accommodations, and how to facilitate a good meeting. 

Those interested in attending can register via the Section 504 Best Practices registration form. A recording will be made available to all registrants.

Equating for Math and Reading End-of-Course is Complete

Article: 2025-18-226
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, DDOTs
Contact: Office of Assessment, 804-225-2102, Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov

Test results for the End-of-Course Reading (2024), Algebra 1 (2023), Algebra 2 (2023), and Geometry (2023) Standards of Learning (SOL) tests administered during the Spring 2025 Non-Writing Test Administration are starting to populate in the On-Demand Reports. Additional student results will continue to populate in On-Demand Reports throughout the day and remainder of the test window.  

These test results will appear in the remaining Pre-ATR Reports, including the Student Data Extract files, posted on Monday, May 12, 2025. Test records with outstanding student test alerts will not appear in any reports or extract files until the next regularly scheduled data re-fresh after the test alerts are resolved.   

As a reminder, On-Demand Reports for Non-Writing test forms that have been equated are available within 24 hours. Student Data Extracts for Non-Writing tests refresh nightly until the test administration is closed. Student Detail by Question Reports and Parent Reports are refreshed weekly by Monday morning until the test administration is closed. 

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:

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.

State Articles of Interest 

Roanoke County School Board to discuss bullying policies following student’s tragic death

Virginia Beach School Board votes to suspend DEI policies in resolution not included on meeting agenda

One Henrico school adjusts cell phone rules amid ‘issues’

Charlottesvile City Schools implement school zone speed cameras | News | cbs19news.com        

Chesterfield schools launching 911 dispatcher program for students

Students to offer free income tax preparation at Powhatan High School | WRIC ABC 8News

National Articles of Interest

Here’s what alternative grading models could look like | K-12 Dive

Teens are embracing AI — but largely not for cheating, survey finds | K-12 Dive

‘Let’s shake it up’: Linda McMahon defends massive cuts at Education Department | Higher Ed Dive

Gaps in teacher prep blamed as one root cause for math performance woes | K-12 Dive

Do superintendents seem younger? It’s not your imagination.

DOE Updates

History and Social Science Instructional Update

On March 26, 2025, VDOE staff provided an update on the History and Social Science Instructional Guides to the Board of Education.  The Standards implementation remains on track and underway. Check out the roll out plan and calendar and the release of the History and Social Science  instructional guides.

Tips for Working with Families of MLS with Disabilities
Engaging with families of multilingual learners with disabilities is a vital step in creating a supportive classroom environment. Educator Brighid Finley shares her advice for working with MLs with disabilities and their families. Read more today!School Library Month
A school library is an essential component in supporting each school’s instructional program by providing a variety of learning and teaching resources supporting academic standards and information literacy skills. Governor Youngkin issued a Proclamation recognizing the importance that they play in tackling unprecedented learning loss in reading. The full potential of school libraries is dependent upon trained professional Virginia School Librarians whose skills assist teachers and students in effectively using a wide range of information resources. VDOE encourages all Virginians to recognize and appreciate the contributions of school libraries and librarians in their communities. Thank you School Librarians!

State Articles of Interest 

Norfolk School Board split on textbook effectiveness amid budget process

Loudoun School Administrators Prepare AI Regulations for Students | Education | loudounnow.com

ACPS restarts collective bargaining process as Alexandria renews agreements with police, fire and technical staff | ALXnow

‘Stretched beyond our limits’ – Henrico teachers detail hours of unpaid work

Collective bargaining may be on the way in Manassas City Public Schools     

Cardiac Emergency Plan for Schools now Required

Partnership aims to help people earn teaching licenses | News | cbs19news.com

Charlottesville School Board approves collective bargaining agreement with teachers

VA Board of Education moves to raise bar to pass state tests

Charlottesville to bring back school resource officers

National Articles of Interest

Districts encouraged to use Title I flexibility for school choice | K-12 Dive

Districts encouraged to use Title I flexibility for school choice | K-12 Dive

Special education cuts will have ‘immense harm,’ Democrats say | K-12 Dive

Federal Funding and the DEI Push

‘It was so freeing’: How a cellphone ban is changing life at a Virginia high school | CNN

House panel weighs AI’s pitfalls, potential as Education Dept cuts loom large | K-12 Dive

Career education evolves to meet emerging technology demands | K-12 Dive

How project-based learning can enhance student engagement | K-12 Dive

DOE Updates

Board Approved Additional Textbook and Instructional Materials for K-12 Mathematics

Article: 2025-13-137

Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers

Contact: Victoria Bohidar, Mathematics Coordinator, Victoria.Bohidar@doe.virginia.gov

On March 27, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education received the Final Review of Additional Proposed State Approved Textbooks for K-12 Mathematics and Instructional Materials.?The Board of Education took action to approve the list of proposed mathematics textbooks and instructional materials.?The Department of Education has published a consolidated list of approved textbooks on its?Mathematics Textbook and Instructional Materials Review | Virginia Department of Education webpage.??? 

The?Code of Virginia?permits local school boards to use textbooks not approved by the Virginia Board of Education.?If a local school board opts to use a textbook not approved by the Board of Education, a local textbook review process should be conducted that includes components similar to the state-level review with a focus on High-Quality materials.?The?Guidelines for Local Textbook Approval, updated by the Board of Education in September 2011, provide additional information.?? 

A comprehensive overview of the current textbook review process, along with the Regulations Governing Local School Boards and School Divisions, are available in?Virginia’s Textbook Review Process.

Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission Opportunity

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, VDOE, and VA250 invite students to help make history come alive and enter the Expressions of Freedom competition. This is an opportunity for grade 3-12 students to share their ideas and perspectives through artwork, videos, audio recordings, poetry or essays in response to the question, “What does Freedom mean to you?”??Selected student work will be placed in a time capsule in the restored pedestal of the statue of George Washington located in historic Trafalgar Square, London, England. Submissions are due by April 11.

Vocabulary DevelopmentClassrooms across the state are encouraging students to dive into the world of words through engaging in reading multiple genres and a variety of texts around a thematic topic or theme.  As educators are working with families to enhance student vocabulary, you may want to share a variety of instructional approaches that have students engaged in authentic text including Read Alouds, Conversations and Questions, Cross-Curricular Vocabulary, Writing Assignments, Independent Reading, and Explicit Vocabulary Instruction. Continue to encourage families to utilize the resources found on the VDOE website as well as the “Family Supports for Reading” in the Resource Hub.