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View this message online
 #2025-26 | Update for July 17, 2025
Latest Federal Updates:
This Week's To-Dos:
Meeting Workforce Needs:
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Latest Federal Updates
SAVE THE DATES: Lunch & Learn Series - Federal Grants Strategies and Solutions
Article: 2025-26-353
Audience: Superintendents, School Division Finance Directors, School Finance Staff
VDOE will host a series of lunch and learns to support superintendents, school finance officials, and relevant grant staff with strategies, best practices, and technical supports for existing federal grants. Save the date for the following webinar sessions:
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July 29, 12 - 1 p.m.
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August 21, 12 - 1 p.m.
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September 11, 12 - 1 p.m.
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Supreme Court of the United States Decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor
Article: 2025-26-354
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Melissa K. Velazquez, Assistant Superintendent of Government Relations, Melissa.Velazquez@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education encourages all school divisions to review with their legal counsel their policies on parental rights to opt their children out of certain instruction in light of the recent Supreme Court of the United States decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. This recent decision involves a Maryland county school board’s introduction of LGBTQ+-inclusive texts and storybooks into the public school curriculum. “The Board suggested ‘that teachers incorporate the new texts into the curriculum in the same way that other books are used, namely, to put them on a shelf for students to find on their own; to recommend a book to a student who would enjoy it; to offer the books as an option for literature circles, book clubs, or paired reading groups; or to use them as a read aloud’.” The Board also set the “expectation that teachers use the LGBTQ-Inclusive Books as part of instruction.”
Several parents in Montgomery County, Maryland requested to have their children excused from instruction involving those storybooks. While the County school board initially accommodated parental requests to receive notice and opt their children out of instruction using the storybooks, later the Board rescinded the parental notice and opt out policy as too disruptive to the classroom environment due to the volume of opt out requests. A group of parents from diverse religious backgrounds brought suit asserting that the County school board’s no-opt-out policy infringed on parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion. The parents sought a preliminary and permanent injunction “prohibiting the School Board from forcing [their] children and other students—over the objection of their parents—to read, listen to, or discuss” the storybooks. The Court held in favor of the parents determining that “the Board’s policies unconstitutionally burden their religious exercise.”
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Superintendent's Message
A Model Built on Parent Demand
Virginia has built a nation-leading model where public and private birth-to-five early childhood providers work together to deliver high standards of care and learning. Over the last few weeks, members of the General Assembly have called to share about attending national convenings where they got to proudly say "Virginia already does that!" and "Virginia already has that!" to the policy recommendations for early childhood that are helping to prepare all Virginia children for kindergarten.
With the historic $1.2 billion state and federal investment in FY25, Virginia was able to maximize the Governor’s Building Blocks for Virginia Families initiative and for the first time Virginia ensured that every single dollar was used to fund slots for children in response to family choice. This means 23,526 children participated in Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) (a 5% increase from the previous year), 2,738 children benefited from Mixed Delivery (a 6% increase from the previous year), and enrollment in Child Care Subsidy Program reached a historic high of 43,500 infants, toddlers, and children (7% increase). Overall two-thirds of families chose private settings, benefiting working parents who needed full-day, full-year options.
From church-based preschools and private care centers to in-home providers and public Pre-K in schools, Virginia's birth-to-five early childhood system reflects what parents have consistently asked for: choice, flexibility, and quality. Families aren't looking for a one-size-fits-all solution from Richmond. They want a system that respects their values, supports their schedules, and gives their children the best possible start. Parents must have quality options, data, and information to choose quality and the ability to pay. What makes this marketplace effective is its responsiveness to parent demand and dollars following children.
The success of Virginia's robust public-private marketplace lies in its options and key infrastructure, including an accountability system, integrated data system, and regional networks. Public and private providers are both held to high standards, with families in the driver's seat. This competition drives innovation, expands access, and ensures providers are truly responsive to the needs of their communities. By partnering across sectors rather than pushing a top-down model, Virginia is making smart use of taxpayer dollars without crowding out private options.
As the Commonwealth continues to invest in early childhood care and education, we must protect what's working well - namely ensuring that working parents in Virginia can choose what works best for their child's care and learning.
There is more to do to ensure Virginia's working families have access to high-quality child care but let's also pause to appreciate that the Commonwealth of Virginia has built the gold standard of early childhood care and education here and it's working. Don’t just take my word for it - when I talk with kindergarten teachers, they often share that they can see the benefits of these efforts as soon as they walk in the classroom on that first day of school.
Emily Anne
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Get to Know Newest Top Talent @ VDOE
Kenita B. Matthews, APR, returned to the Department in June as the Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Communications & Press Relations, where she leads efforts to elevate the voice of public education across the Commonwealth. She brings with her two decades of experience in strategic communications, primarily working in the preK-12 sector at the local, state, and national levels. In addition to previously serving as the Director of Communications and Constituent Services at VDOE, Matthews has led communications in multiple Virginia school divisions, and the Virginia School Boards Association, consistently championing transparent, strategic, and student-centered messaging. She also served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the Office of Head Start at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, contributing to national early childhood education initiatives.
Matthews holds a bachelor’s degree in mass media – broadcast journalism from Hampton University and a master's degree in public relations from Norfolk State University. An Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional, Kenita has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) since 2013. She is currently President-Elect of the Richmond Chapter and has previously served in leadership roles on the boards for PRSA Hampton Roads and the PRSA Mid-Atlantic District. While serving in previous roles, Kenita was also actively involved in the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) serving on taskforces and in various leadership roles, including President of the Chesapeake Virginia/Maryland Chapter (CHESPRA).
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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
Summer is here and summer campers throughout the Commonwealth have been busy learning and playing! Students at Clearview in Martinsville City Public Schools have worked to make their own ice cream, built their own pirate ships, tested them to see if they would float, enjoyed some s'mores, and so much more! |
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Congratulations to the rising 6th and 7th graders in Brunswick County Public Schools who participated in the Advancing Computer Science Education Camp! These future innovators did an outstanding job collaborating and working as a team to bring their vision of an automated zoo to life. |
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Meeting Workforce Needs
VDOE Job Spotlight: Executive Director of Accreditation
Article: 2025-26-350
The Virginia Department of Education is hiring an . The Executive Director provides decisive leadership and strategic oversight to ensure that public schools comply with state and federal laws, including safety, financial and operational requirements, while also promoting efficiency, accountability, and high-performing governance. This role is instrumental in fostering a culture of responsibility, innovation, and continuous improvement to ensure that school systems in Virginia have access to targeted technical assistance, clear guidance, and high-quality resources to correct deficiencies and build long-term capacity.
Access the list of our current job openings at the Virginia Department of Education to learn more and apply.
Dual Language Endorsement Webinar Series
Article: 2025-26-349
Audience: World Language Supervisors, HR Licensure Specialists, Principals, Title III Coordinators, Dual Language Program Administrators, University Teacher Preparation Program Managers
Contact: Jo-el Cox, Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction, Jo-el.Cox@doe.virginia.gov; Lisa Harris, Coordinator of World Languages, Lisa.Harris@doe.virginia.gov
The new Dual Language Endorsement is an official add-on to a Virginia teaching license available for educators who teach academic content in elementary dual language programs. It ensures that teachers have the training and skills needed to support students learning in both languages. This endorsement is relevant for school divisions that currently have, or are planning to start, dual language or immersion programs.
This series of informational webinars provides updates and descriptions of the new Dual Language Endorsement and ongoing support for divisions and institutes of higher education as the new endorsement is implemented.
Working in collaboration with the Offices of Humanities and Teacher Licensure and Data Services, attendees will receive an overview of the various processes involved with adding a new endorsement option for teachers in dual language programs and how to implement the changes.
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August 7, 2025, 10-11a.m.: Topics will include endorsement requirements and issuing endorsements, data entry, and SCED codes.
Registration Link
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October 23, 2025, 10-11a.m.: Topics will include addressing follow up questions after the initial Master Schedule Collection (MSC)
Registration Link
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Meet Virginia Board of Education Member Dr. Beth Ackerman
Dr. Beth Ackerman was appointed to the Board of Education by Governor Glenn Youngkin to an unexpired term beginning July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028. This appointment is part of the Governor’s ongoing larger efforts to ensure that the Virginia Department of Education continues to be recognized as a leading educational agency with Board of Education leadership that mirrors educational excellence.
Dr. Ackerman currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Rivermont Schools, which seeks to empower children and young adults who face behavioral, emotional, and educational challenges to reach their highest potential. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Dr. Ackerman began her career as a special education teacher at Centra Rivermont School in Lynchburg, Virginia. She then went on to become principal of the Chatham Rivermont School and then served as principal at the Lynchburg school. While serving in these capacities, Dr. Ackerman obtained her master’s degree in special education at Lynchburg College and then her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Virginia. Next, Dr. Ackerman helped launch the Special Education Program at Liberty University, where she worked as faculty and in administration for 15 years. Dr. Ackerman received a postgraduate professional license from the Virginia Department of Education, which endorses her to teach elementary education, K-8 students with learning, emotional, and intellectual disabilities as well as serve in administration and supervision of K-12 students.
Dr. Ackerman resides with her husband in Campbell County, Virginia – VDOE Superintendent’s Region 8. She enjoys serving her community by volunteering with CASA as well as taking in foster children through DePaul Family Services.
When asked why she serves on the Virginia Board of Education, Dr. Ackerman shared, “This is such a unique time in education with so much change happening nationally and at the state level. I want to be that voice through the change to represent both parents of students with special needs and educators who work tirelessly to support the academic success of those students.”
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School Finance
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiative (STEM-TRRI) Application due August 15
Article: 2025-26-352
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Ahmad Saidi, Grants Manager, Office of Human Capital, Ahmad.Saidi@doe.virginia.gov
The 2025 General Assembly appropriated $808,000 in funding to attract, recruit, and retain high-quality individuals to teach science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subjects in Virginia middle and high schools experiencing difficulty in recruiting qualified teachers. School divisions interested in this funding must submit to the Virginia Department of Education a STEM Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiatives (TRRI) Application on the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal by Friday, August 15, 2025.
The submitted application should include the number of vacancies in the corresponding STEM endorsement area for the 2025-2026 school year between May 1, 2025, and the school division’s first day of school.
Applications for Scholarship and Tuition Assistance for Teachers Interested in Teaching High-Demand Industry Credentials and Dual Enrollment
Article: 2025-26-351
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Dual Enrollment Coordinators, CTE Coordinators
Contact: Ahmad Saidi, Grants Manager, Office of Human Capital, Ahmad.Saidi@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia General Assembly appropriated $350,000 from the general fund to provide tuition assistance for teachers to become qualified to teach dual enrollment and high demand industry credential courses in local school divisions. VDOE collaborated with the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE) to utilize the current High Demand Occupations Dashboard to highlight regionally high demand occupations for this scholarship opportunity. This tuition scholarship can also be used for high school teachers to pursue the required coursework above their current credentials in order to be considered faculty and eligible to teach high-demand dual enrollment coursework, including Passport and UCGS to support local College and Career Ready Virginia efforts.
School divisions are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 13, 2026. School divisions should refer to the grant application for additional details including the specific grant application process, guidelines around eligibility, and payment processes.
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