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View this message online
 #2025-39 | Update for November 26, 2025
Latest Federal Updates:
This Week's To-Dos:
Meeting Workforce Needs:
This Week's Articles:
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Latest Federal Updates
U.S. Department of Education Announces Six New Agency Partnerships to Streamline Education
Article: 2025-39-586
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) recently announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior (DOI), Health and Human Services (HHS), and State. These partnerships aim to streamline federal education programs, cut through bureaucracy, and improve service delivery to continue returning more control over education back to the states. By leveraging the administrative expertise of these partner agencies, USED seeks to enhance the management of select programs, reduce duplication, and ensure more efficient support for students, families, and educators. Notably, the collaboration with DOL will help align K-12 education with workforce readiness, better preparing students for life after graduation.
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Superintendent's Message
A Season of Gratitude and Resolve
As we enter this season for thankfulness, I want to pause and recognize the people who make Virginia’s education system strong. From Southwest Virginia to the Eastern Shore, from Hampton Roads to Northern Virginia, child care providers, educators, school leaders, support staff, governing board members, and community partners show up every day with purpose and heart. Their commitment to students is the foundation of our progress in the Commonwealth.
This gratitude feels especially powerful as we reflect on the strides Virginia has made over the last several years. Together, Virginians have raised expectations for our students and restored rigor to our standards. We’ve expanded child care options to more working families and are leading the nation in quality with VQB5. We’ve championed meaningful early literacy improvements through the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. Chronic absenteeism, once at crisis levels, is now declining across the Commonwealth thanks to targeted division strategies and statewide support. Teacher salaries have increased, and divisions are better positioned to recruit and retain great educators. We have modernized and strengthened school safety resources, expanded pathways with the 3E Readiness Framework, and launched 15 new College Partnership Lab Schools that are redefining access to innovative, real-world learning in partnership with industry and higher education institutions. It is clear communities across the Commonwealth are embracing new opportunities to ensure every student has a clear pathway to success and is ready for life.
I’m deeply thankful for the teachers who helped drive our recent gains in reading and math, for the principals and school teams implementing new attendance plans and re-engaging students, and for the divisions championing innovation from new competency-based models to CTE equipment upgrades and regular Artificial Intelligence use. Data is being used more transparently, families are more engaged, and partnerships with business, higher education, and local leaders are strengthening our student pathways. I’m also grateful for our Purple Star schools and the thousands of educators supporting military-connected children. Your work matters so much.
This season is a reminder that progress is never linear. The work is challenging and real improvement and embracing of innovation takes time, persistence, and collaboration. Virginia is moving in the right direction. The Department has a top tier team to support you in your efforts to deliver for students and families and I could not be more proud of their relentless commitment to excellence for every student.
Thank you for your dedication, your creativity, and your belief in Virginia’s future.
Together, we will keep building a stronger Commonwealth for every learner.
Emily Anne
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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
Goochland County Public Schools recently hosted a Business and Education Roundtable, bringing together more than 30 local business and community organization representatives, along with members of the Goochland County School Board, the Board of Supervisors, and current students.
This collaborative event showcased the many ways that GCPS prepares students for life after high school—whether their path leads to college, careers, or service. The event provided valuable insight from local partners about the skills and qualities they seek in future employees!
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Did you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? It fuels the brain, helps students focus, and sets the tone for a successful school day. Sharon preschool students in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools have become true breakfast buddies starting their day together with a healthy meal and plenty of energy for learning and play. Thanks to the federal Community Eligibility Provision, all AHPS students are eligible for free breakfasts at school! |
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Phone in Focus
Help Virginia Lead the Way: Be Part of National Research on Student Cell Phone Use!
Article: 2025-38-576
Researcher Dr. Angela Duckworth (author of "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance") invites you to keep the momentum going in the national study examining school cell phone policies and their effects on student learning and well-being. Why join? Virginia is leading the way with these efforts and wants to increase our participation from last year’s survey. Thousands of your fellow educators have already contributed their insights, including many of you right here in the Commonwealth! Your perspective will directly shape smarter, evidence-based policies and best practices for classrooms nationwide.
Quick Facts:
- Just 5 minutes of your time
- Completely confidential
- No cost to participate
- Instant snapshot of current results at end of survey
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Meeting Workforce Needs
Middle School Teacher Corps Application for the 2025-2026 School Year
Article: 2025-39-580
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Dr. Jessica Brown, Mathematics Specialist, vdoe.mathematics@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education (the Department) is pleased to announce the Virginia Middle School Teacher Corps (MSTC) application window is open for the 2025-2026 school year. The MSTC program reinforces a high quality of mathematics instruction by providing recruitment and/or retention incentives, $5,000 per year for up to three years, for effective mathematics teachers in schools with grades six, seven, and/or eight where mathematics is an area identified for improvement.
School divisions can submit an application to use MSTC funds to help recruit and/or retain up to two mathematics teachers in each of the eligible school. The MSTC application is due to the Department by 5 p.m., Friday, December 19, 2025. A list of the MSTC-eligible schools is provided on the Virginia Middle School Teacher Corps webpage.
Teachers receiving the MSTC incentives must occupy full-time teaching positions in an eligible school and must meet the following requirements:
- Hold an active Virginia teaching license;
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Hold an appropriate teaching endorsement to teach middle school mathematics;
- Have at least two years of experience in full-time teaching of middle or high school mathematics;
- Have a minimum of 15 semester hours of mathematics coursework; and
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Have demonstrated success in improving students’ academic achievement in mathematics.
Please note that the second and third years of the three-year school award are contingent upon continued annual funding from the Virginia General Assembly.
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Innovation
New Web-Based Opportunities for AI and Career Advancement
Article: 2025-39-579
Audience: Directors, Teachers
Contact: Calypso Gilstrap, Executive Director of Innovation, Calypso.Gilstrap@doe.virginia.gov
Virginia educators now have a powerful new tool at their fingertips, thanks to a statewide initiative aimed at preparing residents for the future of artificial intelligence. Governor Glenn Youngkin unveiled the Virginia Has Jobs AI Career Launch Pad, a web-based platform developed in partnership with Google to help Virginians explore and train for high-demand careers in AI and technology.
The platform offers a curated selection of free and low-cost courses. Teachers and students across the Commonwealth are encouraged to take advantage of these resources—not only to upskill professionally, but also to bring AI literacy into their classrooms. These credentials are designed to be job-ready and accessible, with 70% of graduates reporting career advancement within six months.
For teachers, the implications are far-reaching. By engaging with the platform, they can:
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Integrate AI concepts into lesson plans
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Model digital fluency and lifelong learning
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Prepare students for ethical and innovative use of emerging technologies
Virginia educators interested in exploring these opportunities can visit VirginiaHasJobs.com/AI to enroll, apply for scholarships, and begin their journey into the future of education and technology.
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3E Readiness & Pathways
VEDP Partners with Handshake to Attract and Build Future Workforce, Empowering Virginia Students with Career Experience
Article: 2025-39-578
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) recently shared the exciting news, announcing a first-of-its-kind collaboration to power InternshipsVA that connects postsecondary students in Virginia with paid, high‑quality internships at Virginia companies.
With Handshake’s scale, data, and activity across more than 70% of Virginia’s leading colleges and universities, this collaboration will make it easier for students to find opportunities and for employers to build strong talent pipelines. VDOE and VEDP are proud of this step forward for talent development and retention in the Commonwealth, which creates more opportunities to work with partners across the state to open more doors for students.
For more details, check out the VEDP and Handshake press release that went out this week as well as this feature story in Inside Higher Ed.
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Instruction Implementation,
Support & Evaluation
Revised 2025 Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL) for Mathematics and Reading in Grades 3-End of Course
Article: 2025-39-577
Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Directors, School Principals, Division Instructional Leaders, Division Directors of Testing, Teachers
Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, michelle.wallace@doe.virginia.gov; Office of Assessment, student.assessment@doe.virginia.gov; Office of Special Education and Specialized Populations, spedinstruction@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning in reading and mathematics have been updated and revised through a process called “essentialization” with the 2024 English Standards of Learning (SOL) and the 2023 Mathematics SOL. Listed below are the 2025 Virginia Essentialized Standards of learning for reading and mathematics:
The Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL) are the revised academic content standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are enrolled in grades 3-8 and high school in Virginia. Specifically, the VESOL represent content in reading and mathematics for grades 3-8 and high school and science for grades 5, 8, and high school replacing the previously used Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL) in these content areas. The VESOL are to be used to guide instruction provided by special educators to those students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet the participation criteria for the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).
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School Finance
Opportunity for Public Comment: Ed-Flex
Article: 2025-39-583
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff, Private School Representatives, All public stakeholders
Contact: Christina Berta, Chief Operations Officer, christina.berta@doe.virginia.gov
The Educational Flexibility (Ed-Flex) program is authorized under the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 and was reauthorized by section 9207 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Ed-Flex program allows the U.S. Secretary of Education to authorize a State educational agency that serves an eligible State to waive statutory or regulatory requirements applicable to one or more the included programs for any local educational agency (LEAs), educational service agency, or school within the State.
WHY ED-FLEX MATTERS: Ed-Flex empowers schools and the state agency to innovate by redirecting funds or flexibility to address specific challenges, like learning loss or improving math/reading outcomes, without needing direct federal approval for every change.
Below are the types of waivers that we are seeking in our Ed-Flex application:
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Title I Carryover Waiver (Sec. 1127(a) of ESEA (Title I)
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Title IV Funding Obligations (Sec. 4106(e)(2)(C-E) (Title IV,A)
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NCLB paraprofessional high-quality requirements (Sec. 1111(g) (2) (M) of ESEA (Title I):
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Title I Eligible School Attendance Areas (ESEA 1113 (a)(3)(A)
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General Education Provisions Act (Sec. 421(b))
A presentation was provided to the Board of Education on November 12, 2025, with additional details. This waiver request will be highlighted in the Superintendent's next call with regional superintendents.
ESEA Equitable Services for Private Schools Monitoring
Article: 2025-39-582
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Division ESEA program coordinators, private school leaders, and principals
Contact: Christina Berta, Chief Operations Officer, christina.berta@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education will conduct private school monitoring in February 2026 as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring compliance with federal equitable services requirements under Titles I, II, III, and IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Monitoring will be scheduled with the Local Educational Agency (LEA) coordinator and the head of each selected private school. An informational webinar outlining the private school monitoring process will be held on January 8, 2026. Participants can register here: ESEA Equitable Services to Private Schools Monitoring Webinar.
Private schools in the following divisions have been identified for monitoring. Three schools per division will be monitored. Alternate schools will be selected in the event that substitutions are necessary due to unforeseen circumstances.
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Richmond City Public Schools
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Norfolk City
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Spotsylvania County
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Prince William County
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Henrico County
Leila Hayashida, Equitable Services Specialist, will be contacting LEA coordinators directly for private school contacts. The virtual or on-site monitoring will be scheduled with the private schools.
For questions regarding the private school monitoring process, please contact:
We appreciate your cooperation and support in ensuring a smooth and effective monitoring process.
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Special Education
2026-2027 Special Education Annual Plan/Part B Flow-Through Application Due May 8, 2026
Article: 2025-39-581
Audience: Superintendents, Division Finance and Special Education Staff
Contact: Office of Special Education Finance and Budget, SPED-Finance@doe.virginia.gov
Under provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia, local educational agencies are required to submit an Annual Plan/Part B Flow-Through Application for providing special education and related services to children with disabilities.
The 2026-2027 Special Education Annual Plan/Part B Flow-Through Application serves as the formal agreement between a local school board and the Virginia Department of Education (the Department) for implementing federal and state laws and regulations governing these services. Accordingly, the disbursement of state and federal funds appropriated for the education of children with disabilities is contingent upon the approval of this plan and each of its components. The 2026-2027 Plan/Application must be uploaded via the Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA) system by Friday, May 8, 2026.
2024-2025 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Requirements
Article: 2025-39-585
Audience: Superintendent, Division Finance and Special Education Staff
Contact: Shalonda Lewis, Special Education Financial Data Specialist, Shalonda.Lewis@doe.virginia.gov
The Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements in §300.203(b) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are mandated for all school divisions to be in compliance. The federal regulation requires school divisions to spend at least the same amount of local or local plus state dollars for the current school year on the delivery of special education and related services as were spent from that same source in the last year the school division met its MOE compliance obligation.
All school divisions must utilize the IDEAMOE Application through VDOE’s Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal to report costs associated with providing special education and related services to children and youth with disabilities that are above and beyond the cost of providing regular education programs to nondisabled students. The data collection window will open on December 1, 2025, and close on January 30, 2026.
A pre-recorded training session reviewing the purpose of IDEA MOE, allowable and unallowable exceptions, methods of calculation, consequences of noncompliance, and submitting the data will be made available, and two live Q&A sessions will be conducted in January 2025 to provide assistance. Directors of Special Education will receive an email from the Deputy Superintendent of Special Education and Specialized Populations to access these resources and are encouraged to share the information with those assisting with this data collection.
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Behavioral Health & Student Safety
Supportive Together Learning Collaborative Interest Meeting
Article: 2025-39-584
Audience: Division Superintendents and Administrators, School Principals and Administrators, School Counseling Division Leaders, School-Based Mental Health Professionals, Crisis Team Members
Contact: Sarah Bazemore, Behavioral Health and Instructional Supports Coordinator, Sarah.Bazemore@doe.virginia.gov
Virginia schools are required to have comprehensive crisis plans that include suicide prevention. Creating a supportive school environment requires more than having the right components on paper; it requires a coordinated team approach with the training and resources to put that plan into action.
The Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Health, is launching the Supportive Together Learning Collaborative. This is a free service for school division teams to develop, refine, and strengthen suicide prevention efforts and plans using evidence-based practices and peer learning. Whether starting from scratch or enhancing existing practices, this collaborative offers expert guidance, practical tools, and the opportunity to problem-solve with other school divisions facing similar challenges.
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