As part of the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) ongoing efforts to recognize and elevate the outstanding work of Virginia educators, the Department annually invites school leaders to recommend distinguished teachers, principals, and specialists for inclusion in its statewide talent pool. This process helps VDOE identify educators to serve on committees and task forces and contribute their expertise and feedback. 

We are fortunate to have a rich base of veteran educators in our current talent pool. They have been and continue to be a valuable resource in our state efforts. We invite you to recommend distinguished classroom teachers, specialists working with students, and/or principals who are mid-career educators with at least five years of experience and have demonstrated the following:  

• Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective and innovative instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school; 
• Exemplary educational accomplishments and leadership beyond the classroom that provide models of excellence for the profession;  
• Individuals whose contributions to education are largely unheralded yet worthy of the spotlight; and 
• Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community. 

If you know an educator who exemplifies these qualities, submit the VDOE Educator Talent Pool Recommendation form. Please keep this recommendation confidential and do not share it with the individual. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Submissions are due by May 8, 2026, at 5 p.m. Nominees will be notified of their selection by June 30, 2026.  

Send applications to TeacheroftheYear@doe.virginia.gov  and submit the saved file as VDOETalent_School Division_Educator Last Name.  Your cooperation and assistance are greatly appreciated. #ElevateEducatorsVA  

The Virginia Department of Education (the Department) is pleased to announce the 2025 -2026 school division awards for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Recruitment and Retention Incentive (STEM-TRRI). The STEM-TRRI’s purpose is to provide grants to attract, recruit, and retain high-quality individuals in STEM subjects in Virginia middle and high schools experiencing difficulty in recruiting qualified teachers. 

In July 2025, school divisions were asked to submit the number of vacancies in STEM endorsement areas for the 2025-2026 school year between May 1, 2025, and the school division’s first day of school. In the Fall of 2025, the Department contacted school divisions who submitted vacancy information to verify which positions were filled with an eligible teacher. The 2025-2026 awards to school divisions were determined using the data collected from school divisions.  

School divisions who receive funding must verify teacher eligibility by April 17, 2026, via STEM-TRRI application in the Single Sign-One for Web Services (SSWS) system. 

In lieu of a grant award notification, school divisions should refer to the terms of the grant on the STEM-TRRI Program as it outlines eligibility criteria for the various cohorts and how funds will be disbursed. 

Chapter 7, 2026 Acts of Assembly, authorized $117.6 million from the general fund in fiscal year (FY) 2026 to school divisions, Academic Year Governor’s Schools, and Regional Alternative Education Programs for the state share of bonus payments to instructional and support personnel. The state payment to school divisions is based on the state share of a $1,500 bonus payment to SOQ-funded instructional and support personnel. The state payment to Academic Year Governor’s Schools and Regional Alternative Education Programs is based on the cost of a $1,500 bonus payment for staff reported to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) on the most recent collection of the Annual School Report (FY 2025 at the time of calculation). VDOE is required to make payments to school divisions and eligible regional programs no later than June 1, 2026. School divisions have the authority to amend the bonus paid per employee to maximize the use of the state funds and required local matching funds to promote retention among instructional and support positions. 

VDOE has provided business rules for the bonus payments based on the Chapter 7 language to be used by school divisions. You can find the business rules on the VDOE website.  Fiscal agent school divisions of Academic Year Governor’s Schools and Regional Alternative Education Programs shall transfer bonus payments to these programs.

School divisions shall certify their intent to use these funds for bonus payments to staff using the certification document. Chapter 7 requires school divisions to complete this certification to receive a state payment. Please also indicate whether the bonus will be paid in FY 2026, in FY 2027, or through an equivalent action. The document should be signed and converted to a pdf file and named using the following convention: “XXX_FY26 BONUS.pdf,” where XXX represents your division number. Please send the pdf certification via email to doebudgetoffice@doe.virginia.gov by May 1, 2026.   

The 2026 General Assembly adjourned on March 14, 2026, without adopting a 2026-2028 biennial budget. Details about an upcoming special session of the General Assembly to work on the 2026-2028 biennial budget are unknown at this time.  Only Governor Spanberger can convene a special session of the General Assembly. 

The Governor’s 2026-2028 biennial budget as introduced will likely serve as the base budget for the General Assembly’s budget. The introduced budget includes technical updates to program distributions, including enrollment projection updates, sales tax projections, free lunch rates, and the local composite index. School divisions should use the calculation template for the Governor’s introduced 2026-2028 biennial budget, published on December 18, 2025, for local budget planning until the General Assembly adopts a budget. 

The General Assembly adopted amendments to the FY26 amended budget on February 20, 2026, and it was signed into law as Chapter 7. VDOE has published calculation templates on its website for use by school divisions. VDOE will publish another FY26 calculation template in early June after completion of the Spring Student Records Collection, which will include final state distributions based on final March 31, 2026, average daily membership, among other updates. 

Any questions regarding the status of the 2026-2028 biennial budget can be sent to the VDOE Budget Office at doebudgetoffice@doe.virginia.gov. 

The Office of Student Assessment is seeking nominations for the 2026 Standards of Learning (SOL) Item Review Committees. Approximately 10-15 members are needed for each of the committees, and school divisions may nominate one or more representatives for each committee. The Committees will be convened for mathematics, reading, science, and history & social science in July 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. For a full list of committees and specific dates, please refer to the 2026 SOL Item Review Committee Information for Applicants and the Assessment Committees web page. 

Committee members will be chosen based on grade-level experience and content area expertise; in-depth knowledge of the SOL; instructional/supervisory experience with students of varied learning styles, abilities, and aptitudes, including students with disabilities and English learners; and balanced regional representation.

All educators who wish to serve on these committees, including those who have previously served, must apply online using the link found on the Assessment Committees web page. An application requires the completion of the three-step process identified on the 2026 SOL Item Review Committee Information for Applicants document by Friday, April 3, 2026, for consideration by the Virginia Department of Education.

If you have questions or need technical assistance with the application process, please contact the assessment staff at (804) 225-2102 or Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Department of Education (Department) is establishing a Local Alternative Assessment (LAA) Committee to update and align existing resources to new Standards of Learning, meet new legislative requirements, and develop additional materials designed to support best practices and consistent implementation across school divisions. LAA Committee members will apply knowledge of current requirements for local alternative assessments, requirements for using local performance assessments to verify credits in Writing, and/or requirements for using performance tasks to verify credit in History and Social Science courses to assist the Department in aligning, updating or developing guidance, resources, and materials to meet new legislative requirements. 

Educators, school administrators, and division-level leaders with expertise in the Standards of Learning, curriculum, instruction and/or assessment in one or more of the following areas are needed. Please refer to the Local Alternative Assessment Committee Information for Applicants for additional information.  

Local Alternative Assessment Committee meetings will begin in April 2026 and continue through summer 2026, and periodically as needed. Initial meeting dates are provided in the application. All meetings will take place in Richmond or held virtually.  

Complete this form to apply.   

All applications must be received by April 3, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Contact the Office of Student Assessment at student_assessment@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 225-2102 for assistance. 

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) fine arts team is excited to engage in a collaborative effort to curate collections of historical, cultural, and artistic resources of Virginia. The resources found in these collections can be used by educators and curriculum developers to enhance fine arts Standards of Learning (SOL) curricula, lesson plans, and unit plans. The VDOE fine arts team is seeking qualified individuals to apply to serve on committees to develop standards-aligned lesson materials that highlight historical and cultural resources and demonstrate practical classroom application for dance arts, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. Please use this link to complete the application form by April 3, 2026.  

Committee members will be selected on the basis of expertise, experience, and balanced regional representation and will be notified no later than April 10, 2026. Committee members will be asked to participate in virtual meetings beginning April 20, 2026, and will be paid a stipend for completed work. Additional details regarding training and timeline information will be shared to committee members once selected. 

As we are nearing the end of year two of the Virginia Literacy Act implementation, division superintendents, division and school litearcy leaders, and directors of human resources should communicate with teachers the importance of completing the required professional learning offered in partnership with the Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP). Courses are only active during the timelines outlined below. Literacy leaders should be preparing for account creation for new hires for 2026-2027. 

VLP Canvas Account Creation Schedule for 2025–2026 and 2026–2027  

March 15, 2026 was the last date to submit for VLP Canvas account creations for the 2025–2026 school year. VLP will resume accepting submissions for qualifying new hires for the 2026–2027 school year during the designated submission window of July 1–7, 2026. Following this initial window, monthly submissions will reopen and will be accepted during the first seven days of each month. All submissions must be completed using the required template and file naming structure, and submitted through SSWS to Kimberly Bavis.  

VLP Canvas Course Completion Deadlines 

Please see the following chart for Canvas Course due dates and course closing dates.  

*The enrollment period is based off the first time an educator was enrolled in a course, even if they later needed a course change. 

**No additional extensions can be granted. 

Please note that course due dates and closure dates are communicated at the section level and do not apply universally across all courses. If an educator receives an email or sees a notification within a specific UVACanvas Connect EBLI course, that information applies only to course sections that received that notification. Other courses may have different due or closure timelines, which will be shared separately.  

The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board, is proud to announce the launch of the Virginia STEM Ecosystem Website. This centralized platform is designed to empower students, educators, and families by providing streamlined access to STEM programs, instructional resources, and professional development opportunities across the commonwealth. 

To foster a robust statewide network, STEM organizations, institutes of higher education, and school divisions are invited to submit programs for inclusion in the site’s searchable database. The submission form can be accessed on the website linked above. This initiative directly aligns with the Virginia STEM network vision and advances 3E Readiness (Employment, Enlistment, and Enrollment) as outlined in the School Performance and Support Framework. 

The Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia recognize traumatic brain injury (TBI) through eligibility in accordance with state and federal special education regulations. Students may experience brain injuries that result in special education eligibility for TBI. The VDOE, in collaboration with the VCU Partnership for People with Disabilities, offers training for school divisions to support the identification and provision of educational services to eligible students with TBIs. 

The VDOE is seeking applications from school divisions to participate in Cohort 16 of the TBI Team Training. Teams are required to attend a two-day training in July 2026 (participants will receive a stipend) and a follow-up one-day training in March 2027. The summer training will be held in the Richmond area, with specific dates to be announced later, and will provide intensive professional development focusing on the causes, impact, and management of brain injuries. Continuous support throughout the school year is offered to improve school divisions’ capacity to provide programmatic and support services for students with TBIs or concussions. 

Each team should include five to six staff members; suggested roles include special education administrator (highly recommended), school administrator, teacher, athletic trainer/coach, occupational and physical therapists, speech/language pathologist, school nurse, school psychologist, school counselor, and school social worker. 

Space is limited. To apply, please complete the TBI Team Training - Cohort 16 Application. Applications will be accepted until registration capacity is reached.  

The SP-LAVC Eligibility Criteria: Request for Review Form will be emailed to the directors of special education in each division. Resources and additional information about locally awarded credit accommodations are available on the VDOE Credit Accommodations for Students with Disabilities web page. 

The Virginia Board of Education is seeking nominees for vacancies on its advisory committees. A full list of open seats is available on the VDOE website.    

Please note that, by state or federal law or regulation, some of the vacancies on advisory committees require specific categories of expertise, qualifications, or geographic representation (map of the VDOE Superintendent’s Regions).  

Members of advisory committees do not receive compensation for their service but may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with state travel guidelines set forth by the Department of Accounts.    

Educators, parents, administrators, and other individuals are invited to apply by completing this nomination form by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2026.    

The Jobs for Virginia Graduate (JVG) program is designed with the purpose of serving marginalized students in Virginia and helping them acquire the skills to find opportunities while ushering them toward high school graduation and transitioning from school to work. The 2026-2027 grant is for $30,000 and it does not require a local match. These funds must be used to expand services in existing JVG programs and/or add additional JVG programs in local school divisions based on the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) national model.  

School divisions may use the grant funds to employ a job specialist who will work directly with the students who meet the program criteria. The JVG presently serves over 1800 students in 67 sites across 43 school divisions within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VDOE, Office of Career and Technical Education serve as fiscal agent for these programs. 

School divisions that are interested in submitting a new JVG Competitive Grant Award Application must complete the new program online application, which must be received no later than 5 p.m. on April 27, 2026. If your school division is interested in continuing an existing grant, the JVG program must complete the continuing program online application no later than 5 p.m. on April 27, 2026. The JVG staff will hold open informational sessions via Zoom by appointment. Helpful guides for each application are available within the description of each application. 

If you have questions regarding the JVG program, please contact Antonio Rice, JVG President and CEO at Antonio.rice@jobsforvagrads.org. If you have any questions regarding the grant award, please contact the Office of Career and Technical Education, at cte@doe.virginia.gov or by telephone at (804) 750-8163. 

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), in partnership with the VCU Center on Transition Innovation and Reynolds Community College, will host a Statewide Transition Fair for students with disabilities on May 15, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event is open to students in public school divisions supported by the Virginia Department of Education and Level Up Virginia. 

The Transition Fair will provide students with the opportunity to engage directly with representatives from colleges, training programs, community organizations, and agencies offering postsecondary education and transition-related services. Exhibitors will host vendor tables, share information about available programs, and help students explore pathways aligned with their goals. 

We encourage institutions, organizations, and departments to participate by attending in person. If you are unable to send a representative, you are welcome to share promotional materials or program flyers, which event staff will distribute to students on your behalf. 

Sign up online to participate as a vendor. Once registered, you will receive additional details regarding event procedures, location, and setup instructions. 

The VDOE will host a webinar for all Early Childhood Care and Education stakeholders about the proposed updates to the 2026-2027 VQB5 Guidelines on Monday, March 23 at noon. This webinar will be recorded.

• Webinar: VQB5 Update on 2026-2027 Proposed Guidelines   
• Date: March 23 at Noon    
• Register  

Local education agencies and school food authorities should review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-34, for detailed information and action items to update school-level April 1 data establishing the identified student percentage for the Community Eligibility Provision, as required by federal regulations.  

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs provides resources to assist LEAs with reporting the ISP data in SNPWeb (Attachment A and Attachment B). The VDOE also provides the required notification of LEAs with expiring four-year CEP cycles and those potentially eligible to participate in CEP divisionwide (Attachment C). 

Due to implementation of federal legislation that may impact SNAP and Medicaid eligibility, LEAs are encouraged to evaluate the April 1 ISP and consider their options for beginning a new four-year cycle, even if the ISP is lower, if it would preserve a financially viable CEP cycle going forward.  

For more information or questions, contact your assigned SNP regional specialist or Lynne A. Fellin, Associate Director – Business Operations, via email at Lynne.Fellin@doe.virginia.gov.