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Superintendent's Message
Strengthening Dual Enrollment Across the Commonwealth
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the College in High School Alliance (CHSA) Dual Enrollment Summit, which was focused on expanding access to college-level learning for high school students. Held in partnership with CHSA and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), the summit brought together educators and leaders to discuss strategies for broadening participation, improving program quality, and navigating the implementation of College and Career Ready Virginia.
I'm deeply grateful to our community college partners for these collaborative efforts to support students through dual enrollment. The momentum behind these programs is remarkable — dual enrollment participation has grown 55% over the past ten years and is now the fastest growing segment of VCCS's enrollment, with one third of Virginia high school graduates taking at least one dual enrollment course during high school. As these programs continue to expand, they are opening doors for students and reducing costs for families. I'm excited to continue to work together to ensure these opportunities are accessible, effective, and impactful for students across Virginia.
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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
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Congratulations to Abigail Lesher, a student at Maggie Walker Governor’s School recently recognized as the 2026 Student Kindness Ambassador of the Year! Abigail was nominated by a fellow student, and this recognition reflects the quiet, consistent kindness she shows each day! |
Virginia Department of Education's Jill Nogueras, Associate Director of English Literacy K–12, and Colleen Cassada, Coordinator of Secondary English & Literacy recently visited Red Oak-Sturgeon Elementary and Meherrin-Powellton Elementary in Brunswick County Public Schools as part of the SPSF “Learning and Collaboration” Tour – 2026.
During their visit, they had the opportunity to visit several English Language Arts classrooms to see students actively engaged in learning and literacy instruction. The visit celebrated the incredible work happening across Brunswick County Schools to strengthen instruction, support literacy and meet the needs of every student. #AcademicExcellenceVA
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Instruction Implementation,
Support & Evaluation
History and Social Science April Professional Development
Article: 2026-12-158
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, vdoe.hss@doe.virginia.gov
The History and Social Science program will offer several professional development opportunities throughout April.
Bringing Sources to Life:
Spotlighting Virginia Educators:
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Title: Inquiry in a Flash: Bite-Sized Strategies with Big Impact
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Presenters: Dr. Vicki Hobson, Neeley Minton, Eric Duchaj, and Danyael Graham with VSSLC
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Session Information: This will be offered one time at 10 am and will be recorded.
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Date and Time: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
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Registration: Use this link to register for Inquiry in a Flash.
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Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and Tuesday, April 28, 2026
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Time and Audience: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (Division HSS Leaders); 3-4 p.m. (Classroom Teachers)
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Registration: Office Hours Registration
Bringing Sources to Life:
Scholarship Opportunity for Health and Physical Education Teachers to Support Presidential Fitness Testing
Article: 2026-12-156
Audience: Directors, Health and Physical Education Coordinators
Contact: Jennifer Vedder, Coordinator, Health, Family Life, Physical, and Driver Education, jennifer.vedder@doe.virginia.gov
The Science and Health Unit is pleased to announce scholarship opportunities for health and physical education teachers to attend the Health and Physical Activity Institute (HPAI) at James Madison University, July 13–15, 2026.
Selected teachers will attend workshops and participate in interactive activities to explore best practices in health and physical education, including fitness testing, adapted physical education, and innovative ways to enhance health education. Following a train-the-trainer model, each selected teacher will bring these best practices back to their division, positioning colleagues for success when the Presidential Fitness Tests are released.
Instructional leads for Health and Physical Education, as designated in SSWS, will receive a nomination link to identify one health and physical education teacher from their division to be considered for a scholarship award.
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Early Childhood
VQB5 Educator Verification – Closes May 31
Article: 2026-12-157
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Early Childhood Improvement Strategy Lead, Lucy.Mitzner@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE has launched the spring Educator Verification in LinkB5, which opened on Wednesday, April 1 and will remain available through May 31. During this period, all site administrators are required to verify the employment status of educators at their site. The resources below provide step-by-step instructions and additional information to support successful educator verification.
Overview of Proposed 2026-2027 VQB5 Guidelines – Webinar Recording and Feedback Opportunity
Article: 2026-12-155
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Early Childhood Improvement Strategy Lead, Lucy.Mitzner@doe.virginia.gov
On March 23, VDOE hosted a webinar for early childhood stakeholders covering fall 2025 VQB5 successes and profile results, as well as reviewed proposed revisions to future VQB5 Guidelines. The webinar highlighted the enhancements to VQB5 planned for next year, including improvements to VAConnects, more strategic use of VQB5 data, clarified participation requirements, and additional support for curriculum.
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Recognitions
April is the Month of the Military Child
Article: 2026-12-154
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Dan Dunham, Military Child and Families Specialist, Dan.Dunham@doe.virginia.gov
April is the Month of the Military Child, a time to honor the resilience, sacrifices, and unique challenges faced by the over 1.6 million children of United States service members.
“Purple Up! For Military Kids” is a day in April designated to show support for military-connected students. School communities—including teachers, principals, students, parents, and bus drivers—are encouraged to wear purple on April 15, 2026, to show support and appreciation for military students. Purple represents the blending of the colors of the five branches of the United States armed forces. Virginia is home to military families serving in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, and National Guard and Reserve. Display the Save the Date Flyer in your school for the Purple Up! Celebration.
The Virginia Purple Star application window opened on April 1, 2026. Schools that demonstrate strong support of military-connected students and maintain a student-led peer-to-peer support program should consider applying. For more information on requirements to be considered for the Purple Star Designation Award and how to apply, visit the VDOE Purple Star web page.
Schools can share their Purple Up! and Month of the Military Child photos by using the hashtag #PurpleUpVirginia on social media. The VDOE will repost photos across various social media platforms.
April is Arab American Heritage Month
Article: 2026-12-153
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, Christonya.Brown@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia General Assembly issued House Joint Resolution No. 82 designating April, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Arab American Heritage Month in Virginia. This month honors the contributions of Arab Americans who enrich Virginia’s educational system, governance, economy, culture, and community life.
Local school divisions are encouraged to seek and develop instructional and community programming that highlight Arab American history using an interdisciplinary approach in order to create inclusive, year-round lesson plans. For greater understanding and deeper connection, instruction should aim to engage students, teachers, parents and the community at large; and align with the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. Resources are available from Smithsonian museums and its affiliates, such as the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives, and the Arab American National Museum.
VDOE values the efforts of teachers in promoting a quality and comprehensive exposure to American and Virginia history. For additional instructional support and information, please contact the History and Social Science Program at vdoe.hss@doe.virginia.gov.
Celebrate School Lunch Hero Day on May 1
Article: 2026-12-152
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Non-teaching staff, School Food Authorities
Contact: Sara Bennett, VDOE-SCNP Director, Sara.Bennett@doe.virginia.gov
The same information is shared in SCNP Director’s Memo #2025-2026-36.
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs and the School Nutrition Association encourage schools to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day on May 1, 2026.
School Lunch Hero Day provides an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of school nutrition professionals. From crafting balanced meals, protecting student health, and offering kindness when it’s needed most, school nutrition professionals lift our schools in ways that matter every single day.
Schools are encouraged to share celebration details with VDOE-SCNP on social media by tagging @VDOESCNP.
School Lunch Hero Day Resources and Celebration Ideas
The SNA website offers resources and ideas for celebrating school nutrition professionals, including:
- hosting a reception to recognize nutrition staff,
- giving nutrition staff a shout-out during morning announcements,
- hanging signs and/or banners in front of the school, in hallways, and/or in the cafeteria,
- asking students to write thank you cards, and
- honoring nutrition staff with School Lunch Hero Day merchandise.
For More Information
For more information, contact your SNP regional specialist or the SNPPolicy mailbox at SNPPolicy@doe.virginia.gov.
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