Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in #PurpleUpDay—a day when we all wear purple to recognize the strength and sacrifices of military-connected children. April is the Month of the Military Child, a time to honor their resilience and that of their families. 

Virginia is home to more than 80,000 military-connected students—the largest population of any state. Despite all too frequent transitions, these students continue to demonstrate remarkable adaptability and courage. 

We also recognize our schools that have received the Virginia Purple Star Designation. Earning this designation requires significant effort and reflects a deep commitment to serving military-connected students and families. We are grateful for everything that these schools and divisions do to go above and beyond to create supportive, stable, and welcoming environments for our students and families who serve our country. 

Virginia remains committed to supporting military children this month and every month. 

The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce another iteration of the Grow Your Own Registered Teacher Apprenticeships grant application for the 2026-2027 school year. The Department, in partnership with the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, was awarded competitive funding through the State Apprenticeship Expansion Funding (SAEF) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2024.  

With this competitive subgrant opportunity, VDOE seeks to sponsor and fund high-quality teacher registered apprenticeship models designed and implemented in partnership between school divisions and state-approved Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs). This opportunity provides competitive, reimbursement-based funding to cover all tuition, textbooks, licensure assessments, and fees on behalf of teacher apprentice candidates co-selected by participating school divisions and educator preparation providers for participation in the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program through June 30, 2027.  

Proposals must be received by the VDOE by 4 p.m. on May 22, 2026. All responses must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions section of the request for applications.   

Additional information about the program can be found in the Competitive Subgrant Request for Applications.

Your advance planning and attention to this critical May 1, 2026, deadline is greatly appreciated. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Career and Technical Education, at cte@doe.virginia.gov. 

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has partnered with Project Tomorrow to administer customized Virginia Speak Up surveys that address key educational technology topics such as screen time, device use, and instructional practices. Speak Up is an annual national research initiative led by Project Tomorrow, an education nonprofit that collects insights from K–12 students, teachers, administrators, and parents on technology and learning. 

 By registering, your division will receive: 

• A promotional toolkit to support participation in your division 
• Supplemental lesson plans to integrate survey topics into instruction 
• Technology-related data to support division and school planning and decision-making 

Next Steps: 

• Review the survey questions to confirm alignment with your division’s priorities. 
• Identify a Virginia Speak Up administrator and complete registration with Project Tomorrow. 
• Administer the surveys by May 29, 2026. 

Thank you to the divisions that have already committed to participating. We encourage all divisions to join this effort so that Virginia’s exemplary work in educational technology is fully represented in the national data. 

Zearn Math offers 1,000+ research-based digital math lessons and instructional materials designed to help students catch up and move forward. In a Virginia-specific study, an independent third party found that students who used Zearn consistently were more likely to improve on the state assessment, with high-fidelity users 18 percentage points more likely to improve at least one progress indicator level on the SOL assessment than their matched peers. Zearn Math’s evidence base is also nationally recognized, earning a “Strong” (Tier 1) rating on Evidence for ESSA. Read the review here. 

ALL-In schools and divisions using Zearn should motivate your students to complete the research-backed goal of 3+ grade-level lessons each week. Visit Zearn’s math motivation hub for ready-to-use classroom resources like lesson trackers, challenge kits, celebration certificates, and posters designed to help you spark excitement, strengthen routines, and celebrate student success. 

The VDOE Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is pleased to partner with the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Health Services to offer the live webinar, SUN Meals Food Safety Training, on April 27, 2026, 2-3 p.m. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

Participants will receive an overview of key food safety practices, including risk factors for foodborne illness, proper hygiene, time and temperature control, contamination prevention, and food allergen awareness. The webinar will also include an overview of the inspection form used by local health inspectors for monitoring SUN Meals feeding sites. 

Registration for the Culinary Training for Frontline Cafeteria Staff will open on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 8 a.m. If your staff (cooks, cashiers, etc.) are interested in attending this training, please complete the participant registration form by Friday, May 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. Availability is limited, and registration is first-come, first-served. 

Instructions 

After opening the registration link, select the desired training date and location. Complete all required fields for each staff member who would like to attend the training. 

If you are registering more than one participant, after completing the form for one participant, click on “register another person” in the center of the screen. Most fields will auto-fill from the previous entry. Carefully review and update each field to ensure it reflects the correct information for the new participant. Each participant must have a unique email address they can access during the summer for training updates. 

About the Training 

In July and August 2026, the Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is providing the Culinary Training for Frontline Cafeteria Staff in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. This series of one-day, hands-on training, Shaping a Stronger School Meal Experience, will prepare cafeteria staff in strengthening their understanding of the USDA school meal patterns, essential culinary techniques, food safety for scratch cooking, workflow efficiencies, and strategies to prepare for the upcoming added sugars requirements in the final rule—Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This training is designed for staff earlier in their school nutrition career or in need of a refresher. 

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is announcing that the School Nutrition Programs application for School Year 2026-2027 will open in SNPWeb on May 11, 2026. This annual application covers participation in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, and NSLP Afterschool Snack Service. All School Food Authorities must submit a complete application by July 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. Applications must be approved before claims for reimbursement for the new school year can be processed.  

To support divisions in completing the application, VDOE-SCNP encourages school nutrition directors to register for and attend the optional training webinar, School Year 2026-2027 SNP Applications, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 2-3 p.m.  

School food authorities are also encouraged to review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-39 to review the attachments that are required to be submitted in the application packet. 

For families already facing rising costs, the loss of school breakfast and lunch in the summertime creates additional financial pressure. USDA-funded summer nutrition programs help fill this gap by ensuring children continue to receive healthy meals when school is out. Last summer, approximately 130 Virginia school divisions and community partners served more than 4.4 million meals and snacks from May through August, underscoring the importance of these programs for students and families. 

SUN Meals 

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) allow schools and community partners to serve meals in areas where at least 50% of children qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Sponsors are reimbursed for meals served and receive training and technical assistance from VDOE. Schools may choose SSO for a streamlined application process, while SFSP provides simpler meal pattern requirements and higher reimbursement. 

SUN Meals To-Go 

Schools and community partners in USDA-designated rural areas may offer multiple days’ worth of take-home meals at once. The VDOE’s 2026 Rural Non-Congregate Kick-Off webinar offers a program overview and best practices. 

SUN Bucks 

SUN Bucks is a USDA-funded benefit providing eligible households $120 per child to purchase groceries during the summer. Accepted at SNAP retailers, SUN Bucks is administered by VDSS, and schools are encouraged to promote the program. 

Next Steps 

The VDOE is here to support your efforts to strengthen summer meal access in your community. Working together, we can ensure that children across Virginia continue to receive nutritious meals that bridge the summer gap.    

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs, encourages school food authorities and community sponsors to review SCNP Director’s Memo #2025-2026-38 to learn more about the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-4) that guidance on certain provisions that impact the USDA Child Nutrition Programs, including: 

• Crediting vegetables at Breakfast 
• Prohibition on the Use of Chicken and Seafood from China 
• Compliance with Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Requirements 
• Food Safety Inspection Reports 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year’s theme, Pinwheels of Possibility, reminds us that strong partnerships among schools, families, and communities are key to preventing child abuse before it occurs. Prevention starts with ensuring families have access to essential supports, resources, and connections before challenges escalate into crises. 

Schools are uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge, connecting students and families to vital resources and reinforcing protective factors that promote well-being. Fostering safe, supportive learning environments and building relationships with students and their families are critical. Additionally, as mandated reporters, educators are legally and ethically responsible for recognizing and reporting suspected abuse or neglect. 

The VDOE encourages schools to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month by displaying pinwheels as a visible symbol of hope and prevention. This small act can spark meaningful conversations and raise awareness across school communities. 

For additional information and resources please visit the  VDOE Child Abuse & Neglect web page. 

The Opioid Abatement Education Program was developed to support K-12 teachers, school-based mental health professionals, school nurses, school resource officers, and administrators with instruction on delivering evidence-based opioid abatement education and prevention programming for students that supports the Health Standards of Learning. The use of the Botvin Lifeskills Training in schools to support instruction on opioid misuse and prevention is free to school divisions. Stipends are available to educators who complete the training program and implement it in their schools. For those interested in training through the Opioid Abatement Education Program, additional information and details are available on the VDOE Opioid Abatement Education Plan web page.   

For more information, contact Nenneya Shields, Opioid Abatement Program Manager, at Nenneya.Shields@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 923-0926.