After engaging more than 2,200 participants, hosting over 50 hours of listening sessions, and visiting all eight superintendent regions, the Commonwealth Listening Tour has concluded.  

These sessions reflected a meaningful blend of hope and candor, bringing together individuals from across the Commonwealth to share their perspectives on public education. Teachers, parents, students, school leaders, division leaders, community members, and business leaders all contributed valuable feedback on topics ranging from instruction and assessment to accountability and school operations.  

It was truly inspiring for the Secretary of Education and me to hear such a diverse range of perspectives on how we can strengthen early childhood care and education as well as public schooling across Virginia. I am deeply grateful to everyone who took the time—whether virtually or in person—to participate and share their ideas.  

At the Virginia Department of Education, we are committed to putting these insights into action and using what we’ve learned to strengthen our operations and better serve students, educators, and communities across the Commonwealth.  

To learn more about what we heard and the steps ahead, we invite you to visit our website, where you’ll find both a two-page summary and the full report.  

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to this important effort. 

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 Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR §300.226 (d)) requires each local educational agency (LEA) that implements Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) to report certain information to the state. Specifically, LEAs must report the number of children who received CEIS. They must also report how many of those children later received special education and related services under Part B during the preceding two-year period (i.e., the two years after the child has received CEIS (71 FR 46540, 46628 Aug. 14, 2006)). States and LEAs must maintain these records for audit and monitoring purposes.  

The survey will be open and accessible through the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal on Monday, June 1, 2026. In order for the Virginia Department of Education to comply with federal reporting requirements, each LEA must complete the Use of IDEA Part B Funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services Survey, and the division Superintendent must electronically verify the data through the Superintendent Data Collection Approval (SDCA) application by Friday, July 31, 2026.  

For more information or if you have questions, contact the Office of Special Education Data. 

The science instructional team is excited to announce the release of the Science Instructional Guides which serve as companion documents to the 2018 and 2025 Science Standards of Learning and will support teachers and leaders in implementing standards-aligned instruction. The guides have several sections, including Understanding the Standard, Skills in Practice, Concepts and Connections, and Resources to Support Local Curriculum and Instruction. The science team will offer repeated webinars to provide details about the purpose, intent, structure, content, and context for use. The repeated webinar will be offered four times to accommodate a variety of schedules.  

Divisions should plan for teams of division instructional leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and science teachers or teacher-leaders to attend. Schools not demonstrating mastery in science on the School Performance and Support Framework are strongly encouraged to attend.   

Webinar dates, times, and registration links: 

• May 18 at 4:00 p.m.
• May 26 at 4:00 p.m.
• August 4 at 4:00 p.m.
• August 25 at 4:00 p.m. 

Public comment is being received on proposed changes to the Consolidated State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to conduct accountability through the School Performance and Support Framework for the current school year (2025-2026). Revisions are specific to two elements to meet compliance and process accountability:  

1. Using Value Tables for the Growth Component for Reading and Mathematics in Grades 4-8 
2. Establishing an Exit Criteria and Progress levels for English Language Learners with the most significant intellectual disabilities who take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS test 

As part of the ongoing stakeholder engagement, public comments on these two topics are being collected and will be provided to the Board of Education for their review and consideration prior to approving the School Performance and Support Framework for 2025-2026, at the June business meeting. More information on the Consolidated State Plan and how to provide public comment are available on the Department website. The online public comment forms are available through Friday, May 29, 2026. 

The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce the 2026 Rural and Low-Income Schools Symposium, to be held June 16-17, 2026, at the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This free, two-day event is designed for school and division leaders from rural school divisions across Virginia and will focus on strengthening leadership capacity, expanding instructional opportunities, and supporting students in rural communities. Session topics include parent and community engagement, attendance, recruitment and retention, social emotional learning, and more.

Registration and Lodging Registration will be managed by the Office of Continuing and Professional Education at Virginia Tech. A limited block of hotel rooms is available at the conference site for registered participants. To register, please use the following link: 2026 Rural and Low-Income Schools Symposium Registration. 

This professional development opportunity is free for participants. Breakfast, lunch, and materials will be provided. Attendees are responsible for lodging, parking, and travel expenses; however, using state approved rates, these allowable costs may be charged to the following programs: Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title IV, Part A; or Title V, Part B, Subpart 2. 

A travel scholarship is available to participating divisions whose staff attend the training and complete all required documentation. To qualify for the scholarship, divisions must complete an application located at the Title V webpage by June 5, 2026. Additional information about the scholarship and a link to the scholarship application will be available on the Title V webpage, Monday, May 4, 2026. 

The VDOE is sponsoring content teaching academies on June 22-25, 2026, at James Madison University. The academies are designed to support schools in being responsive to the School Performance and Support Framework and provide professional development for Virginia educators to enhance outcomes for students with disabilities through high-quality instruction and the promotion of inclusive practices. Detailed information about each academy is included in the VDOE-Sponsored Content Teaching Academies Information Summary. Registration for each academy may be accessed on the JMU Content Teaching Academy web page.  

Each academy can accommodate a limited number of participants, and the target audience is specific to each academy’s focus. Priority will be given to school divisions and regions that demonstrated limited participation in previous content teaching academies and to educators from schools in divisions that are working with the VDOE Office of Special Education Program Improvement or the VDOE Office of School Quality. For all public school participants, the VDOE will assume the costs of registration, meals, and double occupancy lodging on JMU’s campus. School divisions are encouraged to cover travel expenses for participants, as this cost is not assumed by VDOE.  

Christopher Newport University’s Center of American Studies announces two free course offerings for K-12 U.S. History, Political Science and Civics Educators. These courses are tuition free on a first come, first serve basis (class size is limited to 15 teachers each) to be offered in the Summer of 2026. They are intended for educators currently teaching U.S History or Civics in a K-12 setting.  

To apply, go to CNU Graduate Admissions Application. Click on the “new applicant” link and fill out the information for the application. Select “Teacher Continuing Education” which designates this as a non-degree program. CNU is part of the Graduate Consortium, a partnership of universities that offer affordable and accessible graduate degrees, certificates, and courses uniquely designed for K-12 civics and history educators. More information can be obtained from Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch. Due to course scheduling, selected applicants will be allowed to register for one of the two classes offered. 

These courses are predominantly asynchronous, with occasional synchronous interaction, held between July 6 – August 6, 2026. 

AMST 595A – Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1789, Instructor: Dr. Frank Garmon: This five-week intensive seminar investigates the intellectual foundation of the American Revolution and the Constitution - natural rights, liberty, virtue, equality, and self-government. 

AMST 595B – Encounters with the Constitution, Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Morrison: This five-week intensive seminar explores foundational and contemporary interpretations of the U.S. Constitution through landmark Supreme Court cases, with a special emphasis on the First Amendment. 

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.