Virginia

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Virginia
Latasha Johnson teaches reading skills to a kindergarten classroom at Walnut Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C. on May 25, 2022.
Latasha Johnson teaches reading skills to a kindergarten classroom at Walnut Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C. on May 25, 2022.
Kate Medley for Education Week
Reading & Literacy 4 More States Pass 'Science of Reading' Mandates
Four states—and one big city district—have recently mandated changes to how schools teach early reading.
Sarah Schwartz, May 10, 2023
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4 min read
The Hilton Central School District in New York has received bomb threats for refusing to ban a book about LGBTQ+ topics.
The Hilton Central School District in New York has received bomb threats for refusing to ban a book about LGBTQ+ topics.
Courtesy of the Hilton Central School District
School Climate & Safety Book Ban Debates Prompt Bomb Threats Against Schools
An upstate New York district received four bomb threats after community members objected to a book.
Eesha Pendharkar, April 27, 2023
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10 min read
042523 Cardona Bilingual 3 EdDe BS
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona talks to a group of 3rd grade students on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Escuela Key Elementary School in Arlington, Va. Cardona visited the school along with a group of education leaders from countries across the globe to demonstrate strong U.S. multilingual programs.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
English-Language Learners Secretary Cardona Shows Off Dual-Language School to International Education Leaders
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Escuela Key Elementary School in Arlington, Va., to promote multilingual learning.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2023
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5 min read
A multi-ethnic group of elementary age children are in the computer lab using laptops. A little boy is watching a video and is listening to music.
FatCamera/Getty
IT Infrastructure & Management Why Schools Struggle to Keep Track of Students' Laptops
Districts should be tracking their technology assets as much as they can, but it's easier said than done, experts say.
Lauraine Langreo, April 17, 2023
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4 min read
Photo of dictionary definition for reparation.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Equity & Diversity Reparations for Black Americans: How K-12 Schools Fit In
Cities, states, and school districts are studying ways to atone for past injustices and prevent future ones, including in K-12 education.
Mark Lieberman, April 13, 2023
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5 min read
Pedestrians walk past a sign in Evanston, Ill., on April 30, 2021. The Chicago suburb is preparing to pay reparations in the form of housing grants to Black residents who experienced housing discrimination. The city is being hailed as the first to do so, and is being held up as a model in its approach for other cities looking to do the same.
Pedestrians walk past a sign in Evanston, Ill., on April 30, 2021. The Chicago suburb is preparing to pay reparations in the form of housing grants to Black residents who experienced housing discrimination. The city is being hailed as the first to do so, and is being held up as a model in its approach for other cities looking to do the same.
Shafkat Anowar/AP
Equity & Diversity Schools Are Confronting Centuries of Racial Injustice. Will They Offer Reparations?
Reparations efforts have multiplied recently, with some districts considering how they can atone for discrimination against Black Americans.
Mark Lieberman, April 11, 2023
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11 min read
A seventh grade student reads a book in the library at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta on Feb. 12, 2020.
A seventh grade student reads a book in the library at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta on Feb. 12, 2020.
Allison Shelley for EDUimages
Reading & Literacy Why One State Extended Reading Supports Through Middle School
Virginia will now require schools to offer dedicated support for struggling readers through 8th grade.
Sarah Schwartz, April 7, 2023
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5 min read
Illustration of clapping hands.
School & District Management Cultivating the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Schools and Districts
LaTanya McDade, the first woman and African American to lead Virginia's Prince William County Schools, reflects on her pioneering role.
Denisa R. Superville, April 4, 2023
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9 min read
Paper cut outs of people with one not included in the chain. On a blue background.
E+/Getty
Special Education English Learners, Students With Disabilities Blocked From Gifted Programs, Data Finds
State policies are needed to improve representation in gifted and talented programs.
Ileana Najarro, April 4, 2023
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3 min read
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivering his State of the State address at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., on Jan. 10, 2023. Murphy announced the expansion of the AP African American Studies course to 26 schools across the state next school year a few weeks after Florida’s ban.
Matt Rourke/AP
Social Studies AP African American Studies: How Other States Are Responding After Florida's Ban
These are the states that have taken a stance on the AP African American Studies course.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 23, 2023
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7 min read
Protesters hold signs at a Moms for Liberty rally at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2021. About 100 people attended the rally to protest mask and vaccine mandates.
Protesters gather at a Moms for Liberty rally against mask and vaccine mandates at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 9, 2021.
Paul Weaver/Sipa via AP Images
Families & the Community What the Push for Parents’ Rights Means for Schools
Conservative parents and politicians are pushing for parents' bills of rights, but what they actually mean for schools is untested.
Libby Stanford, February 22, 2023
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11 min read
Photo of wood blocks with yes and no on them.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Recruitment & Retention From Our Research Center Educators Less Likely to Seek Jobs in States That Limit Classroom Talk, Survey Finds
Surveys completed late last year asked job seekers and school district recruiters about how new laws are impacting job applications.
Ileana Najarro, February 9, 2023
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3 min read
One Hundred Dollar Bill with the words "Uh Oh!" on a patch covering Ben's mouth
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance How Sloppy Math Makes Budgeting Harder for Schools
An ongoing school funding mishap in Virginia highlights the precarious business of providing adequate funding for education.
Mark Lieberman, February 7, 2023
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3 min read
Anthony Vargas, the supervisor of gifted and talented and advanced programs, judges and advises 6th grade student projects prepared for the National History Day contest at Baldwin Intermediate School in Manassas, Va., on December 6, 2022.
Anthony Vargas, the supervisor of gifted and talented and advanced programs, judges presentations by 6th graders at Baldwin Intermediate School in Manassas, Va. The students, in the gifted education program, were preparing for a National History Day contest.
Valerie Plesch for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Q&A A Formula for Creating More Equitable Gifted and Talented Programs
Anthony Vargas in Manassas, Va., has nearly doubled the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the district's gifted program.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 6, 2023
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4 min read
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