Education
Va. lawmakers will consider teacher compact to stem shortage
Lawmakers will consider legislation allowing Virginia to recruit more teachers through a multi-state agreement in the upcoming legislative session, which some see as an opportunity to continue reducing the state’s teacher shortage that has declined in recent months. The legislation to enter Virginia into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact was carried by Del. Jackie Glass, […]
U.S. House passes bill to move up annual FAFSA release deadline
WASHINGTON — A measure to ensure the federal student aid form opens up annually by Oct. 1 passed the U.S. House Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support. The effort — which passed 381-1 — came after the U.S. Department of Education faced major backlash over the botched rollout of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or […]
Plans to restore 1776 Commission recall efforts to revise Virginia’s K-12 history standards
As Virginians prepare for the beginning of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans, according to the party’s 2024 platform, plan to reinstate the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission, an initiative created by Trump in 2020 to “better enable a rising generation to understand the history and principles of the founding of the United States in 1776.” […]
Va. launches resource hub to improve student and school outcomes amid performance data questions
Virginia legislators, educators and parents were surprised to learn in the past few months how many schools failed to meet expectations under a new accountability system compared to an older system that showed most schools were accredited. During an announcement on Friday about the Department of Education’s new Road to Readiness Hub to help improve student […]
Law students sue George Mason after objecting to a proposal to put tampons in male bathrooms
Two law students in Northern Virginia are challenging George Mason University for allegedly violating their First and 14th Amendment rights, after the school ordered them to have no contact with another student who proposed the university offer feminine hygiene products in all restrooms, a suggestion the law students said would compromise their safety and beliefs. […]
Are House lawmakers ghosting college students and staff over campus protest rules?
Before the Virginia legislature’s last special session adjourned, the House of Delegates formed a committee to examine how colleges and universities statewide handle campus safety. The committee formed in the wake of a series of campus protests over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war last spring that led to the arrests of dozens of students and faculty […]
Virginia lawmakers consider K-12 plan to meet student needs, cost share among state and localities
On Thursday, Virginia lawmakers discussed ways to address the state’s decades-old funding formula, which determines the funding level for public schools, and considered a series of near-term recommendations that could be phased into the commonwealth’s plans within three to four years. Lifting the support cap, which limited the number of support positions the state would […]
Amid provider concerns, Board of Ed moves forward with proposed standards for child care centers
The Virginia Board of Education sent the proposed standards for licensed child care centers for regulatory review on Tuesday, potentially ending the existing standards to enhance the safety of children receiving care. The review will include the publication of the proposed regulation in the Virginia Register, then after review by the Attorney General’s office and […]
Data shows thousands of Virginians in need of child care services
Parents of nearly 10,000 children in Virginia are seeking early childhood care and education services primarily in the south and central regions, according to data collected by the Department of Education as of Oct. 1. Industry experts say the challenge is balancing capacity and demand as the state focuses on preparing children and supporting families. […]
As state works to improve special education, advisory committee wants to review parents’ complaints
Virginia’s special education advisory committee would like to learn more about the complaints made by parents of students with disabilities in hopes of improving special education services in the state, according to the committee’s September report. The committee made the recommendation, along with a list of others — including funding special education based on based […]
Virginia teachers reaffirm suit against Harrisonburg schools over transgender student policies
Three Harrisonburg City teachers renewed their lawsuit against the Harrisonburg City School Board on Friday, referencing the Supreme Court of Virginia’s 2023 opinion that school boards may not compel an employee, over their objection, to refer to a student by pronouns that don’t correspond with the student’s sex. On Friday, Alliance Defending Freedom, representing the […]
Study finds three Virginia universities with ‘some’ viability risks
While none of Virginia’s colleges and universities are considered to be a “high” viability risk, three institutions — the University of Mary Washington, Virginia State University, and Radford University — are rated as having “some” risks that could threaten their ability to survive and operate, researchers announced on Monday in Richmond. According to a study […]