Dear Virginia Students, Families, Educators, and Community Leaders,  

It is an honor to serve as Virginia’s acting State Superintendent of Public Instruction and to champion the success of our 1.2 million students. I step into this role with deep commitment and a steadfast belief in the power of education to unlock potential and transform lives.

As Chief Deputy Secretary of Education for Governor Glenn Youngkin, I have had the privilege of working across early childhood, K-12, and Virginia’s esteemed cultural institutions as well as in partnership with the higher education community to drive forward critical initiatives and student-centered education policies. Throughout my career – whether in the classroom, in policymaking, or in executive leadership – I have seen firsthand what is possible when we set a clear vision, communicate it well, put brilliant minds in a room together, and remove barriers to student success.  

Now more than ever our belief in what is possible for every student matters. My background of leading first-in-the-nation policies to expand educational opportunities and legal astuteness will serve us well as we navigate an unprecedented era of federal changes, state authority, and once-in-a-lifetime learning loss. Transitions can bring uncertainty, and I want to assure you that my priority is building upon the incredible work already underway, while fostering an environment of collaboration and shared success. 

Virginia has long been a leader in education, and we have a responsibility to build on this legacy by fostering excellence, innovation, and opportunity in every classroom. My commitment is to work in partnership with families, teachers, school leaders, governing board and General Assembly members, and community stakeholders to ensure every student has the tools they need to thrive. Together we will further elevate academic achievement, support and empower great teachers, and create pathways that set our students on a trajectory for lifelong success.

Thank you for your dedication to our students and public schools. I look forward to collaborating with you to make Virginia the best place to learn, teach, and lead.

With gratitude and determination, 

Emily Anne Gullickson, M.Ed. J.D. 
Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction 
Commonwealth of Virginia  

VDOE believes that high-quality paraprofessional development and well-structured career ladders are essential to strengthen the educator workforce pipeline. Paraprofessionals are often untapped resources in our schools. They are essential to student learning, classroom management, and individualized support for students. Investing in their growth and valuing their skills and experiences is critical to the overall retention of paraprofessionals. For paraprofessionals who aspire to move into a teaching role, career ladders offer clear progression from paraprofessional roles to certified teacher, making it easier for school divisions to grow their own teachers from within. 

The aim of the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Grow Your Own Paraprofessional: Apprenticeship Program Subgrant is to identify innovative pilot divisions who are willing to partner with VDOE to develop a statewide Paraprofessional Registered Apprenticeship (Para-RAP) model that could be scaled across the Commonwealth in the coming years. In such a Para-RAP, an entry-level paraprofessional trains under the guidance of a mentor/master paraprofessional, working towards proficiency in a set of competencies to-be-defined by VDOE and Virginia Works, all the while working towards their Associates of Arts in Teaching (AAT) at no or low cost to the participant.  

By creating a scalable and sustainable workforce pipeline, VDOE is ensuring that Virginia’s schools have access to well-prepared, highly skilled educators ready to meet the needs of students across the Commonwealth. 

The primary mission of the JVG program is to empower, uplift, and support Virginia’s youth to develop the skills for graduation and success in the workforce of tomorrow. This year's grant is for $30,000 and does not require a local match. These funds must be used to expand services in existing JVG programs and/or add additional JVG programs in local school divisions based on the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) national model.  

School divisions may use the grant funds to employ a job specialist who will work directly with the students who meet the program criteria. The JVG presently serves over 1800 students in 67 sites across 43 school divisions within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Department of Education serves as fiscal agent for these programs. 

School divisions that are interested in submitting a new JVG Competitive Grant Award Application must complete the new program online application, which must be received no later than 5 p.m. on  April 30, 2025. If your school division is interested in continuing an existing grant, the JVG program must complete the continuing program online application, no later than 5 p.m. on April 30, 2025. The JVG staff will hold open informational sessions via Zoom every Monday in March at 11 a.m. 

The VDOE Fine Arts Program is sponsoring a professional learning series for division leaders of fine arts instruction. The hybrid program will include a series of four meetings: three virtual and one in-person. Each school division is encouraged to send individuals who supervise fine arts instruction for students in K-12, including division fine arts leaders or a teacher leader identified by the division leader. Participants are encouraged to engage in the complete series.  

The program will include topics of high quality, standards-aligned instructional practices, effective implementation of content of fine arts instructional guides, and data analysis for program and course planning. Participants will engage in smaller group discussions for collaboration among school divisions and have an opportunity to provide feedback to VDOE staff regarding future work. 

Program Schedule 

• Virtual Meeting: April 23, 2025, 10-11 a.m. 
• Virtual Meeting: May 7, 2025, 10-11 a.m.  
• 2025 VDOE Fine Arts Leadership Conference - In-person – Choose 1 
  • West: June 24, 2025, 1-4:30 p.m. at the Southwest Higher Education Center in Abingdon 
  • East: June 26, 2025, 1-4:30 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond 
• Virtual Meeting: July 23, 2025, 10-11 a.m.  

Participants must register for the complete series by no later than April 9, 2025.

In accordance with section 8VAC20-132-50 of the Board of Education’s Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (referred to as the “Standards of Accreditation”), students who meet the requirements for graduation and demonstrate academic excellence and outstanding achievement, may be eligible for one or more diploma seals. For a list of available diploma seals and criteria for awarding each, please see VDOE’s Diploma Seals webpage. Graduation requirements are available on the Graduation Requirements webpage. 

School divisions who need to place their order for diploma seals for this year’s graduating class should do so through the 2025 Diploma Seal Order Form prior to March 28, 2025. Only one order per division will be accepted.

Please note that diploma seals do not change in appearance year-to-year. Please use any seals remaining from previous years before ordering new seals this year for students graduating in the spring and summer of 2025.  As a reminder, the Seal of Advanced Mathematics and Technology is no longer available. This seal has been replaced by the STEM seal.

We ask that divisions accurately report the number of seals awarded in the Student Record Collection as these numbers inform the future production seals. Please be sure to report awarding any STEM, Science, and Environment seals on this report.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Theresita Martinez, Office Manager, Division of Programs, by email at theresita.martinez@doe.virginia.gov

VDOE is announcing the next open application period for school boards and localities to apply for school construction loans from the Literary Fund. $194.87 million in loan authority remains available. The open application period for school boards and localities to jointly apply to VDOE is from Thursday, March 20, 2025, through Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 5 p.m. Completed loan applications not submitted by the deadline will not be accepted. Priority for loan funding will be based on the composite index of the divisions applying.  

Please review the Board of Education’s Guidelines, found on the VDOE’s Literary Fund website. The market index rate that will be used in determining eligible interest rates is 3.819%. All Literary Fund loan requirements in the appropriation act, Code of Virginia, and Board regulations still apply, in addition to the Board’s guidelines.    

The Literary Fund loan application is available for download. Completed Excel application files must be emailed to DoeLiteraryFund@doe.virginia.gov by the May 22nd deadline. A hardcopy of the application form, with all original signatures and official raised seals, must be mailed to:   

Christina Berta, Chief Operations Officer Virginia Department of Education P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120  

Once the application period closes on May 22nd at 5 p.m., VDOE staff will review all submitted applications against the Board’s guidelines and other Literary Fund requirements and notify applicants by email of application form approval. Loan applications meeting all requirements will be presented at monthly Board of Education meetings for final loan approval.  

Additional information can be found on VDOE’s Literary Fund website.  

VDOE would like to remind divisions of the requirement to complete Annual Performance Reporting for ESSER and GEER funding.  To assist divisions, a webinar will be offered on March 27, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.  This webinar is the second part of the training which pertains specifically to the ESSER and Cross Act portion of the reporting.  Please use the APR Part Two link to register for the webinar (ID 841 7856 3373).  Federal Pandemic Relief Coordinators should look for an email containing additional information prior to the webinar.   

Questions may be directed to vdoefederalrelief@doe.virginia.gov.  

The Virginia Department of Education is calling on all school divisions to apply for the ALL In Division of Distinction award. This award celebrates the hard work of school divisions in implementing and successfully executing their ALL In plans. Those school divisions that have seen outcomes for students in attendance, literacy and math, and learning loss recovery should apply for this recognition. The department will use evidence and data from the application process to select ALL In Divisions of Distinction.  

Interested school divisions should complete the following application, submit the following evidence, and create a video to elevate their hard work. Submissions are due April 25, 2025.  

Specifications and requirements for the video: 

• Export the video in .mp4 or .mov format. 720p or 1080p resolution is recommended 
• Video should be produced in horizontal orientation (i.e., designed for computer screens and not phone screens). 
• Video should be 2-4 minutes in length. 
• For those with limited editing resources or expertise, please avoid using background music.  VDOE can provide music if desired. 
• If you include images of students, please ensure that all featured students have a proper media release or have not opted out of media consent.  

The Department will be featuring ALL IN Divisions of Distinction through the Spring and Summer.  

March is Literacy Month and the VDOE is excited to highlight engaging ways divisions can celebrate literacy in Virginia’s schools.  This is a time to celebrate the power of reading and encourage everyone to pick up a book and dive into the world of words- through engaging in reading multiple genres and a variety of texts around a thematic topic or theme students across the Commonwealth are increasing their vocabulary knowledge so they can continue to grow into life long readers. As educators and families are working to enhance student vocabulary, they may employ a variety of instructional approaches that have students engaged in authentic text.  

• Read Alouds: Choose books centered around a similar theme or topic with rich language and explain new words in context. 
• Conversations and Questions: Engage students in discussions using open-ended, text-based questions. You can even incorporate Socratic seminars or debates to continuously introduce academic language. 
• Cross-Curricular Vocabulary: Highlight shared terms across different subjects. 
• Writing Assignments: Encourage students to incorporate new words into essays and stories. 
• Independent Reading: Offer high-interest literary texts, like novels, and informational texts to broaden vocabulary exposure. 
• Explicit Vocabulary Instruction: Teach word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. 

Continue to encourage families to utilize the resources found on the Virginia Department of Education website as well as the "Family Supports for Reading” in the Resource Hub.  

Governor Youngkin has proclaimed March 2025 as Youth Art Month in Virginia. We celebrate how fine arts programs exemplify and support academic expectations and reflect skills and attributes students need to excel in life beyond high school. The 2020 K-12 Dance Arts, Music, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts Standards of Learning emphasize the importance of fine arts instruction as part of a comprehensive education. Students acquire knowledge and skills by thinking critically, solving problems resourcefully, communicating effectively, working collaboratively, and exercising creative thinking by employing originality, flexibility, and imagination. Approximately 71% of Virginia’s students are enrolled in at least one fine arts course with continued annual increases. Data demonstrates that students who engage in multiple years of fine arts in high school have lower rates of chronic absenteeism.  

Schools are encouraged to celebrate by engaging students in arts-centered activities:  

• Set up an exhibition of student artwork and allow classes to conduct a gallery walk.  
• Invite local arts professionals to provide student performances or share about their careers. 
• Engage in theatre improvisation games and exercises to build communication skills and self-confidence. 
• Plan a fine arts fair to showcase performing and visual arts traditions of the school community. 
• Invite secondary school student groups to perform for elementary school audiences. 
• Host an “instrument petting zoo” to allow students to try a new instrument. 

Additional resources and Instructional Guides are located on the VDOE Fine Arts section of the VDOE website. Thank you to Virginia’s fine arts educators for your dedication and service.