He was appointed in May 2018 by Governor Ralph Northam

Public colleges and universities in Virginia have the opportunity to apply for grants that total to $34 million to develop resources and professional development programs for reading and mathematics teachers.

Virginia Elementary and middle school students will take two rounds of tests this year and three rounds next year.

Days before classes start, the Roanoke County School Board will now require masks for everyone this fall - vaccinated or not.

A Norton Police Chief is in the hospital after a shooting between him and a pedestrian while on a call Friday afternoon.

The rumored elimination of accelerated math programs before 11th grade has spared concerns among parents in Virginia. But the state superintendent says that is not the case.

Virginia SOL testing will have a new focus this spring and summer.

During a time when the coronavirus pandemic has put a strain on Virginia’s education system, researchers are stepping in to take a closer look at its impacts. Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced on Wednesday that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has secured a three-year, $999,912 federal grant that will go toward support researchers from VDOE and the University of Virginia as they examine pre- and post-pandemic trends through the 2022-2023 school year. The trends that they will study include student attendance, grade-level retention, enrollment in advanced courses, student mobility and teacher retention. “The research funded through this grant will be critical as our schools move beyond the immediate concerns of reopening and shift their focus to addressing the short-term and long-term impacts of the pandemic and school closures on student outcomes and school operations,” Lane said. After the project is complete, the research will then be used for decision-making and policies at the state and local levels.

Virginia ranked 10th in the nation in Advanced Placement (AP) test performance for 2020, according to data released by the College Board on Wednesday. Virginia ranked 10th in percentage of Class of 2020 to score a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam (Virginia Department of Education)The Class of 2020 in Virginia had 28.6% of its members score a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, which was above the national average of 24.4%. The student groups and the percentage of Virginia 2020 graduates who earned passing AP scores are as follows:AdAsian students: 52%White students: 28.1%Hispanic students: 24.3%American Indian students: 12.7%Black students: 9.1%Virginia’s Class of 2020 passed 98,556 AP exams, according to the report. At most universities, a score of three or more on an AP exam can be used for college credit. The report stated that this could save families across Virginia $136,612,476 based on the average rate of $462 per college credit hour.

This school year has been a difficult one for many and with Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent directive to have students inside schools by next month, the Virginia Department of Education is taking action. On Wednesday, Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced the formation of a workgroup of educators, school administrators, mental health professionals, parents and leaders of community organizations. The Virginia LEARNS workgroup will assess the needs of students and support Virginia school divisions as they look to have in-person learning options available for students by Northam’s March 15 deadline. Smyth County Superintendent Dennis Carter, Franklin County Superintendent Bernice Cobbs, Chesapeake Superintendent Jared Cotton and Newport News Public Schools Chief of Staff Rashard Wright will also serve in leadership roles.

RICHMOND, Va. – As the coronavirus continues ravaging the Commonwealth, Governor Ralph Northam is announcing new guidelines to address a struggling side effect of the pandemic: education. Ralph Northam announces push to reopen schools]“...Children are hurting right now. The steps to guide school reopening decisions center around how well each school can implement prevention strategies, outbreaks in schools, COVID-19 rates in the surrounding community, and understanding capacity and populations needing in-person instruction the most. It won’t happen overnight, but education leaders hope school boards will start making plans now. With good mitigation strategies, they say they know we can reopen schools safely.

These conversations are ongoing and we expect to issue updated guidance in the near future, but Governor Northam is not planning on announcing any changes to the current guidance tomorrow. Charles Pyle, Director of Media Relations for the Virginia Department of EducationNortham will address Virginians during a coronavirus update at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. In October, middle school and high school students in Franklin County switched to all-virtual learning because of community spread and difficulties in staffing. Charles Pyle, Director of Media Relations for the Virginia Department of Education10 News will air the governor’s update live on-air, on wsls.com, our Facebook page and our mobile app. You can read the current Virginia Department of Education COVID guidelines here.

TROUTVILLE, Va. – After a quick temperature scan, State Superintendent Dr. James Lane and his team were off to tour Greenfield Elementary School in Botetourt County on Monday. They popped into classrooms to take a look at how the school is upholding to state and CDC guidelines. As coronavirus cases continue to rise around the state, the school is noticing an uptick in absences. Botetourt County School Superintendent Jonathan Russ said he aims to keep children in school while maintaining a balance of social distance learning and interactivity. But first, he will visit nine more school districts in southwest Virginia over the next few days.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – They certainly are the mighty, mighty Titans! Roanoke County’s Hidden Valley High School is among the 367 schools across the nation named Thursday to the list of 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. “I’m extremely proud of the staff and students at Hidden Valley High School. Their commitment to engaging and purposeful learning is shown by this recognition,” said Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely. “Hidden Valley is just one more example of how we are working in Roanoke County to encourage deeper learning so that our students become opportunity ready.”The Roanoke County high school was nominated in the exemplary high-performing schools category.

The Commonwealths COVID-19 Education Work Group is made up of superintendents, college leaders and the Virginia Department of Health. There are now sessions with Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni. Many are organized by the Virginia Education Association to include teachers in all the grade levels, special education, transportation and more. They make up the steering committee for the work group. The data-driven and science-based approach will include recommendations from the COVID-19 Education Work Group, and will be coordinated with the Forward Virginia plan to gradually ease public health restrictions.