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  Published in Politics and Government on Tuesday, September 30th 2025 at 14:35 GMT by The Independent US
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Commonwealth Releases Damning Final Report on Virginia’s Education System

On Tuesday, the Commonwealth of Virginia released a stark and highly‑critical final report on the state’s K‑12 education system that has already set off a flurry of political and public‑policy debate. The document—titled “Final Assessment of Virginia’s K‑12 Education System: Findings, Recommendations, and a Call to Action”—was published by the Commonwealth’s Office of the State Education Commissioner (SEC) and is now available for public download on the state’s website. The report is a culmination of a two‑year inquiry that began in late 2019 and was intended to provide a comprehensive, data‑driven assessment of how Virginia’s schools are faring across a range of metrics, from test scores and graduation rates to funding adequacy and teacher workforce health.

The Report’s Core Findings

The report’s most damning conclusions revolve around three central themes: chronic underfunding, widening achievement gaps, and an alarming teacher shortage.

1. Underfunding of Schools
   According to the SEC, Virginia schools receive the lowest per‑student funding in the country when measured against national benchmarks. The report notes that state appropriations have not kept pace with inflation or the growing cost of educational services, leaving many districts with deficits that force them to cut programs, staff, and even basic classroom supplies. The SEC argues that this chronic underfunding is a principal driver of the declining performance seen in statewide assessments.

2. Widening Achievement Gaps
   The report details how standardized test scores reveal a growing chasm between high‑performing districts and those in historically underserved areas. While the top quartile of schools achieved near‑perfect scores in the 2022 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments, the bottom quartile’s scores hovered well below the state average. The SEC also highlights that these gaps are most pronounced for students of color and for those living in low‑income neighborhoods—an outcome the report deems a failure of current policy and practice.

3. Teacher Shortage and Burnout
   The report documents a 10 % decline in the number of certified teachers since 2015, with a particular deficit in STEM and special‑education fields. It also cites rising teacher turnover rates, an uptick in early retirements, and a surge in complaints about unsafe working conditions and inadequate salaries. The SEC warns that if these trends continue, Virginia could face a severe shortage that would further compromise the quality of instruction and student outcomes.

Recommendations for Immediate Reform

The report offers 15 recommendations, organized under four overarching pillars: Funding, Accountability, Workforce, and Infrastructure. Some of the most prominent suggestions include:

• Increasing State Funding by reallocating a portion of the state’s entertainment tax and expanding the property‑tax‑based school‑budget formula.
• Standardizing Curriculum to ensure that every student receives a rigorous, college‑ready education.
• Establishing a State‑Wide Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program with incentives for high‑needs specialties and lower‑income districts.
• Creating a Continuous Improvement Oversight Committee that includes teachers, parents, and community stakeholders to monitor progress against the new standards.

The SEC stresses that many of these recommendations require immediate legislative action, and it has already drafted a proposed bill that would grant the governor additional authority to reallocate funds and set new educational standards.

Reactions from Key Stakeholders

• Governor Gavin Newsom (link to his office page: https://www.virginia.gov/governor) called the report “unacceptable” but praised the thoroughness of the inquiry. In a statement released the day after the report’s publication, he pledged to convene a task force to review the findings and explore the feasibility of the proposed funding adjustments.
• The Virginia Board of Education (link: https://www.virginia.gov/board-of-education) issued a formal acknowledgment, admitting that the data reflect long‑standing systemic issues. Board Chair Karen McClure emphasized that the state would "actively pursue solutions" and that the report would guide the board’s future decisions.
• The Virginia Education Association (VEA) (link: https://www.vea.org) released a press release applauding the report’s candid assessment of teacher shortages, calling for immediate support for professional development and salary increases.
• Parents and Community Groups in several distressed districts, including Richmond, Norfolk, and the Virginia Beach area, organized a public rally in the capital that day. Protestors demanded urgent reforms and pledged to support local initiatives to bridge achievement gaps.

What Happens Next?

The report’s release has prompted the Virginia General Assembly to schedule hearings on the recommended reforms. The legislature has already passed a preliminary budget resolution that earmarks $200 million for “Teacher Recruitment and Retention” for the 2025‑26 fiscal year. The report also serves as a basis for the upcoming public‑comment period on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would create a permanent “Education Fund” sourced from a portion of the state’s gasoline tax.

While the report’s findings are unequivocal in highlighting Virginia’s struggles, it also offers a roadmap for tangible change. Whether the Commonwealth’s leadership can muster the political will to transform these recommendations into action remains a critical question that will shape the state’s educational landscape for years to come.

For full access to the report, visit the Commonwealth’s Office of the State Education Commissioner website at https://www.virginia.gov/educationreport and download the PDF (link: https://www.virginia.gov/documents/education-report.pdf).