COMMENTARY: Virginia Is for Literacy: What the Governor’s Race Is Ignoring
The rushed, inconsistent implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act in middle schools threatens to leave our most vulnerable students behind.
By Alicia Hunter
GUEST WRITER
Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration has focused on issues like parental rights, ending “divisive concepts,” and expanding vocational and dual enrollment programs, while challenger Abigail Spanberger advocates for robust public education, higher teacher salaries, and preventing public school funding cuts. Education was a defining issue in the 2021 race that brought Youngkin to power, and similar debates over the role of parents, curriculum, and public school funding are resurfacing.
The introduction of the Student Performance and Support Framework provides a new level of accountability for Virginia’s schools, yet the rushed, inconsistent implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act in middle schools threatens to leave our most vulnerable students behind.
Match the Promise for Our Most Vulnerable Students and Families
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2022 reading scores reveal persistent gaps across demographics in Virginia:
Fourth graders: 34% proficient or above
Eighth graders: 36% proficient or above
Black students: 18 points lower than White peers at fourth grade
Hispanic students: 16 points lower than White peers at fourth grade
Asian students: 12 points higher than White peers at fourth grade
Students eligible for free/reduced lunch: 21 points lower than more affluent peers
These data show that students who struggle early in literacy are falling further behind, particularly those in Title I schools and other historically underserved communities.
Expanding the Virginia Literacy Act to Middle Schools
Reading and Development classes, as defined under the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA), are specialized courses designed to provide targeted, evidence-based literacy interventions for students who are behind in foundational reading skills. These classes focus on phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies, and are intended to supplement regular English/Language Arts instruction.
In a large Northern Virginia school division, language arts teachers revealed they were reassigned into Reading and Development classes days before preservice week without notice. Many teachers do not hold a reading endorsement or have prior training in foundational literacy instruction. Class sizes average 20 students, with some educators assigned nearly 90 students across multiple groups.
Lexia Core5 and Lexia PowerUp are the primary programs used to deliver individualized reading interventions. These digital literacy platforms provide structured lessons for phonics, fluency, and comprehension, but teachers must manage large groups, monitor progress, and adapt lessons without additional time, training, or stipends. Teachers did not have access to this program in some districts until a few days before the arrival of students.
Teacher Qualifications and the Challenges of Reading Intervention
Elementary teachers are required to be knowledgeable in foundational reading and the practices of the science of reading, including phonics, decoding, fluency, and comprehension strategies.
Licensure and endorsements at the Virginia Department of Education do not require reading intervention as a qualification for secondary English Language Arts teachers. This legal loophole allows teachers to deliver specialized reading instruction without a formal endorsement or prior training.
All K–8 educators were required to complete training on science-based reading research by the start of the 2025–2026 school year. This training was delivered through a Canvas course in partnership with Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP). Secondary teachers in grades 6–8 who teach English/Language Arts are now included in Virginia Literacy Act professional learning requirements. However, they are expected to deliver highly specialized reading instruction without the necessary time, support, or expertise, threatening the effectiveness of the program.
Principal’s Choice and the Limits of Local Discretion
School leaders often respond with, “I hear you,” but offer no systemic solutions. Leaving instructional decisions to “principal’s choice” exacerbates inequities. Oversized classes, underprepared teachers, and delayed resources create a scenario where policy compliance is performative, not transformative. Vulnerable students who did not learn to read in elementary school are left behind.
Questions for the Governor’s Race
Candidates must address these urgent questions:
How will you address the VLA loophole allowing secondary English teachers to teach reading without proper endorsement or training?
How will you prevent “principal’s choice” loopholes from undermining the fidelity of literacy interventions?
What systems will ensure parents are fully informed of program changes affecting their children’s literacy instruction?
“The literacy crisis in Virginia is real and urgent. Policy promises matter, but implementation determines outcomes.”
The next governor must ensure that all students—not just those in affluent districts—have access to high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction. Virginia cannot claim to be “for literacy” if the most vulnerable students continue to fall behind. Candidates must move beyond rhetoric and present a clear, actionable vision for classrooms across the state.
Alicia Hunter is a teacher in northern Virginia.
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