Youngkin announces new education initiative after pandemic learning loss

(The Center Square) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced his ALL IN VA plan, intended to help Virginia students recover from COVID-19 learning loss and return to higher academic standards, on the heels of the announcement of the Virginia Assessment Results for the 2022-23 school year.

The plan is the latest in a long string of interventions and reforms the governor has made in education during his tenure. 

On his first day in office, he issued three executive orders on educational issues. The first budget passed under his administration included the largest education budget the state had ever seen and $100 million in funding for lab schools, something Youngkin had stressed during his campaign. 

Today, his influence is reflected in history, social studies, math, reading and literacy, as he and his administration have revised the state’s Standards of Learning for these subjects. He revised Virginia’s Model Policies – a lightning rod issue regarding gender identity in schools is a reversal of the previous administration’s – and recently, he’s been touring the commonwealth holding ‘Parents Matter’ town halls.