Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin announced Monday he has chosen Aimee Rogstad Guidera to serve as his secretary of education. Guidera, president of Guidera Strategy, was founder and chief executive of the Data Quality Campaign. For 12 years she led the national organization advocating for improved quality, accessibility and use of education data to increase student achievement.

Virginia's largest school system has asked state officials to participate in a yet-to-be- announced coronavirus testing pilot program that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed Friday. A spokeswoman for Fairfax County Public Schools said the district has requested to participate in the Virginia Department of Health's test-to-stay pilot program that is expected to begin in January.

Loudoun County School Board members are divided on whether to continue to allow remote participation by At-Large member Denise Corbo, who has been accessing meetings online since the board pivoted to virtual meetings early in the pandemic for medical reasons.

For parent Shelley Mayhew, high-speed internet access in Pittsylvania County would enhance her children's learning. "It's very difficult," Mayhew said of the lack of broadband where she lives in Climax. "I have two students in the school system. It's very difficult for them to complete any online assignments that they're given."

The state's superintendent of public instruction is leaving the position at the top of the Virginia Department of Education, according to the agency. James Lane oversees Virginia's Department of Education, the administrative agency for the state's public schools, as its executive director. He also serves as secretary of the state Board of Education.

The future of Arlington Public Schools' in-house Virtual Learning Program appears to hang in the balance. The school system developed the program over the summer to give families an alternative to five days a week of in-person instruction. APS made in-person learning the default this fall after o

Library books were not on the agenda for last week's Spotsylvania School Board meeting-and the "book burning" event promoted by a local Facebook page did not occur-but the question of what books should be available to students in their school libraries continues to motivate county parents on both sides of the issue.

"We are falling behind in that metric," Redding told board members earlier this month. The board does not have to approve the pay increase, though, Redding said. As of earlier this week, administrators had not made a final decision about the increase.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Virginia Beach City Public Schools are set to hold a special school board meeting on Monday night to vote on changes to the district's COVID-19 protocols. School leaders will vote on a resolution that could make masks optional in all schools.

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) - A few teachers at Louisa County High School are putting hooks to yarn in a new crochet club thanks to a school board innovation grant. Students and staff are able to join the club to crochet articles of clothing.