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A Message from Secretary Morris
I am honored to serve as Governor Tim Kaine’s Secretary of Education. In this role, I will help the Governor achieve his primary educational goals: expand access to high-quality pre-K education; dramatically increase the number of students who are reading proficiently by third grade; better prepare students for post-secondary education and the workforce; and increase the number of graduates at all levels, from high school to community college to senior college and graduate programs.
Virginia has one of the finest educational systems in the United States. Yet, we have much work remaining to be done. Ninety percent of our public schools are fully accredited this year, marking continued good progress since we began the current accountability system. Along with our new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Billy K. Cannaday, and Virginia’s wealth of talented and dedicated superintendents, principals and teachers, I will not rest until 100 percent of our schools are accredited. Likewise, we will work hard to ensure that all students have the support they need to succeed and graduate.
I would like to challenge Virginia’s students to do even better. To remain competitive in the global economy of the 21st Century, we will have to do better. To students who are planning to earn a Standard Diploma, I challenge you to raise your sights and strive for one of the special diploma seals or the Advanced Diploma. To those who are on the path to an Advanced Diploma, I challenge you to become an Early College Scholar, taking college-level courses through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Dual Enrollment programs. To students who plan to pursue a technical career, I challenge you to earn an industry certification while in high school. I would like for all students and their parents to know that we have excellent resources available in our public schools and through partnerships with colleges and businesses to help prepare students for the next step in their lives. I have no doubt that our youth will rise to these challenges and help us take Virginia’s educational system to the next level.
~ Tom Morris, Virginia Secretary of Education ~