Gov. Ralph Northam announced this week the establishment of the state’s COVID-19 Education Work Group to help determine how schools can safely reopen later this year.

Representatives from Virginia’s public and private early childhood, K-12, and higher education systems make up the group. These include teachers, superintendents, parents, college presidents, state agency personnel, special education advocates, museum directors, and student perspectives.

Secretary of Education Atif Qarni formed the work group and chaired its first meeting on April 23. Since then, it has been focused on developing recommendations to align policies throughout the commonwealth’s entire education system (from pre-kindergarten through post-graduate) and ensure continuity of learning, a release from the governor’s office stated.

“As we begin to think about how Virginia’s education system can operate in the summer and fall, it is crucial that we have the advice of a diverse, thoughtful group of educati...