I am pleased to announce that beginning October 9, 2001, the Department of Education’s Division of Instruction will issue electronic "Principals’ Memos" weekly. The memos will be posted each Tuesday on the Division of Instruction’s Homepage at the following address: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/. The purpose of the Principals’ Memos is to provide building-level administrators with information that should be of interest to them and their faculty members on topics related to elementary, middle, and secondary instruction; career and technical education; and adult education and literacy. The Web-based Principals’ Memos will serve as the Division of Instruction’s primary tool for communicating information to school principals and their teachers.

The Principals’ Memos will include information such as announcements of meetings, conferences, and professional development opportunities; instructional resources and programs; and grant opportunities. Printed copies of memos and attachments will not be mailed to schools. Hence, principals at all levels are encouraged to check the Principals’ Memo website each Tuesday and share information with faculty members, as appropriate. While the Principals’ Memos will be targeted to building-level administrators, key instructional leaders and curriculum specialists also are invited to read and share the information being communicated.

If you have questions about the Principals’ Memo website, please contact Dr. Patricia I. Wright (pwright@pen.k12.va.us), assistant superintendent for instruction, at 804-225-2979.

PIW