SB257: Teachers; extension of three-year provisional licenses.

SENATE BILL NO. 257

Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 5, 2018
A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-299 of the Code of Virginia, relating to three-year provisional licenses; extensions.
Patron-- Suetterlein

Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 22.1-299 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 22.1-299. License required of teachers; provisional licenses; exceptions.

A. No teacher shall be regularly employed by a school board or paid from public funds unless such teacher holds a license or provisional license issued by the Board of Education.

B. Notwithstanding the provision in § 22.1-298.1 that the provisional license is limited to three years, if:

1. If a teacher employed in Virginia the Commonwealth under a provisional license is activated or deployed for military service within a school year (July 1-June 30), an additional year will shall be added to the teacher's provisional license for each school year or portion thereof during which the teacher is activated or deployed. The additional year or years shall be granted the following year or years after following the return of the teacher from deployment or activation.

2. The Board shall extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher upon receiving from the division superintendent (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license.

C. In accordance with regulations prescribed by the Board, a person not meeting the requirements for a license or provisional license may be employed and paid from public funds by a school board temporarily as a substitute teacher to meet an emergency.