In addition to reporting out the Teacher Fairness Bill on a vote of 8-0, the subcommittee also took the following actions yesterday evening:
HB 2083 (Cox) is one of the Governor's initiatives and it creates Strategic Compensation Grant Initiative and Fund, which provides for grants to be used as incentives to improve teacher and school performance. The bill was reported unanimously.
HB 2101 (Ramadan) requires BOE to develop guidelines to establish High School to Work Partnerships in which a local school division's career and technical education administrator works with the guidance counselor office of each public high school to partner with local businesses to create apprenticeships, internships, and job shadow programs in a variety of trades and skilled labor positions. The bill was reported unanimously.
HB 2084 (Cox), another of the Governor's initiatives, will allow the Teach for America program to operate in Virginia. The bill was reported unanimously.
HB 1388 (Habeeb) changes the date by which a school board must notify continuing contract
principals, assistant principals, and supervisors of a reassignment to a
classroom teaching position from April 15 to June 15. This bill is intended to
parallel similar changes that were made last session to the Code sections
relating to the nonrenewal of a teacher's contract. The bill was reported unanimously.
HB 2094 (Watson) would requires the Board of Education to establish the Virginia Longitudinal Data System to track and examine student progress from early childhood to postsecondary education to the student entering the workforce. The bill was reported unanimously.
HB 2171 (McQuinn) would have required school boards to conduct school safety audits in each school and review school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plan bimonthly instead of annually, which is the current requirement. The bill was left in the subcommittee and the chair will write a letter referring the matter to the Task Force on School Safety.
HB 2076 (Stolle) exempts charter school applications that are initiated by a local school board from the requirement that all charter school applications be submitted to the Board of Education for an initial review. The bill was reported unanimously.
