DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 151
June 27, 2008
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Requirements for the Licensing of
Instructional Personnel and Employing Substitute Teachers |
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information regarding
the licensing of teachers and other school personnel and employing substitute
teachers. School division personnel have
inquired about statutes and regulations governing the licensure of
instructional personnel as they seek to employ individuals for the next school
year.
Teachers and
Other Instructional Personnel
Section 22.1-299 of the Code
of Virginia noted below requires that teachers regularly employed by a
school board or paid from public funds must hold licenses issued by the
Virginia Board of Education.
Section 22.1-299. License required of teachers.
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 or a three-year local eligibility license issued by a local school
board pursuant to Section 22.1-299.3. 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.
The following
excerpt from Section 22.1-253.13.2 of the Code
of Virginia (Standards of Quality) stipulates that school boards must
employ instructional personnel qualified in the relevant subject areas.
Section 22.1-253.13:2. Standard 2.
Instructional, administrative, and support personnel.
A. The Board shall
establish requirements for the licensing of teachers, principals,
superintendents, and other professional personnel.
B. School boards shall
employ licensed instructional personnel qualified in the relevant subject
areas....
The Virginia Board of Education promulgated
Licensure Regulations for School
Personnel that set forth the requirements for licensing instructional
personnel. These regulations may be
accessed at the following website: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Compliance/TeacherED/nulicvr.pdf
The Board of Education Standards of Accreditation regulations
require that each school shall have at a minimum the staff as specified in the Standards
of Quality with proper licenses and endorsements for the positions they hold. (8 VAC 20-131-240. Administrative and support staff;
staffing requirements)
Temporarily Employed Teachers (Substitute Teachers)
Section 22.1-302 of the Code of Virginia defines a temporarily
employed teacher as one who is employed to substitute for a contracted teacher
for a temporary period of time during the contracted teacher's absence, or one
is employed to fill a teacher vacancy for a period of time, but for no
longer than 90 teaching days in such vacancy during one school year.
This section of the Code further states:
...B. The
Board of Education shall promulgate regulations regarding temporarily employed
teachers, as defined in this section, which shall provide that such teachers be
at least eighteen years of age and that they hold a high school diploma or a
general educational development (GED) certificate.
However, local
school boards shall establish employment qualifications for temporarily
employed teachers which may exceed the Board's regulations for the employment
of such teachers. School boards shall also seek to ensure that temporarily
employed teachers who are engaged as long-term substitutes shall exceed
baseline employment qualifications....
The Board of
Education has promulgated minimum requirements for substitute teachers. You can access these regulations on the
following website:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+8VAC20-640-10
If
you have any questions regarding the licensing of school personnel or the
requirements for substitute teachers, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs.
Patty S. Pitts, assistant superintendent for teacher education and licensure,
by e-mail at Patty.Pitts@doe.virginia.gov
or Dr. James W. Lanham, III, director of licensure, at james.lanham@doe.virginia.gov, or
telephone at (804) 371‑2522.
BKCJr/psp