I need your help
I am writing to ask for your help in ensuring that each student in Virginia has access to a quality education, no matter where they live, no matter what their zip code may be.
Access to education, and our citizens and our economy depend upon the success of our K-12 education system. In an increasingly competitive global economy, students must graduate from high school being either college ready or career ready.
As the General Assembly session reaches the half-way point next week, we approach a critical time in the effort to move landmark education legislation forward. This year I put forward a number of important proposals that will enhance teacher quality and reward the great teachers we are so fortunate to have in our classrooms, build upon successful legislation in 2011 that expands charter, virtual and college lab schools, and continue to work toward our responsibility – providing each child with a world class education.
My full Opportunity to Learn agenda is below. I need your help in communicating to the General Assembly why this legislation is key to the success of each and every student and family in Virginia.
Please take a few minutes and contact your legislator. Your help is critical in bringing real improvements to our public schools
Who’s My Legislator?
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform
House of Delegates Contact Information:
http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView
Senate of Virginia Contact Information:
http://apps.lis.virginia.gov/sfb1/Senate/TelephoneList.aspx
I hope you each had a teacher that inspired and challenged you to work hard; I know I certainly had many teachers that made me a better student. I want that for each and every student that attends a Virginia school. Until then, we have a shared responsibility to demand the best for our students.
Sincerely,
Bob McDonnell
Governor of Virginia
Enhancing Teacher Quality…
Recognize Exceptional Teachers – HB576 (Richard P. Bell) / SB438 (Obenshain): This bi-partisan issue is critical for ensuring continued success and quality of Virginia’s education system. This bill establishes a eliminates the continuing contract, better known as teacher tenure and provide for a three year contract that prioritizes professional development opportunities and reward good teachers. It will allow for a new evaluation system to work by attracting and retaining the top tiered educators in our K-12 public schools.
Expanding Education Opportunities for Virginia Students…
Scholarships for low-income students — HB321 (Massie) / SB241 (Obenshain): This bill provides tax credits to companies that contribute to the educational improvement scholarship fund for low-income students.
Innovative Technical Advisory Group – HB 756 (Dance): This bill establishes a group of national experts to review and give guidance to potential applicants and the Board during the planning process for charter schools, college partnership lab schools and virtual school programs. The Governor provided $201,624 over the biennium to support the work of this group.
Public Charter Schools – HB 1173 (Lingamfelter) / SB 440 (Obenshain): Legislation would require a minimum of 90% of the cost per child to follow student to an approved charter school. Local school board must allow public charter schools to lease or purchase vacant or unused properties.
Funding Virtual Schools – HB 1272 (Richard P. Bell) / SB 598 (Newman): This bill creates a new funding model for virtual school programs by requiring 76% of local share to follow student to the approved virtual school.
Streamline Regulations Governing Virtual Schools – HB 1215 (Richard P. Bell): This bill requires the Board of Education to promulgate regulations for accrediting virtual schools.
Reduce Burdens on Virtual School Teachers – HB 578 (Richard P. Bell): This bill requires the Board of Education to develop alternative licensure for teachers who teach only online courses. This bill recognizes the unique skills required to teach virtual courses and maintains high standards.
College Lab Schools – HB765 (Peace) / SB475 (Locke): This legislation reduces barriers for Virginia’s public schools and authorizes a partnership between local school boards and institutions of higher education amending the College Lab Legislation to permit any institution of higher education the ability to partner with a local school division
Remove Barriers for Home school Students—HB 947 (Robert B. Bell): This bill will ensure that home school students will be permitted to participate in interscholastic organizations.
Provide School Calendar Flexibility—HB 1063 (Tata): Allow local school divisions to set their own calendar, thus providing more instructional time before major milestones.
Funding…
- Provide additional funding to support the Early Intervention and Reading Initiative
- Require local school divisions to include in their existing reports to the Department of Education how their financial resources are being allocated
- Provide $2 million in additional funding in FY 13 and FY14 for the Communities in Schools program to expand to Hampton Roads, Petersburg, southwest Virginia, northern Virginia, and Danville. Expansion would also include adding regional field support personnel, on-going state-wide training and technical assistance, and annual total quality system standards reviews.
- Provide $1.8 million in funding in FY 13 and FY14 for 10th graders to take the PSAT and partner with College Board to conduct statewide workshops on using the results to increase AP participation and SAT scores.
- Provide $770, 276 for the expansion of the PluggedInVA model to all 8 superintendents’ regions in the state. PluggedInVA involves enrolling adults both in local GED programs in divisions and also in industry certification programs at the community colleges.
- Provide $80,000 in FY13 to provide planning and first year start-up funding in FY13 for Health Sciences academies.
- Provide $135,794 for the Positive Youth Development Academy pilot program for rising 9th and 10th graders in selected regions of the Commonwealth
- Fund a request for proposals to develop an elementary education preK-6 approved program with a major in mathematics, sciences, or integrated sciences and mathematics and middle/secondary approved programs focusing on the preparation of mathematics and science teachers. The programs must be led by public or private colleges or universities, including collaboration of local school divisions, with preference to a consortia model. Programs will provide support to prospective teachers in completing a program within a four-year baccalaureate degree, offer tuition incentives, and promote distribution of high quality teachers across the Commonwealth.
- Provide $600,000 in funding for incentive awards for teachers in STEM areas. A new teacher with an endorsement in mathematics, physics, or technology education assigned to a teaching position in a corresponding STEM subject area is eligible to receive a $5,000 initial incentive award after the completion of the first year of teaching with a satisfactory performance evaluation and a signed contract for the following school year. An additional $1,000 incentive award may be granted for each year the eligible teacher receives a satisfactory evaluation and teaches a STEM subject for up to three years (maximum incentive award is $8,000). Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis with preference to teachers assigned to teach in hard-to-staff schools or schools in improvement.
Governor McDonnell also committed more than $300 million to support the state’s commitment to teacher retirement.