SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2016 SESSION

16100918D
HOUSE BILL NO. 46
Offered January 13, 2016
Prefiled November 25, 2015
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 2.2-208.1, relating to the establishment of the Early Education Workforce Committee.
----------
Patron-- Greason
----------
Referred to Committee on Education
----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 2.2-208.1 as follows:

§ 2.2-208.1. Early Education Workforce Committee; Secretary to establish.

A. In recognition of the fact that school readiness is linked to workforce readiness and the fact that the most important factor in learning outcomes for young children is the capabilities of the adults who support their growth and learning, the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) shall establish the Early Education Workforce Committee (the Committee).

B. The Committee shall have a total membership of 21 members that shall consist of six legislative members, 14 nonlegislative citizen members, and one ex officio member. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and 14 nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Secretary. Nonlegislative citizen members shall include three representatives of the office of the Secretary of Education, two representatives of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, one representative of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, one representative of the Virginia Community College System, one faculty member or administrator from a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, one representative of the Virginia Career College Association, one representative of the Board of Education, one representative of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, one representative of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, one early childhood education teacher from a public early childhood education program, and one early childhood education teacher from a private early childhood education program. The Secretary of Education or his designee shall serve ex officio with voting privileges.

C. The key goal of the Committee is to ensure an effective professional development and credentialing system for the early childhood education workforce in the Commonwealth, including the (i) development of a competency-based professional development pathway for practitioners who teach children birth to age five in both public and private early childhood education programs; (ii) consideration of articulation agreements between associate and baccalaureate degree programs; (iii) refinement of teacher licensure and education programs to address competencies specific to early childhood development; (iv) alignment of existing professional development funding streams; and (v) development of innovative approaches to increasing accessibility, availability, affordability, and accountability of the Commonwealth's workforce development system for early childhood education teachers and providers. The Committee shall periodically review its key goal and make recommendations to the Board of Education, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and the General Assembly.

D. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All legislative members and nonlegislative citizen members may be reappointed.

E. After the initial staggering of terms, legislative members and nonlegislative citizen shall be appointed for terms of three years.

F. No legislative member or nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive three-year terms. The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed to fill a vacancy shall not constitute a term in determining the member's eligibility for reappointment.

G. The Committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Committee shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

H. The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation shall facilitate the work of the Committee under the direction of the Secretary and with the guidance of a steering subcommittee that includes the Secretary, one legislative member, the representative of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the representative of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.

I. The Department of Education and the Department of Social Services shall provide staff support to the Committee. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Committee, upon request.

2. That the initial appointments of nonlegislative citizen members of the Early Education Workforce Committee shall be staggered as follows: five members for a term of four years, five members for a term of three years, and four members for a term of two years.