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2023 SESSION

23103183D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 246
Offered January 11, 2023
Prefiled January 9, 2023
Requesting the Department of Education to study options for and the feasibility of expanding the criteria for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements for certain hard-to-fill educator positions. Report.
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Patrons-- Boysko, Deeds, Favola, Hashmi, Locke, Ruff and Vogel; Delegate: Shin
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is experiencing an ongoing teacher shortage, with more teachers leaving the workforce in 2022 than newly licensed teachers entering it; and

WHEREAS, statewide, the number of new teaching licenses being issued has steadily decreased, dropping by 15 percent in the 2021–2022 school year; and

WHEREAS, recruiting and retaining teachers is crucial to ensuring high-quality education and sustaining and expanding educational opportunities for students in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, recent Standards of Learning assessments have indicated widening achievement gaps for students in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the shortage in newly licensed teachers entering the workforce and the growing staff vacancies have a particularly detrimental effect on elective and non-core courses, such as advanced or specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and computer science classes, significantly impeding the ability of public schools in the Commonwealth to continue offering a wide range of these academic opportunities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Department of Education be requested to study the options for and the feasibility of expanding the criteria for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements for certain hard-to-fill educator positions.

In conducting its study, the Department of Education (the Department) shall (i) review the current law on granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements; (ii) consider options for expanding the criteria for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements, with a focus on removing barriers to employment for individuals who are interested in and qualified to teach certain elective and non-core courses, such as advanced or specialized STEAM and computer science classes and other classes requiring technical knowledge and experience; and (iii) make recommendations on policies for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements, including amendments to the current law or pertinent regulations.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Department by each local school board. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department for this study, upon request.

The Department shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2023, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.