RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today following passage this morning by the House of Delegates of HB576, legislation that changes teacher contracting to help recognize exceptional teachers in Virginia’s public schools.
“I have long said that a child’s educational opportunities should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not her zip code. It is critical that we are preparing our young people for the highly-skilled, high-paying jobs of the 21st century – and that starts with getting a good education. A good education starts in the classroom, with great teachers instructing our children. Here in Virginia, we are fortunate have a world-class educational system with world-class teachers. However, until we can guarantee every student in Virginia a quality education, our work is not done. That is why, this year, we are advancing legislation through our ‘Opportunity to Learn’ agenda that establishes a three-year term contract and evaluation process for teachers and principals to enhance professional development opportunities and reward good teachers. This legislation will recognize our teachers for their success; provide teachers and administrators with benchmarking and performance measures; and, in the end, yield better results for our students. I am pleased that the House of Delegates recognizes the importance of this legislation that will ensure our students have access a world-class education taught by Virginia’s best teachers. I also want to thank Delegate Dickie Bell for his leadership in guiding this legislation through the House of Delegates.”
HB576 is part of Governor McDonnell’s “Opportunity to Learn” K-12 education reform legislative agenda. For more information on Governor McDonnell’s “Opportunity to Learn” agenda, please visit: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=1076.