Virginia House Bill HB1717

Virginia 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/23
• Refer: 1/9/23

Caption

Public elementary and secondary school teachers; frequency of certain training activities, report.

Impact

This bill seeks to provide relief to educators regarding professional development requirements, acknowledging the need for a balance between necessary training and the workload of public school teachers. Each local school board is required to report on the training frequency of teachers within their divisions, which promotes a measure of accountability while also potentially relieving the pressure on teachers to frequently redo training that may be repetitive or no longer relevant.

Summary

House Bill 1717 aims to amend the Code of Virginia concerning the frequency at which public elementary and secondary school teachers are required to undergo certain training activities. The bill stipulates that teachers shall not be mandated to participate in these trainings more frequently than once every five years. It specifically refers to the training described in several sections related to test violations and professional development, which are currently dictated by existing education statutes.

Contention

During discussions around HB1717, there may be varying opinions on the necessary frequency of training for public school teachers. Proponents of the bill argue that reducing mandatory participation to once every five years allows teachers to focus on classroom instruction rather than continual retraining, which may not always lead to improved educational outcomes. However, critics might contend that reducing training frequency could compromise the quality of education by limiting teachers' exposure to updates in educational practices, legal requirements, or changes in test protocols.