Virginia § 22.1-299 - (Effective until July 1, 2030) License required of teachers; provisional licenses; exceptions

§ 22.1-299. (Effective until July 1, 2030) License required of teachers; provisional licenses; exceptions

A. No teacher shall be regularly employed by a school board or paid from public funds unless such teacher holds a license or provisional license issued by the Board or a one-year local eligibility license issued by a school board pursuant to subsection N of § 22.1-298.1.

B. Notwithstanding the provision in § 22.1-298.1 that the provisional license is limited to three years, the following exceptions shall apply:

1. If a teacher employed in the Commonwealth under a provisional license is activated or deployed for military service within a school year (July 1-June 30), an additional year shall be added to the teacher's provisional license for each school year or portion thereof during which the teacher is activated or deployed. The additional year shall be granted the year following the return of the teacher from deployment or activation.

2. The Board shall extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher upon receiving from the division superintendent (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year during the original three-year provisional license that such teacher was actually employed and received a filed performance evaluation. Any individual issued a local eligibility license pursuant to subsection N of § 22.1-298.1 shall not be eligible for an extension of a provisional license.

3. The Board shall extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher employed in an accredited private elementary or secondary school or a school for students with disabilities that is licensed pursuant to Chapter 16 (§ 22.1-319 et seq.) upon receiving from the school administrator of such school (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license.

C. In accordance with regulations prescribed by the Board, a person not meeting the requirements for a license or provisional license issued by the Board or for a one-year local eligibility license issued by a school board pursuant to subsection N of § 22.1-298.1 may be employed and paid from public funds by a school board temporarily as a substitute teacher to meet an emergency.

Code 1950, § 22-204; 1954, c. 638; 1958, c. 300; 1979, c. 532; 1980, c. 559; 1992, c. 132; 2000, c. 689; 2008, c. 51; 2013, cc. 588, 650; 2018, cc. 748, 749; 2020, cc. 172, 639; 2023, cc. 748, 800; 2024, c. 845.