Comments for October 22, 2015 public hearing on Proposed Licensure Regulations for School Personnel

Brock Relyea, Certification Specialist, Prince William County Schools, Region IV     

In regard to Code sections 8VAC20-22  -140 and -670, covering license endorsement areas, the proposed amendments to revise the Early/Primary Education PreK-3 and PreK-6 endorsements by increasing the coursework requirements in Mathematics and Science and provide an option for specified requirements and testing will be a positive change for the Commonwealth.  As a representative of Prince William County Schools and Region IV, I support these amendments.

First and foremost, increasing the requirements for Math and Science for those teaching at the Elementary levels will result in teachers that are well prepared to instruct the next generations of Virginians in these key areas.  Providing these teachers with the option for specified requirements and testing will be beneficial to both them and their employing school divisions.

As a Licensure Specialist in a rapidly growing school district, I have the privilege of working with thousands of new and current Virginia teachers.  One thing that nearly all teachers express to me while discussing endorsements is how much they appreciate both specific course requirements and the option to take assessments such as the Praxis II as a means of meeting license standards.  As educators with their primary focus on their classroom and the students they’re teaching, the clearer the guidelines related to what they need to do in order to meet the requirements for an endorsement, the better.  As a busy school division that needs to fill positions with the most qualified and highly trained educators possible in an efficient manner, specific requirements and testing will help us identify the best people to teach our students and make sure they’re eligible for the appropriate licensure. 

These amendments to increase the coursework requirements in Mathematics and Science and provide an option for specified requirements and testing for the aforementioned Elementary endorsements will be not only be good for the students in our Virginia schools, but for their teachers and the school divisions that employ and assist them with licensure, as well.             

In regard to the proposed creation of a new Engineering endorsement, PWCS does not support this amendment. We believe that teachers that have a Technology Education endorsement are prepared to teach engineering courses and to support this our school division provides additional engineering training through Project Lead the Way.  We do not see the addition of an Engineering endorsement as a benefit for students.