| Action | Revise the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel and Regulations Governing the Review and Approval of Education Programs in Virginia |
| Stage | NOIRA |
| Comment Period | Ends 3/11/2026 |
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I support the add-on endorsement in Special Education Early Childhood (ECSE) for a number of reasons: 1) It will provide an attainable option for current teachers with PreK-3 or PreK-6 (as well as Special Education General and Adaptive Curriculum) licensure to add an ECSE endorsement. Currently, existing early childhood educators would need up to 27 credit hours to obtain ECSE endorsement. This poses a significant barrier in terms of teacher time and money. 2) Licensed ECSE teachers have the opportunity to pursue an add-on endorsement in early childhood education for three and four year olds. The proposed add-on endorsement in ECSE provides parity. 3) Decades of research and experience document the value of inclusion for preschool students with and without disabilities. Virginia needs teachers who can meet the needs of ALL young children whether funded through ECSE, VPI, Mixed Delivery, Head Start, subsidy, family pay, etc. Flexible options such as this add-on endorsement provide an additional pathway to highly competent inclusive service delivery.