Bills
HB 1824/SB 1118: English as a second language teacher incentive reward program and fund (Del. Avoli, Sen. Hashmi)
Our Position: Support
HB 1824 Status: Failed in the House.
SB 1118 Status: Passed the Senate (39-0). Failed in the House.
Summary: Establishes an incentive program for obtaining an endorsement in English as a second language, to include providing public school teachers who obtain this endorsement an initial incentive grant of $5,000 and a subsequent incentive grant of $2,500 each year for the life of the endorsement, with such incentive grants to resume upon renewal of the endorsement.
HB 1823/SB 1109: College and career readiness for English language learners grant program and fund (Delegate Avoli, Sen. Hashmi)
Our Position: Support
HB 1823 Status: Failed in the House.
SB 1109 Status: Passed the Senate (39-0). Failed in the House.
Summary: Establishes the College and Career Readiness for English Language Learners Grant Program and Fund to support English language learner students in preparing for postsecondary opportunities by providing reimbursement grants to eligible school divisions for providing and expanding access to certain career, technical, apprenticeship, and college readiness and preparation programs and courses for high school students identified as having limited English proficiency.
SB 1325: Standards of Quality; Specialized student support position ratios (Sen. McClellan and Hashmi)
Our Position: Support
Status: Passed the Senate (39-0). Failed in the House.
Summary: Amends the Standards of Quality by increasing the required number of specialized student support positions from at least three to at least four such positions per 1,000 students. Such specialized student support positions include school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts, and other licensed health and behavioral positions.
HB 1695: Career coach required in public high schools (Del. Simonds)
Position: Support
Status: Failed in the House.
Summary: Requires each school board to employ at least one career coach in each public high school in the local school division whose duties are required to include assisting students with securing internships, externships, and credentialing opportunities as required by the Profile of a Virginia Graduate, providing students with information on apprenticeship programs, and connecting students to career opportunities. The bill provides that each career coach shall be employed in addition to and not as a replacement for the required school counselor positions, specialized student support positions, or support services positions.
HB 1644: College and career specialist required in public high schools (Del. Williams Graves)
Position: Support
Status: Failed in the House.
Summary: Requires each school board to employ at least one college and career specialist in each public high school in the local school division. The bill provides that each college and career specialist shall be employed in addition to and not as a replacement for the required school counselor positions, specialized student support positions, or support services positions.
SB 1300: Trauma-informed care training for teachers (Sen. Deeds)
Our position: Support
Status: Passed and signed into law by the governor (effective 7/1/23).
Summary: As introduced by youth advocate Elijah Lee this bill would require all public school teachers to receive training in trauma-informed care. The final version of the bill requires the Virginia Tiered Systems of Support Research and Implementation Center to develop a training module on trauma-informed care.
SB 1043: School mental health/JLARC recommendations (Sen. McPike, Sen. Favola, Del. Wilt, Del. Rasoul)
Includes HB2124/HB2187/HB2188/SB1268/SB1267
Our position: Support
Status: Passed and signed into law by the governor (effective 7/1/23).
Summary: SB1043 incorporates the policy changes included in the other bills and requires school divisions to move forward with three policy changes. 1. Defines the role of school counselors to provide more direct services related to mental health. 2. Provides flexibility to hire school psychologists while they are seeking licensure from the Department of Education. 3. Requires the Department of Education to design a model MOU to facilitate collaboration between schools and community-based providers.
HB 1938: Introduce school counselors with specific training in mental health (Del. Plum)
Our position: Support
Status: Failed in the House.
Summary: This legislation would have introduced a new specialized student support position in public schools that specialized in mental health treatment.
HB 1983: DOE develop workgroup for positive behavior supports and trauma-informed practice (Del. Kory)
Our position: Support
Status: Failed in the House.
Summary: Requires the Department of Education to establish a work group to consider best practices for positive behavioral supports for students and trauma-informed school security practices.