HB 253 may sound harmless, but it gives up too much control in exchange for very little benefit.
At its core, this bill hands authority over teacher licensure to an interstate compact run outside Virginia. Once we join, key decisions about who qualifies to teach in our schools can be made by a multistate commission rather than by the General Assembly, the Board of Education, or local school divisions. That is a loss of accountability to Virginia parents and taxpayers.
The promise of “mobility” also masks a real risk: lower or uneven standards. Virginia could be required to accept licenses from states with different or weaker requirements, limiting our ability to maintain state-specific expectations for preparation, content knowledge, and classroom readiness.
Just as important, this bill does not fix the real problem. Teachers are leaving because of working conditions, discipline issues, administrative overload, and lack of respect, not because it is too hard to move between states. HB 253 moves teachers around instead of fixing why they are leaving in the first place.
Once Virginia joins an interstate compact, it is hard to undo. Rules can change over time without another vote of the General Assembly, leaving school boards stuck with policies they did not approve and cannot easily change.
Teacher shortages deserve serious solutions. Giving up local control is not one of them.
That is why HB 253 should be opposed.
HB 253 may sound harmless, but it gives up too much control in exchange for very little benefit. At its core, this bill hands authority over teacher licensure to an interstate compact run outside Virginia. Once we join, key decisions about who qualifies to teach in our schools can be made by a multistate commission rather than by the General Assembly, the Board of Education, or local school divisions. That is a loss of accountability to Virginia parents and taxpayers. The promise of “mobility” also masks a real risk: lower or uneven standards. Virginia could be required to accept licenses from states with different or weaker requirements, limiting our ability to maintain state-specific expectations for preparation, content knowledge, and classroom readiness. Just as important, this bill does not fix the real problem. Teachers are leaving because of working conditions, discipline issues, administrative overload, and lack of respect, not because it is too hard to move between states. HB 253 moves teachers around instead of fixing why they are leaving in the first place. Once Virginia joins an interstate compact, it is hard to undo. Rules can change over time without another vote of the General Assembly, leaving school boards stuck with policies they did not approve and cannot easily change. Teacher shortages deserve serious solutions. Giving up local control is not one of them. That is why HB 253 should be opposed.