Teachers are burned out by the endless professional development training through the school year. Every year the list of training increases and most of them have nothing to do with our subject matter. I understand the importance of fire safety, OHSA, and reporting child abuse regulations, but to worry more than ever about metal detectors, chaos, fights, lockdowns, Cultural Competence, Social Emotional Learning, and Equity/DEI are not what we signed up for decades ago. Let us return to accountability for bad behaviors, high standards and expectations, student and parent responsibility, fair and balanced curriculum, cursive writing, homework every day. Educators need a reasonable working schedule and they need to leave their work at school. Allow teachers to live their lives and enjoy their free time with their families.

At first glance, this bill looks like a good idea because it reduces the amount of training required of teachers. As a public educator in Virginia for nearly 20 years, I can tell you that we are overwhelmed with many hours of non-academic training each year on things like bloodborne pathogens, medical emergency procedures, school safety, policy updates, technology updates, and much more. But the last line of this bill is concerning because it "repeals the provision of law requiring each teacher... to complete cultural competency training at least every two years." Cultural competency is an essential skill that all teachers need in order to serve their students. Our schools are diverse representations of different cultures and communities, and it's imperative that our teachers have the ability to understand and communicate with each and every student in a kind and respectful way. I oppose this bill because I believe that teachers should have cultural competency training in order to meet the needs of all students in our public schools.

VA BLOC is in full support of this bill. There are valuable people in our community who act as mentors, coaches, etc. who have prior offenses that block them from employment in schools. However, those barrier crimes did not effect children and these individuals do not pose a threat to our children. Please allow them to contribute their talents and efforts to the success of our schools and pass this bill.

For HB1894: HB1894 seeks to address the arguably unconstitutional, and undoubtedly inhumane conditions of Virginia prisons. 7 Virginia prisons currently have no central heating or cooling. In the winter, it gets so cold multiple inmates have needed to go to the hospital for hypothermia. it’s so cold that the water in the toilet freezes over while in the summer, it gets so hot that the walls sweat. This too has led to numerous incarcerated people being hospitalized for heat stroke. Medical complications associated with extreme heat or cold are often associated with expenses in excess of 10,000 dollars per hospitalization, a cost which the state bears the burden of. The fiscal impact of this legislation has been paired back significantly in order to ensure that we can take immediate steps to address the inhumane conditions in Virginia prisons. We urge you to support the legislation. For HB 1958: When it comes to free school meals the question on everyone’s mind is the same, why universal? First, significant numbers of students who are food insecure either do not meet existing eligibility requirements or are eligible and are not enrolled for other reasons including stigma. Not only does free school breakfast bridge these gaps in existing programs, but universally free breakfast is also more cost effective. On average, districts which have universal free school breakfast programs spend 58 cents less per breakfast than they cost in districts with means tested programs. This means that instead of spending money on paperwork, we can spend money on feeding hungry kids. Furthermore, children who experience food insecurity are 31% more likely to be hospitalized for health issues, in the short term costing in excess of $12,000. Cases where children are diagnosed with protein-calorie malnutrition can cost Medicaid as much as $1.25 million a for very young children. One in seven children in Virginia are hungry. We urge you to support this legislation and take one step towards eliminating child hunger in Virginia.

Comments Document

On behalf of Hamkae Center, we are in support of HB1958 . All children should have access to healthy meals. Costs of living continues to get higher and tight budgets for low-income families and busy morning schedules can mean that many students arrive at school hungry and not ready to learn. Some families may not know how to ask for additional assistance when it comes to financial difficulties and may not openly share their burdens to their children or to others. By providing free breakfasts, this eliminates the need to stigmatize students who may be in need. This bill ensures that no child should be left without food before the school day begins. Introducing universally free breakfasts increases math and reading test score gains by roughly 15 and 10 percent of a standard deviation on average, respectively. Students who participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance as well as decreased tardiness. Thank you. Suja S. Mathew, Advocacy Manager

Childhood hunger is linked to academic struggles, difficulties focusing and concentrating, mental health disorders, and increased behavioral referrals. School meals help close the nutrition gap that exists for low-income families and play a critical role in youth dietary behaviors. Allowing school meals to all at no cost ensures all children in need will have access to adequate nutrition during the school day and eliminates the stigma many students face when such resources are not available to them. It’s the most fundamental thing we can do to help children be ready to learn at the start of the day.

Comments Document

My name is Melissa Jensen and I represent the Capital Area Food Bank, which is the largest charitable food provider in Northern Virginia. I am writing to ask you to vote yes to fully fund Del. Bennett-Parker's HB 1958, which would provide free school breakfast for all Virginia's students. There are over 252,000 food insecure children in Virginia. Childhood food insecurity is a detriment to healthy childhood development; school breakfast mitigates these negative outcomes. Research shows that breakfast helps children learn, improves attendance, and reduces behavior problems and tardiness. Children who eat breakfast at school – closer to test-taking time – perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home. Breakfast also promotes good health. Eating breakfast at school results in fewer visits to the school nurse, improves children’s diets, and helps build healthy habits. Research also found no negative impacts on student body mass index. During the 2023-2024 school year, 381,000 Virginia students ate breakfast daily, yet many barriers – including administrative burdens, social stigma, and school meal debt – prevent over half of low-income children from participating in school breakfast. Research also demonstrates that children of all income levels benefit from eating breakfast at school. There are a growing number of ALICE- Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed -households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, so they do not qualify for federal benefits, but do not earn enough to afford the basics in their communities. The United Way estimates that 29% of Virginia households are ALICE. Similarly, CAFB found in our 2024 Hunger Report that the greatest rates of increase in food insecurity in the region were in the middle-income groups – households earning approximately $100k to $150k. School breakfast proves to be an important tool in educational equity but removing income restraints and reaching all children in need. Attached is my full written testimony with more detail. Thank you.

Please support HB 1958 to provide breakfast for all children. Pediatricians are dealing with a mental health crisis and an obesity epidemic amongst our youth. Food insecurity is a major factor in both these issues, and we know providing them with a healthy meal can have a positive impact on both. The cost of investing in our children now will be much less than the health care costs of treating medical conditions that result from poor physical and mental health. Healthy children become healthy adults and reduce the burden on our health care system. A well- fed child will do better in school and go on to be a more productive member of our community. Please support Virginia’s children, their struggling families and the health care workers who provide care for them.

Childhood hunger is linked to academic struggles, difficulties focusing and concentrating, mental health disorders, and increased behavioral referrals. School meals help close the nutrition gap that exists for low-income families and play a critical role in youth dietary behaviors. Allowing school meals to all at no cost ensures all children in need will have access to adequate nutrition during the school day and eliminates the stigma many students face when such resources are not available to them. It’s the most fundamental thing we can do to help children be ready to learn. The Virginia PTA supports HB1958.

I am writing on behalf of Greater Richmond Fit4Kids in support of HB 1958. We are a Richmond, VA-based nonprofit that provides nutrition and physical activity programming and education in multiple Central Virginia school districts, including Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, and Hopewell. As school program providers, we see the positive effects of school breakfast on a regular basis, including improved student attendance and concentration, positive behavior, and reduced hunger and food insecurity. Providing free school breakfast to everyone would help reduce stigma as well as family household food costs, while ensuring that all students across Virginia have the nutrition they need to start the day ready to learn. Thank you for supporting all of Virginia’s students!

I was lucky enough to grow up in NYC where I had free lunch. Free breakfast is an even better idea. I worked for a time as an outreach instructor for Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation and saw children at times falling asleep in class which I think was due to getting out early with no breakfast. Children are are future, our most important investment in our country and need to be nourished. If we want them to be alert and interested in their education, we must do all we can to see that they have the energy to do that. They need a good start to the day. This applies to all of them. No child wants to be singled out as needy so all the children need to be offered a good, no-cost breakfast. Thank you.

Hello, thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. I am here to ask you to support HB2053. My name is Melissa Martin, I am a first year public school teacher from Orange County, Va. I am also a mom to an 11th grade daughter with dyslexia. I am also here in my capacity as an advocate with Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. I hold a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education and Elementary Education that I received in June 2022. My daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2018. Today, after years of advocacy on my part, and a lot of hard work on her part, she is in 11th grade, holding a 3.8 GPA and taking college classes. Because of her struggle I wanted to become a teacher and help kids like her. There was just one problem, my college education did not prepare me to teach children like my daughter. In my courses dyslexia was defined, and I was taught which tests could be given to identify it. There were no lessons on how to teach these students to read, there were no lessons on how to identify dyslexia. Nothing that told me it could be identified as young as 5.5 years old, nothing told me that reading skills needed to be taught a specific way in order for these kids to learn to read. I knew more about how dyslexic kids needed to be taught from my own research to help my daughter than a newly graduated teacher. I found that I knew more than ALL of her special education teachers as well. This is why HB2053 is so necessary! HB2053 asks that the VDOE audit teacher preparatory programs so that they are aligned with the Virginia Literacy Act that the General Assembly passed in 2022. The VLA will do no good if we are not training future teachers correctly. We need to hold our institutions of higher learning accountable, they need to align their instruction with state law. Asking them to “self report” is a joke! Human nature says that we want to hide our mistakes, well thats no different when it comes to our institutions of higher learning. If this bill becomes law then they will be required to change their programs which will cost them money and they don’t like to spend money. Reading should be a civil right no different to freedom of speech. Without the ability to read a person is doomed to failure. By ensuring our students are good readers we ensure no only their future but our own. Let’s ensure our new teachers are fully trained to teach students to read instead of doing what we do now, and that is constantly “playing catch up” by asking teachers to take time from the students and their own families to go back and learn how to teach these kids to read. In speaking with my colleagues last week they are all frustrated at being asked to teach kids how to read when they do not know how to do this! They were not prepared by their colleges and now are having to take many hours of Professional Development to learn how to do this and it is not in depth enough. Let's start getting ahead by teaching new teachers correctly while we help those who are already teaching with retraining. We are failing our children, we need to remember that they are the future of this state. It is our responsibility to educate them to the best of our ability and prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow. They cannot lead if they cannot read.

Please support HB2053 When a teacher knows they have successfully taught a child to read, you will keep a teacher in your school system. Please make sure that the curricula provided to our preservice teachers align with the Virginia Literacy Act by periodically reviewing the programs that are taught within Virginia teaching colleges. A principal once expressed to me that reading instruction begins with our teaching colleges. We need to go to the source for our teachers and students, so please support HB2053.

My name is Kelly Huff-Snyder and I am asking you to support HB2053. HB2053 asks that the VDOE audit teacher preparatory programs so that they are aligned with the Virginia Literacy Act that the General Assembly passed in 2022. The VLA will do no good if we are not training future teachers correctly. We need to hold our institutions of higher learning accountable, they need to align their instruction with state law. We can’t wait for them to assure us they are doing the right thing because we continue to have teacher preparation programs that are not adequately training teachers. Instead we are constantly asking teachers to take time from the students and their own families to go back and learn how to teach these kids. Having to retrain teachers is detrimental to students. I removed my children from public school because they were not getting what they needed academically and by having them fall behind, it hurt them psychologically. We had some very nice teachers in public school but they can’t teach what they do not know. Reading is fundamental to all subjects including math and if our elementary teachers do not know how to teach reading then you are doing a disservice to the students. All of this re-training takes time but it also takes money and in this day and age we don’t have the money to be spending on what teachers should already know. Please do the right thing and hold higher institutions accountable for preparing our teachers.

We don’t have time to spare in getting Virginia Colleges and Universities on board with ensuring they teach our educators instruction based on the Science of Reading and can properly identify students with learning disabilities. I am one of many parents who spent thousands of dollars having to hire tutors to teach my son how to read. I hope we can change that for future generations and that the burden of having teachers properly educated is on the Universities and colleges, not school districts having to fill the gaps in their education (which is what is happening now). Thank you for your support!

I am the Chair of the LCPS School Board and a parent leader with Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. Please support and pass Delegate Reaser’s proposed bill HB2053 (2025) and put “more teeth” into prior legislation passed in 2022 (HB419); by requiring an appropriate active baseline audit of the education preparation programs complete with a rubric, accompanying metrics, and report to the Education Committees. The problems we have with literacy instruction started in higher education and that is where they must be fixed before we see any kind of movement in NAEP or SOL. If preservice teachers do not come out of educator prep programs (EPP) prepared to teach reading, then we are throwing away taxpayer money and undercutting the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA). My son, who is dyslexic, was one of the millions of students not identified Virginia’s balanced literacy screener PALS because it was not aligned with the science of reading. When finally flagged in 2nd grade, he wasn’t provided appropriate early intervention because his reading specialists used “reading recovery.” He was initially found “not eligible” for SpEd because LCPS assessors didn’t know what to look for in assessments. I fought for eligibility. Even still, he was not provided appropriate specialized instruction because his SpEd teachers were not familiar with science of reading. My journey is not unique. I paid for advocates, private evaluations, tutors, and finally private school in the middle of 7th grade because our teachers didn’t learn about how to screen, intervene or teach reading using evidence-based, structured literacy instruction including systematic, explicit, cumulative teaching and science-based reading research in EPP. I have spent almost 10 years of my life working with DDVA to write, advocate and pass bipartisan literacy bills: 1. Dyslexia training modules (2016, HB842) 2. Dyslexia advisor bill (2017, SB1516) 3. Reading specialist bill (2018, SB368) - a total bust due to higher ed self-report “assurance forms” with no accountability. 4. PALS screener workgroup bill (2019, SB1718). I also participated in the workgroup. 5. Parent notification of literacy screening and intervention bill (2020, HB410) 6. SCHEV workgroup bill (2020, HB904) designed to help higher ed discuss and figure out science of reading instruction and how to provide it in their EPP. 7. Science of reading intervention bill K-3 (2021, HB1865) 8. Reading recovery removal from add on funds bill (2022, HB418) 9. HB419 (2022) working in combination with HB319 (2022) VLA requiring a 7-year literacy audit of EPP, (predecessor to Delegate Reaser’s current proposed bill HB2053.) Last year, as a School Board member, I still had to vote to provide 4 more days of professional development for our teachers to learn the science of reading. K-12 public schools are having to bend over backwards to replace balanced literacy curriculum and resources, un-train and re-train general education teachers, reading specialists, English language specialists, special educators, and administrators. We are continuing to put the financial burden on the backs of taxpayers and oftentimes, at the mental and physical expense of K-12 staff, when the problems could be solved, or significantly reduced, if issues were addressed upstream: in the college prep programs responsible for educating our teachers BEFORE they begin their careers. It is time to move past higher ed resistance and truly hold them accountable.

I am a Moms Demand Action volunteer and I support this bill.

I am writing in support of bills HB2055 and HB2679. As a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, we know that taking proactive, preventative measures saves lives. Notifying parents and guardians of the critical importance of secure storage of firearms is imperative to mitigate risk. We know that the majority of youth who use a firearm in deaths by suicide as well as youth who use firearms to harm others in school related shootings obtain their firearms from the home of family or friends. Minimizing access to these lethal means is critical to keep everyone safe and make sure our youth get the help they need. These bills are common sense solutions to increasing awareness and education and empower parents and adults to help our children stay safe and alive. Please support these important bills for Virginians. Thank you.

Thank you for bringing up this bill; I am in full support and this will save lives. Thank you for caring so much for the students in our public schools.

This is a simple but important addition that can save a child's life. Parents deserve the best information on how to keep their children safe, and we know that preventing a child's access to lethal means when they are at imminent risk of suicide can make the difference.

I'm a Moms Demand Action volunteer and I support HB2055 Student health and safety; responsibility to contact parent of student at imminent risk of suicide and HB2679 School boards; threat assessment teams and procedures. We need to keep people safe from gun violence.

I'm a Moms Demand Action volunteer and I support these bills. As a gun owner and the parent of someone who, at one point during their high school years, experienced suicidal ideation, I believe it is extremely important for educational personnel aware of an imminent risk of suicide not only reach out to at least one parent or guardian, but to provide that adult with the tools to help prevent a tragedy. This bill will save lives through information helping the adults in the household secure their weapons in a safe manner during a mental health crisis

I support this bill as an extremely necessary mechanism to help prevent suicide. Sadly, firearm suicide has risen faster in teens than any other group in the United States. Providing access to information, education and resources is a proven way to help decrease the number of suicides and suicide attempts in our Commonwealth.

I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and I support this bill. The most important thing that schools can do to prevent active shooter incidents—and gun violence overall—is to intervene before a person commits an act of violence. Threat assessment programs are a critical part of comprehensive school safety plans.

I SUPPORT this bill as access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides. Educators and school staff often spend more time with children and teens than parents and family members do, so they should absolutely notify parents when a child/teen is at risk of suicide, and information about removing dangerous medications and firearms will help save lives. 82% of adolescent suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health).

I am writing in SUPPORT for HB 2055. I feel that it is very important for the school to notify parents of the imminent risk of suicide of their child. This will allow the parents to get their child to safety and get them the mental health help they need. It is also important for the school to send home information on safe storage of medications and fire arms to keep these items out of reach of a suicidal minor. Keeping them safely stored with help prevent this minor from taking action and help prevent their death.

I support this bill, notifying parents/guardians of imminent risk of suicide. I appreciate that this bill requires that notification come with information on safe storage. Often times in the midst of a crisis it is hard to focus on all the moving parts and this information coupled with the warning about their child's mental health could help a parent/guardian safe guard the child's environment.

I support this bill as access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides.

We support this bill as access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides.

This is a common sense bill that parents or guardians be informed if a child is showing signs of suicide - to ensure that the child is not exposed to dangerous materials at home. This is intended to keep parents educated and children safe. How can no one agree with this.

Parents or guardians should be notified if there is any reason to believe a student is at the risk of suicide and it's important this also includes proven preventative measures such as information/resources on safe storage of firearms and medication. We SUPPORT this bill as access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides.

I am writing in support of the passage of HB2055. The fact that mandatory reporting of suicidal thoughts/intent among children is not already a requirement and/or a codified law is an unconscionable, abject failure by our state government. This bill will save lives. It is the moral thing to do.

I support HB2055 as it requires school personnel to notify parents or guardians if a K-12 student if they have reason to believe the student is at risk of suicide. School must include materials on safe storage of firearms and medication to parents of children who are deemed at imminent risk for suicide. We support this bill as access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides.

This is important and must pass. Requiring school personnel to notify parents or guardians if they have reason to believe their child is at risk of suicide should be obvious. In addition, schools absolutely must include materials on safe storage of firearms and medication to parents of children who are deemed at imminent risk for suicide. Access to guns is a cause of lethal suicides -- if not larger community risks,.

As a parent, I cannot imagine the unbelievable pain of losing a child, let alone to something preventable like suicide. Young people often make rash decisions without adult guidance and alerting parents to possible suicidal tendencies could save thousands of lives per year.

I support this bill. It could save the lives of many children. Firearms are the most lethal method of suicide and drugs are the most common method for suicide attempts.

I wasn’t able to see the committee this morning for some reason, it kept showing the screen ‘house room A’. But I’m glad to see these two bills. Disabled students must be heard. I think it’s worth mentioning seizures can be invisible. I had plenty of them in my school days that didn’t require medical attention but still disrupted my learning. So please pass them.

Please vote YES for HB2104 which provides that school personnel is trained and empowered to address medical emergencies. This will be empowering for staff to know what to do in a situation where a student is in crisis and in need of assistance. We are seeing an increasing number of students with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder also have a seizure disorder. Enhanced timely access to seizure rescue medications reduces the risk of severe complications from repeated seizures and just makes sense. The Virginia Autism Project supports HB2104

I wasn’t able to see the committee this morning for some reason, it kept showing the screen ‘house room A’. But I’m glad to see these two bills. Disabled students must be heard. I think it’s worth mentioning seizures can be invisible. I had plenty of them in my school days that didn’t require medical attention but still disrupted my learning. So please pass them.

As a parent of a child who needs and uses augmentative and alternative communication in our public school system, I ask that the subcommittee pass HB2219 on to the full committee for consideration. This bill is intentionally broad in its wording to address two narrow issues affecting students and staff. First, it informs IEP team members (including the parents) about the need for specific training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Second, it ensures that necessary training occurs in a timely manner. That's it. In my experience, training in this highly-specialized area often comes too late in the year, if at all. While federal and state special education laws and regulations require documenting assistive technology needs of the student in an IEP, there is no requirement that the IEP flag for the team training in supporting the AAC user. This lack of a simple indicator sometimes leads to a false sense of preparedness for teachers, staff, and even some early-career speech-language pathologists who might not have extensive training and experience with implementing and supporting an AAC system throughout the school day. Moreover, even if the IEP notes that AAC training should be addressed, it has been our experience that training occurred after everyone else gets settled in the routines of the new school year, leaving the AAC user behind from the very start. The broad language of this bill will allow school districts to make decisions about who provides training and what training is provided, as those operational aspects may differ from one district to the next or even from one school building to the next within a district. The bill does not require school districts to identify any specific individualized training needs in the IEP, as that too differs from one case to the next. Plainly stated, this bill only requires school districts to note an AAC training requirement in the IEP and to provide training at a time when it would be most effective for the student and the professionals who support that student. We thank the subcommittee for its consideration and the opportunity to start this conversation about a part of the disability community that is often overlooked.

Please support HB2219. Well meaning as our child's teachers have been, it has been an incredible struggle over the course of many years to get them training on how to *implement* use of the AAC device and modeling strategies in their classrooms,. Often is has been a month or more into the school year before any training is received, and most often that training has been operational (how to turn it off/on, how to add/delete words) with very little time spent - sometimes only 10-15 minutes - on implementation. And that's if training for our child's team happens at all - there have been years where it did not. This lack of appropriate training on AAC implementation has cost our child years in language development opportunities and contributes to serious difficulties she has in accessing the general education due to lack of belief in her receptive abilities because of her expressive language disorder. It is critical to ensure that ALL teachers - including specialists/elective teachers - who have a student that uses an AAC device receive training on how to use that device *before* the child enters their classroom (or as quickly as possible when it occurs mid-year).

Please vote YES on HB2219 It ensures that students can fully participate in educational activities without unnecessary delays in staff learning how to use the AAC device that a student uses to communicate. This training for staff in the AAC device ensures that AAC users receive uninterrupted and effective support regardless of changes in their educational environment. It is so important for students with special needs to know they can communicate with their teacher and then by extension with their peers since they are more fully integrated when appropriate. The Virginia Autism Project supports HB2219.

Please stop forcing DEI in our society. This is defeating and destroying the country.

Research over decades show that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers do much better. See link and data below. https://www.nbpts.org/connect/research/ In addition, teachers who achieve National Board Certification, do it out of their will to be better teachers not because it’s a license requirement. So the dedication is very visible. If we really value good teachers and want to reduce the achievement gap, then support NBCTs by increasing the state stipend. $5000 initial and $2500 following year is very insufficient in a state where the cost of living is so high. Let’s put the money where the mouth is and support NBCTs by increasing state funding towards the annual stipend. This will retain more teachers in VA and help pursue more to become NBCTs. High compensation = highly qualified teachers = excellent student learning So please take action to support NBCTs

Comments Document

Melissa K. King, NBCT •6301 Edsall Rd, Unit 307 • Alexandria, VA 22312 • (703) 282 - 0555• melissakking@gmail.com RE: Increase Financial Support for National Board Certified Teachers in Virginia My name is Melissa K. King and I am a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). I am writing to advocate for an increase in the annual stipend for National Board Certified Teachers in Virginia, raising it to $7,500. Currently, the Virginia National Board Certification Incentive Award (NBCIA) provides a stipend of only $2,500 per year. This amount has remained unchanged since the bill was passed more than a decade ago, despite growing evidence of the positive impact National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have on student achievement. Research consistently shows that students taught by NBCTs perform better than those taught by non-NBCTs. Neighboring states, such as Maryland, recognize the value of NBCTs by offering significantly higher stipends—$10,000 annually, with an additional $7,000 for NBCTs in Title 1 schools. These higher stipends are part of a broader effort to retain and attract high-quality educators, and something Virginia should consider, given a teacher shortage with over 4,500 vacancies. In order to retain skilled and dedicated teachers and ensure the best education for Virginia’s students, we must do more to support and recognize National Board Certified Teachers. Our students deserve the highest level of expertise in the classroom, and NBCTs should be rewarded accordingly. For me, becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) was a pivotal moment in my career, fostering both professional growth and pride. Though the process is rigorous, it is by far the best professional development I’ve ever had. This opportunity is sustained, and self-selected. It aligns with my current needs, focuses on actionable strategies, and offers opportunities for practice and reflection, all aimed at improving student achievement. It deepened my understanding of the link between effective preparation and student learning, shifting my focus from teaching delivery to improving student outcomes. I urge you to support legislation that increases the stipend for National Board Certified Teachers when it comes to a vote on the Floor. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. Sincerely, Melissa K. King Melissa K. King

Dear Members of the K-12 Subcommittee, I am writing to express my strong support for HB2381. This legislation is a pivotal step toward enhancing the quality of education in Virginia by recognizing and rewarding the exceptional contributions of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). The expansion of this program will align Virginia with neighboring states, provide critical support for our educators, and benefit our students and schools. Research consistently demonstrates that students taught by NBCTs achieve greater learning gains compared to their peers. These benefits are particularly pronounced among students facing significant barriers to learning, such as those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or those with special educational needs. By expanding the NBCT program, Virginia can ensure that more students have access to the high-quality education they deserve. Furthermore, NBCTs are significantly more likely to remain in the profession compared to non-certified counterparts, providing continuity and stability for schools and students alike. Compensation plays a critical role in attracting and retaining effective educators. In Virginia, low teacher pay has contributed to a troubling exodus of experienced educators. A 2023 JLARC survey revealed that 43% of licensed teachers who left Virginia public schools indicated they might return if offered better pay. Among those who left due to personal dissatisfaction or other reasons, 55% cited inadequate salary as a significant factor. The NBCT incentive program is an essential tool for addressing this issue, but current award amounts have not kept pace with inflation. Since the program’s inception 25 years ago, the $5,000 and $2,500 awards for certified educators have lost nearly half their value due to inflation. As a result, the number of NBCTs in Virginia has declined, dropping from 1,879 in the 2018-19 school year to 1,635 in 2023-24. By increasing the annual award amounts and expanding eligibility, HB2381 provides a much-needed boost to this critical program. Virginia’s current National Board Certification incentive program lags behind those of neighboring states. For example, Maryland offers a $10,000 annual award, plus an additional $7,000 for educators in low-performing schools, and reimburses certification costs. North Carolina provides a 12% salary increase and reimburses up to $1,900 in certification costs, with full reimbursement for those in low-performing schools. West Virginia awards $3,500 annually, plus $2,000 for educators in low-performing schools, and reimburses certification costs. By adopting HB2381, Virginia can position itself as a leader in education, ensuring that our state remains competitive in attracting and retaining top-tier educators. I urge the members of the K-12 Subcommittee to support HB2381 and take this vital step toward strengthening education in Virginia. Thank you for your consideration and for your dedication to the future of our students and schools. Sincerely, Melissa Larimer, NBCT, Hanover County Public Schools

Good morning. I’m Dr. Amy Brown, National Board Certified Teacher, and I have been an advocate for this certification since I engaged in the rigorous process in the early 2000s. Numerous research studies indicate NBCT’s have a measurable positive impact on student learning, even beyond the impact of other highly qualified educators who are not NBCTs. Knowing that, and as a parent of two school-age children, I would love to see all of our students have the benefit of an NBCT guiding their instruction, serving in school counseling offices and media centers, and leading school administrations. The reality, however, is that fewer than 4% of Virginia’s teachers are National Board certified, and there are numerous counties, cities, and geographic regions throughout our state that have not a single National Board Certified Teacher among their educators. HB 2381 not only serves to incentivize National Board Certification by recognizing those who have already achieved this high bar, but it also helps break down barriers to access for those who are unable to pay the fees associated with becoming certified. While a handful of school divisions and organizations, such as the Virginia Education Association, Southeastern Virginia NBCT Regional Network (also known as SEVA), and the Virginia NBCT network have long been engaged in supporting educators pursuing certification, the reality is that we need the support of our legislators and our Governor to achieve that worthy aim of having NBCTs in every school division and available to all of our students. And if you need more pragmatic reasons to support National Board Certification, I would also note that in a time where we are struggling to recruit and retain high caliber educators, NBCTs have demonstrated a commitment to ongoing improvement and addressing specific student needs, and that the attrition rate among NBCTs is significantly lower than non-NBCT educators. Thank you for your consideration of this bill.

I have just earned National Board certification in December. I can attest that this was the most profound professional development I have experienced. However, it took hours of my time over multiple years and I paid for the certification completely out of pocket. While I want to recommend this process to other teachers, extended financial incentives would help to encourage highly skilled teachers. The current incentives have not been updated for many years. I was surprised that only 1.7 of Virginia teachers are NBCTs. We are behind other states.

I earned my national board certification last December. The NBCT process was as rigorous as my graduate program. Many claim that teacher's compensation should be merit based; this certification is the best signifier of merit a teacher can achieve. Also, with the lucrative bonuses covered by Maryland and North Carolina makes it very inciting to move to those states. I seriously wonder how many teachers we lose to those states because we are behind attracting highly qualified teachers. Lastly the extra bonus for Title I schools would provide significant incentive to move to such a school. Please support HB 2381.

As a NBCT(2009/2018), I can honestly say that this accomplishment has provided an immense amount of professional development , networking opportunities, and self reflection in the profession . I’ve been teaching for more than 22 years and have seen the decline in the number of people wanting to enter the educational realm. I’ve also worked with National board by mentoring and encouraging people to participate . Most comments lately is that it is not worth the time and/effort . Passing this bill will definitely attract more teachers to try this certification process. Although the incentive may be the driving force, once entering this process the professional development , reflection on practice , and mentoring will have some impact on the candidates . Imagine the benefits this will have on students taught by NBCT as well. There are so many people willing to relocate to areas where this certification feels celebrated . I’ve encountered numerous teachers in other states who strongly encourage me to transfer to neighboring states that appreciate NBCTs more . I hope that this bill passes as I would love to see the number of teachers engage in the process and be rightfully compensated.

Thank you for taking time to reflect on the issue of incentives given to those who accomplish becoming a National Board Certified Teacher. Reflection, is a key component of becoming certified. Becoming certified improved my teaching after 16 years in the classroom and also gave me a boost to stay in as an educator because of the incentive and professional development. With many teachers leaving the profession, I chose to stay after becoming certified so that at the end of my career I would know that I had done all that was possible to help my students and grow as an educator. I must let you know that teaching has become extremely more difficult since the pandemic. So much so that teachers are feeling hopeless. Who is coming alongside the educators with support? Knowing the incentive is NOT what neighboring States provide has been extremely important as I reflect on if I really can stay in. Please increase the incentive so that morale is boosted and more teachers can benefit from the incredible experience of becoming certified. If the incentive isn't increased, it gives certified teachers even more proof that we are on our own and not cared for in the profession. We need your support more than ever. Please reflect on the message it sends to teachers if you don't increase the incentive to the full extent. Sincerely, Anita Aberle, NBCT

The single most important factor in a student’s academic growth over the course of a school year is the effectiveness of the teacher in the room with them that year. National Board Certification not only increases educator effectiveness but helps retain some of the best teachers in the classroom. Becoming an NBCT is an investment, both financially and of time - sometimes taking as long, if not longer than a Master’s program. Please support this bill providing greater financial incentives for teachers to pursue certification and continue supporting the students of the Commonwealth.

I am writing to ask for support of HB 2381. National Board Certification in teaching (NBCT) is a rigorous professional development program for teachers that builds skills, recognizes excellence, and helps retain our educators. This bill moves Virginia in line with neighboring states to incentivize our best educators to undertake this endeavor and to stay in the classroom. The National Board Standards and certification process are closely aligned with Virginia’s Teacher Evaluation Standards and Performance indicators. Its individualized nature allows educators to focus on areas of their own professional growth that will benefit the students they serve. Numerous studies indicate students taught by NBCTs make greater learning gains compared to peers. Outcomes are even more prevalent among students facing more barriers to learning. Research suggests NBCTs have a lower attrition rate compared to non-NBCT educators. Many NBCTs refer to the National Board process as their most impactful professional learning experience. Effective teachers are the most important school-based determinant of student performance. Low pay in Virginia is contributing to an exodus of the state’s most experienced educators. A 2023 JLARC survey found 43% of licensed teachers who left teaching in Virginia public schools indicated they might return for better pay. Fifty-five percent of those who left for personal reasons or because they were unhappy cited inadequate salary as one of their reasons for leaving. The number of NBCTs eligible for incentive awards has decreased from 1,879 in the 2018-19 school year to 1,635 in 2023-24. Offering $5,000 for the first year of certification and $2,500 for subsequent years, Virginia is behind most neighboring states for NBCT awards. Thank you for reading and considering my input.

My name is Lauren McGehee Efird and I am a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) who resides and teaches 5th grade in Williamsburg James City County. I am one of only 1,635 NBCT teachers in Virginia. Less than 2% of Virginia's teachers hold the certification. The National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education. I received my certification in 2013 and renewed it in 2022. I am a 16-year veteran teacher with a master’s degree. Effective teachers are the most important school-based determinant of student performance. Please show your support for teachers who have demonstrated their effectiveness through this certification. I ask you to support HB 2381 and specifically a permanent increase in the NBCT stipend to $7,500 annually and to expand eligibility to all public-school staff. Please follow the lead from bordering states. Maryland gives $10,000 annually while North Carolina offers a 12% salary increase. Currently, I receive $2,500 annually from the Commonwealth of Virginia for the same national certification. The stipend has not increased in 20 years. National Board Certification benefits students, educators, and schools. As the number of NBCTs in Virginia has been declining, HB2381 incentivizes more educators to pursue this rigorous process and shows existing NBCTs that Virginia recognizes and values the expertise they bring to classrooms across the state. Please support HB2381 to expand the National Board Certification incentive reward program.