2012.02.14
Senate rebuffs McDonnell, rejects teacher contract change
The Virginia Senate has rejected legislation making it easier for public school officials to remove teachers from their jobs, dealing a blow to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s education agenda.
The Senate voted 20-18 Tuesday to reject the bill, which would have replaced continuing contracts with three-year contracts that would not automatically be renewed. The House of Delegates has passed nearly identical legislation, but its prospects in the Senate now appear to be in doubt.
Republican Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg said his bill would improve public education. Opponents argued that it would discourage people from entering the teaching profession.
Sen. Tommy Norment, a James City County Republican and father of a kindergarten teacher, said he received an email from his daughter saying: “Don’t stick it to the teachers.”
– The Associated Press
