Bill to allow military spouses to teach in Virginia passes House

A bill to allow the spouse of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who has a valid out-of-state teaching license to teach in Virginia has unanimously passed.

The Virginia House of Delegates bill, sponsored by Delegate Dickie Bell, now moves onto the Senate for further consideration.

"Addressing the significant teacher shortage in Virginia is a top priority of the Virginia House of Delegates this year," said Bell. "We have one of the largest military populations in the country and this legislation will remove obstacles for licensed and qualified teachers to get a job in Virginia as soon as possible."

Under the bill, a teacher with a current license in another state who is married to a member of the military and who is transferred to Virginia can transition into a Virginia classroom before getting certification in the Commonwealth.

"This not only helps strengthen our commitment to our active duty military and veteran populations, but also will make it easier for our local school divisions to find and hire qualified teachers for our public schools," added Bell.

It's called a reciprocity bill, and it gives such teachers a job for a year, at the end of which they will be evaluated and could be eligible for a renewable license.