2006 Code of Virginia § 22.1-295 - Employment of teachers

22.1-295. Employment of teachers.

A. The teachers in the public schools of a school division shall be employedand placed in appropriate schools by the school board upon recommendation ofthe division superintendent. In placing teachers, school boards shall fillpositions with licensed instructional personnel qualified in the relevantsubject areas.

B. School boards shall adopt employment policies and practices designed topromote the employment and retention of highly qualified teachers and toeffectively serve the educational needs of students. Such policies shallinclude, but need not be limited to, incentives for excellence in teaching,including financial support for teachers attending professional developmentseminars or those seeking and obtaining national certification.

C. School boards shall develop a procedure for use by divisionsuperintendents and principals in evaluating instructional personnel that isappropriate to the tasks performed and addresses, among other things, studentacademic progress and the skills and knowledge of instructional personnel,including, but not limited to, instructional methodology, classroommanagement, and subject matter knowledge.

Instructional personnel employed by local school boards who have achievedcontinuing contract status shall be evaluated not less than once every threeyears. Any instructional personnel, who has achieved continuing contractstatus, receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation who continues to be employedby the local school board shall be evaluated no later than one year afterreceiving such unsatisfactory evaluation. The evaluation shall be maintainedin the employee's personnel file.

Each local superintendent shall annually certify divisionwide compliance withthe provisions of this section to the Department.

(Code 1950, 22-203; 1980, c. 559; 1996, c. 186; 1999, cc. 831, 1030, 1037;2006, c. 373.)