Virginia Teacher Evaluation Bill Clears Final Hurdle

A bill to revamp teacher evaluation and grievance procedures won final passage after an unsuccessful last-ditch attempt to amend it.

The House voted 75-25 Wednesday to pass the bill, part of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s education reform package, and send it to McDonnell for his signature.

The bill allows school boards to extend teacher probationary periods from three years to five. It also requires annual evaluations and says teachers can be fired after one bad appraisal.

Democratic Delegate Jeion Ward -- a middle school teacher and president of the Hampton Federation of Teachers -- said one negative evaluation should not result in a teacher's firing. But on a voice vote, the House rejected her amendment to allow a firing only after a second bad evaluation.