News Article

Bill Bolling visits Lynchburg to pitch education reform plan

Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Tim Saunders
WDBJ 7

If we want to see more business on Main Street, Virginia leaders think we need better grades in the classroom.

To improve education, Governor Bob McDonnell is launching an effort called "All Students."

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling is traveling around the state, pitching the idea to local leaders. He spent time in Lynchburg Tuesday morning, sharing McDonnell's plan with officials at the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"We've got to move away from a one size fits all approach to public education," Bolling said. "We've got to be able to give local school divisions more flexibility and individualize education more for young people."

Under his "All Students" plan, the governor wants all teachers, librarians, and principals to get a 2% pay raise.

He wants $800,000 in incentives to attract science, technology, engineering, and math teachers, and $15-million in grants to reward teachers who do a great job.

"We all want the best teachers in front of our kids and putting the compensation to reward those teachers is definitely the right thing to do," said Lynchburg City Schools superintendent, Scott Brabrand.

The Governor's plan also calls for more accountability. He wants an annual report card that will give every public school a grade of A through F. He also wants to extend the teacher probation period from three to five years.

Teachers will continue to be evaluated every year. Those get one or more "unsatisfactory" performance evaluations will be declared incompetent and could lose their teaching contract.

All of these initiatives will need approval from state lawmakers.

"I think members of the General Assembly are going to be very receptive to this," Bolling said. "We've got to change the way we're doing things and we have to be willing to make investments in the education infrastructure of our state."

For additional information contact Ibbie Hedrick at 804-225-2487 or ibbie.hedrick@ltgov.virginia.gov.