Public School Board Teachers and Employees
All public school teachers must be employed pursuant to written contracts. Continuing contracts are issued after a probationary term of service for three years in the same school division.
For “continuing contract” teachers, the Virginia Code provides for a formal grievance procedure in a termination case, which may include a fact-find hearing and a hearing before the involved school board. The school board retains exclusive final authority over matters concerning employment and supervision of its personnel, including dismissals, suspensions and placing on probation.
For probationary teachers, before a superintendent recommends to the school board non-renewal of the contract of a teacher who has not achieved continuing contract status, the division superintendent must notify the teacher of the proposed recommendation. Upon written request of the teacher, the superintendent must orally provide the specific reasons, if any, for such recommendation, along with supporting documentation, if any, to the teacher. In turn, the teacher may request a conference before the division superintendent.