The Virginia Senate killed off Gov. Bob McDonnell’s push to strip state teachers of tenure, sending the bill back to committee for at least another year.
Three Republicans joined all 20 Democrats in killing the measure. Prior to the vote, the Senate passed over the bill for eight straight days as supporters of the measure lobbied other lawmakers to back it.
The bill, which would have ended continuing contracts for teachers, was an important piece of McDonnell’s education agenda and it gained strong support in the Republican dominated House of Delegates.
But Senate opponents of the bill called it an assault on teachers who they painted as underpaid and underappreciated. Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said the state has some of the best schools in the country and superintendents already work with underperforming teachers to improve their work.
Advocates, though, said some teachers are “lemons” and don’t deserve the protections tenure provides.
“If you believe every teacher in Virginia is a good teacher,” said Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, “you’re wrong.”
