Training mandated by the Virginia Literacy Act, passed by the General Assembly in 2022, will keep Loudoun County Public Schools teachers busy over the next year.

Jeff Rounsley, the LCPS director of teaching and learning, outlined the professional development requirements from the Virginia Department of Education to the School Board at its April 23 meeting.

In June, all elementary- and middle-school principals are required to undergo a one-day in-person training on literacy instruction and "science-based reading research."

Then, during the 2024-25 school year, teachers must complete "evidence-based literacy instruction," according to a recent VDOE update. "Additional professional development for educators should be provided on an as needed basis," the update said.

For reading specialists for kindergarten through third grade, that means 27 to 54 hours of new training, Rounsley said. All elementary school teachers and all middle school English teachers must complete 18 to 27 hours. And other middle school teachers will be required to have nine to 18 hours of training in math, science and social studies.

"This is a heavy lift, one that we've been working with our school leaders and Department of School Leadership to determine how we might be able to implement that," he said. "That's an ongoing conversation that we are having, but one that we are trying to wrestle with and figure out how we can support teachers and school leaders in implementing and fulfilling that requirement."

Superintendent Aaron Spence called the mandates one of the "insane things" coming from the state. He said it was "disheartening" and unfair to expect teachers to fulfill the requirements in one school year.

"It's kind of a misunderstanding from the state level about what's doable for teachers," he said. "We have to keep advocating together for sane and rational thinking coming out of the state that can actually help our teachers do what we expect them to do. Which is to deliver an outstanding experience for our students in the classroom every day." 

Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) said LCPS lobbied the General Assembly earlier this year to pass a law requiring a "two-year baseline audit" to determine whether college and university teacher preparation programs were in compliance with the VLA. But she said some universities and teacher prep programs were able to kill the bill.

"So here we are with 27 plus hours of mandated teacher training for all teachers in literacy on top of all the other training are teachers are required to do," she said. "I know that we need to be really creative to support our teachers and I hope that others, our families, and the School Board will be willing to give teachers the space to do that work."

Mansfield asked Neil C. Slevin, the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, how the board can "lessen the load" for teachers. Slevin said administrators have been working with teachers to meet VLA requirements since the law passed in 2022.

"They want this learning," he said of teachers. "They want to implement strategies that make an impact in the classroom."

Slevin said LCPS is working with the VDOE and administrators are hopeful some of the training that is already been done to meet VLA requirements will be counted as new training. He said administrators are working on creative scheduling options to meet requirements.