Require elementary school teachers to be certified in the science of reading
Summary
HB2143 would require kindergarten through grade 5 public school teachers who provide literacy instruction to complete approved professional learning in the science of reading and then apply for a Science of Reading endorsement. The training must begin no later than the 2026-2027 school year, and currently employed educators must enroll by the 2027-2028 school year. Newly hired teachers who provide literacy instruction would have to enroll during their first year of employment. The bill also allows educators who complete the training to apply for the endorsement at no cost.
The training must be high-quality professional learning approved and provided through the West Virginia Department of Education, and it must include ongoing, intensive instruction with classroom application activities and live sessions over multiple school years. The State Board of Education may provide accommodations for counties whose educators are still working toward the endorsement. Public charter school teachers are permitted, but not required, to participate in the requirements.
Impact
The bill adds a new section to West Virginia Code §18A-3-13 and creates a statewide professional development and endorsement requirement tied to the science of reading for elementary literacy teachers. It affects public school teachers in grades K-5, newly employed literacy teachers, and public charter school teachers who choose to participate, while placing implementation and approval authority with the West Virginia Department of Education and the State Board of Education. The measure would likely standardize reading instruction practices across the state and could affect teacher training timelines, certification processes, and county-level staffing and compliance planning.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in the House, where it passed 81-13. That margin indicates generally favorable sentiment toward requiring science-of-reading training and endorsement for elementary literacy teachers. No committee transcript is available here, but the strong House vote suggests the bill was viewed as a literacy-improvement measure with significant backing.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern the mandate itself, the timeline for implementation, and the burden on current teachers and counties. Requiring existing educators to complete additional training by the 2027-2028 school year may raise concerns about workload, costs, scheduling, and local capacity, even though the endorsement application is free. Another possible issue is flexibility for public charter schools, since participation is optional for charter teachers, which may reflect differing views on how broadly the requirement should apply. The State Board’s ability to provide accommodations for counties also suggests lawmakers anticipated uneven readiness across districts.