West Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
West Virginia HB5355: If a person who is not certified is holding a teaching position in a WV public school - that position has to come up for bid every year until it is held by a certified person.
Status: Introduced, February 9, 2026
What the bill says
To amend and reenact §18A-2-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to school personnel; and providing that a teaching position held by a person not certified to teach that position may be may be considered vacant and open for bid every year until filled by a person certified to teach that position. ARTICLE 2. SCHOOL PERSONNEL. §18A-2-2. Employment of teachers; contracts; continuing contract status; how terminated; dismissal for lack of need; released time; failure of teacher to perform contract or violation thereof; written notice bonus for teachers and professional.
From the introduced text, February 9, 2026:
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-2-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to school personnel; and providing that a teaching position held by a person not certified to teach that position may be may be considered vacant and open for bid every year until filled by a person certified to teach that position. ARTICLE 2. SCHOOL PERSONNEL. §18A-2-2. Employment of teachers; contracts; continuing contract status; how terminated; dismissal for lack of need; released time; failure of teacher to perform contract or violation thereof; written notice bonus for teachers and professional personnel; and positions held by persons not certified to teach the position. (a) Before entering upon their duties, all teachers shall execute a contract with their county boards, which shall state the salary to be paid and shall be in the form prescribed by the state superintendent. Each contract shall be signed by the teacher and by the president and secretary of the county board and shall be filed, together with the certificate of the teacher, by the secretary of the office of the county board. When necessary to facilitate the employment of employable professional personnel and prospective and recent graduates of teacher education programs who have not yet attained certification, the contract may be signed upon the condition that the certificate is issued to …