Roanoke County School Board seeks to have teacher's license revoked

The Roanoke County School Board took the rare step Thursday of recommending a teaching license be revoked.

The board voted unanimously and without discussion to recommend to the Virginia Board of Education the revocation of a license.

The vote came after a closed-door session where the agenda listed the purposes of discussing and considering “a matter relating to a license of a teacher” and a legal matter.

Licenses can be revoked for a variety of reasons, according to information from the Virginia Department of Education, including felony convictions, cheating on standardized tests, inappropriate contact with students, falsifying school records and obtaining a teacher’s license fraudulently, among other things.

Superintendent Lorraine Lange said after the meeting that because the situation is a personnel matter she could not discuss it. She declined to name the staffer, but said the person is no longer employed by the division and had resigned.

Lange said the move is something she has not done before. She briefly explained the process, saying she recommends the revocation to the school board, which decides whether to recommend revocation to the Virginia Board of Education.

“The state is the one that acts on this,” she said.

According to information from the state Department of Education, the license holder must receive a copy of the petition for revocation. The license holder also has an opportunity to address the revocation petition both to the local school board and state board.

When asked if there was any way to estimate when the state board might take up the Roanoke County recommendation, department spokesman Charles Pyle said in an email he could not speculate because there are many variables involved.

Since 2008 the department has posted a list of licenses denied, revoked, canceled or reinstated on its website, Pyle said. The list includes the license holder’s name, last known employing school system and the date of action on their license. The list dates back just to 2000 because of the availability of computerized licensing records.

According to the list, almost 20 teachers from the Roanoke and New River valleys have had their licenses revoked or canceled. While the list does not contain any revocations from Roanoke County, there are two cancellations where the license holder voluntarily returned the license.

Of those two, one is that of a former Glenvar High School band director, who pleaded guilty in July 2008 to a felony count of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Christopher M. Yates’ license was canceled on Sept. 29, 2008, according to the list.

A revoked license also can be reinstated.

According to information from the state, a revoked license can be reinstated after five years if the state board of education sees it is within the best interest of schools and the former license holder.

Weather Journal

2 days ago

1. One person injured in Friday night shooting in Roanoke

2. Britney Spears spotted at Lynchburg restaurant

3. 'Best defense in nation,' Tech player says about victory over ECU 

4. East Carolina poses new challenge for Virginia Tech football 

5. Lowe's tapes may hold clues to Roanoke woman's death

6. William Byrd stuns Salem in football win

7. Concert review: Timeless Willie Nelson plays to appreciative crowd

8. Blacksburg lawyer Painter’s bond revoked

9. History says this one will matter for Virginia Tech

10. Roanoke County electrical short quiets 5 Wheeler radio stations