School of Education Office of Academic Programs

Legal Issues

Possible Denial of a Teaching License

The Virginia Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (2007, p. 79) states these reasons for which a teaching license may be denied:

  1. Attempting to obtain such license by fraudulent means or through misrepresentation of material facts;
  2. Falsification of records or documents;
  3. Conviction of any felony;
  4. Conviction of any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;
  5. Conduct with a direct and detrimental effect on the health, welfare, discipline, or morale of students;
  6. Revocation, suspension, or invalidation of the license by another state or territory; or
  7. Other good and just cause of a similar nature.

The Application for a Virginia License asks these questions and requests pertinent information:

Have you ever been convicted of a felony in the U.S. (or territories) or found guilty of a criminal offense in another country? (If yes, attach a letter of explanation and a copy of the court documents indicating judgment and disposition of the case from the court of conviction.)

Have you ever been found guilty of a misdemeanor involving children or drugs?
(If yes, attach a letter of explanation and a copy of the court documents indicating judgment and disposition of the case from the court of conviction.)

Have you ever had a teaching certificate or license denied, revoked, cancelled, or suspended? (If yes, please attach a statement giving full details and official documentation of the action taken.)

If any of these situations apply to you, you must be aware of the possible impact on your future in education and the actions you must take immediately.

  1. If you may not be able to receive a teacher, school counselor, or administrator license in Virginia for any of the reasons above, you may not want to enroll or continue in a program in the School of Education that leads to licensure.
  2. If you choose to enroll in the program, we will try to place you in appropriate schools for your required field experiences. However, school division administrators have the right to refuse your placement in their schools, which will jeopardize our ability to find placement for you. If we cannot find a school division to approve placements for you, your advisor will work with you to seek an alternative assignment to the field experience so that you may complete your degree requirements. In this case, we will not be able to verify your application for a license because you will not have completed the full licensure program.
  3. If you do complete all the requirements for licensure, you must submit to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) the required materials, such as those stated above. These materials will be reviewed by the Superintendent’s Investigative Panel and a decision regarding whether to issue a license will be made by the State Board of Education.
  4. If you were accused of a felony or a misdemeanor involving children or drugs but were acquitted or had your record expunged, you must immediately check with the courts to ensure that your record reflects the acquittal, or has been expunged, or charges were reduced to misdemeanors or charges not involving children or drugs. It is critical that you have documentation of the outcome for your records and to submit to the VDOE.