Shenandoah County teacher says sudden Praxis requirement change cost instructors jobs and benefits

Carolyn Nicholson, a third-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, told the Shenandoah County School Board on Oct. 9 that a change in licensure requirements forced her and other teachers out of classroom positions.

"Suddenly, we were told we had to pass the Praxis before receiving our provisional licenses," Nicholson said. She described three testing windows she was given — May 15, June 30 and Oct. 31 — and said teachers who did not meet the deadline were moved into long-term substitute positions and lost benefits and pay despite performing the same classroom duties.

Nicholson said the policy change came without notice and that teachers who had been following an earlier timeline were left "scrambling all while teaching full time, completing coursework and showing up for our students every single day." She told the board the change reduced educators "to a single test score" and is driving teachers away during an ongoing staffing shortage.

The board did not take action on the comment but heard the testimony during the public-comment period. Nicholson expressly framed her remarks as a personal account of hiring expectations, changed deadlines and the consequences for employee benefits and retention.

Why this matters: Licensing rules and how division staff implement them affect staffing, classroom continuity and health-insurance coverage for employees and families. Nicholson linked the change to teacher departures and urged the board to address the policy and its implementation.

Board response and next steps: Board members did not discuss a formal response during the meeting. The item was presented as public comment; Nicholson requested the board consider the effects of the change on retention and benefits. Any formal review or policy change would require an administrative or board agenda item and was not recorded in this meeting.