Virginia education agency proposes new history standards in public schools

The Virginia Department of Education proposed new standards on November 11, 2022, that aim to provide guidance to the state’s public schools on the Glenn Youngkin administration’s (R) preferred approaches to teaching Virginia and U.S. history. 

Every seven years, the Virginia Department of Education is required to update its History and Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL). Former Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s administration had proposed its own history guidelines, which required schools to provide the following instruction:

1. Teach lessons on the LGTBQ+ community and social justice
2. Teach lessons on racism and discrimination
3. Recognize holidays like Juneteenth
4. Teach lessons on climate defense and renewable energy
5. Halt the requirement of teaching some lessons on Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin
6. End the requirement of understanding why George Washington is called the “Father of our Country” and why James Madison is called the “Father of the Constitution.”