The Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) is required to review the Standards of Learning (SOL) in all subjects at least once every seven years. The History and Social Science SOL--which seeks to build students’ understanding and skills in history, geography, civics, and economics--is currently up for review. 

On February 2, the VBOE accepted the January 6 draft standards for first review. Multiple history and social science experts, including the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium, Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Virginia Association for the Social Studies, prepared a comprehensive analysis outlining significant concerns about the proposed standards.

The Fairfax County School Board and Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid submitted a letter to the VBOE’s president and the Virginia Department of Education’s acting superintendent of Public Instruction. The letter also raises numerous issues with the proposed standards and their inability to provide students with history and social science instruction that prioritizes thinking, historical accuracy, diverse perspectives, and developmental appropriateness. 

Read the letter from Dr. Reid and the School Board.