Tell the VBOE to proceed with SOL Revisions!

Fill out the information to send the Board of Education an email reminding them that Virginians should be the ones making decisions about our state’s education. 

Note: *PLEASE MANUALLY FILL IN THE 3 [BLANKs] AND EDIT THIS LETTER TO SUIT YOU*

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The Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) has delayed the first review of the History and Social Sciences SOLs since June upon Superintendent Jillian Balow’s recommendation, and will delay again during their meeting on Wednesday Sept. 14th. This process only happens once every seven years.  Delays impact teachers, students, and communities - and they need to stop.

Superintendent Balow, known “anti- critical race theory” legislator and Wyoming native who only moved to Virginia a few months ago, recommended the Board delay proceeding to allegedly allow the new Youngkin appointed Board members more time with the draft, and proofread for typos and omissions. She also wanted the Fordham Institute, a well-known politically conservative think-tank, to review the SOLs so they can be “the best standards in the nation.” 

Delaying the SOL revisions process was unnecessary from the start given that feedback from review committees with over 200 experts and over 4000 public comments were already incorporated into the draft over the last 2 years. After her appointment in Virginia, Balow made an official statement saying: “when it comes to politics in the classroom, I’ve made my position crystal clear that partisan politics and radical theories should not be forced upon our children.” Virginia doesn’t need outside groups like the Fordham Institute telling us what to teach. Our communities should be able to tell their leaders what they want to learn.

This delay prevents everyday Virginians from being heard. Virginia’s communities and students deserve better - they deserve history classes that acknowledge their experiences and respect their time. These delays shorten the timeline for local school districts and teachers have to transition to the new standards and design compliant lesson plans for students. 

Tell the Board of Education to proceed with the History and Social Science SOL revisions and remind them that Virginians should be the ones making decisions about our state’s education.