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CONTACT: David P. Walrod
703-451-6840
dpwalrod@fcft.org
FAIRFAX, Va.—Fairfax County Federation of Teachers President David Walrod issued the following statement in response to the Virginia Department of Education’s draft proposal to set new standards for history and social science curriculum in Virginia’s public schools, beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The proposal, outlined last week by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, overhauls the current curriculum that included lessons on social justice, racism and discrimination, gender equity and equality, climate defense and renewable energy.
“The revised history and social science learning standards are loaded with political bias and suggest that instead of preparing our students for whatever comes next with accurate, honest, age-appropriate lessons, we should only teach them one view of history. They lead with Gov. Youngkin’s personal political agenda, instead of what is best for our kids, and are just another example of Youngkin letting politics take precedence over students. The current history and social science learning standards were developed in partnership with parents, students, teachers, historians and political scientists—but these revised guidelines were developed by Youngkin’s hand-picked Board of Education. It’s clear that the Youngkin administration cares more about injecting politics into classrooms and curriculum, even if it
means denying our students an opportunity to learn and think critically. This is not a question of what party you vote for—it’s a question of whether you care about preparing our kids for the real world, with diverse perspectives and an opportunity for them to ask questions and make up their own minds.”