Call To Action: Advocate for Virginia's History and Social Sciences Standards TODAY!

Sarah Harris

During Forward Albemarle's January meeting, Dr. Vicki Hobson and John Hobson provided a presentation on the Virginia History and Social Sciences Standards of Learning revision process. Vicki and John are two local educators who were involved in creating both the original revised draft, which was rejected by the Virginia BOE, and the new Collaborative Draft, which was written in conjunction with the American Historical Association, the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the VSSLC. 

The Collaborative Draft was written and presented to the Board in response to the "Balow Draft," which was presented after the rejection of the first draft of the Standards. The Balow Draft includes multiple omissions and mistakes, is age-inappropriate, and would require major shifts in the course sequence disrupting kids and teachers in grades 5-9 across the state.

Vicki and John provided an overview on the current state of the Standards and provided avenues for advocacy. It is critically important that the Virginia Board of Education hear from parents and educators about these standards and that Virginians speak up in support of the Collaborative Draft, which prioritizes deep, critical thinking over rote memorization, inquiry-based lessons over "teaching to the test," and includes balanced and diverse perspectives. Most importantly, the Collaborative Draft was written by a team of educators and historians. 

Learn more by viewing Vicki and John's slide presentation here. Check out this educator-created advocacy page for how YOU can share your voice and, if you can attend, email Megan Perez ASAP to get on the list to provide a public comment during the VBOE's next meeting on February 2.

Read Forward Albemarle's letter to the Board of Education here.