Groups of Virginia education leaders want answers about why Indigenous Peoples’ Day was removed from state standards dictating what students should learn about American history since the Board of Education adopted the revised standards two years ago.
While the holiday was omitted during the revision process, it was put back in before the final adoption of the standards in 2023. This week, some education leaders noticed that Indigenous Peoples Day was missing in the online versions of the standards for the state’s youngest schoolchildren.
“What else is in the standards (that) has been changed or removed?” asked Chris Jones, executive director for the Virginia Association for Teaching, Learning and Leading (VATLL), an education advocacy group. He said the holiday’s removal has led leaders to suspect changes could have also been made to the instructional guides meant to help teachers implement the history standards into their lessons, which could be the reason some of the guides have still not been released, after a two-year delay.
“But because we don’t know, and nothing is really being communicated publicly, we’re of course left to make assumptions,” Jones said.
Indigenous Peoples Day’s addition and subtraction
Some educators and advocates noticed the holiday was missing recently by comparing the history and social science standards approved by the Board of Education two years ago to the online versions for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade history courses.
In each of the three grade levels, the standards state that students would be required to apply history and social science skills to explain how communities honor state and national traditions and recognize designated Virginia holidays, including, “Columbus Day (also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day).”
However, the online versions excluded the mention of Indigenous Peoples Day, which was made a state holiday in 2019, to recognize the histories and cultures of Indigenous people. It’s also an alternative to Columbus Day, named after the 15th century explorer of the Americas who paved the way for the colonization and decimation of Indigenous communities.
The holiday was also removed from the standards during the process before the board placed it back in.
A VDOE spokesperson confirmed Thursday afternoon, after the agency was contacted about the holiday missing from the online versions of some standards, that the “oversight” has been corrected.
“[The department] has reviewed the footage of the Board of Education work session discussion on April 19, 2023 and Board approval of Item G on April 20, 2023 and it seems to have been an oversight by the Department to not include “Indigenous People’s Day” as a parenthetical notation next to Columbus Day,” the spokesperson wrote to the Mercury. “To align with board action, we have made the correction which is now reflected online throughout the 2023 history SOL documents.”
Still, some education advocates view the change as a “violation” of the public input process to revise the state’s history and social science standards, which set student learning expectations and are assessed through Standards of Learning tests. State law requires the standards be reviewed every seven years.
The initial omission of the Indigenous Peoples Day perplexed some educators.
“It’s interesting because all of us felt like we remembered seeing, ‘also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day’ in there, and it being a significant part of the discussion, and so when they came out, there was a little bit of confusion,” said Danyael Graham, president of the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium.
Long-delayed instructional guides prompt more concerns
Graham said the organization, made up of history educators, is also concerned about the lack of direction for implementing the standards, especially for smaller districts going through textbook adoptions, and the delay of providing instructional guides for teachers.
Instructional guides, according to the education department, provide educators guidance on implementing the recently adopted 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning and transition away from the 2015 history standards, the most recent version before the 2023 update.
Jones wrote a letter on Feb. 13 to the Board of Education on behalf of VATLL’s policy team requesting the release of the instructional guides.
He wrote that if schools do not perform adequately on the SOL test next year, the department’s “dereliction of duty, and not the work of Virginia’s teachers, will be the key source of underperformance.”
In response, Lisa Coons, then-superintendent of public instruction, notified Jones that several guides have already been published: Grade 5 United States History to 1865, Grade 6 United States History: 1865 to the present, Grade 7 Civics and Economics and Grade 12 Virginia and United States Government.
Coons wrote that the remaining history instructional guides have been undergoing “copy edits” and were planned to be released the week of February 24.
However, as of Wednesday afternoon, the agency had not published all of the remaining guidelines.
Coons also resigned on March 19, with questions remaining about her decision. Emily Anne Gullickson, former chief deputy secretary of education, replaced Coons as the acting state superintendent.
Jones said Coons’ resignation “absolutely” elevated the concern that the guidelines will be even further delayed.
“Right now, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that the people should know,” Jones said. “We’ve started pulling at the thread with the instructional guides, but this idea of removing something from the standards, I think that’s ‘wow.’”
On Friday, more than a dozen educational organizations — including the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium, Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators and VATLL — plan to submit a letter to the Virginia Board of Education requesting an implementation delay of the 2023 revised History and Social Science Standards of Learning for one year.
A VDOE spokesperson said producing high-quality history instructional guides for teachers is a “top priority” and agency staff will be providing an update to the Board of Education at its work session on March 26, which will include a release timeline.
The spokesperson added that the department has been reviewing the instructional guides and all corresponding linked resources to ensure compliance with recent federal executive actions.
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www.youtube.com – NBC4 Washington – 2025-03-20 22:43:57
SUMMARY: A federal judge has blocked the deportation of Badar Khan Siri, a Georgetown University researcher detained by Homeland Security agents for allegedly spreading Hamas propaganda. Siri, an Indian citizen on a student visa, was arrested outside his home in Arlington. Supporters argue that the accusations are false and an infringement on free speech, drawing parallels to oppressive regimes. While a judge ruled against his deportation, Siri remains in detention at an ICE facility in Louisiana. His attorney has indicated that legal action will continue, with the ACLU of Virginia also filing a lawsuit on his behalf.
A federal judge ordered immigration officials not to deport a Georgetown scholar detained by the Trump administration and accused of spreading Hamas propaganda in the latest battle over speech on U.S. college campuses. Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder is following the story.
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www.thecentersquare.com – By Sarah Roderick-Fitch | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-20 10:07:00
(The Center Square) – Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure Coast Guard members receive the same 20-year retirement benefits as other branches of the military.
Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, introduced the Coast Guard Separation Parity Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at establishing “equal protections” for members of the Coast Guard by creating parity with the other armed forces.
The legislation would ensure that enlisted Coast Guard members who have served a minimum of 18 years would not be forced to depart the service two years shy of reaching a 20-year retirement. The proposal would provide them with the same protection and benefits as members of other armed forces.
Currently, Coast Guardsmen are not entitled to the same protections, which leaves them vulnerable to separation before the 20-year mark.
The Coast Guard is unique from other branches as it operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime and is the only branch of the armed forces with both civilian and military responsibilities. It has a workforce of over 57,000, including active duty, reserve and civilian personnel.
The lawmakers argue that the legislation would ensure “experienced personnel can complete their 20 years of service strengthens retention, morale, and fairness.”
“After years of dedicated service to our country, every member of our armed forces deserves the right to retire with the benefits they’ve earned – including the Coast Guard,” said Kiggans. “The Coast Guard Separation Parity Act ensures that the brave men and women who wear the uniform in our nation’s maritime force receive the same protections as their military counterparts in other branches. This is about fairness, recognizing the sacrifices of our Coast Guard, and ensuring these servicemembers are not forced out just before reaching retirement eligibility.”
The bipartisan legislation has received the support of several military-affiliated organizations.
www.youtube.com – 12 On Your Side – 2025-03-20 04:46:28
SUMMARY: Today’s forecast predicts warm weather with afternoon showers and highs in the mid-70s for Charleston. Although a cool front will bring lower temperatures tomorrow—down to the 50s—there’s no significant winter chill expected. Expect scattered showers and potential thunderstorms by the afternoon, particularly around 2 or 3 PM, with rain increasing along the I-95 corridor. This evening will remain breezy and wet, while tomorrow will transition to cooler, sunny conditions, with highs around 57 degrees. The weekend looks promising with temperatures in the 60s, and another chance for light rain on Monday.
Thursday Forecast: Warm and breezy with afternoon showers
