Urgent Call to Action: We Need Your Voice Right Now
Virginia’s social studies community needs immediate help. We need letters this week and strong public turnout for the December 11 and January 8 State Board of Education meetings.
The Virginia Board of Education is considering a last-minute amendment to Virginia’s federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan that would add a Social Studies Accountability Indicator based only on a high-stakes multiple-choice SOL test. This proposal was introduced without meaningful public notice and conflicts with House Bill 1957, the bipartisan law that protects local flexibility in History and Social Science assessment. If approved, it would undermine the inquiry-based performance assessments that divisions have been implementing for years with great success. We support accountability, but a single test cannot replace the rigorous, inquiry-based performance assessments that Virginia is known for leading nationally.
The Virginia Board of Education is considering a last-minute amendment to Virginia’s federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan that would add a Social Studies Accountability Indicator based only on a high-stakes multiple-choice SOL test. This proposal was introduced without meaningful public notice and conflicts with House Bill 1957, the bipartisan law that protects local flexibility in History and Social Science assessment. If approved, it would undermine the inquiry-based performance assessments that divisions have been implementing for years with great success. We support accountability, but a single test cannot replace the rigorous, inquiry-based performance assessments that Virginia is known for leading nationally.
Use our CustomGPT!
We encourage teachers, parents, students, division leaders, and community members to start by using our Custom GPT: Virginia Social Studies Letter Builder.
The Custom GPT works as a thought partner and guides you step-by-step as you write your own message. It draws on VSSLC talking points, policy statements, advocacy letters, and key laws such as HB 1957 to help you stay accurate, while keeping your voice at the center. It is the easiest way to create a strong and clear comment.
The Custom GPT works as a thought partner and guides you step-by-step as you write your own message. It draws on VSSLC talking points, policy statements, advocacy letters, and key laws such as HB 1957 to help you stay accurate, while keeping your voice at the center. It is the easiest way to create a strong and clear comment.
Action Steps:
1. Create your letter with the Custom GPT
Once you review and revise it, send your message to:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Also copy your state delegate and senator: Find my legislators
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Also copy your state delegate and senator: Find my legislators
2. Sign up for in-person public comment
Click here to sign up for in-person public comment at upcoming Virginia Board of Education meetings in Richmond:
Please consider speaking on:
Please consider speaking on:
- Thursday, December 11
- Thursday, January 8
3. Share this call to action
Please ask at least two colleagues, family members, or community advocates to use the Custom GPT and take action.
Short link to share via text or email: tinyurl.com/UrgentAdvocacy
Short link to share via text or email: tinyurl.com/UrgentAdvocacy
VSSLC ADVOCACY REBRANDING
The C3 Framework
The Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium underwent an intensive mission and vision process led by Dr. Laurie Britt of the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at James Madison University. This process revealed a desire within the organization to take a more active role in advocating for curriculum, instruction, and assessment best-practices in Virginia public schools. The first step in this direction was the formation of an ad hoc committee to develop a series of principles for curriculum advocacy. These principles reinforced the organization's new mission & vision and served as a support to members working on various projects with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The Consortium was excited to see many of these principles take shape within the History and Social Science standards revision process that began in 2020. After more than 18 months of intensive work with teachers, historians, curriculum specialists, and stakeholders from across the Commonwealth, the VDOE developed a draft of standards that were more conceptual and rooted in inquiry and skills. VSSLC was eager to support this work in the hopes of a more viable set of standards with an appropriate balance of content and skills.
The proposed standards steadily moved through the established revision process in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic that forced schools into virtual settings. Tragically, this environment also produced a wave of political assaults on public education that weaponized everything from masks and public health measures to library books and how schools teach about race and gender. This politicized atmosphere soon captured the SOL revision process just weeks before the new history and social science standards were likely to be approved by the Virginia Board of Education. Newly-appointed State Superintendent, Jillian Balow, orchestrated a series of delays and an attempted overhaul and rewrite of the proposed standards during the fall of 2022. The VSSLC responded to these unprecedented actions by identifying the numerous flaws and omissions within the rewritten standards and organizing statewide efforts against their adoption. Less than a week after the release of the rewrite, the VSSLC joined a variety of other groups in providing over four hours of public comment, leading the state board to unanimously reject the State Superintendent's proposal.
The proposed standards steadily moved through the established revision process in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic that forced schools into virtual settings. Tragically, this environment also produced a wave of political assaults on public education that weaponized everything from masks and public health measures to library books and how schools teach about race and gender. This politicized atmosphere soon captured the SOL revision process just weeks before the new history and social science standards were likely to be approved by the Virginia Board of Education. Newly-appointed State Superintendent, Jillian Balow, orchestrated a series of delays and an attempted overhaul and rewrite of the proposed standards during the fall of 2022. The VSSLC responded to these unprecedented actions by identifying the numerous flaws and omissions within the rewritten standards and organizing statewide efforts against their adoption. Less than a week after the release of the rewrite, the VSSLC joined a variety of other groups in providing over four hours of public comment, leading the state board to unanimously reject the State Superintendent's proposal.
The brief victory at the state board meeting was soon followed by the formation of a coalition between the VSSLC, the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD), and the American Historical Association (AHA). The three organizations combined their efforts to draft an alternative set of professional standards in place of what the State Superintendent had failed to ram through. What became known as the "Collaborative Standards" was submitted to the Governor's office, the Virginia Secretary of Education, and the Virginia Board of Education on December 20, 2022. This effort led to months of advocacy work and a growing coalition that subsequently included the Virginia Council for the Social Studies (VCSS), the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and the Virginia Geographic Alliance (VGA).
The full story of the coalition's work was recently published in the November/December issue of Social Education ("Defending History: Educators Stand Up to Protect Virginia's Social Studies Standards" by Beau Dickenson, Brendan Gillis, and Chris Jones). In addition to the Collaborative Standards, the Coalition produced several documents as part of this months-long advocacy effort that are linked below.
Defending History: Educators Stand Up to Protect Virginia’s Social Studies Standards
By Beau Dickenson (VSSLC), Brendan Gillis (AHA), and Chris Jones (VASCD)
This article was written by the coalition that formed around VSSLC's efforts to prevent the rewrite of Virginia's History and Social Science standards during the fall of 2022. It was published in the November/December 2023 issue of Social Education by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Defending History: Educators Stand Up to Protect Virginia’s Social Studies Standards
By Beau Dickenson (VSSLC), Brendan Gillis (AHA), and Chris Jones (VASCD)
This article was written by the coalition that formed around VSSLC's efforts to prevent the rewrite of Virginia's History and Social Science standards during the fall of 2022. It was published in the November/December 2023 issue of Social Education by the National Council for the Social Studies.
THE WORK OF THE COALITION
The Collaborative Standards
These standards were developed by members of VSSLC, VASCD, and AHA. This document and companion press release was submitted to the State Superintendent on December 20, 2022.
The Collaborative Response
This press release includes a comprehensive review of the second draft of standards released by the State Superintendent on January 6, 2023.
The Collaborative Strike-through
This strike-through version of the State Superintendent's January Draft was developed after the Virginia Board of Education voted to accept that draft for "first review" on February 2, 2023.
These standards were developed by members of VSSLC, VASCD, and AHA. This document and companion press release was submitted to the State Superintendent on December 20, 2022.
The Collaborative Response
This press release includes a comprehensive review of the second draft of standards released by the State Superintendent on January 6, 2023.
The Collaborative Strike-through
This strike-through version of the State Superintendent's January Draft was developed after the Virginia Board of Education voted to accept that draft for "first review" on February 2, 2023.