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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From last year to now, Virginia raised teacher pay by an average of $3,000. Still, the commonwealth’s average pay rate for educators remains stagnant compared to other states, according to the latest salary report published by the National Education Association.
The commonwealth dropped by one spot to 26th, paying teachers an average of $66,327, an increase from a year ago. Virginia’s average teacher pay is $5,703 below the national average of $72,030, the NEA report states.
Education leaders and lawmakers in the commonwealth said inflation and investments are some of the factors contributing to mixed results in the national salary report.
“Clearly (the report) shows that we have made good improvement in recent years, and we have a long way to go,” said House Education Committee Chair Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.
Rasoul admitted that the commonwealth is thousands of dollars below the national teacher pay average, “but when we started this journey a few years ago, we were in the bottom third of states, and so we’re approaching where we need to be.”
The Virginia Education Association (VEA), representing the largest group of K-12 teachers in the commonwealth, said that while the national data shows gains have been made in Virginia, pre-kindergarten to higher education teachers are still not making enough to support themselves after being adjusted for inflation.
According to VEA, the average public school teacher salary increased by 3% from the previous year, but when adjusted for inflation, teachers made only $108 more.
“While it might look like teachers are getting support, they are actually losing money, which has a direct impact on student learning,” VEA said.
While recognizing recent gains, VEA president Carol Bauer said Virginia’s teachers are “still losing economic ground” while schools continue weathering the state’s education staffing shortages.
“True historic investment means decisively closing salary gaps, adequately funding schools, and ensuring every classroom has a qualified teacher. Virginia must commit to real, sustained investments to attract and retain educators, rather than relying on incremental gains that barely keep pace with inflation,” Bauer said.
What can Virginia do now?
Virginia has an opportunity to boost educator pay even more, after the General Assembly recommended changes to the state budget.
This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin will decide whether to support lawmakers’ budget proposal to provide bonuses to teachers and lift a cap on state funding for non-instructional school staff positions. This would give school divisions greater flexibility to hire the staff they need without being “restricted” by outdated student-to-staff ratios.
In 2009, during the Great Recession, lawmakers initiated the cap to reduce state spending on non-instructional school staff positions, including central office and administrative, technical, clerical, maintenance, and instructional support positions.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to comment on the report. However, in the governor’s budget recommendations in March, Youngkin wrote that Virginia has raised teacher pay by 18% over the last three years.
The budget amendments now being considered by the governor contain $166 million more for public education, including $84.7 million to raise the cap.
Last year, state lawmakers formed a joint committee to work on overhauling the Standards of Quality (SOQ), the state’s funding formula determining the financial needs of school divisions, after a state study group found local governments have been shouldering a disproportionate share of K-12 education costs compared to the state’s contributions.
Lawmakers arranged for the state and localities to pay an even split of contributions in 1972, but they changed it in 1993, urging localities to start paying for K-12 fringe benefits.
According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s share was established at 55%, while localities paid 45%.
What’s next?
House Education Committee Vice Chair Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, carried the support cap bill and budget language to support non-instructional positions.
As a former teacher and school board member, Simonds said a core issue her legislation will address is the administration’s prioritized focus on overhauling testing and accountability measures — part of the administration’s efforts to combat learning loss and raise student testing scores — instead of recruiting and maintaining teachers.
Simonds said some ways to make teaching the best job in Virginia could involve creating competitive pay, treating educators as professionals in the school buildings, and offering maternity leave, professional development and planning periods to collaborate with colleagues.
“The only thing that has been really proven to improve education is highly qualified teachers,” Simonds said. “Having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom is the way we move the needle on test scores for our children.”
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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The content focuses on advocating for higher teacher pay and increased public school funding, highlighting the challenges teachers face with current salaries lagging behind the national average and inflation. It presents perspectives from education advocates and Democratic lawmakers supportive of investing more in public education. While recognizing some progress, the tone calls for more substantial government commitment, aligning with generally progressive stances on public education funding and labor support. The article maintains a factual and policy-oriented approach without extreme rhetoric, situating it in the center-left range.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-30 14:54:32
SUMMARY: I’m 13 News Now meteorologist Evan Stewart. It’s Wednesday, April 30th, with warm temperatures in the 80s across Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, over 10° above average. A frontal boundary near North Carolina could trigger isolated showers and thunderstorms later today and into the evening. While severe weather is impacting Texas and nearby areas with tornado risks, Hampton Roads faces a low, level one risk for isolated strong storms. Thursday remains warm with a slight 20% rain chance, and Friday brings more late-day showers and storms. A slow-moving front will increase weekend rain chances, possibly lingering into early next week with cooler weather.
There will be several chances for rain showers and potentially even storms through the weekend.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:55:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia just logged one of the sharpest drops in fentanyl deaths in the country — down 44% from last year and nearly cut in half since 2021—Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it’s proof his crackdown is working.
The administration credits everything from drug seizures to tougher laws on dealers, plus a massive naloxone rollout. “Overdose deaths skyrocketed across America and in Virginia, driven primarily by illicit fentanyl flowing across our southern border. With an average of five dying Virginians each day, in 2022, we launched a comprehensive effort to stop the scourge of fentanyl, it’s working, and Virginia is leading,” said Youngkin.
He also tied the drop to border enforcement, echoing President Trump’s argument that immigration policy is key to stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.
“Our approach stands on four principles: interrupt the drug trade, enhance penalties for drug dealers, educate people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equip them to save the life of someone in crisis,” said Youngkin in astatement.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, fatal overdoses across all substances fell by34.1% in 2024compared to the year before — the sharpest drop since the epidemic peaked in 2021.
Trump’s recent moves include a new order cracking down on sanctuary cities, more troops at the southern border and a pledge to ramp up deportations.
“We have turned the tide in this battle and must now redouble our efforts to build on our success,” said Dr. Colin Greene, Special Advisor on Opioid Response.
In Virginia, Youngkin’s team points to several key efforts behind the numbers. Operation FREE, a joint law enforcement initiative, has seized enough fentanyl to kill every Virginian ten times over, according to the administration. The commonwealth also banned pill presses, expanded penalties for dealers, and now requires schools to notify parents when student overdoses happen.
Since 2022, nearly 400,000 doses of naloxone have been distributed statewide, and almost 100,000 Virginians have been trained to use it. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One” campaign is also part of the strategy — aimed at raising awareness among families, schools and local communities.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article presents a clear ideological perspective, with a tone that strongly supports Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policies on combating fentanyl deaths. It emphasizes the success of Youngkin’s efforts, such as drug seizures, tougher laws, and border enforcement, which aligns with conservative viewpoints, particularly regarding immigration policy and law enforcement. The framing of the issue—highlighting Youngkin’s leadership and drawing connections to President Trump’s immigration stance—reinforces a right-leaning narrative, suggesting that tougher border control is key to solving the fentanyl crisis. The article does not present significant counterpoints or explore opposing viewpoints on these measures, which could balance the coverage. Overall, the content reflects a pro-administration stance, particularly aligning with the policies of the Republican Party.
