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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Certain Virginia bridges and tunnels could be repaired or replaced ahead of schedule, saving citizens years of waiting to use the structures, thanks to a law that will take effect this summer that stems from a bipartisan effort in this year’s General Assembly approved by the governor.
Lawmakers and Gov. Glenn Youngkin passed an administrative proposal allowing the state to expedite projects considered under Virginia’s Special Structures Program by issuing revenue bonds up to $200 million a year, and up to $1 billion total. Issuance will begin in 2028.
The Commonwealth Special Structures Program stems from a 2020 measure that allocates $80 million annually to cover “special structures,” identified by the Commissioner of Highways and approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) as very “large, indispensable, and unique bridges and tunnels.”
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said at an April 15 CTB meeting that bonding the program funds can help projects move much faster.
“This is a great financial decision for the commonwealth,” Miller said. “Not only do we get to use cheaper money as opposed to more expensive money, but we also get the benefits of all these programs many, many years earlier.”
Ahead of the last General Assembly session, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) asked lawmakers to consider the bill, framing it as a way to help avoid future inflationary costs on the state’s structure improvements and replacements.
According to the agency, VDOT has experienced 24% in cost escalation over the last three fiscal years in its construction program.
Laura Farmer, chief financial officer for VDOT, said in a recent April 15 presentation to the Commonwealth Transportation Board that “though the current funding revenue stream for special structures is reliable, it is not sufficient to set aside money over many years to take care of replacement projects.”
Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, carried the successful legislation, which Youngkin signed March 21. It will take effect July 1.
Norris Bridge and more to come
With VDOT’s ability to bond funds in the special structures program, the agency has already moved forward with its planning to replace the Robert O. Norris Bridge, which connects the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, eight years ahead of schedule.
The 1.9-mile, 67-year-old bridge is located over the Rappahannock River, between Lancaster and Middlesex counties. If the bridge were closed for any reason, an average of 7,560 vehicles would have to take a detour route totaling 85 miles.
The agency said the vertical clearance in the channel span for marine traffic is 110 feet.
According to the governor’s office, the new bridge will have “substantially” wider travel lanes, fully functional shoulders and significantly higher guardrails.
“It is time to build a modern bridge that will serve the communities of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula for the next 100 years,” Youngkin said in an April 15 statement. “Today we are accelerating construction of a new Norris Bridge to meet the daily travel needs of residents and businesses, and to welcome visitors to these scenic waterfront regions.Through this action, people will be driving over the new bridge almost a decade sooner than expected.”
Stephen C. Brich, commissioner of highways for VDOT, said last week that staff has identified a collection of special structure projects for potential advancement, but did not specifically name any.
However, the Mercury was able to identify some of the upcoming special structure projects, according to a recent resolution passed by the board, including: the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel in the Bristol District; a SMART Road in Salem; the Benjamin Harrison Bridge in Richmond; the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel; and the Rosslyn Tunnel in Northern Virginia.
“This isn’t just about the Norris bridge,” Miller said. “This is just the beginning. It impacts everything in the schedule because now we’ve got money in front. So it’s really a great win for the commonwealth.”
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
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 Assessment: Center-Left
The content primarily discusses a bipartisan legislative effort in Virginia aimed at expediting infrastructure projects, specifically the repair and replacement of bridges and tunnels. The focus on bipartisan support suggests an appeal to a broad audience. However, the mention of Governor Glenn Youngkin and Republican Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle emphasizes the roles of Republican policymakers and positions the government’s financial decision-making in a positive light. The tone and content lean toward addressing community needs and improvements, aligning more with progressive values of government intervention and infrastructure investment. Thus, while it is not overtly partisan, the framing and focus on infrastructure development suggest a Center-Left bias in promoting active government involvement in public goods.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Sarah Roderick-Fitch | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-21 15:47:00
(The Center Square) – Over 500 “violent illegal immigrants” have been arrested in Virginia since February, according to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Speaking Monday on a national network interview, he is touting the crackdown as a “national model.”
“We have arrested 521 violent illegal immigrants, over 130 of which are known members of international terrorist gangs,” Youngkin said. “And these are folks that have been taken off the streets of Virginia, and we’re a lot safer because of this.”
In February, the governor signed an executive order directing state law enforcement and corrections officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement. Youngkin believes the commonwealth’s partnership with federal authorities could stand as a “national model.”
The governor says the numbers include members of the El Salvadoran gang MS-13 and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Youngkin said the individuals are currently being held by federal authorities, where they are “being processed and charged in an appropriate way, case by case by case, and they’re being deported as appropriate.”
The governor credits the cooperation and partnership with the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Tom Homan, the border czar, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Patel echoed the governor’s national model idea, applauding the commonwealth’s partnership with federal law enforcement.
“The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force is a model for every state in the country on effective collaboration between federal law enforcement agencies and state and local partners working every day to make America safer,” said Patel. “The FBI is proud to work with Attorney General Bondi, Governor Youngkin, and Virginia AG Miyares in this effort. Our early numbers so far have been a tremendous success, but we are just beginning.”
Bondi agrees with Patel and Youngkin, describing the partnership as “unprecedented.”
“This is the product of unprecedented collaboration between state and federal law enforcement entities working to protect Virginia’s communities,” said the attorney general.“Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares have been incredible partners with the Department of Justice, and we will collaborate with every state in effectuating President Trump’s Make America Safe agenda.”
The governor says law enforcement officials can “unwind” criminal networks “to go find the next group of these illegal, violent criminals.” He believes it will lead to further arrests “going forward … it’s a long-term effort in order to make sure that we unwind this gang activity.”
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that state and federal authorities had arrested a MS-13 ringleader for the East Coast in Prince William County, Va.
During Monday’s interview, Youngkin compared what is happening in his state versus its neighbor, Maryland.
Youngkin said, “I think it’s incredibly important to compare what’s going on in Virginia to what’s going on in other states, like in Maryland, where you actually see a senator and governor stand up for someone who, in fact, was a member and is a member of a gang, as found by multiple judges, and they’re standing up to protect that person. Listen, we’re going to work in Virginia to make sure these folks are arrested.”
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-21 14:50:00
SUMMARY: The weather on Monday, April 21, is warm with temperatures reaching near 80°F. A front approaching from the west will bring unsettled weather, including showers and thunderstorms, throughout the week. A cold front will move through on Tuesday, with a few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, especially in North Carolina. Temperatures will drop into the 60s by Wednesday. Another cold front late in the week could bring more rain and cooler temperatures. By Friday, highs will reach 77°F, with more chances of showers and thunderstorms over the weekend, followed by a drop in temperatures to around 70°F on Sunday.
There is a chance for showers almost every day this coming week. But at least the weather is warm!
