Bill could affect history and social science lessons for students across Virginia

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — A bill being discussed in Richmond could impact what students across Virginia learn in history and social science classrooms.

House Bill 614 would change statewide learning standards by requiring public schools to include the contributions and experiences of groups described as “historically marginalized” in history and social science instruction.

Those groups include racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people from a range of socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. The proposal has sparked debate among lawmakers and education leaders.

Republican Delegate Tim Griffin said he strongly opposes the bill, arguing it shifts the focus away from what he described as core educational priorities.

“This bill is going to have a negative impact on schools, because instead of worrying about reading, writing, and arithmetic, or in the historical arena, talking about American exceptionalism, it focuses on every single minority that you can ever imagine,” Griffin said.

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Griffin said he believes emphasizing specific groups in the curriculum could come at the expense of teaching broader American history.

“American history is the history of all of us as Americans,” Griffin said. “I hate the dividing us into silos and into different groups. America should be about America, especially this year.”

Supporters of the bill disagree, saying it builds on existing standards rather than replacing them.

Karl Loos, president of the Lynchburg Education Association, said House Bill 614 would help address gaps in what is currently taught in classrooms.

When asked about Griffin’s concerns that the bill is overly focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, Loos said, “I think he is wrong.”

“With the growth of America and the history of America, what this does is it gives us a more complete picture of how all of that came about,” Loos said.

Loos said some historical contributions are currently missing from Virginia’s Standards of Learning.

“The short answer is yes, there is,” Loos said. “There are a variety of contributions made by people that we haven’t really touched on in the SOLs.”

According to Loos, the legislation would not give the state control over local lesson plans, but it would guide how Virginia updates its history and social science standards in future reviews.

The bill was proposed by Delegate Sam Rasoul. ABC 13 reached out to Rasoul for comment, but had not heard back as of publication.

House Bill 614 continues to make its way through the General Assembly.