Defending History: Educators Stand up to Protect Virginia's Social Studies Standards

In October 2022, the administration of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin commissioned a secret rewrite of the state's History and Social Science Standards of Learning to replace the draft that the state Department of Education had developed through its own standards revision process. This unprecedented step galvanized supporters of public education and spurred them to action. The story of how Virginia's educators defended the curriculum on behalf of their students can serve as a model for teachers nationwide in the face of increased efforts to politicize history and social studies education.