Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
 
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The guidance document "Model Policies Concerning Instructional Materials with Sexually Explicit Content" was developed in conjunction with stakeholders in order to comply with SB656 (2022).
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7/8/22  12:36 pm
Commenter: Michele Schiesser

Not far enough/weaknesses in proposed policy
 

Much of the concerns parents have regarding sexually explicit materials in our public schools have come about specifically due to books approved, stocked and promoted by school librarians. Nevertheless, librarians are not covered by this proposed policy. Why are librarians enjoying a special exception to these proposed regulations? This is unacceptable. Librarians are the ones who brought these obscene books into schools in the first place. There is no process from preventing them from continuing to do so. Once they are in libraries, there is little parents can do. Obscene and age inappropriate materials do not belong in school libraries  

Although notification of sexually explicit materials in schools (except in libraries) is a good start, this proposal does not address notification of classroom content in gender ideology, "anti-racist" lessons and campaigns either through classroom display or assignments. It does not address inappropriate SEL curricula that violates student and parent privacy through surveys and lessons many of which are administered by unqualified teachers who are not therapists. It does not address lessons that present and promote Marxist principles in positive lights. It does not address presentation of lessons that portray our country as evil while portraying other cultures in positive lights. It does not address lessons whose purpose is the encouragement of student participation in political social justice campaigns. All of the aforementioned actions contribute to a hostile learning environment which should not be present in our schools.

I also do not see any mechanism or process for enforcing or overseeing violations of this statute. We have already seen numerous examples of school divisions taking a defiant stance against any and all efforts to address the above stated objections. Where and what is the enforcement mechanism for violations of this statute?

CommentID: 122218