I'm a retired teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. I have VERY serious concerns about VDOE policies on instructional materials with "sexually explicit language." Such a vague term could lead the the exclusion of award winning writers such as Toni Morrison. I'm a retired English teacher. Such exclusions could limit students' access to a wide variety of literature and viewpoints that challenge their thinking. Years ago my own mother was horrified that I allowed my daughter (graduated from Woodson) to read "Mommy Dearest." Here's what I told her: we DISCUSS books in this house. She (my daughter) will know that the cruelty of that mother is NOT a model for parenting. This is what should happen in our classrooms: discussions and the development of critical thinking skills. 

Let's be honest: the proposed regulation is our Governor's form of "Don't Say Gay" like the policies in Florida. It's despicable. Virginia is a top ranked state in education. Let's not go backward because of fear of others.