I strongly support these critically important model policies that will protect children from inappropriate sexual content at school and respect parents' right to determine whether their children are exposed to such content.

Under Virginia law, parents have the fundamental right to make decisions about the education of our children. Senate Bill 656 and these model policies are needed to ensure that right is not undermined by certain explicit school curriculum.

Specific actions that every school must take in order to ensure that sexually explicit materials are correctly identified and seen by parents first must be included in the model policies. Unless certain minimum standards are expressly mandated (as opposed to providing examples or suggestions), schools may find ways around what they consider to be mere guidance.