As a Virginia resident, I oppose VDOE's overly broad and vague model policies regarding sexually explicit content in instructional materials.

Teachers, librarians, and education experts have years of experience and are well equipped to introduce diverse and sometimes difficult subjects into the classroom. They are trained professionals whose jobs are to put the students’ interests first. The proposed model policies would make it harder for these educators to do their job and will likely result in censorship due to teacher and librarian’s fear or confusion over what qualifies as “sexually explicit content.”

These policies are antithetical to learning and a waste of time for educators.