Virginia Dems introduce classroom DEI curriculum law on day 1 of legislative session

As Democrats retake control of the Virginia legislature and governor's mansion, a flurry of far-left bills has been introduced to begin the legislative session, including one that would enshrine DEI in the classroom into law.

HB 614, titled "History and social science standards and instruction; historically marginalized communities," was filed on Jan. 13, a day before the session even began, by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.

The bill seeks to "ensure comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive education" for elementary and secondary school children, according to its summary. To fulfill that goal, the bill mandates instructional materials and standards in history and social science courses that include "contributions, perspectives, and experiences of historically marginalized communities."

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Those communities, according to the summary, include racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees, women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, people from various socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals from various religious backgrounds and an open-ended, "any other group of individuals that the Board of Education deems appropriate, in order to affirm such communities and promote a more holistic understanding of history."

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The bill itself is short on specifics of what will be taught, but says that by March 1, 2027, which is the state's scheduled review of and revision of its "Standards for Learning," the new instructional materials and curriculum guidelines must be in place to "explicitly include the political, economic, social, and cultural contributions of the communities described."

It does note that teachers must be equipped with materials to observe Black History Month, Women's History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Disability History and Awareness Month, LGBTQ+ History Month and other recognitions as determined by the Board.

"The Department of Historic Resources shall coordinate consultation with subject matter experts from institutions of higher education and community organizations representing these communities," the bill's text says.

The same department is tasked with disseminating the new curriculum guidance to schools "to ensure integration of inclusive history across curricula and to avoid isolating such content to a single month or observance."

Rasoul did not return a request for comment.