Virginia History and Social Science SOL Review Campaign

The revision by the Virginia Department of Education (VDoE) of the Virginia History and Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) for the last seven-year cycle has taken a long time. After a succession of starts and stops, the revised SOLs were eventually adopted by the Virginia Board of Education (VBoE) in April 2023.

The Virginia Coalition for Human Rights (VCHR) and its affiliate organizations are concerned by the omission of critical, evidence-based facts about Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) history and by the omission of Arab American history in the current SOLs and its accompanying Instructional Guides, which were released in April 2025.

For example, we note only one mention of Palestine as part of the term “British Mandate of Palestine”, and “Palestinians” are completely absent from the SOLs and the Instructional Guides— even though the history of Palestine is critical to understanding the modern Middle East. Furthermore, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is not included under Revolutionary Movements (WHII.10b), and the ongoing genocide in Gaza is not listed in the Genocide substandard (WHII.12a).

Similarly, there is no mention of Arab immigration to the United States or Arab American migration to Virginia—even though Virginia is home to the tenth largest community of Arab Americans. Also omitted are Arab American civic movements, leaders, communities, and accomplishments in the social, cultural, and economic fields.

Accordingly, on June 27, 2025, VCHR reviewed both the SOLs and the Instructional Guides, created a document with suggested edits, and submitted it to the VBoE and to the legislators who chair the Education Committees of the General Assembly of Virginia.

Earlier in the review cycle, VCHR had already provided support and testimony for the History and Social Science SOLs that related to World History and to Virginia and U.S. History.

On January 27, 2023, VCHR sent a letter with proposed edits to the January 2023 draft of the SOLs to the Virginia Board of Education (letter to VBoE of January 27, 2023).

VCHR Testimonies on History SOLs

February 2, 2023 - Virginia Board of Education, Richmond

On February 2, 2023, two members of VCHR presented testimony in Richmond on the proposed History SOLs before the Virginia Board of Education.

Testimony of Dr. Aouicha Hilliard

02/02/2023 - Text of Dr. Hilliard's testimony

Testimony of Dr. Aouicha Hilliard before the Virginia Board of Education - February 2, 2023

Testimony of Robin Allman

02/02/2023 - Text of Robin Allman's testimony

Testimony of Robin Allman before the Virginia Board of Education - February 2, 2023

Campaign to improve teaching of World History and Virginia and U.S. History

On August 24, 2019, Executive Order Thirty Nine was signed by Governor Ralph Northam. This Executive Order establishes the Commission on African American History Education in the Commonwealth (AAHEC). The Governor has charged the group with reviewing Virginia’s history standards and the instructional practices, content, and resources currently used to teach African American history in the Commonwealth. In addition, the Commission is to examine and make recommendations on the professional development supports needed to equip all teachers for culturally competent instruction.

In an effort to ensure that textbooks in the Commonwealth are accurate and unbiased in all areas, including that of African American History, VCHR has provided testimony to AAHEC as follows: