Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin built his successful 2021 run for governor in large part on pledges to ban critical race theory and boost parental control in public schools such as in Loudoun County, the scene of raucous school-board debates over issues such as Covid-19 mask policies and race-related instruction.
On his first day in office he issued education-related executive orders. One aimed to ban the teaching of critical race theory—a view that the legacy of white supremacy is entrenched in U.S. laws and institutions. He signed lawsthat ended mask mandates and required parents to be notified of sexually explicit instructional material. The state school board, with a majority of Youngkin appointees, approved new statewide social-studies standards.
After the first full school year of his term ended this month, the direction of the state’s schools is far from settled. In-class instruction in Loudoun County has gone on without much change.
The new social-studies standards, which echo Youngkin’s campaign call for “nonideological and age-appropriate” learning, won’t take effect until the 2025-26 school year. One teacher said history courses remain the same. A conservative member of the school board says he still sees elements of critical race theory being taught. Some parents still clamor for more oversight of classroom instruction.
Youngkin’s backers say gubernatorial clout can only go so far to spark change in localized school boards. Other supporters are urging him to further push the limits of the power he has.
“As far as the policy issues, there’s not much that has changed,” said Ian Prior, executive director of Fight for Schools, a Loudoun-focused political-action committee that opposes what it claims is a pivot from academic rigor.
“That’s just ultimately the way local government works,” said Prior, who spoke at Youngkin campaign events in Loudoun, among the highest-income counties in the nation and one that has trended Democratic.