An Act to direct the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to include in such Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy and provide guidance to school boards on the selection of such instructional materials.
HB1037 directs the Virginia Board of Education, during its next scheduled revision of the Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to include instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy. The required materials must be based on peer-reviewed scientific sources and address changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the human causes of those changes, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.
The bill also requires the Board to provide guidance to local school boards on selecting climate change and environmental literacy instructional materials that meet those criteria. In practical terms, the measure embeds climate-related content into the state’s science curriculum process and influences what textbooks and high-quality instructional materials may be chosen for classroom use.
The bill amends the state’s education policy by directing the Board of Education to incorporate climate change and environmental literacy into the next revision of the Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework. It affects the development of state curriculum standards, associated textbooks, and other instructional materials, and it creates a statewide guidance role for the Board in helping local school boards choose compliant materials. The primary parties affected are the Board of Education, local school boards, curriculum developers, textbook publishers, teachers, and students in Virginia public schools.
The available record shows the bill was enacted as Chapter 1086, indicating it ultimately received sufficient support to become law. No committee transcript or vote details are provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate tone or partisan division in the supplied materials. Based on the bill’s enactment and its policy focus on science-based instructional content, the overall sentiment appears to have been favorable enough to advance through the legislative process.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or vote history. However, bills of this type commonly raise questions about curriculum control, the role of state versus local school boards, and how climate change should be taught in public schools. Any disagreement would likely center on the scope of required content, the use of peer-reviewed scientific sources, and whether the guidance meaningfully constrains local selection of instructional materials.