Delegate To Propose Crackdown On Va. Textbook Review Process

In response to a state review that found factual errors in Virginia social studies textbooks, a state delegate is now working to make the state's school book review process stricter.

Virginia State Delegate David Englin will file legislation Monday that would require textbook publishers to be certified by the Virginia Board of Education, showing they had content experts review each textbook they sell to Virginia schools.

Englin says the method the Virginia Board of Education uses now lacks accountability.

"You have a small number of volunteers. Only occasionally is there an actually content expert looking at textbooks. When I looked at that, I thought the right thing to do is to make sure that a subject matter expert reviews every single textbook that is certified for sale and for use in schools," Englin says.

The proposed legislation will be presented during General Assembly, which begins next week.