Delegate wants law passed to require high schoolers to pass a naturalization test to graduate
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Could you correctly answer questions such as "Who was the first president of the United States?" or "What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?" That's what Republican Delegate Lee Ware (R-Powhatan) wants all Virginia high schoolers to be able to do to graduate. Ware reintroduced a bill ahead of next year’s General Assembly session to require high schoolers to score at least 70% on an exam consisting of questions from the U.S. naturalization test to graduate. “If we don’t have students who know these things, we don’t have students who are prepared to take their part as members of our republic,” Ware said when speaking on a similar bill that failed during the 2024 session. Democratic Delegate Rae Cousins (D-Richmond), who voted against the measure earlier this year, says the bill is unnecessary. "Civics curriculum and education are already required in the Standards of Learning to ensure that students have the information that they need in order to shape the future of our nation,” Cousins told 8News. Additionally, Cousins takes issue with the fact that Ware’s bill would require students to get 70% of at least 25 questions correct. In contrast, the U.S. citizenship test only requires those seeking naturalization to get six out of 10 questions correct. “Including these questions from the naturalization test would be the sort of ultimate example of teachers just really itching to a test to make sure that students are memorizing answers to pass that portion of the Standards of Learning,” said Cousins. 8News tried to talk to Delegate Ware about his bill, but were told he was unavailable on Wednesday. When we asked if he would be available on Thursday, his staff told us, “Del. Ware is unavailable for the next many days.”
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Could you correctly answer questions such as "Who was the first president of the United States?" or "What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?" That's what Republican Delegate Lee Ware (R-Powhatan) wants all Virginia high schoolers to be able to do to graduate.
Ware reintroduced a bill ahead of next year’s General Assembly session to require high schoolers to score at least 70% on an exam consisting of questions from the U.S. naturalization test to graduate.
“If we don’t have students who know these things, we don’t have students who are prepared to take their part as members of our republic,” Ware said when speaking on a similar bill that failed during the 2024 session.
Democratic Delegate Rae Cousins (D-Richmond), who voted against the measure earlier this year, says the bill is unnecessary.
"Civics curriculum and education are already required in the Standards of Learning to ensure that students have the information that they need in order to shape the future of our nation,” Cousins told 8News.
Additionally, Cousins takes issue with the fact that Ware’s bill would require students to get 70% of at least 25 questions correct. In contrast, the U.S. citizenship test only requires those seeking naturalization to get six out of 10 questions correct.
“Including these questions from the naturalization test would be the sort of ultimate example of teachers just really itching to a test to make sure that students are memorizing answers to pass that portion of the Standards of Learning,” said Cousins.
8News tried to talk to Delegate Ware about his bill, but were told he was unavailable on Wednesday. When we asked if he would be available on Thursday, his staff told us, “Del. Ware is unavailable for the next many days.”
