File: IB
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
The School Board seeks to educate young people in the democratic tradition, to foster recognition of individual freedom and social responsibility, and to inspire meaningful awareness of and respect for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Freedom of individual conscience, association, and expression will be encouraged and fairness in procedures will be observed both to safeguard the legitimate interests of the schools and to exhibit by appropriate examples the basic objectives of a democratic society as set forth in the Constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Such home and classroom work shall be evaluated by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school.
Adopted: 11/24/03; 06/26/08
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Legal Ref.: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, section 22.1-78, 22.1-203.3
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