When the US state of Virginia's largest school district began allowing students time off to protest in 2019, the backlash was swift and partisan: Conservative critics denounced Fairfax County Public Schools for coddling its too-liberal, too-sensitive youth and predicted kids would abuse the policy to play hooky. But a year later, the Virginia General Assembly is poised to pass legislation that will take Fairfax's policy statewide, permitting more than 680,000 middle and high school students across 130-plus school systems one excused absence every year to "engage in a civic event." Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post From left, Adrian Klaits and Matthew Savage of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus, and Josh Lyon of the Teenage Republican Federation of Virginia in Falls Church, Virginia.