As a clinical social worker, I was delighted to read through the SEL Standards. Then, I was devastated to read so many comments that angrily criticize it. We, as a country, need to learn to respectfully LISTEN to one another, EMPATHIZE by taking the perspective of others, and get comfortable with feeling a little uncomfortable. That's how we all grow as individuals and as a society.
Not being aware of our own thoughts and feelings, and how our behaviors affect one another leads to viewing people different from ourselves as "the other" which is what leads to all of the "-isms" (racism, ableism, sexism, etc) and ultimately to hate and violence. If you want to teach your children to hate other children, do that at home under the guise of religious freedom. But to better our society, we need to learn how to resolve problems peacefully, care for one another, and accept each other as fellow people.
My two concerns about the SEL standards are :
Far too often, people with disabilities are excluded from discussions on inclusion and equity. Just as the standards include identifying personal strengths and weaknesses, please build in considerations for people who learn differently or are neurodivergent.
These standards are phenomenal from a mental health perspective, but teachers are not trained mental health professionals. Handing a teacher a scripted lesson will not prepare the teacher for how to respond to students reflecting on personal, emotional topics. Please fund additional mental health staff in our schools. Lower the obscenely high ratios for mental health professionals, as caseloads are completely unreasonable and impossible to manage effectively.
Thank you very much.