Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The 2020 Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 753 directing the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to develop guidance standards for social emotional learning (SEL) for all public students in grades Kindergarten through 12 in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Social Emotional Learning Standards were developed in collaboration with an SEL Advisory Committee, composed of educators, community leaders, agency personnel, and parents. The Virginia SEL Standards are aligned with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate and centered in equity. This intentional focus allows the Standards to explicitly teach the skills needed to be “life ready” and to create more equitable learning environments.
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5/24/21  1:46 pm
Commenter: Steven Bishop, CCPS Parent

SEL is good
 

Folks, SEL is an excellent initiative and much needed in the public school. It has many wonderful facets and helps in forming productive, peaceful citizens.

What you have done in this document is added various elements of critical justice studies into the teaching of young students. Who decides what "inequity" or "injustice" means? Who decides what "ethical" means? These are issues and conversations to be had between parents and children. I have ZERO interest in allowing the public school systems to tell my children what actions or behaviors are or are not just, equitable, or ethical.  

The following SEL standards need to be abolished from this document:

SoA2: 11-12a, I can recognize, describe and distinguish inequity and injustice at different levels of society.

SoA2: 11-12b, I can identify and work to address my own conscious biases and implicit (unconscious) biases.

ReS1: 5-6d, I can demonstrate how I will navigate situations when I might feel pressured to go along with injustice.

SoA2: 7-8a, I can recognize and describe unfairness and injustice in many forms including attitudes, speech, behaviors, policies, practices, and laws

SoA2: 11-12a, I can recognize, describe and distinguish inequity and injustice at different levels of society.

ReS1: 11-12d, I can make ethical decisions about when and how to take a stand against bias and injustice in my everyday life or community and will do so despite negative peer or group pressure.

 

I would strongly encourage you to stick with SEL standards such as this one:

SoA1: 11-12a, I can relate to and build connections with other people by showing them empathy, compassion, and understanding by highlighting and honoring differing perspectives, backgrounds, cultures or social groups

This is the perspective we need in a multi-cultural republic. Not critical-justice studies that seek to continually assign blame and guilt to particular groups and provide no pathway to a brighter future.

Thank you.

CommentID: 98658