Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Education

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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5/2/21 7:28 am

Commenter: Anonymous

NO! I am the parent not you! Do not teach this to my children

This is not appropriate for public school! Please stick to teaching the basic subjects and leave the parenting to the PARENTS!

I am at a loss of words on how sick to my stomach these make me feel. All over our country parents are fighting this kind of indoctrination of our children in school! Do NOT pass this! These are my children and not yours! You may not teach them and have no right to say where they “fit” in a Keith or what influences them or their beliefs. Having them identify what “groups” they are in is divisive and this is not unifying.

I am ashamed as a former teacher that the schools are doing this! Shame on you!

Here are a few examples of standards that are concerning to me:

Grade 3-4

-- I can describe the multiple groups in society that help create my identity.
- my thoughts on this- For my children this is God, Jesus, church, their family, friends, how they serve others and their farm and pets) do you want to discuss religion schools because in our family we find our purpose and identity from God.

-- I can understand that people may face different barriers based on their identity and groups in society and that this is not fair.

my thoughts on this.LIFE IS NOT FAIR! This is for a parent to teach their child. I would teach this to my children using Bible stories. This is not the schools role to teach my children!

Grade 5-6

-- I can develop an awareness of and comfort with my membership in multiple groups in society

-my thoughts- again this is not the schools place to help define or dictate where my child stands in society

-- I can describe my beliefs, values, and the multiple groups in society that help create my identity and inform my decision-making process.

- when my child shares their beliefs on god will they be welcomed? Can they openly share that they believe Jesus saved us and they live their life centered in Christ? If not, then these standards are discriminatory against people of faith

Grade 7-8

-- I can comfortably talk about myself and positively describe my various group identities.

-- I can recognize and describe unfairness and injustice in many forms including attitudes, speech, behaviors, policies, practices, and laws.

-THESE standards are a perfect example of unfairness. There are parent all over the country fighting this kind of indoctrination int be school system!

Grade 9-10

-- I can explain the difference between conscious bias and unconscious (implicit) bias.

-- I can evaluate how my membership in multiple groups combine to make me who I am and that none of my individual groups on their own fully defines me.

Grade 11-12

-- I can recognize, describe and distinguish inequity and injustice at different levels of society.

-- I can identify and work to address my own conscious biases and implicit (unconscious) biases.

-- 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.

CommentID: 97784