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  6:17 pm
Commenter: Anonymous

No to SEL Current Format
 

While on the surface, it appears to be a reasonable process.  However, school is not a place for politically driven social justice lessons.  Instead of teaching children how to think for themselves, SEL is attempting to force children to think a certain way.  Some of this document can be positive but much of it needs to go.

The following SEL standards need to be removed 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: 9-10a, I can recognize that all people (including myself) have certain advantages and disadvantages in society based on who they are and where they were born.

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 believe SEL standards such as this one have merit:

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

In a country with an educational system that is failing our children, I cannot help but feel money would be better spent improving the teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic instead of forcing SEL on children - especially in its current format.

CommentID: 98682