I am not a teacher, psychologist, administrator, or anyone else of any significance as far as the DOE is concerned. My child is now in college. I was, however, a substitute teacher for more than 10 years. I didn’t do this for the pay, obviously, but because I loved the kids. SEL is simply wrong. It in no way helps the ones that need it most. This is something that will create animosity and hatred where there is none. This will create segregation that has so strongly fought against for decades. Whoever came up with this is so out of touch with what the kids truly need. They need quality teachers that can impart knowledge with love and compassion for each and every student regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic standing. It is neither your job or your place to implement indoctrinating “standards” in the school system. These children will still go home to often contradictory situations. This won’t fix broken homes. This won’t fix drug problems. This won’t fix abuse. 

If you truly care about the students in our schools, you will concentrate on their strengths and their similarities, not their differences. You will not try to create division. The suggestion of implementing these standards is already causing turmoil where there was none. This is already creating division where there was none. It is simply causing hatred where there was none. 

I’m not sure why the DOE thought SEL was necessary. Maybe schools in other areas have problems. That sounds more like a disciplinary issue to me. I’m more inclined to believe that this was created for show. A need to jump on the “woke” bandwagon. If this is the case, shame on you!  If SEL is actually implemented, it will only reaffirm that the DOE is completely out of touch with the reality of kids lives. This fixes nothing. If you want to help the kids, have teachers that care about them impart knowledge in their assigned subjects to help them be successful in future endeavors. Teach them how to be a part of the world, not just a school-determined group. Surely a former substitute teacher doesn’t care more about these kids than the DOE.