The function of an educational institution should be to teach how to read, how to write, how to master basic principles such as math and science. It is also the function of such institution to teach how to think. HOWEVER, it is not that institution's privilege to teach a person WHAT to think of others or themselves. It is the parents' job to teach their children how to relate to others, or what to think about the physical and mental features of others. The institution should not attempt to take the place of parents or attempt to sway children in any particular line of thought. I strongly oppose these SEL standards and urge Virginia to stay on the rails of teaching facts and only facts. It is not the right of the Department to indoctrinate young minds as to think as the Department does. Just reviewing how the great Department has shepherded the decline in test scores in Virginia should be more than enough embarrassment and encouragement for the Department to turn all of their attention on the former methods rather than trying to make every child a robot who follows the terrible progressive platform. Why not keep politics out of the schools? Because the Department and many of its educators think that the "average Joe citizen" is too uninformed to be able to properly (in the educators' minds) raise a child. But it doesn't matter if that is true or not - the right to raise a child how a parent desires is called "freedom", something the Department does not want its citizens to enjoy. In America, we should be able to do whatever we want (within legal limits) and not be subjected to be subjected to the whims of a teacher or Department.