Bay Village Citizens for Transparency

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is already in the classroom and will be greatly expanded into all areas of the school culture, as it is a major component of the new Strategic Plan.

 

Concerns with Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

•    Are teachers and staff thoroughly qualified in all social and emotional aspects when dealing with each student’s mental well-being? Are teachers to become therapists and students patients? Will parents always be notified in advance of any student evaluations/assessments?

•    Should teachers and staff discuss, influence, analyze or determine what social skills, thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and actions are proper for each student to succeed in school, careers and life or should this be the purview of the parents?

•    Will classroom activities, assemblies, or guest speakers desensitize students to accept all ideas and lifestyles as normal regardless of what family morals they may have?

•    Will this learning program be used as an avenue to bring critical race theory /politically divisive concepts into the classroom (social justice, gender identity/pronouns, implicit bias, etc.)?

•    Where is the data over a period of several years from a similar school district like Bay Village that proves by implementing a social emotional learning program will result in higher academic achievements, especially in core subjects, for each student?

•    What is the cost to the district of implementing SEL programs which may include supporting families at school and at home?

 

Concerns regarding Surveys or other forms of gathering data:

•    Will surveys or data gathering ask questions that are personal or private in nature regarding students, their families or friends?

•    Are parents notified when surveys are to be administered and can parents view them ahead of time and see the results?

•    Can parents opt their child out from taking surveys?

•    Who is analyzing and discussing the data from these surveys? Is student data protected by HIPAA laws?

•    What happens to the data collected?

•    Does this data follow the student all the way through graduation?

 

7 Mindsets website--Mindsets-based SEL identifies the patterns of thoughts which influence our feelings, actions, and decisions. The research found that happiness and success is not predicated on what we know or where we come from, it is predicated on how we think.

 

Concerns regarding 7 Mindsets

•    Who will be analyzing students’ thoughts to determine if they are thinking correctly?

•    Why is it necessary to change students’ mindsets when they all develop at different rates?

•    Is this Indoctrination? Based on whose right or wrong thinking?

•    Whose mindset and worldview will be encouraged or taught when current events and social issues are discussed? What about potential conflicts with a student’s faith?

•    In group discussions, how will this affect the emotional and mental well-being of students who are not comfortable discussing certain topics?