Conflicting views on social-emotional learning (SEL) leave parents in the dark about what the programming seeks to accomplish.
by: Erica Goodpaster
Social Emotional Learning, or SEL, is a popular buzzword across education. It’s a complex topic with many layers. Those advocating for the program in K-12 schools push it to districts and families by highlighting SEL’s positive-sounding surface-level goals.
NC's Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt claims that SEL can be used as a classroom discipline tool and can reduce the number of "exclusionary" discipline practices like suspensions.
But when you dive deeper, you find that SEL is a Trojan horse to give activist teachers the opportunity to teach students Critical Race Theory, Queer Theory, and ultimately, Marxism.
What is SEL according to NC Superintendent Truitt?
According to the vision statement on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website, SEL sounds like a solution to many problems plaguing classrooms: violence, bullying, and absenteeism to name a few.
North Carolina schools utilize the CASEL SEL framework, advertised as research-based and focused on creating a safe environment for learning, working, and socializing that benefits everyone.
In her welcome video published last year, Superintendent of Public Instruction Catharine Truitt claimed that SEL “teaches students skills to support ongoing development and establish healthy relationships,” and prepares students for “life after graduation.”
According to the NCDPI website, SEL is made up of five competencies.
Self-awareness - the ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across context
Self-management - the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations
Social Awareness - the ability to understand the perspectives and empathize with others including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts
Relationship Skills - the ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with different individuals and groups
Responsible Decision-making - the ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across different situations
The five competencies of SEL are aligned with Operation Polaris, Superintendent Truitt’s plan of “policies and systems” for North Carolina’s K-12 public schools.
Those are a lot of official-sounding words that tickle the ears. Why would someone be against something they claim “produces resilient students who graduate empowered to solve problems, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and pursue goals for further education, employment, and contribution to their communities”?
These soft skills are typically taught to children by parents and extended family. Especially when it comes to teaching "values" and making "caring and constructive choices." Some teachers may value discrimination against blacks or Jews, which is an affront to nearly all families. Will teachers be allowed to impute their values onto other people's children in the classroom?
Also troubling is that the SEL program allows teachers and districts to define the ideal "caring and constructive choices" for children. If a child comes from an observant Muslim family, they could be taught that choosing not to allow boys into girls' private spaces is "uncaring" and should be avoided. This notion flies in the face of Muslim culture and almost all others, yet it's being taught as a part of almost every SEL lesson.
We have been fed a lot of fancy language that hides what is going on underneath.
What actually is SEL?
Social Emotional Learning is Marxism in disguise. Those who like Marxism and want to implement it in society have found their way into the education system and have figured out how to get it past even well-meaning parents and administrators.
SEL serves a few functions that are consistent with Marxist goals.
Separate children from their families by encouraging students to keep secrets from their parents
Groom children for sexual exploitation by confusing them about gender and teaching them to be comfortable talking about their bodies and sexual acts
Sow hate among groups by teaching children to discriminate against others based on the color of their skin, gender, sexuality, etc
Create future activists by teaching children how to challenge authority.
Mine data that is collected regarding these topics are then sold and used to further indoctrinate children toward Marxism via the media they consume
Below are SEL lessons recently given to a seventh-grade class in Orange County:
How is this getting past parents and administrators?
It doesn't happen all at once as that would immediately raise red flags with most parents. Instead, Social Emotional Learning uses broad, cheerful language to disguise what is really happening
As you can see, the above-mentioned competencies are not clearly defined and allow for personal interpretation by activist teachers. Furthermore, aligning them with the standards of Operation Polaris commands teachers in all subjects to work them into their lessons.
When examining a boxed SEL curriculum, the objectionable material does not come all at once. Beginning with kindergarten, the seeds are planted that set the stage for more dramatic content in middle and high school. And by graduation, students are ready to enter the world and make decisions based on their Marxist worldview.
The concept of SEL is not all bad. Students could benefit from learning personal responsibility, and kindness toward others. But between those seemingly wholesome lessons, a deeper agenda lurks.
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