Reaching Higher NH has no track record for improving public schools in New Hampshire. Yet they try to remain relevant. Here is an email I recently sent to one of their team members on Social and Emotional Learning in the public schools.
I hope those in charge of policies and legislation will understand that their research leaves out important and critical information:
Dear Ms. Earle: s.earle@reachinghigher.nh.org
Attitudes occasionally present obstacles to SEL as well. Though the practice has been widely embraced in New Hampshire and across the country, some conservative groups have recently attempted to connect SEL with controversial topics such as critical race theory.
To prevent the spread of such misinformation, local educators say they’re communicating regularly with the community about SEL practices and progress.
…. In 2020, CASEL fundamentally changed the ideological character of SEL in 2020. Before 2020, SEL was a broadly bipartisan enterprise. In 2018, the DeVos Department of Education touted it in their school safety report. In 2019, the Aspen Institute released a report on the promise of SEL based on the findings of a bipartisan commission. Why, then, did The Washington Post run an article last month titled: “In Social Emotional Learning, the Right sees Critical Race Theory?” Well, because in 2020, CASEL infused SEL with CRT-aligned ideology. SEL 1.0, as we could call it, focused on morally neutral student “competencies,” such as “self-awareness” and “selfmanagement.” Back in 2019, it struck me as an unsustainable enterprise: a morality-free attempt at moral education. In 2020, those neutral competencies became value-laden – with values derived from the left-academic ideology popularly known as CRT. CASEL embraced this ideological shift under the name of “Transformative SEL.”
In “Transformative SEL,” “self-awareness” encompasses “identity,” with “identity” defined now through the lens of “intersectionality.” “Self-management” encompasses “agency,” with “agency” defined through “resistance” and “transformative/justice-oriented” citizenship. “Transformative SEL” also embraces “culturally relevant/responsive” pedagogy. This approach was pioneered by Gloria Ladson-Billings, the professor who brought Critical Race Theory to K-12 education.
This information is not hard to find. CASEL revised their SEL definition to “emphasize the skills, knowledge and mindsets needed to examine prejudices and biases, evaluate social norms and systemic inequities, and promote community well-being.” Watch CASEL’s video here.
The Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety-WestEd CISELSS has described equity as something that “introduces the notion of where power resides in leadership and decision-making,” and is now the top goal of SEL programs. CASEL believes that by expanding and aligning the use of both SEL and culturally responsive teaching, equity can be achieved.
They are now pushing to teach K-12 students about critical consciousness and oppression because it is crucial to a child’s social and emotional development.
CRT is a framework, or “lens,” for critically thinking about the significant culture, race, racism, social, economic, and power that influences people in the United States. It requires what critical race theorists and advocates refer to as courageous conversations about diversity as a way to guide teacher/student relationships in order to challenge racial injustice. (Simmons, 2019, para. 3)
The goal is to have children developing critical social-emotional learning competencies such as empathy, social consciousness, and apply critical thinking skills to the environment around them. The end goal is to have children question and analyze everything in their lives such as history, issues at school and outside of school—even at home. Once a child develops these abilities (academic and social-emotional) they will always view their world and make decisions through the lens of critical race theory.
I listened to the conversations by legislators many years ago when they were debating proposed legislation that added Competency Based Education to the public education model. At that time there was bi-partisan support for only measuring workforce skills like turning homework in on time. They wanted to make sure competencies would focus on skills that would help them succeed after graduation. The legislators agreed that they did not want competencies measuring dispositions, yet that is what we are now seeing with SEL.
I hope in the future, you will take additional time researching these important changes to our public schools. Not only are conservative parents concerned about the shift away from a focus on academics, but parents of different political backgrounds are concerned too.
As a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire, I hear from frustrated parents all across this state wanting our schools to get back to the basics. They see the transformation in their public schools, and have become concerned that their children will not receive the proper academic foundation they need to succeed.
You can look at the public school enrollment numbers decreasing, and figure out what is going on.
Parents are wise to look closely at what their schools are doing. Questioning SEL based on what CASEL has put forward shouldn’t be disparaged, it should be applauded. We need to support parents who are trying to make their public schools better for all children.
I hope that administrators in New Hampshire see the problem with bringing in SEL using the new CASEL model. They should show parents the information on the CASEL SEL transformation and be completely transparent about what they are doing in their classroom.
Early on CASEL showed us that SEL in the classroom would shift public education away from a focus on academics because children now have access to the internet. I consider that a paradigm shift to illiteracy, and something I would never want for my children.
No matter what SEL program is used, parents are questioning the validity of SEL in their public school. How will this impact the academics? Based on the video provided by CASEL directors, parents are rightfully concerned. If this continues, I predict more families leaving the public schools and looking for an alternative for their children. That is not supportive of public education, that supports illiteracy in our schools.
Sincerely,
Ann Marie Banfield
Parental Rights Advocate focused on Academic Excellence
