Opinion
Curriculum Letter to the Editor

Banning SEL Puts Students at Risk

May 31, 2022 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

As I hear about the bans on social-emotional-learning curricula, I find myself wondering if those trying to ban it understand what SEL is (“Florida Officials Reject Long List of Math Resources, Citing References to Critical Race Theory and SEL,” EdWeek Market Brief, April 18, 2022)? Do they realize it was created by a long line of scientists and researchers more than 30 years ago? Do they know that what they are trying to ban is content that many of my teacher colleagues and I consider fundamental to helping develop well-rounded students?

Parents and educators who understand SEL find it hard to see how anyone could argue that SEL doesn’t belong in school lessons.

Yet, here we are.

The arguments against SEL are based on misconceptions, and schools can address that by being transparent about what SEL is. Parents also must educate themselves, and teachers must feel empowered to share examples of how SEL helps with classroom behaviors and overall classroom management.

Students face unparalleled challenges and have record-high levels of mental health issues to the point where medical professionals across the nation are sounding an alarm that children are in an unparalleled mental health crisis. A recent Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies poll shows that 57.3 percent of teens are interested in educational content or short courses to help manage stress and anxiety, and 55.1 percent want part of their curriculum to be spent learning about and working on their social-emotional well-being.

Bans on SEL curricula put our students at risk, both now and in the future. We’re removing critical supports at a time they need them the most, and I worry about the long-term consequences of these shortsighted bans.

Let’s prioritize holistic safety and wellness solutions for schools, empower educators to continue to use proven techniques backed by decades of research, and focus on reaffirming our shared values around what children need to become well-rounded adults.

Melissa Ragan
Chief Learning Officer
Navigate360
Farmington, Maine

A version of this article appeared in the June 01, 2022 edition of Education Week as Banning SEL Puts Students at Risk

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum In Their Own Words Why I Kept Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird When Others Wouldn't
A recently retired English teacher explains why she continued to teach the classic novel after it was challenged in her district.
6 min read
Retired teacher Ann Freemon is pictured in Everett, Wash., on November 24, 2023.
Retired teacher Ann Freemon is pictured in Everett, Wash., on November 24, 2023.
Chona Kasinger for Education Week
Curriculum More States Require Schools to Teach Cursive Writing. Why?
Technological advances notwithstanding, advocates give a long list of reasons for teaching students cursive.
5 min read
Photo of child practicing cursive writing.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Computer Science Courses Are on the Rise—But Girls Are Still Half as Likely to Take It
Schools expanded the availability of foundational computer science classes, but stubborn gaps in access to those courses persist.
4 min read
Photograph of diverse group of primary school students using laptops in a bright classroom.
E+/Getty
Curriculum Many States Are Limiting How Schools Can Teach About Race. Most Voters Disagree
A majority of polled voters want students to learn about the history of racism and slavery in the United States and its legacy today.
4 min read
The "statue" of Michelle Obama, played by Kaylee Gray, talks to students during Black History Month's wax museum at Chestnut Grove Elementary School in Decatur, Ala., on Feb. 27, 2020. Instead of the usual assembly, Chestnut Grove students played the roles of famous black and white people who contributed to the civil rights movement and black people who have made significant contributions to history.
The "statue" of Michelle Obama, played by Kaylee Gray, talks to students during Black History Month's wax museum at Chestnut Grove Elementary School in Decatur, Ala., on Feb. 27, 2020.
Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP