social-emotional learning Archives

School District Pays Thousands for Controversial Emotional Survey Program with Ties to Merrick Garland

May 9, 2023May 8, 2023 Admin

A Massachusetts school district has spent more than $30,000 to conduct “social-emotional learning” (SEL) surveys on students and staff led by an educational organization founded by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s son-in-law, according to a public records request by Parents Defending Education (PDE), a parental rights in education group.

From 2018 to 2023, Old Rochester Regional School District spent $30,620.25 to partner with Panorama Education through January 2024 to conduct SEL surveys and trainings, a learning concept that has been accused of laying the foundation for Critical Race Theory (CRT), according to a public records obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Panorama Education has previously come under fire by parents for its connections to Garland, who directed the FBI in 2021 to “use its authority” on parents who protested at school board meetings.

Georgia School District Spent Millions to Train Teachers and Implement Social Emotional Learning

April 12, 2023April 11, 2023 Admin

A Georgia school district spent nearly $5 million to train teachers and provide a social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, a new education model that has been criticized for laying the groundwork for Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom, according to a public record request by No Left Turn In Education (NLTE), an organization focused on “radical indoctrination” in schools.

Gwinnett County Public Schools paid EL Education, the creator of a Language Arts curriculum grounded in SEL, to provide a K-5 curriculum and give teachers professional development training through the 2022-2023 school year, according to a NLTE public records request obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. SEL focuses on teaching students social skills for their emotional well-being and has been deemed by critics a tenant and euphemism for CRT.

School Social Work Association of Arizona Holds Conference Pushing SEL for K-12 Educators

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 Rachel Alexander

The School Social Work Association of Arizona (SSWAAZ) held its annual conference earlier this month in Glendale for teachers and administration in K-12. The March 2 event focused on implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools.

Former Congressman Renacci Launches PAC to Fight ‘Woke’ Ohio School Boards

January 28, 2023January 28, 2023 Hannah Poling

Jim Renacci, a former Ohio Republican congressman, on Thursday unveiled a new political action committee in an effort to elect conservative candidates to Ohio’s school boards.

The new Save Our Schools (SOS) Ohio PAC, according to a news release from Renacci, would aid candidates in raising funds and targeting voters to win these important seats and use data capturing and analysis on all races to identify crucial races to flip control of local school boards.

Robin Steenman of Moms for Liberty Williamson County Talks About Social Emotional Learning in K-5 Schools

October 14, 2022October 17, 2022 Julie Carr

Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Moms for Liberty’s Robin Steenman to the newsmaker line to talk about their upcoming parent informational meeting Monday evening that will address the dangers of social emotional learning in K-5 schools.

Moms for Liberty Williamson County Hosting Session to Teach Parents About Woke Curriculum

October 13, 2022October 12, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

The Moms for Liberty chapter in Williamson County next week will hold an event in conjunction with Parents’ Choice Tennessee to teach the county’s parents about woke left-wing curriculum in schools, according to a Tuesday release.

The event has been dubbed SEL101. SEL stands for “Social Emotional Learning.”

‘Psychologically Abusive’: Some Back-to-School Programs Dividing Students by ‘Gender, Culture, and Identity’

August 23, 2022August 22, 2022 Admin

A back-to-school curriculum focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) lays the foundation for Critical Race Theory (CRT) by dividing children through the creation of identity charts, “getting to know you” questionnaires and classroom contracts, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A curriculum created by Facing History and Ourselves, a group that partners with more than 100,000 teachers to provide education resources to combat “racism, antisemitism and prejudice at pivotal moments in history,” has a five day back-to-school lesson plan that teaches kids about gender, culture and identity. The curriculum is based in SEL, which focuses on teaching students social skills for their emotional well-being but has been criticized for laying the groundwork for CRT in the classroom, as similar lesson plans based in SEL are growing in popularity across the country, experts told the DCNF.

Parents Raise Alarm over Gender Ideology and Race Essentialism Pushed in Classrooms Through ‘Social Emotional Learning’

May 24, 2022May 23, 2022 Admin

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not the only three-word phrase that has parents concerned; Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the latest curriculum headache that education experts warn is permeating the American public school system.

SEL purports to teach students social skills that aid their mental health and emotional wellbeing, yet has been criticized as both a tenet of and a euphemism for CRT, which has become a hot button issue among parents, teachers and politicians concerned about the state of the country’s public schools. Educators are teaching gender ideology and race essentialism under the guise of SEL, education experts told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

GOP Lawmaker Claims School Officials in His State Found a Loophole in the Ban on CRT

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022 Admin

A Republican lawmaker in Oklahoma is sounding the alarm on what he says is just the “wicked woke stepsister of” Critical Race Theory.

Oklahoma state Senator Shane Jett has proposed legislation to prohibit the teaching of so-called Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in K-12 public schools. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (DOE) is using the seemingly nice sounding name “Social and Emotional Learning” to implement the curriculum as a loophole in a state law that restricts teaching concepts like CRT, according to Jett.

Jett believes his bill, if passed, would shut that loophole and keep SEL out of public schools.

Parents Group Claims Saint Paul Public Schools Indoctrinating Preschoolers on Transgender Issues

January 20, 2022January 19, 2022 Admin

A parents group claims that a Minnesota school district is indoctrinating toddlers about pride and other “equity” agenda items.

Saint Paul Public Schools is partnering with two organizations, AMAZE and OutFront Minnesota, to purportedly push materials discussing gender identity on children as young as three, according to a release by Parents Defending Education (PDE).

One document released by PDE from AMAZE included books aimed at preschool-age children, including “When Aidan Became a Brother,” “I Love My Colorful Nails” and “My Princess Boy.”

Virginia School District Denies That Voicemail Says ‘Woke Special Services’

September 12, 2021September 11, 2021 Admin

Fairfax County Public Schools bus in parking lot

Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) in Virginia denied that one of its departments calls itself “woke” in an automated voice message, Fox News reported Friday.

“Sorry, woke special services 2 email is not available, record your message at the tone,” the Department of Special Services automated voicemail appeared to say. FCPS said the message actually said “Wok” for one of their administrative centers, Willow Oaks, Fox News reported.

The Department of Special Services organizes into four different offices which includes help with psychology services, student safety and wellness, social work and special education.

Robin Steenman of Moms for Liberty-Williamson County Chapter Outlines ‘Wit and Wisdom’ Indoctrination

August 5, 2021September 6, 2022 Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, guest host Ben Cunningham welcomed Mom’s for Liberty-Williamson County Robin Steeman to the newsmakers line to give examples of Wit and Wisdom’s propagandizing curriculum and how they are fighting back.

Parents, Educators Dispute over Critical Race Theory, Wit and Wisdom Curriculum at Metro Nashville Public Schools Board Meeting

July 17, 2021July 16, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Parents and educators debated over the Wit and Wisdom curriculum and critical race theory during the Metro Nashville Public Schools’ (MNPS) board meeting on Tuesday.

The room was filled with individuals, 60 of which had signed up to speak. Not all of the public commentary concerned the Wit and Wisdom curriculum or critical race theory – but the dialogue that did focus on those two topics was equally, deeply divided. A total of 10 individuals spoke in favor of critical race theory and the Wit and Wisdom curriculum; 3 spoke against it.

Part of Wit and Wisdom Curriculum May Violate Tennessee’s Critical Race Theory Ban, According to Moms for Liberty

June 29, 2021July 16, 2021 Corinne Murdock

A parent coalition is concerned that the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, approved for use in 33 counties, may violate Tennessee’s K-12 critical race theory ban. The coalition, Moms for Liberty of Williamson County, formed a parent-led deep dive team to examine the entire curriculum, including the accompanying teacher manuals. According to their findings, Moms for Liberty of Williamson County believes that one of the learning modules within the curriculum for second graders teaches content that was banned from K-12 education recently by the Tennessee legislature: that one race is inherently superior to another; that individuals should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress because of their race; that the U.S. is fundamentally or irredeemably racist; and the promotion of a division between or resentment of a race.

Wit and Wisdom incorporates a type of education called “social-emotional learning.” The curriculum tackles history and complex topics such as segregation, animal reproduction, and death through the English language arts.

Behind the Scenes of the Effort to Recall Six Pro-Critical Race Theory Loudoun County School Board Members

June 17, 2021June 16, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Parents are organizing to recall six members of the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) School Board who kept schools closed and reportedly allowed and encouraged critical race theory curriculum. LCPS parent Ian Prior – one of the leaders behind Fight For Schools, the recall effort – informed The Virginia Star that they have secured more than the 10 percent of votes each member obtained during the last election – and they’ve been busy gathering more.

“At last count last Sunday, we were at 60 percent for Beth Barts, 54 percent for Ian Serotkin, 42 percent for Denise Corbo, 27 percent for Leslee King, 24 percent for Brenda Sheridan, and 20 percent for Atoosa Reaser. That was 10 days ago. People are out there collecting signatures: going door-to-door and attending events,” explained Prior. “We want to make sure that we have more signatures than required, which will obviously protect us from any challenges or whatnot. We’re still determining the best way forward.”

Moms for Liberty Williamson County Lays Bare Evidence of Critical Race Theory, Suicide Ideation, Violence, and More in Curriculum Across 33 Counties

June 16, 2021June 16, 2021 Corinne Murdock

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – After around 1200 hours of investigation, a parent-led deep dive team uncovered how a widely-used English curriculum in Tennessee pushes narratives on history and introduces K-5 students to a range of concepts such as Critical Race Theory, suicide ideation, gender fluidity, alcoholism, promiscuity, torture, cannibalism, and more.…

Tim Ryan Wants Social-Emotional Learning in Every Public School Nationwide

June 19, 2019June 18, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

2020 hopeful Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) wants to introduce social-emotional learning standards to every public school in the country. The Ohio Star’s Beth Lear recently did a deep dive on the Ohio State Board of Education’s efforts to bring social-emotional learning to the state. “This is part of a…