Virginia Liberals Implement Social Emotional Learning In The Classroom

A Virginia Department of Education administrator sent out a resource guide to all educators, about how to effectively implement “social-emotional learning,” an education style that is linked to critical race theory.

Sarah Bazemore, the school counseling specialist and student assistance systems coordinator at the Virginia Department of Education, sent the “social-emotional learning” (SEL) resource guide on Dec. 8 to educators statewide. The initial section of the resource guide asks teachers to rank their ability to implement SEL and find ways to improve.

Included in the guide are video links to “Teaching In Support Of Black Lives,” and enacting “restorative circle[s],” which call for students to engage in restorative justice practices, in the fourth grade. The guide also links to the New York Times’ “Nice White Parents” podcast.

One of the SEL resources suggests the use of “student-centered discipline” and instructs teachers and administrators to refrain from using “punitive measures” when students misbehave.

“Teachers should not attempt to over-manage their students, nor should they use punitive measures to get students to behave,” according to the guide.

Educators were encouraged to give students an index card to fill out at the beginning of the school year that asks for their preferred name and pronouns. Teachers were instructed to “avoid using gendered language to address students” and “avoid grouping students by gender.” Making students aware of educators’ “ally status” was also encouraged.

“Instead, use birthdays, ice cream preferences, pet preferences, etc,” the guide reads. “If there are all-gender bathrooms, make sure students know where they are and that they are for everyone. Make your ally status known by hanging a rainbow flag, sharing your own pronouns and/or supporting the school’s LGBTQ groups.”

The Virginia Department of Education’s guide also included a link to the Anti-Defamation League’s reading list for children. Many of those books provide children information about different cultures and religions, although some of them have inherently political titles such as, “Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice” and “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness.”

The guide also links to “Teaching Tolerance” lesson plans, which are designed by the education arm of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and Second Step lessons, which are designed by an education consulting group called Panorama.