In big bold font (and with an asterisk), the Bay Village Citizens for Transparency declare that the information on its site is “100% Factual.” The asterisk informs readers that the BVCT takes “accusations of misinformation seriously. Information has been verified and cited.”
So, you know. Is it? Is the information on the website 100 percent factual? Let’s pick three “100 percent factual” facts and see.“SEL assessments are included in children’s permanent school records, with uncertain privacy safeguards.”
Fact or fiction? Mostly fiction
The above statement comes from Parents Rights in Education (PRE). The PRE does not cite its source, and a quick Google search doesn’t provide any confirmation that all schools would include any sort of SEL assessment in a child’s school record - permanent or otherwise. Expert guidance ranges from teachers to researchers performing varied assessments, from simple observation to more meaningful research. But nothing talks about “permanent records” or any reason SEL assessments would be kept permanently - if at all.
School records generally include personal identifying information for each student, including name, address, phone number, parent names and contact information, along with class grades, important test scores, attendance records, health and immunization information, discipline records, special awards conferred, previous schools attended, and so on. So it is conceivable some schools might include some form of SEL assessment in a student's school record. Or they might not. It's entirely up to the school system.
School records generally include personal identifying information for each student, including name, address, phone number, parent names and contact information, along with class grades, important test scores, attendance records, health and immunization information, discipline records, special awards conferred, previous schools attended, and so on. So it is conceivable some schools might include some form of SEL assessment in a student's school record. Or they might not. It's entirely up to the school system.
In fact, if SEL "assessments" are regarded as teacher notes, they're not subject to inclusion at all. Personal notes made by teachers and other school officials that are not shared with others are not considered education records.
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| Are 'permanent' records a myth? |
Ohio state law says there can be "no release without student's consent if over 18; if 18 or under, consent of parent or guardian is necessary. Directory information may be released. Rights of school district to renew or select student records are restricted."
And FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, requires schools and local education agencies to annually notify parents of their rights under FERPA. The annual notice must explain that parents may inspect and review records and, if they believe the records to be inaccurate, they may seek to amend them. Parents also have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the record, except under authorized circumstances.
Altogether, the statement is mostly supposition, with nothing backing up the claim that assessments are kept in a “permanent record.” Perhaps at some schools. Maybe not at others. It could be true. Or it could be completely wrong. It’s certainly not 100 percent factual. And the “uncertain privacy safeguards” statement is nearly wholly false because it both lacks specificity and ignores all the safeguards already in place.
“SEL programs promoting ‘mindfulness’ are derived from Buddhist religious practice is used as a panacea for stress, attention deficit disorder, or any other behavioral issue.”
Fact or fiction? Mostly fiction
Mindfulness - or meditation - was practiced by Buddhists. That’s true. But its roots go back further, to Hinduism. And the practice was adopted and adapted into all three of today’s major religions. From Thrive Global:
“Although importantly influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism, the history of mindfulness goes beyond these two practices. Mindfulness also has roots in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Trousselard et al., 2014).
“In Christianity, ‘Jesus speaks of the innermost I Am. It is the essence of the identity of every man and woman, every lifeform in fact. He speaks of the life that you are. Some Christian mystics have called it the Christ within” (Eckhart Tolle).
“Another well-known example in Christianity would be Brother Lawrence. He emphasized being aware of the ‘Holy Spirit’ in “Practicing the Presence of God” (Lawrence, 2004).
“Islam also emphasizes mindfulness as seen in ‘Muraqabah’. It means having a continuous awareness: Allah is always watching (Al-Jawziyyah, 2016).
“The basic premise of Mindfulness in Islam is that there is a pure core (THE FITRAH) within everyone. Every child is born with it irrespective of caste, creed, and religion. Muslims assess this purity through the practices of Mindfulness.”
Of course, today, the benefits of mindfulness are well known - and scientifically quantified. Read this article from Mindful.org to learn more about the science behind mindful meditation and discover how it lessens depression and anxiety, helps boost your immune system, fights aging, improve memory and heart health - and a bunch more.
Still, mindfulness is not a panacea - a cure-all - and anyone teaching or extolling the virtues of mindfulness will say the same. It can complement medical treatments and other self-help strategies - but it is not a singular strategy.
You know what is partly true? Practicing mindfulness can unearth uncomfortable memories. But you know what else can? History and literature classes. If a student relates to the plight of a historical figure or a character in a book, that could dredge up negative thoughts and feelings. Do we ban those subjects?
What about band? Music can invoke an emotional response. So can gym. Competition invites students to displace negative thoughts on other students. Recess is a festering pool of negative energy. And don’t get me started on the bus!
“Occult Roots of Social-Emotional Learning”
Fact or fiction? 100 percent fiction.
A video and article used as citations by the Bay Village Citizens for Transparency link to sources that attempt to connect the discipline’s foundation to John E. Fetzer and the Fetzer Institute, which the article claims is an organization “based on the occult New Age teachings of individuals such as Lucifer Publishing Company founder Alice Bailey, self-proclaimed herald of the ‘Maitreya’ world teacher Benjamin Creme, and other ‘gurus.’”
Now, I will tell you, researching the Fetzer Institute, it is pretty clear the organization has a New Age-like focus on spirituality. Labeling it ‘occult’ - or being of “supernatural, mystical, or magical powers or phenomena” - is no more true for the Fetzer Institute than it is for Christianity, Judaism or Islam. In other words, it is clear the author is trying to cast a negative light on the Fetzer Institute in order to make his tenuous connection resonate.
In fact, the author spends nearly 90 percent of his argument on Fetzer, the Fetzer Institute and Alice Bailey. Who they were, what they believed, and so forth. He spends less than two sentences solidifying his case against social-emotional learning.
The author hangs his entire argument on a conference held at the Fetzer Institute in 1994 during which the term “social emotional learning” was coined. Nevermind the men and women from other organizations attending the conference, all of whom were researching components of SEL before it had a name. And never mind the actual roots of SEL.
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| Dr. James Comer, Yale University professor and the founder of SEL |
That work led to the foundation of the Comer School Development Program, which implemented programs that focused on the social and emotional needs of the students in those elementary schools. Soon after, New Haven public schools became the charter for social-emotional learning due to its proximity to Yale University.
In a 1988 Scientific American article, Dr. Comer explained that his work centered on the speculation that "the contrast between a child's experiences at home and those in school deeply affects the child's psychosocial development and that this in turn shapes academic achievement."
FYI, Comer’s still working today. Dr. Comer, who also has his MPH, is the Maurice Falk Professor in the Child Study Center; Associate Dean for Student Affairs, School of Medicine at Yale.
When you drill down, the “occult roots” of SEL amount to rented event space at the Fetzer Institute. That’s where the Yale-New Haven researchers who actually founded SEL, along with fellow educators, child advocates, and others in the field - all working on various projects aimed at preventing violence and drug use in schools and promoting healthy choices, school-community connections, and generally responsible behavior - met for the first conference on what was termed (during the meeting) social-emotional learning.
Whew! All of that to debunk just THREE tidbits of misinformation on one page of the Bay Village Citizens for Transparency’s website. That’s enough to prove the information on the site is nowhere near “100 percent factual.” Even the BVCT’s asterisked claim that “Information has been verified and cited” isn’t “100 percent factual.”
As a visitor to the site, that’s something I’d take seriously.
In a 1988 Scientific American article, Dr. Comer explained that his work centered on the speculation that "the contrast between a child's experiences at home and those in school deeply affects the child's psychosocial development and that this in turn shapes academic achievement."
FYI, Comer’s still working today. Dr. Comer, who also has his MPH, is the Maurice Falk Professor in the Child Study Center; Associate Dean for Student Affairs, School of Medicine at Yale.
When you drill down, the “occult roots” of SEL amount to rented event space at the Fetzer Institute. That’s where the Yale-New Haven researchers who actually founded SEL, along with fellow educators, child advocates, and others in the field - all working on various projects aimed at preventing violence and drug use in schools and promoting healthy choices, school-community connections, and generally responsible behavior - met for the first conference on what was termed (during the meeting) social-emotional learning.
Whew! All of that to debunk just THREE tidbits of misinformation on one page of the Bay Village Citizens for Transparency’s website. That’s enough to prove the information on the site is nowhere near “100 percent factual.” Even the BVCT’s asterisked claim that “Information has been verified and cited” isn’t “100 percent factual.”
As a visitor to the site, that’s something I’d take seriously.
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