Social-Emotional Learning Is Next Classroom Target After Critical Race Theory
Some conservatives say SEL is a covert way of teaching banned topics
Photographer: Maskot/Getty Images
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As lawmakers across the U.S. advance measures that prohibit teaching critical race theory and holding classroom discussions on gender and sexual identity, they’re also expanding their scope to monitor everything from books to teaching modalities that center on feelings.
Called social-emotional learning, this type of teaching builds on work that schools have done for years to foster collaborative and holistic environments for students. Critics say such educational methods should be left to parents and not teachers, and conservative-led challenges are cropping up at city and state levels.