I was a teacher, a principal, and a mother, and now I’m an expert in suicide prevention. After my 21-year-old son died by suicide, I wanted to help prevent others from suffering the way I have.
One of the most important things I have learned is that social-emotional learning is just as important as academics and sports. Why? Because that’s how children learn coping skills, problem-solving skills, and resilience. It’s a way for children to know that mental health is as important as physical health.
Our new superintendent of schools, Tom Horne, has vowed to remove SEL from every school in Arizona. His reasoning is based entirely on complaints from a few high school teachers during his previous term in office, 2003-2011.
We cannot live in the past. Our country is experiencing a youth mental health crisis. The purpose of teaching SEL is to support students’ mental health and help them develop coping skills. SEL can be woven into the daily curriculum and is a vital component of education today. Take a look at this report and share it with other teachers and parents: Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data Summary & Trends Report (2011-2021).
We need to help Tom Horne understand the current data. Please call or write him to explain why he risks harming Arizona’s children by refusing to allow social and emotional learning programs in schools.
Theodora Schiro
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