Dear Editor,

At the State Department of Education, there is a big push to get rid of “Social emotional learning” programs in schools. SEL is a program for mid-high students to help pre-teens to learn accountability for their behavior and to modulate their pubescent emotions. In other words, SEL is a program to help young people learn how to get along with others. I have taught for 24 years and teens often act out in the classroom their frustrations before they mature enough to handle them. There are also many people saying teachers are indoctrinating students. I can tell you as an educator, I don’t have time for that. I would just like my students to come to class prepared with paper and a pencil ready so I can teach them science.

Surely, it is a good thing for young people to learn to control themselves? I hope that the folks from Ponca City who were at the meeting last week where this was discussed will realize that teachers are doing their best to help students learn and to become productive members of society. Beyond that, rural schools are woefully underfunded in this state and it would be great if those at the capitol would focus on funding student academics instead of posturing for political gain.

Sincerely, S. Evans

Norman, OK