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Dear Editor:
At 3 p.m. on Friday, Hamilton Southeastern Schools sent an all-parent email to announce the district’s intention to continue the use of controversial Social Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys created and distributed by Panorama Education, Inc.
The Boston-based company is categorized as a market research company by Manta.com and engages in designing and administrating social aptitude surveys and providing related training. Their website banner reads “Bring together social-emotional learning, multi-tiered system of supports, response intervention, school climate, and student voice – all in one platform.”
The company has come under fire in recent weeks after two key conflicts of interests were reported.
First, the company co-founder, Xan Tanner, married the daughter of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2018. The conflict lies in a recent memo from the Attorney General calling for the FBI to formulate a strategic response to parents who dissent in this type of SEL curriculum.
The second startling conflict of interest is the investment of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. As Facebook is currently embroiled in federal hearings regarding inappropriate collection of data from minors, this appears to be a direct connection to services offered by Panorama. The recent whistleblower referenced specific programs designed to gather data to target pre-teens and teens to engage them for longer periods of time.
Examples of questions include everything from “growth” and “self-management” to “Diversity and Inclusion” and “Cultural Awareness and Action” categories. HSE utilizes each of these categories. Fishers One encourages parents to view the surveys page at hseschools.org/happenings/surveys. The survey questions specific to each grade.
Fishers One has these concerns as the district begins rolling out these third-party surveys to all children K-12:
- How will student data be protected and kept confidential from third party use?
- How can parents view and interpret their child’s specific results?
- What measurable data exists to show these surveys enhance academic success?
Until these questions can be answered, Fishers One recommends opting out of the survey. An opt-out link was provided in the email from HSE and can also be found on our website and social media pages. The deadline to opt-out is Friday, Oct. 15.
Fishers One also encourages parents to attend the online meeting hosted by HSE at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. That link was also sent by HSE and can also be found on our website and social media pages.
We thank the district for the increased transparency in providing these resources.
Fishers One
Fishers One is a grassroots, community-based organization dedicated to restoring academic excellence in our schools, maintaining Fishers as a great place to live, and cultivating the next generations of community leaders. You can learn more about Fishers One and how to get involved at fishersone.org and on Facebook at facebook.com/FishersOne.
Social Emotional Learning is “controversial” in much the same way that the efficacy of the COVID vaccine, or the existence of human-caused climate change, is “controversial”. That is, it’s overwhelmingly agreed upon by experts but still angrily questioned by people who don’t know what they’re talking about. The real gall is that this loud minority claims to represent the silent majority of this community.
SEL isn’t questioned by those who don’t know- it’s questioned by those who KNOW. CASEL, the company that dictates SEL in Indiana, is morphing traditional SEL that parents are aware of, into “using SEL as a lever for social justice.” This means the SEL everyone considered to be only about learning how to modify behaviors and circle time, is now about learning concepts of oppressed vs. oppressor, racial equity, and empathy towards races considered “oppressed”. Look it up, and learn for yourself. https://drc.casel.org/sel-as-a-lever-for-equity/ The problem is our leaders want the community to remain ignorant, and they are getting their way thanks to people posting comments like the one prior. Parents, if you don’t do the research and ask questions, you are failing your kid and every other child at the same time. Don’t listen to those trying to silence like the one commenter above, proponents of the brainwashing that SEL has become thanks to big money like Chan-Zuckerberg and the Gates Foundation will be fierce because they have all that power to lose over your child’s mind if the truth is revealed. Do you really want the founder of Facebook more power over your kid’s mind? Have you not been watching how he has destroyed so many lives already?
Matt G’s comment above illustrates the hateful, judgmental nature of those pushing liberal, ‘progressive’ agendas. Matt has zero evidence that it is only a minority opposed to SEL. And if you have any Matt, take note of my name, I’m not hiding behind an initial; I’m easy to reach.
SEL is the gateway drug to CRT and racist division in our schools, and the more we continue to educate parents, the larger the rejection will be.
History is cruel. The people over-reacting to CRT & SEL might be projecting their own discomfort on those whose history they want to ignore.
The self-imposed preferential ignorance is impossible to miss.
Matt G. Your quote “The real gall is that this loud minority claims to represent the silent majority of this community.” Whether Fishers One is a minority or not, they have the right to expand on issues that are of importance to all Hamilton County residents especially Parents of school children.