If you thought the purpose of public schools was to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, think again. School staff are increasingly being required to teach your children a large array values-laden subjects, leaving less time for actual cognitive learning such as spelling, grammar, multiplication and division.

For the last two years, the Washington State legislature has proposed legislation to integrate Social Emotional Learning into all the subjects (math, English, etc.) ostensibly to promote emotional health (HB 1162). However, this does not mean teachers should teach compassionately. There appears to specific social emotional curricula which may not align with traditional American values. The devil is in the details of the implementation, so parents need to be involved and know what their children are learning.

This move toward psycho-social teaching is happening across the country. Read about this movement from the education professionals’ point of view in Education Week.

(This bill has been re-introduced  as HB 1004 in Washington State for the 2011 legislative session.)