Where is the article?
This issue’s What’s Right with Our Schools article had to be removed immediately before press. The article was to cover local public schools making positive strides in social-emotional learning, which is an educational approach that focuses on teaching students essential life skills like self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation and relationship-building. We intentionally incorporated this focus area into the series because local business leaders told us these are the skills they’re seeking in Oklahoma’s future workforce. And we covered this issue three years ago, with much support from the parent and education communities.
Unfortunately, in our current climate, schools fear backlash and removal of funding for sharing their success stories in social-emotional learning. Those who were quoted in this issue’s article asked for the piece to be removed due to recent directives, and we respect their wishes.
While we could have filled these pages with alternate content or sold advertising space, we’ve made the choice to keep them blank to make a statement.
This is the direct result of our educational system having to be so cautious in the present atmosphere that even sharing success stories about critical, non-partisan programs like social-emotional learning has become too risky. This is not a political issue; it’s a fundamental challenge to how we support and nurture our future generations. It’s a threat to local schools’ ability to share the positive, proactive work they’re doing. And that impacts everyone in the community.
We remain committed to celebrating all the good happening in our public schools, and we’d love for you to join us in that mission. Send us a message about the positive things happening in your child’s school, an impactful teacher or a district program that’s made a difference for your family. Email erin@metrofamilymagazine.com with the subject line “What’s Right with Our Schools.”
We will continue our What’s Right with Our Schools series in the next issue. For now, read past articles about all the positive things happening in our public schools.
Erin Page & Morgan Harris
CEO/Publisher & COO/President of MetroFamily
