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Last week, the Chicago Sun Times ran a series of editorials advocating social and emotional learning in Chicago Public Schools.  According to the Sun Times, troubled schools whose students regularly face the consequences of violence and neglect confront sobering odds in raising those students' academic performance.  The writers call for a social and emotional learning curriculum in all schools, as well as for more social workers, school counselors and psychologists. 

Like the signers of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, they recognize the importance of stressing "social development and non-academic skills" alongside academic learning.  And like the Broader, Bolder Approach signers, they will likely be accused of abandoning academic rigor for some fuzzy-headed notion of "life skills."

They can counter such accusations--which emanate mostly from DC-area think tanks--with research and common sense.  Studies of well-designed social and emotional learning programs suggest that such programs improve students' academic achievement.  Common sense tells us that students who must cope with anger, violence and fear face enormous barriers to learning.

Securing public approval for social and emotional learning programs may prove even more difficult. While concerns about violence and poor discipline shape public perceptions of public schools, many recoil from programs that appear to turn schools into surrogate parents.  (For a strong dose of this opinion, just take a look at readers' responses to the Sun Times editorials.)

As public schools consider social and emotional learning, they'll need vigorous public and family engagement efforts to increase their odds of success.

Photo from http://www.coe.uga.edu/coenews/2004/Bailey_NAME_Award.htm