The Goals of NEHS and NPIS?
Education is under-rated. Yeah, we all talk about its importance. There’s countless people on LinkedIn promoting the value of a “good education”. People make tons of money on the subject (no, I’m not talking about the teachers). And NO ONE would be where they are now if it weren’t for someone providing them with some form of education. Yet, when you "make it”, the majority of the people we elect, we hire, we listen to don’t appear as though they value it. It’s hard to say they do because if they did we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in now: teachers having to strike for respect and more pay; unequal education for all children.
The federal government only allocates approximately 4% of the annual budget to education. And without doing complicated math, North Carolina gives the poorest counties the least amount of funding. (https://www.ednc.org/24873/)
While I back off the strong statements for a moment to allow us both to cool down let’s agree that the problem can be complicated when you don’t allow for equitable solutions for all. And there are some very good people doing great work in the realm of education. But you gotta admit that something’s broken if we’re using funding principals that are inequitable and techniques designed in the Agrarian Age and slightly modified in the Industrial Age. It’s a national problem but in small pockets across the nation there is hope. Let me turn your focus to North Carolina. In particular, one district where they are bending the "normal” rules and choosing a different approach in their effort to educate and make a difference for the children in their care: Edgecombe County Public Schools.
In addition to addressing the academic needs of the youth the schools focus is their Social and Emotional Learning with some adherence to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (which I found is derived from the Blackfoot First Nation People’s beliefs). Briefly, Maslow’s theory suggests that humans are motivated to fulfill first the most basic of needs, such as food, clothing and shelter. Once those needs are met, they progressively advance to fulfill needs higher in the hierarchy.
What is SEL?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
The research documenting the impact of SEL is compelling.
More than two decades of research demonstrates that education promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) gets results. The findings come from multiple fields and sources, including student achievement, neuroscience, health, employment, psychology, classroom management, learning theory, economics, and the prevention of youth problem behaviors.
Next: What do the stakeholders have to say?