Public Education

What if the things we do in public education, the philosophies we hold - that are designed to help students - actually hurts them? This was the question I posed to the administrators in my school district located in suburban Des Moines, Iowa. None of those educational leaders were willing to have that discussion. Because I have spent four decades believing - and still believe - that public education is vital to the success of our nation, I now turn to you.

The beliefs we hold are what drive our thoughts. What we spend our time thinking about is what drives our emotions. Our emotions drive our behaviors. The behaviors we see in people, including ourselves, is only the surface. It is like the visible part of the iceberg. Constructive or destructive behaviors we display are functions of the beliefs we hold. There are true beliefs and there are false beliefs. True beliefs help us be accurate in our thinking. Accuracy in our thinking enables us to maintain healthy emotions. These healthy emotions allow us to engage in constructive behaviors. False beliefs lead to distorted thinking. These distorted thoughts lead to unhealthy emotions. The unhealthy emotions lead to destructive behaviors. Precisely the type of behaviors we want our young people to avoid.

There are three types or categories of false beliefs. They can be summarized in the following three statements: “I am better.” “I deserve better.” “I know better.” All of the destructive behavior I have engaged in throughout my life came forth from me holding one or more of these false beliefs. When I felt that I deserved more from my wife than I was receiving, it gave me permission to treat her disrespectfully. When I held the notion that I know better, it gave me permission to not listen or not work cooperatively with others. When I have held the idea that I am better, it immediately puts other people in a position of being less than, giving me permission to treat them badly.

Over the last several years in public education, there has been a significant focus on Social and Emotional Learning. Both in the professional development of teachers and with the students themselves, Social and Emotional Learning has played a prominent part. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. (CASEL, 2018) It promotes learner voice and provides opportunities to encourage, engage, and empower learners to make decisions that allow them to explore their choices, interests, and experiences in multiple contexts.

These are all good things. We want our young people to feel they have a voice, that they are engaged and empowered, that they have a variety of interests and experiences. The problem comes in the implementation of SEL. The implementation of this philosophy has schools actively, purposefully teaching children: They are better. They deserve better. They know better.

Rather than the false beliefs listed above, let me suggest three true beliefs. Life will always have elements of pain. Also, life will always have elements or periods of uncertainty. And finally, life will require constant work. At some level, virtually all successful people have an understanding of these true beliefs. Yet they are rarely talked about - systemically and systematically - in public education.

If we intentionally teach children false beliefs, we should expect that teaching to manifest in destructive behavior. Especially if the children are not receiving correct instruction elsewhere. Look at the current data on stress, anxiety, depression, and bullying among our young people. We need a national discussion on what we are doing in public education.