Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Emotional Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents and board debate social‑emotional learning, curriculum materials and teacher conduct
Summary
At the March 8 meeting, parents and community members urged the Terrebonne Parish School Board to review social‑emotional learning materials and to adopt a teacher code of conduct after a commenter said a teacher had posted her personal information online.
At the March 8 meeting, parents and community members urged the Terrebonne Parish School Board to review social‑emotional learning (SEL) materials and to adopt a clear teacher code of conduct after one commenter said a teacher had posted her personal information online.
Sherry Champagne told the board: "When we say it's critical race theory, it is actual it's actually SEL, which is social emotional learning." Champagne said SEL materials in the district included content she considered progressive and that some materials had been distributed to teachers in specific courses. She told the board that a teacher had posted her personal information on social media, which led to repeated phone calls and property disturbance at her home, and asked the board to create and enforce a code of conduct for teachers.
Board members debated how classroom materials are approved and whether the specific book mentioned had been assigned as required classroom material or as a graduate‑level reading assignment. "I didn't see anything in there that should have been taken out or taken out of context," board member Matt Ford said after reviewing the book in question; he argued that teachers—particularly new teachers—sometimes are given readings to help them work with diverse student populations.
Other trustees said they wanted to investigate how the materials were introduced and whether proper approvals and parental notifications occurred. Several board members reiterated that personnel matters are handled by administration, not the board, but said the board could ask staff for an administrative review of complaints and for a recommendation on a teacher code of conduct.
Ending: Board members asked staff to review the SEL implementation, how reading materials were assigned, and the allegation of a staff member posting a resident's personal information. The board took no personnel action at the meeting and did not adopt a districtwide teacher code of conduct that night.
