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Board reviews 7 Mindsets social-emotional learning contract; staff say teachers and families will be involved in rollout
Summary
The Shelby County Board of Education heard a recommendation to approve a one-year, $389,000 contract with 7 Mindsets to provide a districtwide social-emotional learning curriculum with option to renew. Board members pressed for details about teacher input, parent engagement and reporting cadence for implementation.
The Shelby County Board of Education reviewed a recommended contract with 7 Mindsets Academy LLC to provide a districtwide social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum at a cost of $389,000 for one year, with an option to renew.
Vice Chair Love and other board members asked whether teachers had input into the procurement. "Superintendent, did you have teachers, input on this?" Love asked. The superintendent replied that teachers served on the request-for-proposal committee and deferred to the district's chief of student support services for details.
Chief of student support services Dr. Broadway described RFP participation and a culture-and-climate survey the district used in the selection. A district staff member reported that the TNTP culture-and-climate survey captured about "82% of teachers" in overall staff participation.
Board members pressed on how the curriculum would be implemented and whether it would overlap with programs already in some schools. Dr. Broadway said implementation would begin with counselors and other staff who directly impact student behavior and expand to teachers, with professional development provided. The superintendent said the SEL curriculum is part of his 100-day plan and that the administration will brief the board on implementation beyond that period.
Family engagement and parent sessions were described as part of the contract: district staff said the first family forum would be scheduled for the end of September if the contract is approved, with additional sessions throughout the school year.
Why it matters: board members expressed concern about program overlap and teacher workload and asked for regular implementation updates. In response to a board request, Dr. Richmond said he would bring the board an update every 60 or 90 days.
Ending: The transcript records discussion and questions about implementation, teacher and parent engagement, and monitoring; the excerpt does not include a recorded final vote on the contract.
