How to Sell SEL: Parents and the Politics of Social-Emotional Learning

Whether a response to lackluster academic gains in our nation’s schools or longstanding beliefs about the wider purposes of schooling, social and emotional learning (SEL) has gained a massive following in education circles. Further, the mental-health challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have strengthened the demand that schools do more to support students’ social and emotional needs. Yet as educators embrace SEL as an essential part of a child’s education, we know too little about how parents view it and the extent to which its terminology can be nebulous, obscure, and off-putting to some, particularly to parents who want schools to stick to basic academics.

To better understand parents’ take on SEL and to explore possible pitfalls in communicating with them about SEL and its place in schools, The Thomas B. Fordham Institute commissioned this nationally representative poll of 2,000 parents of children in grades K–12. Although it finds that parents overwhelmingly support the essence of SEL and recognize its rightful place in America’s schools, some differences of opinion break along partisan lines. It also reveals genuine challenges in getting the terminology right. Ultimately, results from the survey can help educators, policymakers, and philanthropists gain parental support for their efforts.