Social Emotional Learning, PART 3: STOP HEAD START!

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The first foothold SEL gained in federal law came through the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 (not coincidentally the same year CASEL came into existence). An early foray into standards-based education reform, Goals 2000 was largely based on OBE. States were required to adopt the statute’s National Education Goals to receive federal funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized also in 1994 as the Improving America’s Schools Act. This ESEA reauthorization also marked the first time the federal government required statewide standards and tests, which opened the door to more federalized control of education in No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Race to the Top (RttT)/Common Core, and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). SEL was a prominent part of all of these statutory reauthorizations and initiatives... 

Even though parental involvement is mentioned, many parents questioned whether the schools, and the federal government, should be setting norms for, or mandating anything related to the emotions and beliefs of their children. Nor did these parents consider themselves mere “partners,” subservient to government entities in this realm. Parents and pro-family organizations have long argued that based on unalienable rights and thousands of years of history, as well as legal precedent, they have the right to direct their children’s education and care, and especially the formation of their children’s attitudes, values, and beliefs. But as shown by Goals 2000, the progressive-education establishment is headed in the opposite direction. 

It’s important to note that the Head Start Act conflicts with other federal law that prohibits federal direction or control over school curriculum. The General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) forbids: 

 …any department, agency, officer or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system… 

 But even though HHS would certainly fall within the “any department” language, HHS through the Head Start Act includes no fewer than eight mandates concerning curriculum. For example, the Act requires “alignment of curricula used in Head Start programs and continuity of services with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework.” 

The Head Start Act itself prohibits HHS involvement with curriculum: 

 (a) Limitation - Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize or permit the Secretary or any employee or contractor of the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate, direct, or control, the selection of a curriculum, a program of instruction, or instructional materials, for a Head Start program. 

 (b) Special Rule - Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize a Head Start program or a local educational agency to require the other to select or implement a specific curriculum or program of instruction.