1. Gibson’s Bakery won their court case.  See story here.  Incredible.  Recall TEA (That’s us.) held a rally in support of Gibson’s when they filed their lawsuit back in November, 2017.  See picture of Ethlyn in front of Gibson’s and article here.

2. News “Ohio Families Lose” from Ohio State Board of Education by Kirsten Hill

Ohio now has statewide social and emotional learning standards (SEL).  This means that local school districts will have the full blessing and resources of the state (via Ohio Department of Education (ODE)) to implement programs of their choice in Ohio schools promoting and measuring feelings, values, beliefs, dispositions, attitudes and behaviors.

A majority (11) of Ohio board of education members showed their true colors in the votes they cast APPROVING the adoption of statewide social and emotional learning standards on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Columbus.  Elected members Dodd (District 9), Haycock (District 1), Johnson (District 11), McGuire (District 3), Miranda (District 6), Owens (District 10) along with appointed members Collins, Kohler (Board President), Lamoncha, Manchester and Poklar approved these standards.

This group of SEL standards-approving Ohio board of education members did so without the guards provided in the amendment board member Hill proposed.  The amendment would have limited the measuring and collecting of data on student’s social and emotional traits and additionally guarded against psychiatric or psychological examination, testing or treatment without prior written consent of the student’s parent or guardian which is codified in federal law 34 CFR 98.4.  There are more problems with implementing SEL standards which were not included in this amendment.

Promoters of social and emotional learning state standards across the country, such as CASEL, their vendor friends in the industry, within ODE, within U.S. Dept. of Education and others standing to benefit financially and otherwise, are cheering today.