The Ohio Board of Education is moving forward with the creation of statewide guidelines for the social and emotional learning of students.
The Board voted Tuesday to create an advisory group that will compile resources and write standards for Ohio classrooms.
The standards won’t be mandatory, according to Board Member Stephanie Dodd. Instead, the guidelines will serve as a central resource for teachers and administrators, helping them know what’s appropriate to teach children of any age about tough topics like drug addiction, suicide prevention and bullying.
“I think the most concerning thing that I heard is sometimes teachers are just Googling what to do to provide support for their students,” Dodd, who wrote the resolution to create the advisory group, explained to her fellow Board members.
The advisory panel will include up to 23 members with expertise in education, behavioral health and school psychology, as well as union, parent and student representatives.
The group’s recommendations for the state Board will be presented in October.
