SUNTORY COLLECTION

Local schools passed on social and emotional development

Re Schools need focus on emotional development (Oct. 15): Yes, in our schools, social and emotional development is a critical curricular focus, meaning there is a daily and weekly use of content and processes based on what we know about such development. We know a lot and have for decades. There have been such curricular []

Local schools passed on social and emotional development + ' Main Photo'

Re Schools need focus on emotional development (Oct. 15): Yes, in our schools, social and emotional development is a critical curricular focus, meaning there is a daily and weekly use of content and processes based on what we know about such development. We know a lot and have for decades.

There have been such curricular emphases over the years, none of which took off. I refer to two examples right here in San Diego. One was Communications to Make Friends (Lynn Fox, Department of Special Education, SDSU) approximately five decades ago that never took off locally. The other was Human Development Program (Uvaldo Palomares, San Diego State University, and local psychologist Harold Bessel), also about five decades ago, that never took off.

In both cases the results were excellent. In both cases, the district let them die off. Standardized test scores were more important than social and emotional development. I doubt that has changed.

— Leif Fearn, San Diego