Curriculum Committee to review Second Step materials again on Thursday

CEDARBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT Curriculum Committee to review Second Step materials again on Thursday From the 11/29/2022 paper

By Christina Luick cluick@conleynet.com 262-224-4166

CEDARBURG — The Cedarburg School District’s Curriculum Committee will meet on Thursday to take up once again the Second Step materials.

The school district in late September paused the use of the resources from the social and emotional learning program, which was first implemented into the school curriculum for children in kindergarten through fifth grade in 2018, after announcing that it was apparently not formally approved by the School Board. It is a part of the overall social and emotional learning (SEL) that is taught in the Cedarburg Schools.

The Cedarburg School Board in early November approved using Second Step resources for its Bullying Prevention curriculum for this school year. After this year, the resources will need approval from the Curriculum Committee and the School Board for the 2023-24 school year. In its approval, the board added that no changes can be made to the existing curriculum that is being taught this year.

The committee wanted to discuss the rest of the Second Step materials at another meeting.

The organization behind Second Step is Committee for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction defines SEL as the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.

Some committee and board members have expressed concern over using resources from Second Step, with some questioning if it brings in “politics” and if this type of learning should just be left to parents.

“Some of the stuff I think is great for the school but some of the pieces I’m struggling with where I think it should be more coming from families,” said Board member Laura Stroebel when the committee first talked about Second Step in October.

The Curriculum Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Cedarburg High School IMC at W68N611 Evergreen Blvd.