Education Committee Testimony (3.8.23)
Testimony (as prepared for delivery) to the Education Committee:
Chairs Currey and McCrory, Ranking Members Berthel and McCarty, esteemed members of the General Assembly Education Committee — my name is John Board, and I’m submitting testimony on House Bill 6207: An Act Concerning Social-Emotional Learning which has been merged into Senate Bill 1166: An Act Concerning the Implementation of the Connecticut School Climate Policy and Senate Bill 1165: An Act Concerning Financial Literacy Instruction.
I first want to thank Representatives Rochelle and Paris for sponsoring these bills and bringing SEL and Financial literacy to the forefront of this committee’s discourse.
As we transition out of the pandemic it is essential that we have support systems in place for our students, so then we can set them up for success and reach their full potential. One of the most important lessons which we should take away is the importance of human connection and being more compassionate toward each other.
In his book, The Compassionate Achiever, Dr. Kukk, my university advisor, defines compassion as, “a holistic understanding of a problem or the suffering of another with a commitment to act to solve the problem or alleviate the suffering.” — We need more understanding professionals in schools to help assist students through the complex and ever-changing environment they are encountering even more so than previous generations.
Equipping students with the ability to handle personal problems better can help them navigate the challenges of adult life. However, socio-emotional factors that are critical to learning have not been a focus of educational and social reforms for K-12 systems.
As it relates to 1165, I can still remember — to this day — sitting in my 4th-grade classroom learning how to write and balance a checkbook, and learning about budgeting and taxes during my personal finance and life skills class in high school.
If we think about education as a cradle-to-grave approach: students can learn about savings plans in first grade, be introduced to the concept of credit in fifth grade, learn about the stock market in seventh grade, and in high school learn about the federal reserve system and international monetary policy.
By the time a student graduates, they should feel confident about their future, and not be thrown out into the world with minimal life skills. The classroom is a student’s first exposure to the real world, and there’s an obligation to ensure students are set up for success.
Candidly, we should be going further, developing an elective “Adulting 101: Skills for a Better Life” curriculum for our public schools.
Imagine if your high school taught you how to write a resumé, cook a meal, or understand a credit score. The challenge of providing the next generation with the basic skills necessary for future success is figuring out how to fit them into their already overbooked school schedule. Skills for a Better Life creates a smarter plan of action. Instead of replacing classes, you will opt-in to the skills curriculum by selecting it as an elective within your high school, allowing flexibility on the local level and actual, measurable results for our students outside of school.
The Skills for a Better Life creates the option for students to learn about: professional development (applying to jobs, resume writing, college readiness), mental health (stress management), cognitive training programs (optimizing performance, biohacking, stimulating skills), nutrition programs (cooking, wellness), automobile maintenance, household repairs, first aid, and emergency preparedness social interaction, interpersonal skills, time management), financial skills (understanding of credit scores, a pathway to homeownership), and career pathways (college, trade schools, vocational programs, licensing and certificate programs).
I hope members will read my expanded testimony. With that, I would encourage the committee to vote YES on Senate Bill 1165 & Senate Bill 1166 and I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have. Thank you.
Financial Literacy (1165) Testimony:
Chair Currey, Chair McCrory, Ranking Members Berthel and McCarty, esteemed members of the General Assembly Education Committee — my name is John Board, and I’m submitting testimony on Senate Bill 1165: An Act Concerning Financial Literacy Instruction.
I can still remember — to this day — sitting in my 4th-grade classroom learning how to write and balance a checkbook, learning about budgeting and taxes during my personal finance and life skills class in high school.
If we think about education as a cradle-to-grave approach: students can learn about savings plans in first grade, be introduced to the concept of credit in fifth grade, learn about the stock market in seventh grade, and in high school learn about the federal reserve system, and international monetary policy.
By the time a student graduates, they should feel confident about their future, and not be thrown out into the world with minimal life skills. The classroom is a student’s first exposure to the real world, and there’s an obligation to ensure students are set up for success.
When students learn personal finance and economic education, it results in: (1) a better understanding of the local, state, national, and world economies, (2) a greater propensity to start early to save for retirement, (3) a reduction in the amount of personal debt, (4) increased likelihood of having emergency savings, (4) less likelihood of using high-cost methods of borrowing.
Candidly we should be going further, developing an elective “Adulting 101: Skills for a Better Life” curriculum for our public schools.
Imagine if high school taught you how to write a resumé, cook a meal, or understand a credit score. The challenge of providing the next generation with the basic skills necessary for future success is figuring out how to fit them into their already overbooked school schedule. Skills for a Better Life creates a more innovative plan of action. Instead of replacing classes, you will opt-in to the skills curriculum by selecting it as an elective within your high school, allowing flexibility on the local level and real, measurable results for our students outside of school.
The Skills for a Better Life creates the option for students to learn about: professional development (applying to jobs, resume writing, college readiness), mental health (stress management), cognitive training programs (optimizing performance, biohacking, stimulating skills), nutrition programs (cooking, wellness), automobile maintenance, household repairs, first aid, and emergency preparedness social interaction, interpersonal skills, time management), financial skills (understanding of credit scores, a pathway to homeownership), and career pathways (college, trade schools, vocational programs, licensing and certificate programs).
I would encourage the committee to vote YES on Senate Bill 1165 and I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have. Thank you.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) (1166) Testimony:
Chairs Currey and McCrory, Ranking Members Berthel and McCarty, esteemed members of the General Assembly Education Committee — my name is John Board, and I’m submitting testimony on House Bill 6207: An Act Concerning Social Emotional Learning which has been merged into Senate Bill 1166: An Act Concerning the Implementation of the Connecticut School Climate Policy.
As we transition out of the pandemic it is essential that we have support systems in place for our students, so then we can set them up for success and reach their full potential. One of the most important lessons which we should take away is the importance of human connection and being more compassionate toward each other.
In his book, The Compassionate Achiever, Dr. Kukk, my university advisor, defines compassion as, “a holistic understanding of a problem or the suffering of another with a commitment to act to solve the problem or alleviate the suffering.” — We need more understanding professionals in schools to help assist students through the complex and ever-changing environment they are encountering even more so than previous generations.
SEL programs benefit both children and adults by increasing self-awareness, academic achievement, and positive behaviors in and out of the classroom. In terms of academics, students who participated in SEL programs experienced an 11 percentile increase in their grades and better attendance. On an individual level, SEL skills have been shown to help students cope with emotional stress, problem-solve, and avoid harmful peer pressure.
Equipping students with the ability to handle personal problems better can help them navigate the challenges of adult life. However, socio-emotional factors that are critical to learning have not been a focus of educational and social reforms for K-12 systems.
Education historically has been focused on what that grade is at the end of the quarter or semester — Measuring the impact of implementing SEL inside the classroom goes way beyond just grades.
With that, I would encourage the committee to vote YES on Senate Bill 1166 and I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have. Thank you.
