Before Social and Emotional Learning became widely recognized as a critical component of teen lives, Marisa Fogelman was well ahead of the curve.
Fogelman spent two decades developing a curriculum that integrated SEL with California state standards for traditional subject matter, and put her holistic academic philosophy into practice as co-founder of the School of Universal Learning (SOUL), a charter school for students in grades 6-12.
SOUL was perhaps the first school in San Diego County to offer such a unique concept.
Now shuttered after several years of successful and promising operation, SOUL became a victim of political pressure and growing anti-charter sentiment.
Encinitas
Amid the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic, a handful of students are finding a sliver of normal school life through learning pods, small groups that attend school on campus together, getting extra support for the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown their way.
The students identified for learning pods include some of the most vulnerable: special education students who need in-person services and may not tolerate long hours on computers; English learners, who require support to learn in two languages; and students whose grades have dropped during virtual learning. Others lack a suitable study environment at home, or face social or emotional issues worsened by the pandemic, and really need time with classmates and teachers.
NOTE:
City councils and school boards have closed their meeting spaces to the public to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Public participation is possible by phone links to the meetings, livestreaming meetings and/or emailing comments. Visit each agency’s website for details, usually found under “Meetings” or “Agendas.”
CITY COUNCILS
CARLSBAD
The Carlsbad City Council will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday for final approval of its hotel employee recall rights ordinance. Reports will be presented on the city’s 2019-20 annual financial audit results and on upcoming municipal service reviews by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of the city of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Municipal Water District.