Veteran educator calls for nationwide focus on social connection and confidence-building in education reform
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 2, 2025 / With over 28 years of experience in California public schools, award-winning educator and certified educational therapist Charlene Andersson is using her platform to advocate for a nationwide shift in how schools define-and measure-success. Her message: emotional safety and student connection are not just nice-to-haves; they are critical to academic growth.
"Success doesn't start with a test score," said Andersson. "It starts when a student feels safe enough to take a risk, speak up, or ask for help. That's where real learning begins."
Andersson, who received the Japanese International Educators Award in 2005 and held the highest standardized test scores in her district for a decade, attributes her results to student-centered strategies. One such example is her use of "looping," where students stayed with her for up to three years by parent request.
"Students who feel seen and understood are more likely to engage deeply with learning," Andersson said. "That's not theory-that's decades of experience."
The numbers support her point. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students who report strong relationships with teachers are 32% more likely to feel confident in their abilities, and a study by CASEL found that school programs integrating social-emotional learning see an 11% gain in academic achievement.
Andersson recalls one student who was socially isolated but fascinated by the Mars Rover. She turned his passion into a collaborative class project that led to a provisional patent and a letter of encouragement from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.
"He went from isolated to celebrated," she said. "That kind of transformation doesn't come from a worksheet. It comes from creating a classroom culture where every student belongs."
Andersson is calling on schools and education policymakers to prioritize social-emotional learning (SEL), build teacher training around relationship-building strategies, and give teachers time and autonomy to support students holistically.
"We need to stop treating SEL like an add-on," she urged. "It's the foundation. Without it, we're just checking boxes."
In addition to her classroom work, Andersson has created arts education programs for children at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House, authored three children's books, and served on the California Board for Gifted Students.
About Charlene Andersson
Charlene Andersson is a professional educator and certified educational therapist based in Los Angeles, California. With nearly three decades in public education, she is known for her student-first teaching philosophy, her work with gifted and special needs students, and her advocacy for compassionate, connected classrooms.
Today, she continues to mentor fellow educators, speak at conferences, and push for systems that value empathy as much as academics.
"We ask kids to meet our standards," she said. "But first, we have to meet their needs."
Media Contact
Charlene Andersson
info@charleneandersson.com
https://www.charleneandersson.com/
SOURCE: Charlene Andersson
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