A NEW KIND OF LEARNING
Batavia City Schools Are Reimagining Student Success with a Bold, Districtwide Approach to Social-Emotional Learning
The district's SEL Liaison program, launched in 2024 and currently funded through grants, places full-time, building-based specialists in every school. These liaisons aren't counselors, but experienced classroom teachers who now focus on teaching and reinforcing social-emotional skills. The program is so unique that even the New York State Education Department is paying attention.
"This is about changing systems," said Dr. Molly Corey, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. "We looked at the data and knew we had to do something different. If we wanted a different outcome for our students and for our staff, we had to make a bold move."
Since the program began, behavior referrals and suspensions at Batavia Middle School have dropped by half. At the high school, this year’s ninth-grade class entered with fewer suspensions than the previous year. Staff across the district are reporting more restorative conversations, calmer classrooms, and students who are beginning to self-regulate in ways they hadn’t before.
In a second-floor music room at Jackson Primary School, a student begins to cry. Her sobs are sharp, urgent—the kind that echo through hallways. Kristie Searls, the school’s Social-Emotional Learning Liaison, hears it from her office and moves quickly, quietly. She sits beside the child without saying much. No scolding, no fixing—just presence. Slowly, the girl’s breathing slows. She reaches for Searls’ hand. They breathe together.
For Searls, this is the work: meeting students where they are and helping them return to calm.
"This is my dream job," said Searls, a veteran educator in her 31st year. "To help kids feel safe, to see them learn to calm themselves, to watch them grow. I get to be a small part of that. And that means everything."
The work she’s doing is part of a broader effort by the Batavia City School District to respond to the rising emotional and behavioral challenges facing students.
National data from the CDC shows that nearly 40% of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Educators are seeing the effects: anxious kindergartners, disconnected middle schoolers, and high school students struggling to cope with social pressure, trauma, and uncertainty.
Kristie Searls teaches half-hour SEL lessons to every kindergarten and first-grade classroom on a six-day cycle. She designs her own curriculum, drawing from research-backed strategies and children’s literature. Lessons are tailored to developmental stages: impulse control and attention for kindergartners; focus and emotional regulation for first graders.
"We play games like freeze dance or echo clapping, but every activity has a purpose," she said. "We always debrief—‘What did you have to do to be successful in this game? How is that like being a learner in your classroom?’"
She also works with small Tier 2 groups in second grade who need extra support in areas like emotional regulation and peer interaction.
Alyssa Antinore covers both John Kennedy Intermediate and Batavia Middle School. At JK, she teaches the Zones of Regulation curriculum to every class. At the middle school, her work is more flexible and targeted: peer mediations, restorative circles, and one-on-one sessions with students in crisis.
"Middle schoolers won’t always ask for help in a direct way," she said. "But they’ll show you. A fight, a shutdown, an outburst—those are all signals. Our job is to respond with curiosity, not punishment. What’s underneath that behavior? What skill is missing?"
She works closely with teachers and families, sharing weekly regulation tools and offering insights on how to reinforce SEL strategies at home and in the classroom.
For students like fourth-grader Jordan, those lessons are more than fun activities. "We take deep breaths when we get hyper," he said. "I use it in gym class a lot."
Vivienne, also in fourth grade, says she uses finger breathing when she feels overwhelmed. "It helps me feel better," she said. "And we get fidgets sometimes, but only if we use them the right way."
Jeremy Mettler, the high school SEL Liaison, focuses on student leadership and ownership. He helps train and support students like 11th-grader Amiiya, who run monthly restorative circles for younger peers.
"At this level, it’s about helping students recognize that they have agency," Mettler said. "They can be the ones who build a better school culture."
Amiiya agrees: "I didn’t think I would be good at this, but it’s helped me mature. It’s helped me be someone other kids can talk to."
This work doesn’t happen in isolation. It is closely aligned with Batavia's extended day programming, led by Kristen Gomez, Director of My Brother's Keeper, 21st Century, and the SOAR program.
"Our goal is to build continuity," said Gomez. "What students learn during the school day carries over into afterschool time. We're reinforcing the same tools—confidence, communication, and emotional regulation—whether it's in a circle or a club."
By working hand-in-hand with the SEL liaisons, Gomez and her team ensure that students receive consistent, wraparound support from the first bell to the final activity bus.
Despite the success stories, SEL still faces skepticism—especially from those unfamiliar with its goals.
"One of the biggest misconceptions is that SEL is soft or that it replaces discipline," Antinore said. "That couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re not excusing behavior. We’re teaching the skills students need so they can meet expectations."
Searls agrees. "Some people think we’re just handing out fidgets and feelings charts. But this is hard work. It takes structure, consistency, and trust. It’s about helping kids—and adults—respond instead of react."
For Board member Korinne Anderson, seeing a kindergarten class fully engaged in a lesson about managing emotions was enough to make her a believer. "These are life skills," she said. "And they’re being taught with care, structure, and intention."
Batavia Has Chosen To Act Boldly
What The Work Looks Like
A Collaborative Approach
Clearing Up Misconceptions
Parent Rachel Sequerth says the change in her daughter, Olivia, has been transformational. "She used to get overwhelmed and just shut down. Now she has the words to tell us how she’s feeling. And we can help her."
Seventh grader Jasmine says the circles she’s done with Antinore have helped her navigate conflicts without escalating them. "You don’t have to be friends," she said. "But you can still respect each other."
Students at all levels are now learning how to name their emotions, recognize their triggers, and find tools that work for them—from breathing exercises to movement breaks to journaling.
"This isn’t a quick fix," said Dr. Corey. "But it is a sustainable, human-centered approach. It’s helping us build the kind of schools where everyone feels safe, supported, and ready to learn."
Batavia’s SEL Liaison program is one of the only ones of its kind in New York. The New York State Education Department is keeping a close eye on the district’s progress as it considers how to support similar efforts statewide.
"We’re proud to be leading," Dr. Corey said. "This is what it means to respond with purpose. To innovate when it matters most."
As the district looks ahead, it is also working to ensure the future of the program. While the liaisons are currently grant-funded, leaders are exploring ways to bring these roles into the district’s operational budget.
"The impact is clear, and the need is real," said Dr. Corey. "We want this work to last. We're committed to sustaining it because it's becoming part of who we are as a district."
For Kristie Searls, that leadership is personal. "I’m retiring this year," she said, "but I can say I ended my career doing the work I believe in most. We’re not just managing behavior. We’re teaching children how to understand themselves and others. And that’s the kind of education that lasts."
Why It Matters
A Model For The State
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