Every four years, many of us who work in schools hold our breath and hope that we can make it to the Wednesday after the first Tuesday in November intact. While presidential elections are exciting and provide an opportunity for civic education, they can also be stressful as we attempt to avoid missteps. Will a student say something inflammatory that will alienate others? Will a teacher use their classroom as a soapbox to proclaim their party affiliation, and as a result, will an irate parent call to complain? How do we make our schools a place for civil dialogue and thoughtful discussion when we are surrounded by negative campaign ads and sound bites taken out of context? We do not want to overlook the campaign, but we also do not desire our schools to be places of acrimony and vituperative language.
Since we cannot escape the media, perhaps the place to begin is by welcoming the campaign as an educational tool and learning opportunity about discourse and the exchange of ideas between all members of our community. We should acknowledge that as schools, we have a responsibility to engage in dialogue on contentious topics, but we must do so with grace and compassion. If we can acknowledge that all of us are passionate and want what is best for our country, we can accept the fact that we may differ on what that means, but be respectful in the process. This is not a call for a mealy-mouthed approach to political discussion or moral relativism that says anything goes, but for us to see the sincere desire in our students to be informed and involved members of society.
At Bosque School weeks ago, the head of the upper school spoke to the students at our daily morning meeting about the need for mutual respect during the election season. He recognized that there are strong feelings around the elections, and we should all be engaged and informed. However, as a community devoted to our school’s core values of scholarship, community, and integrity, he emphasized that we should perform due diligence in researching the facts, speak to one another in a collegial manner, and do so honestly. He even laid some ground rules that included the following: do not stereotype, do not over generalize, do your research, listen and respect the views of others. When he finished, the students applauded.
A recent assignment in our International Relations class required our juniors and seniors to watch the first presidential debate with a critical eye. We asked the students to take notes and answer the following questions: What specific policy proposals do you hear from each candidate, and what themes in American history, such as liberty or federalism, do you hear each candidate espouse? We asked that they listen closely to each candidate and try not to focus on whether they liked Mitt Romney or President Obama, or who they thought won. Before the debate, students actually told us, “This is a cool assignment, thanks for assigning it”.
We could not have been happier with the students’ discussion the morning after the debate. They listened well, and their analysis was much more profound than what we heard on some of the radio stations or watched on television. Most importantly, they participated in a spirited discussion with one another, and they gave credit to both candidates, whether they agreed with them or not. Their discussion could provide a model for adults in the greater world who all too often do not listen to one another and attempt to speak over each other.
Our schools can be places of exciting discussion, and we should relish the educational opportunities that elections provide. However, as in everything else we do, the way in which we talk about politics should be grounded in our core values that in most schools call for mutual respect. Just think how wonderful it would be if the discussions in our schools resembled the debates from a warm July in Philadelphia in 1787 when our founding fathers argued over serious and world-changing issues, and in the process created the constitution that guides our actions today.
