Ken’s Reflections

One would think schools are the perfect place for students to learn about elections. What better opportunity to use their critical thinking skills to make sense of what the candidates are saying, to distinguish credible information from what they often encounter on social and mainstream media? These skills would certainly serve them well after the election when there are sure to be protests, claims, and counterclaims about election fraud and tampering.

However, a recent EdWeek survey found that many teachers wouldn’t be discussing the 2024 presidential election with their students. For some, it was because the election was not part of their curriculum, but others cited concerns about parent complaints and fear that students could not discuss the election respectfully.

It’s one thing when partisan politics prevents policymakers from adopting common sense gun safety laws, but another thing altogether when they (and most Americans) agree on a proven remedy like mental health support, and they (we) still cannot find the will to fund it adequately. Have they (we) simply become de-sensitized to these tragic events? Do we have the right to call our society “civil” if we allow mass shootings on school campuses to become normalized?

What factors matter most when it comes to school quality and students’ academic, social, and emotional learning? One factor may surprise you: adult relationships.

In 2006, Harvard educator Roland Barth wrote, “The nature of relationships among the adults within a school has a greater influence on the character and quality of that school and on student accomplishment than anything else…If the relationships between administrators and teachers are fearful, competitive, suspicious, and corrosive, then these qualities will disseminate throughout the school community.”

In these post-pandemic, polarized times, declining levels of trust and civility among adults in and out of schools are having a profound impact on students. The good news is that when educators have the courage to acknowledge and discuss the problem, trust and professional relationships can be strengthened. That, in turn, will lead to improvements in teacher retention, professional collaboration, and overall staff morale, all of which will improve outcomes for students.

Two years ago, we launched Courageous Conversations about our Schools. We have now produced over 20 podcast episodes, published a regular newsletter and BLOG, and provided on-the-ground support to a number of educators, parents, and school leaders seeking better ways to collaborate.

I decided it was time to create a formal Advisory Board – people I could lean on for advice about the stories we should be covering, the people we should be interviewing, and the bridging strategies we should be promoting. 

It’s my great honor to introduce you to to the amazing people who agreed to serve in this capacity - a team that includes some of the nation’s best minds on conflict and polarization. Several of them have been guests on our podcast, and all of them are deeply committed to our mission: to create spaces where educators, parents, students, and policymakers can speak from the heart, listen to one another, and engage in fruitful conversations that strengthen America’s public schools. 

I am also eager for you meet our support staff, two highly talented and dedicated individuals who have been with me from the start of this project.