Civility and Civic Engagement: Reflecting and Connecting edTrends’ Nov. 4 Panel Discussion and Research from Odds-beating Schools
By Kristen C. Wilcox & Jessie Tobin
On November 4th, the NYKids team attended an edTrends panel discussion on civil discourse and civic engagement. The panel participants offered their perspectives on the ways that educators can facilitate civil discourse that brings students together with respect and dignity. In a pre and post-election era where emotions are charged, providing educators with the necessary resources and tools to do this is particularly timely.
Insight on Civility and the Current Politically Charged Climate
Jodie Orzechowski prefaced the panel discussion by pointing to the intense emotions and excitement surrounding the 2020 election. This politically charged event can pose a challenge for educators and school leaders to navigate. A robust discussion of this topic ensued with the following panelists:
Dr. Joseph Dragone, Senior Executive Officer, Capital Region BOCES
Dr. Jason Lane, Dean of the School of Education
Dr. Alfredo Medina, Executive Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Natalie McGee, President of Progression Partners
Jodie Orzechowski, Communications Program Manager, Capital Region BOCES
David Blanchard, Superintendent of Schoharie Central School District
Dr. Alex Finsel, Instructional Administrator of Guilderland Central School District
Dr. Brett Levy, Associate Professor of Educational Theory and Practice
From Civil Discourse to Civic Engagement
Beyond fostering civil dialogue, the panelists explored what it takes to bring students and adults together to address real world problems in society. On this note, Superintendent David Blanchard discussed the importance of viewing civic engagement as not limited to just voting: “… it starts with being informed”. According to Blanchard, in Schoharie the leadership team has focused on providing professional development and establishing goals around “listening to understand”, and ensuring safe spaces for students to share their views and concerns.
Dr. Alex Finsel added that bringing students together requires engaging them in conversations where they learn how to listen to understand with the goal of creating and developing relationships. To do this, Natalie McGee enforced the importance of first assessing the readiness of teachers and students in engaging in challenging discussions; asking such questions as: “How prepared are they to enter a particular conversation?” Just as important, McGee explained that educators need to learn how to exit conversations effectively as well and this “… may require some repair work.”
Dr. Levy highlighted the use of activities to teach students to learn how to talk to each other. He suggested starting with a small prompt (deciding between pretzels and popcorn in school vending machines) and building up to larger and more complex discussions (Supreme Court judge nominations). Dr. Levy added that encouraging civic engagement in this way focuses on choices extending from “… what we buy, how we talk to people, and ultimately how we participate in civil society.”
NYKids’ Findings on Civil Discourse and Civic Engagement
In NYKids’ recently completed college and career readiness study, we found that educators in two odds-beating high schools, Malverne Senior High and Crown Point, actively encourage civil discourse and opportunities for civic engagement.
As described in the study findings to be released soon, students in both schools shared feelings of support from staff members to discuss difficult issues such as sexual assault and mental health. A student at Malverne reported that being treated as “adults” helped her and her classmates feel more comfortable about engaging in difficult conversations and prepared to discuss topics with individuals who have different views. Another student at Malverne commented on how “heated” discussions in his Government class are handled:
But it [the heated discussion] always ends the same way in that at the end of class… it all dials back down and everyone just goes back to being normal because having this opportunity to voice our opinions and not be afraid of that is – well we learn to respect each other’s way and I wish more people did that.
Additionally, students at Malverne described instances when staff supported them in their initiatives. In one example, students wanted to plan a walk-out in response to the school shootings in Parkland, Florida. This plan led to participation from the entire student body. On the staff’s support for their plan, one student said, “… that was really nice that they were able to listen to us.”
While engaging in civil discourse and encouraging civic engagement can be fraught with minefields for leaders and educators, this panel and NYKids research offer some tools and resources for others:
- See Natalie McGee’s recommendation to use restorative circles
- See Dr. Levy’s recommendation to read the award-winning book “The Political Classroom”
See prior NYKids reports on this topic and the most recent case studies of Malverne Senior High and Crown Point
