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1. What is a “diverse democracy"?
In a diverse democracy, people from different communities and with different political beliefs, interests, identities, and ways of thinking come together to address common problems and build a shared future. To create a thriving diverse democracy, youth need opportunities to explore the full stories and histories of varied groups, to build capacities for respectful evidence-based dialogue, and to develop commitments to robust civil liberties and recognition of the dignity of fellow citizens.
2. What makes it such a challenge to practice?
In today’s highly partisan times, conflicts arise due to the polarization of people on the left and right who increasingly view those who hold differing views as a threat. In addition, over the past few years, public schools increasingly have been targets of mobilization efforts by conservative political groups that focus on the term “Critical Race Theory,” in vaguely defined and loaded ways. Often, these groups also highlight issues of sexuality and gender identity. The net result is a broad chilling effect that has limited opportunities for students to practice respectful dialogue on controversial topics and made it harder to address rampant misinformation. The chilling effect also has led to marked declines in general support for teaching about race, racism, and racial and ethnic diversity. Principals also report sizable growth in harassment of LGBTQ+ youth. All these factors make it more difficult to build a school culture and to foster curricular practices that will advance a diverse democracy.
3.. Your research shows Purple communities as being particularly vulnerable and prone to experience significant fall-out due to current political conflicts. Why is this? How would you characterize the situation in Blue and Red communities?
We found that schools in Purple communities are facing far more conflict from parents and community members and between students than those in Red or Blue communities. Part of the explanation for this, we suspect, is simply that purple communities have relatively similarly sized groups of parents and community members on different sides of contentious issues—thus there is more conflict in an effort to influence school practices. In addition, some state and national political groups are focusing on these issues, and this likely results in increased conflict.
We found significant evidence of conflict in some Blue and Red communities as well, though the conflict was generally at a lower level. In addition, in Red communities, the provision of professional development that might support education towards a diverse democracy declined markedly between 2018 and 2022. Such support mostly stayed constant in Blue communities between 2018 and 2022.
4. What are the major casualties of these political conflicts in our schools? How are students, teachers and school leaders impacted?
The costs of this conflict and the related chilling effect on supports for students and schools is sizable. We found, for example, that there were many instances of harassment and degrading statements being made in classrooms. These degrading statements were made about liberals and conservatives, about LGBTQ+ youth, and about students of color and particularly Black students. In addition, due to the chilling effects, less support was offered through professional development in 2022 than in 2018 on topics such as teaching about the history and literature of all groups within our society and on ways to discuss controversial issues in the classroom. Thus, at the time when we needed it the most, schools were cutting back on their support for both teachers and students.
5. Your study shows multiple problems in our school resulting from the current political climate: issues with media literacy, teaching about race and racism, lack of support for teacher and administrator professional development, and lack of protection for LGBTQ+ youth. Where does a school begin in order to genuinely address this challenge to a diverse democracy?
Where schools should begin depends a great deal on their contexts. Since much of the resistance is the result of misinformation, one key priority is sharing accurate information and ensuring that multiple stakeholders—parents, school boards, school staff, and students—are all aware of the nature of this goal, why it is so important, and how it is being pursued. Clearly, in many contexts, standing up for education towards a diverse democracy will require courage as there will be resistance. In my presentation, I will share some of the ways educational leaders conceived of and pursued this priority.
6.. What are some promising practices at the macro level that Democracy schools can engage in if they want to educate for a diverse democracy? What about at the micro level?
There are many ways to advance these goals. One set of priorities relates to developing a school culture in which all youth, regardless of characteristics such as ideology, religious commitments, race, gender, or sexual orientation, are treated with dignity and respect. And a second broad category of efforts relates to pedagogy and curriculum. It is essential that youth learn about controversial issues as well as how to engage in discourse about these issues thoughtfully, with a commitment to high quality evidence, and with respect for those with whom they may disagree. It is essential that youth see themselves and their communities and concerns reflected in the curriculum and also that the curriculum teaches them about other groups and other perspectives and priorities. It is essential that youth have opportunities for voice both in the classroom and with respect to their school as well as chances to practice skills they will need to participate in efforts to understand and impact society. Many approaches, including Structured Academic Controversies, simulations, service learning, and Civic Online Reasoning can provide valuable support. Importantly, while a great deal of civic learning that supports a diverse democracy may occur in social studies classrooms, such learning can and should occur throughout the curriculum and in extracurricular activities as well.
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