Americans are increasingly divided about public-policy issues, they feel negatively toward people in the opposing political party, and they rarely spend time with those who think differently than they do, according to polling data.
And that polarization often trickles down to K-12 schools, political scientists and historians say.
Indeed, schools have become political battlegrounds. Reports of unruly school board meetings, protests over curricula, and politically motivated lawsuits against district policies have been making regular appearances in the media in recent years.
This has led some teachers to avoid discussing topics that could be controversial. A nationally representative EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in July found that 3 in 10 teachers have changed their approach to a lesson because they were concerned it could be controversial and result in complaints from parents, students, or administrators.
Still, a majority of educators (77 percent) believe that schools should own the responsibility to teach students how to have respectful conversations with people they disagree with, according to EdWeek Research Center data.
Many political scientists and historians emphasize that schools have a role to play in countering polarization and ensuring a healthy democracy, especially as social media and artificial intelligence exacerbate societal divisions.
Below are select quotes from Education Week interviews of political scientists and education historians discussing ways schools can counter polarization and help students learn to get along with those who think differently than they do:
1. Focus on media literacy for educators and students
— ArCasia James-Gallaway, an education historian and teacher educator at Texas A&M University
— Jordan Tama, a provost associate professor at American University’s School of International Service
2. Encourage students to listen to different perspectives
— Jordan Tama
— Katlynn Cross, a high school social studies teacher in Georgia researching political polarization within public education
3. Emphasize civics education in meaningful ways
— Jordan Tama
4. Use teaching materials that aren’t politically biased
— Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, an associate professor of history at The New School in New York City
