With the Democratic Presidential debates coming up, in my household we’ve been thinking even more about the growing political division in the U.S. and the influence it has on our communities. It is striking to see the reflection in high schools.
John Rogers and his team at UCLA recently published a report discussing the influence of our political divide on students in high schools. Rogers surveyed high school principals around the U.S. and found that 89% of principals reported that students in their school are civil to one another in this political climate. They described “contentious classroom environments, hostile exchanges outside of class, and demeaning or hateful remarks over political views.” Much of the hostility that students expressed was about racial groups and immigrants. Principals were twice as likely to promote tolerance of immigrant youth if most were students of color than if most of the students were white.
How do you see the current the political climate reflected in your classroom, on your campus? Is there a need to address the climate on campus? If so, what strategies do you use?