Lessons from Elementary School

This week's article summary is Let's Read, Listen, and Connect to Bridge Political Differences.

As we still have a few more days remaining of this acrimonious presidential election, this essay from the President of NAIS is not only timely but also provides pragmatic suggestions for how we as a country can begin to move beyond the current climate of fanatical partisanship that divides and separates us.

In my classroom-teaching days whenever a presidential election came along, I would discuss with my 8th-grade students the differences between the Republican and Democrat political parties. I’d start by drawing a horizontal line entitled Forms of Government on the classroom whiteboard; on one end I’d write ‘Anarchy’ and on the other ‘Totalitarianism.’ I’d ask my students to give me examples of each, and they typically focused on anarchy’s absence of government and unlimited individual freedoms and totalitarianism’s complete government control and severe restriction of individual freedoms. 8th graders quickly saw the disadvantages of either extreme.

Then I’d asked them to place Democracy, which tries to find that delicate balance between an effective government that ensures individual rights, on the horizontal line. Democracy isn’t perfect—think of Churchill’s famous quote “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”—but my students understood its ideals. 

Then I’d ask them about what they knew or had heard about the platforms of the Republican and Democrat parties in America. They brought up taxes, social services, gay rights, prayer in school, military spending, abortion, etc. 

Finally, I had them place both parties on the whiteboard’s horizontal line. Invariably the class agreed that both parties were very close to the middle where they had placed Democracy. Their collective a-ha moment was the realization that Democrats and Republicans were much more similar than different when compared to other forms of government.

As you’ll see in the article, our entire country needs an a-ha moment.

And maybe what we do in elementary school can lead the way.

We teach our students to listen and to have respectful, civil discussions. We guide them to think using multiple perspectives. We help them see that the world is not a binary—with only zero/sum, either/or choices--but a kaleidoscope of difference, variety, and nuance. We encourage them to have an open mind, to withhold judgment, and to remain life-long learners on a continual search for truth. We ask them to seek commonalities and to celebrate differences. We guide them to be fair, honest, responsible, and kind. And most importantly we challenge ourselves and their parents to role model all the above in not only our words but our actions.

It’s been challenging to remain positive and upbeat as we continue to live through this pandemic and this vitriolic presidential election. (Won’t we all breathe a collective sigh of relief when political ads stop?)

Still, the reason I teach and the reason I love elementary school is our focus is on hope, optimism, and possibilities!

Joe

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I grew up in an era when arguing about politics over dinner was a friendly family sport. Although these discussions were often passionate, we would always end amicably, agreeing to disagree. The arguments did not focus on political party positions but rather on issues. Today, political tensions are at an all-time high, and what used to be friendly banter can now devolve into heated debates that rip families, friends, and colleagues apart. 

USC has measured the change over time in political polarization, specifically the number of Republicans who lie to the right of the most right-leaning Democrats and the number of Democrats who lie to the left of the most left-leaning Republicans. Currently, the overlap is close to zero while in the 1960s it was about 50%; ideological moderates in both parties have seemingly disappeared.

Are we really so divided on issues though? Or could this be more perception than reality? A new report by the University of Pennsylvania suggests that "Democrats and Republicans both think that the divide between them is more than twice what it actually is." The study reveals “an opportunity to address a range of false beliefs that Americans hold about each other that lead to fear, distrust, and hostility.” 

Opinion leaders can begin to stop the spread of polarizing rhetoric and do much to change hearts and minds. Community leaders can create awareness campaigns about partisan misperceptions through voter’s guides and outreach to faith and cultural communities. Individually, we need to really listen to those who see issues differently than us and find areas of agreement.

In our school communities, we can and must work to facilitate effective dialogue so that we can create healthy cultures for students and adults. Moral Reframing is one technique. The way people typically approach political persuasion is that they talk about their own reasons for holding given political positions, but this neglects the fact that the person you’re talking with often has very different moral values, very different psychological makeup, and a very different social background. Moral  Reframing is rooted in empathy: if you want to begin to change someone’s mind, you should make your argument from an understanding of their values, not your own. This technique can bring people together on a range of issues, like economic inequality, environmental protection, and same-sex marriage.

Today, people tend to read and watch those sources that confirm their point of view; by doing so, we’re training ourselves to struggle speaking with someone with different values. We can begin by reading as much as possible on views that are opposing to our own.

Many schools are already doing this work successfully, but we must continue to grow if we are to become communities in which respect, empathy, and mutual trust are the foundation. We are learning communities first and foremost. Let’s put that muscle to work in bridging political divides.