Dive Brief:
- Students have been inspired to take their disappointment in the election results to the streets, and administrators who aren’t used to responding to such activism can turn it into a teachable moment.
- U.S. News & World Report writes that students have the right to free speech and administrators should respect that while drawing a clear line between freedom and potential disruptions to the learning environment or bullying, and they should find ways to give students with opposing viewpoints a chance to talk about them safely.
- School leaders should make sure students know they have the right to protest but also that there are consequences for unexcused absences, and administrators or teachers can use protests as an opportunity to discuss civic engagement and the power students have through their actions.
Dive Insight:
Schools across the country were on edge after the election as teachers and students grappled with the potential consequences. Many Latino, immigrant and Muslim students, in particular, took a vote for Trump as a vote against them, and teens were especially sensitive. Teachers have struggled to keep their political views to themselves, but administrators should ensure the adults in their building are not contributing to unnecessary panic among students.
This election is a perfect opportunity to bring current events into the classroom. Young people routinely vote in far lower numbers than their grandparents, but students who get fired up in their high schools about civic engagement may be able to change that, claiming the power they have in this democracy. These types of civic lessons can be nonpartisan and still engaging.