Reflective Structured Dialogue fills this gap in civic education today
“Districts need stronger support for teachers to move from foundational civics knowledge to civics skills and experiences.”
“Democracy has to be born anew every generation,” wrote the American philosopher John Dewey, “and education is its midwife.” Dewey believed that while democracy is the best, most legitimate form of government, bringing the greatest benefit to all people, self-governance would also be vulnerable to corruption, dysfunction, and division.
The role of civic education has acquired a new importance in the current moment of uncertainty about the future of the United States and democracy at large. Are we equipping the next generation with the knowledge, wisdom, and skills to sustain and strengthen democratic self-governance? Or will our form of government fail after a mere 250 years?
A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) highlights a worrying gap in civics education today. From a survey of 325 district leaders, the report finds that just over a third of schools provide any experiential civics learning at all, while just 13% make it a requirement.
Students may know the facts and history, understand the branches of government, and the way a bill becomes law (hat-tip to Schoolhouse Rock). But far too many young people leave school having never practiced the civic skills that make democracy work: how to engage across different perspectives and identities, how to balance an open mind with personal convictions, how to sustain community in times of conflict.
Civic Skills and Reflective Structured Dialogue
One of the recommendations of the CRPE report was greater support for facilitating civic dialogue and difficult topics:
“Leaders also said teachers need more support in facilitating civic dialogue, especially when topics are complex or controversial. One leader described the need for training on ‘how to conduct civic conversations where things are difficult,’ which students may need help practicing. She also noted that helping teachers mediate difficult conversations also requires supporting teachers’ well-being so they can be ‘that steady voice of a facilitator and a supporter.’”
Reflective Structured Dialogue fills this gap in civic education today. By incorporating dialogue into a school’s curriculum and culture, educators and school leaders can provide hands-on opportunities for students to develop these core capacities.
Whether students are leading dialogues on the role of guns in their community or engaging in constructive discussions of polarizing topics, they are practicing democratic skills too often missing in American life today.
They are learning to listen deeply. They’re dispelling biases and assumptions. They’re absorbing different views. They’re helping to make sure that every voice is heard, even when it’s an opposing viewpoint.
It’s critical that young people have the knowledge they need: the structure of government, the ideas underpinning it, how to operate the levers of government, and how to develop informed opinions about policy.
It is no less critical to equip students with democratic skills. They need to be open to different perspectives and experiences. They need to build community with people from different cultures and backgrounds. They need to disagree on Tuesday and then collaborate on Sunday.
These are not just values to be held. They are skills to be practiced.
A Roadmap to Experiential Civics Education
No two schools or districts are exactly the same. Each has its own mix of pressures, strengths, and ambitions. However, there are 5 steps that any school can take to incorporate RSD into their curriculum and culture.
- See what it’s like. Join a short training or public dialogue to get a sense of what this looks and feels like. Use this to identify where in your school it might make sense to start and who might be the person or people to lead and hold it.
- Send a point person or small team to get trained. Most schools use RSD in their curricular classrooms or as part of a co-curricular student-led dialogue program.
- Get coaching and support from EP as you design, plan, and implement RSD into your school’s context. Become a member of the COP.
- Notice where dialogue is already happening in your school. Expand opportunities to participate and become trained in RSD to parents, teachers, administrators, or other community members who express interest in using it through further training and support.
- License with Essential Partners so you can train students, educators, and community members in our approach.