NAIS Toolkit: Election Season, Politics on Campus, and Civil Discourse
How do you nurture open and respectful dialogue in your school during election season and beyond? In these highly polarized times, can you avoid a firestorm? How can you approach politics on campus and stay on the right side of the law as a nonprofit organization? These resources will help you understand challenges and opportunities for your school during election season, frame conversations in your communities, nurture civil discourse and healthy school cultures, address political topics in your classrooms, and manage contentious situations to avoid crises.
This new report offers key lessons and suggestions on managing potential political polarization and ensuring that school communities nurture open, respectful interaction among diverse groups.
Learn how school leaders across the country handle election season, and get tips on facilitating civil discourse, preventing bias incidents, and connecting authentically with your community.
Politics are part of daily life and schools are natural places for political discourse. Schools must approach politics on campus with care, however, to avoid running afoul of the law.
The articles in this issue address many of the important questions of why it is necessary to discuss politics in the classroom and how best to do it amid today's contentious political climate.
Review the findings of the NAIS/Pollyanna election-year study, and hear tips for facilitating dialogue within your community and for preventing bias incidents.
In this episode, Dr. Eugene Fram explains the ground rules for civil discourse, why engaging in civil discourse can be difficult for independent school trustees, and how boards can support a culture of civility.
"We must continue to grow and experiment if we are to become communities in which respect, empathy, and mutual trust are the foundation," NAIS President Donna Orem writes.
Learn about a program where students deconstruct the qualifications of their perfect candidate and engage in a productive and collaborative conversation centered on the values and criteria they have selected.
Explores the legal landscape for independent schools, lessons learned from higher education on political discourse and dissent, and practical advice for school leaders responding to challenges on campus.
Nonprofit organizations, including independent schools, should take note of what they may be required to do or are prohibited from doing about their employees’ desire to participate in the electoral process.