It’s been a year of steady challenges in public health, education and business as we grapple with a global pandemic. We are encouraged by the efforts so many have made to advocate for the lives and livelihoods of others. At the same time, we’re concerned about the erosion of good will and the uptick in belligerent behavior. We all want to see students back in school, learning and thriving; but the potential threats to their health and the health of their families raises many questions and yields no easy answers.
As educators, parents and students, we routinely engage rather than avoid challenging topics. Controversial topics surface through the characters and actions in fiction and in the telling of past and current events in history books and newspapers. How we think through conflict and solve problems, both real and imaginary, tests and reveals our own character. Hindsight is an advantage we seldom have.
Teachers are trained to manage classrooms and to guide students in critical questioning, weighing of evidence, and reasoning, especially on issues where there is limited certainty. They model for our children and youth how to apply the tools of analysis and evaluation to understand a situation better or to compel others toward agreement.
On Oct. 16, 1963, James Baldwin addressed the challenges educators face when preparing children to deal with the facts and fables of American history. In “A Talk to Teachers,” Baldwin stated, “The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity.” Baldwin’s prescient words ring true more today than ever. Ultimately, a goal of education is to develop in students a capacity for judgment so that they can stand up for things they believe in and contribute to better decisions. During public meetings, it’s encouraging to witness young or inexperienced people finding the courage to stand up and testify. We should listen, not interrupt with cheers or jeers.
True deliberation is not possible in a setting full of anger, interruption and distrust. When young people observe adults behave this way, they’re more likely to follow. School Board members have the responsibility to listen openly and speak respectfully to one another, the administration and the public. Each person who signs up to testify has the right to state a preference or present an argument, respectfully and within time limits. Those seated in the audience must also respect meeting decorum. Raucous cheering and shouting or threatening curses are never acceptable. These behaviors would not be tolerated in a classroom and have no place in the boardroom.
All great teachers know that positive relationships with students are crucial to successful teaching and are trained in strategies to manage classrooms. Developing and teaching clear behavioral expectations to students is crucial to maintaining a safe, welcoming environment. In order for the School Board to maintain positive relationships and successful management of meetings, they must reiterate frequently and clearly their expectations for acceptable behavior. If a member of the public continues to disrupt, the consequence should be immediate removal from the meeting by the School Resource Officer or security.
We all have a stake in the educational system, and we want to encourage concerned community members to show up. Don’t let the belligerence of a few deter you. In the process, we all have an opportunity to model effective civic behavior so that our youth come of age knowing what it means to enter the chambers of an Assembly or a School Board to testify, without denying others a fair opportunity to do the same.
Tam Agosti-Gisler is a retired educator and former Anchorage School District School Board member.
Jackie Cason is a Professor of Writing at the University of Alaska Anchorage
Kynnedi Grady is in 9th grade in the Anchorage School District.
Tamar Ben-Yosef is a parent and PTA President for an ASD elementary school.
Jennifer Hazen is a parent, Psychiatric-Mental Health Certified Registered Nurse and PTA President for an ASD elementary school.
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August 17, 2021 at 02:33AM
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Anchorage's School Board debates: Modeling civic behavior in challenging times - Anchorage Daily News
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