Democratic practices matter– in our communities and our schools. Democratic education upholds the following ideas:
- Democratic education emphasizes the open flow of ideas, choices, and perspectives, regardless of their popularity.
- Democratic education holds students, faculty and families to high expectations while respecting everyone’s intersectional identities, backgrounds, and varied cultural values and beliefs.
- Democratic education supports and interrogates the “common good” through critical and compassionate dialogue, active listening, and critical reflection to arrive at consensus and compromise.
- Democratic education is built upon collective decision-making structures with students, staff, families, and community members in order to solve their and society’s most urgent challenges.
These four pillars have outlined my work, coaching and teaching for the past decade.
City Arts and Sciences Academy (CASA), a new 6th-12th grade public STEAM school in Lynn, MA is striving to live out these ideas. I was privileged to have some of my HGSE graduate students intern at this school from its opening days last September. They have definitely learned what it means to work in a school that is trying, sometimes against all odds, to embrace creativity, critical thinking and the importance of community.
Now, some of these same HGSE students (plus many more) will have an opportunity to exhibit their own ideas in a powerful exhibition of learning. My students, who come from around the globe, have designed schools and nonprofits that truly give me hope for a better world. Their designs will give the next generation of young people a chance to practice the pillars of democratic education: Democratic Practices Matter!
Come see their work Thursday April 30th from 3pm-5pm at Gutman Library. All are welcome.
