Are we brave enough to listen to each other?

Seldom in our history have Americans disagreed so sharply about what they want from their public schools. School board meetings across the country have become battlegrounds over a broad range of issues: health policies, whether schools are indoctrinating or educating, how race and racism should be taught, how current events and controversial topics should be discussed. 

In the absence of civil discourse, parents, board members, educators, and community members are struggling to work through their differences. Relationships are becoming frayed, disputes remain unresolved, and the day-to-day tasks of running schools are taking a back seat as the battles rage on. 

We are promoting Courageous Conversations about our Schools to help reverse this troublesome trend. Our aim is to allow stakeholders to speak from the heart, to listen to one another, and to engage in respectful conversations about the controversies surrounding public education.

We are confident this is possible because organizations like Living Room Conversations, Braver Angels, BridgeUSA, and The Heterodox Academy have, for many years, conducted productive and respectful conversations with people holding widely varying political perspectives.