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00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 Development. This program is sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:18 --> 00:00:23 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:27 Now, get ready to amplify your day with Your Morning Boost.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:35 Good morning. Welcome back to Your Morning Boost. Happy Thursday, everybody.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:40 And again, we are just so grateful to continue this conversation with our special
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 guest, Shannon Watson, the founder and executive director of Majority in the
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 Middle. Welcome back, Shannon.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:51 Thank you. Good to see you again. Yes, this is a great day for covering and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 modeling civility and managing meeting dynamics.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:58 We've done all of that stuff, and today we're going to shift to a response to
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 a structured change for transparency.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 This is kind of what we're talking about, embedding participation and civility
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 into of the very fabric of our school's operation.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:13 So today we're going to discuss what low-cost adjustments can be made to inoculate
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 your school against polarization, just hoping that it just doesn't derail those
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 core instructional efforts.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:31 Are you ready for question number four, Shannon? I am ready. All right. Come on.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:35 Well, here we go. So beyond conflict management,
00:01:35 --> 00:01:41 what structural or maybe policy changes can a school administration implement
00:01:41 --> 00:01:46 today that can help embed transparency and civil participation,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:51 just hopefully to prevent polarization from derailing our core instructional efforts?
00:01:52 --> 00:01:57 Good question. So there's a great book by Amanda Ripley called High Conflict.
00:01:57 --> 00:02:02 And I will say this is an outstanding book. It's awesome.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:08 I read it in like two sittings and I highlighted it to within an inch of its
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 life because it's just, it's so great.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:17 And one of the things that it talks about in transparency is the idea that when
00:02:17 --> 00:02:21 for one person, transparency could be somebody else's humiliation.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:26 And so talking about transparency and setting the standard to your point about
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 having policy that, you know,
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 these are the ways we're going to share and this is how we're going to share
00:02:32 --> 00:02:37 and this is what we're going to share ahead of time so that it's it's just part
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 of the culture and it's it's part of what you do.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:46 And that takes it away from being like, okay, well, something's going on that must be malicious.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:51 So we need more transparency. We need to know all of the things that you did or said or whatever.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:56 So I think setting that standard ahead of time and sort of everybody committing
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 to it as a value, I think, is important.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:05 But then also thinking about what it is you're trying to achieve with transparency,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:09 because that can be kind of a buzzword. And if it is...
00:03:09 --> 00:03:15 You know, making things not super political or bringing people into a conversation.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:21 I think one of the one of the things that's that's important is making sure
00:03:21 --> 00:03:25 that like if you're if you're going for a policy or, you know,
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 trying to solve a problem or going,
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 you know, after a change or how are we going to spend money or these things.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:38 Some of this stuff gets tagged red or blue in ways that probably aren't super
00:03:38 --> 00:03:43 helpful. Now, that being said, you know, we're not being naive.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:47 We know that some things are generally positions that are held on the right
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 and some things are generally positions that are held on the left.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:57 And if you can, you can switch it up to where you're not necessarily fighting a political agenda.
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 Like, keep the focus on the thing. Hmm.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:06 Because then it takes the tribalism out of it.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:11 And that is one challenge that we're all having with the current political climate
00:04:11 --> 00:04:15 is that as human beings, you know, honestly, just part of our evolution,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 we sort into in-groups and out-groups naturally.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 We don't always do it out of malice.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:26 It's just because we're human beings. And this is just the way we're sort of genetically coded.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:32 So we are we have a tendency to sort into the in groups and out groups and so
00:04:32 --> 00:04:38 bringing everybody in to the to as much of an in group as you can that can be
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 helpful because it's like, okay, we're all on the same team.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:45 It's not red versus blue. It's not me versus you. It's we're on the team.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:50 And and the problem is the thing we're tackling or the idea is the thing that we are tackling.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:56 So trying not to say, well, this is, you know, the issue that is being advanced
00:04:56 --> 00:05:01 by Republicans or Democrats at the statehouse, you know, but just keeping the focus on the subject.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:06 And then a lot of times when you're making decisions, there are going to be
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 people who are for it and there are people who are against it.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:16 And I think bringing the people who are opposed to something into the conversation
00:05:16 --> 00:05:24 as much as you can and giving them the opportunity, not necessarily to sort of change the outcome,
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 but to do what they can to make,
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 in their opinion.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 The policy or the decision, whatever, less bad.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:37 Okay. Because that is sometimes the thing. You're not going to get your way.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 But what could we do to make it less bad? Here's a good example.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:47 In Minnesota, in 2023, our state banned conversion therapy.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 And as surprising as it would be,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:56 the conversion therapy ban passed with bipartisan support in Minnesota.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 And one of the reasons that it did was that the chief author, who was a Democrat,
00:06:01 --> 00:06:07 partnered with a Republican who had significant concerns, both from a freedom
00:06:07 --> 00:06:12 of speech standpoint and from what position this put clergy in.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:17 But the two of them, their common value was that they didn't think,
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 you know, we don't need to be messing with kids.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:23 And so, like, conversion therapy, not a good idea for kids.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 Keeping it available for adults...
00:06:26 --> 00:06:31 And not sort of handcuffing clergy as to what they can have conversations with
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 adults about were two very important things.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:39 And those wound up being, you know, they helped put the guidelines on the policy
00:06:39 --> 00:06:44 to where it was able to pass with, you know, bipartisan support and more than,
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 you know, more than just just one Republican.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:51 So I think that's part of the thing, is giving everybody an opportunity to own
00:06:51 --> 00:06:56 a piece and come up with something that maybe they don't 100% agree with it,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 but they can live with it.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:08 I think that's a key thing right there. I mean, everything we're doing in school,
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 it should be student-focused.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:15 Absolutely. students at the center at all times, that is the focus.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 And we may have disagreements on how we get there, but at the end of the day,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 that's the reason we're all here. Amen, brother.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:26 Yeah, that's great. That's good. Well, I'll tell you what, it's not easy work,
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 but you sure make it sound easy.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:31 If we just do all the stuff you're telling us every day, this is simple.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:36 It is. And you know what? Actually, that's a really sort of good disclaimer for your listeners.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 This stuff is really easy to say
00:07:39 --> 00:07:43 it is much harder to do in practice so
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 i think you know we are going to goof and we are
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 going to do it wrong and we are all going to lose our
00:07:48 --> 00:07:52 temper from time to time and say things that we shouldn't and sometimes it is
00:07:52 --> 00:07:57 really hard to work with people who you know you see as as as opposing sides
00:07:57 --> 00:08:02 of of a really important issue that's really hard but having some steps can
00:08:02 --> 00:08:07 can help no that's awesome sharon this is great we got one left for you,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:11 so we're going to come back tomorrow on Friday and finish this up, but this is awesome.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:15 Really appreciate you being here, and I appreciate you listeners again for joining
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 us on yet another episode of Your Morning Boost.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:22 As I said, we will be back again tomorrow as we wrap up this week with Shannon Watson.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:26 So, until that time, thank you for listening. We will talk with you again tomorrow.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:46 Boost is an AWB education production brought to you with the generous support
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 of Grundmeier Leader Services.
00:08:48 --> 00:08:52 Join us again tomorrow for more. Until then, keep boosting your impact.