With the midterm elections just around the corner, it is a good time to ask: what does a school have to do with a free society? Franklin D. Roosevelt argued,

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

FDR recognized the danger of an uneducated society more than sixty years ago. A democracy that fails to educate its citizens eventually loses its freedom altogether. Schools that teach students to think critically and act knowledgeably are vital to democracy.

 

I imagine by now you have seen all the negative political ads you care to see. According to presidential campaign finance trackers, the Democratic and Republican candidates will likely spend more than $1 billion each on their campaigns, much of it on negative ads aimed at each other. Unfortunately, research shows that negative political ads increase voter cynicism, contribute to declining voter trust in elections, decrease participation in politics, and contribute to increased societal incivility.