• APS Guidelines for Teaching Controversial Issues Toolkit (Click to Download)

    Opening Charge from the Chief Equity & Social Justice Officer

    As educators, we are charged with creating engaged citizens who uphold our democratic and pluralistic ideals. Through our classroom praxis, we also create citizens who understand our nation’s motto of E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) and who value liberty and justice for all. This responsibility requires us to take on three essential responsibilities, if we are to do our part in creating an engaged citizenry with fidelity.

    This work, first, requires us to teach in ways that are responsive to the multi-cultural tapestry and that reflect the rich history of our nation. Educating our children about the rich diverse history that every group has contributed to our nation can be done without diminishing the very important contributions of others.

    Second, we have inherited a history and a system that is complex and, at times, does not reflect the ideals of our democracy. Acknowledging and discussing this can be uncomfortable, difficult, and controversial. However, our work as educators requires that we lean into this and we shed light on the historical and current blind spots of our democracy.

    Lastly, our children live in the same world that we do. No matter how hard we try, we cannot ignore their access, experience, and exposure to the complexities of the world around them. Thus, as educators, we have a responsibility to help our students constructively engage with difference, think objectively, and challenge personal biases as they navigate their place in the world. It is essential that students have opportunities to engage in and practice civil discourse by interacting with peers who hold opposing views. The ability to engage in civil discourse is the hallmark of democracy, and in the classroom, it should be done in a manner that allows students to formulate their own conclusions by building on and learning from the diverse perspectives of their peers.

    As educators, we have a responsibility to cultivate engaged citizens who are poised to do their part in creating a more perfect union. Leaning into this responsibility is paramount if we are to realize the vision of the founders of our nation. We also owe it to our students to prepare them for the world they will inherit. The world they will inherit is diverse and globally connected. By fulfilling the three responsibilities above, we enable our students to:

    1.         Become critical thinkers who can empathize with people who are different from themselves,

    2.         Compete in the global society as individuals who are knowledgeable about the experiences and cultures of others, and

    3.         Actively respond to and engage with racism and other issues that challenge our democracy.

    Failure  to  accept  these  responsibilities  threatens our democracy and ill prepares our students for the interconnected world they are inheriting. It also stifles the collective healing we need to move toward a more hopeful and promising future. Therefore, if we want to create a more perfect union, we must start in our classrooms, and we must teach to change the world.

    This toolkit has been designed to support you in doing just that. It contains information, guidance, and resources to assist leaders and teachers in taking on the responsibilities I have outlined above. It also includes an outline of staff and student behavioral norms and expectations as we engage in this work, supports with lesson plans that align with our graduate portrait and social studies/civics curriculum, professional development tools for educators, a directory of internal and external supports for students, our Policy on Teaching Controversial Issues, and a list of additional supports for staff. This toolkit can also be found on the APS Center for Equity and Social Justice website and will be updated continuously.

    In Service and Solidarity,

    Dr. Tauheedah Baker-Jones

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