Civil Discourse During Uncertain Times - Presidential Election 2024

Moving Away From Personalities and Toward Policy Driven Politics

During the 2024 Election cycle, the mainstream media and social media platforms will provide students and staff with many memes, viral videos, soundbites, clickbait headlines, and heavily biased news stories aiming to degrade opponents and promote a single candidate. This will likely prevent productive debates on crucial policy ideas among citizens nationwide.

As a leader in the State, the Ellington Public Schools will continue to create conditions where all students feel empowered to share their beliefs—political leanings or otherwise—to foster healthy debate regarding the societal issues of the day. 

Higher educational institutions—especially in Connecticut—are struggling with free speech issues as evidenced by a recent survey of college students. 

An article published in the Hartford Courant stated the following: On average, nearly 88% of respondents on the Connecticut campuses said that they have felt that they "could not express (their) opinion on a subject because of how other students, a professor, or the administration would respond" with nearly 48% reporting this feeling at least “once or twice a month.” An average of 68% of Connecticut respondents said that they have hidden their “political beliefs from (their) professors in an attempt to get a better grade,” at least once. 

It is our goal, as an Ellington Public Schools Family, to allow students and staff to apply our “Seeds of Civility” to develop skills to promote a fair exchange of ideas regarding the issues as they relate to the candidates for the Presidential Election 2024.

The following document entitled, “Civil Discourse During Uncertain Times - Presidential Election 2024: Moving Away From Personalities and Toward Policy Driven Politics” focuses on a summary of three separate lessons Ellington High School students will participate in during September and October 2024.  A special thank you to Aaron Hoffman and Lynn Ouelette, both Ellington High School social studies teachers, for their work on this project and to Ellington High School Senior Hannah Bruno for participating.

On September 18th the District shared the Ellington Middle Schools' executive summary. This is similar to the high school with three total lessons; however, EMS will focus on gun control policy as opposed to the high school's focus on immigration.  Special thanks to EMS social studies teachers-especially Edith Vibert-Johnson and Matt Ferraro-for their lesson planning and implementation. 

On October 9th, the Elementary Executive summary was released.  This high-level summary is grouped by grades K-3, 4th and 5th and 6th grade, covering age appropriate topics surrounding the Presidential election such as, "What is an election?" and "Should the voting age be lowered?".  Special thanks to the team of teachers who collaborated to create the summary for the elementary schools. 

On November 1st, Dr. Scott Nicol, Superintendent of Schools, released a message entitled, "Freedom in Ellington, CT—Students Express Political Views."