LTE: Teach Civil Discourse in School

SHS Student Dylan LembergThe following letter was written by Harriet Sobol and sent to the Scarsdale Board of Education and Scarsdale Superintendent:

Dear Members of the Board of Education, Superintendent and recently elected Members of the Board,

Sometimes, chaotic and upsetting events offer opportunity. After watching the comments at the BOE May meeting about the scourge of antisemitism, I think that now is a time for opportunity in our beloved schools, where my son and daughter were students, and my son, joyfully, worked in the District's A/V Department.

A month ago, I was lucky enough to attend a conference about Civics in Schools, directed by Joan Weber, under the auspices of Long Island University. Two of the presenters, Dylan Lemberg and Oliver Kaiden, attend Scarsdale High School. Their presentation could have been professional but it wasn't. It was by two stunning Scarsdale students. Dylan Lemberg, the founder of New York Student Engaged Citizenship, and his partner, Oliver Kaiden.

Dylan Lemberg also spoke at the BOE May meeting, suggesting that civil discourse skills might be an answer for what is going on in our high school now. Rather than eliminating conversation about highly political and/or sensitive and emotional subjects, why not train all students in Civil Discourse. The subject would benefit the students all their lives

Oliver and Dylan have created an organization with materials that support how to train teachers and students in the subject. They have marketed their product to educators and legislators . How lucky we are to have homegrown creative members of our community. Go to their Web site which is, https://www.ny-sec.org/ look at the materials, https://www.ny-sec.org/materials, talk to Oliver and Dylan, and consider taking advantage of it.

My experience with Alternative School meetings is that some of the students have been taught civil discourse by teachers mentoring it. Talk to them too.

Sometimes gold is found in your backyard.

With respect,
Harriet Sobol
50 Popham Road Scarsdale