[1]Strengthening Trust top banner

This week in our [2]ongoing series on strengthening trust, we consider the
intricate relationship between trust and education.

At its core, education is built upon trust. Parents trust schools to
provide their children with necessary life skills. Students trust their
teachers to create an environment where they feel safe and cared for. And
educators trust parents and students to be partners in the learning
process.

The pandemic disrupted these relationships. Lines of communication
withered, educational infrastructure was stressed, and a lack of consistent
guidance left fertile ground for distrust. Now, students are falling behind
in math and reading, grappling with a mental health crisis, and feeling a
growing sense of disillusionment.

To strengthen trust throughout society, we must reestablish trust in our
schools. Daily, educators across the country are working to support young
people through relationship-building. Policymakers and other leaders must
do their part by recommitting to the promise of public education as a
pathway for social mobility. By working together, we can restore trust in
one of the nation’s most influential institutions and once again believe in
the promise of an educated and trusting society.

[3]Please scroll down on cnn.com to see Ross Weiner's op-ed.

Public education has shaped American society to be more inclusive across
race, gender, and ability for half a century. But in recent years,
society’s trust in public education has eroded, and pandemic disruptions
have only exacerbated it. In a [4]CNN op-ed, Ross Weiner of the
Institute’s [5]Education & Society Program writes that rebuilding trust
requires school systems to move away from a focus on testing and toward
developing critical thinking and empathy.

Key takeaways:
* Public schools educate approximately 90 percent of young Americans, so
society is profoundly shaped by whatever happens in our schools.

* The test-and-accountability paradigm, begun in the ‘80s, has outlived
its small initial successes and now contributes to achievement gaps and
declining national education scores.

* Renewing the promise of public education must start by rebuilding trust
between the public and public education.

What’s next:

Earlier this year, state policymakers came together to propose a new,
positive, bipartisan plan for improving public education, creating the
Education & Society program report [6]Opportunity to Learn, Responsibility
to Lead. Governors and other leaders must now call for public conversations
on the role of public education in the future of their states. And PTAs,
civic and business groups, and others should support educators by assessing
opportunities to engage young people outside of school.

[7]Read Wiener’s full op-ed, part of a series, here.

[8]Twitter icon

[9]

Our nation’s youth seem particularly affected by the crisis of trust, with
many Gen Zers reporting they feel isolated and disconnected. Despite living
in an age of uncertainty, educators all over the United States are
[10]going above and beyond to guide their students and communities. This
year, [11]Weave: The Social Fabric Project partnered with [12]The 74 to
shine a light on their efforts. [13]Read and watch the stories here.

[14]Twitter icon

[15]

Ahmed Adel and Jonah Carlson are fast friends who live oceans apart; Ahmed
is from Yemen, and Jonah grew up in Utah. The two young men met through a
[16]Stevens Initiative’s virtual exchange program, and while working on a
collaborative podcast, they learned to see past cultural stereotypes and
connect on a personal level. [17]Learn how the Stevens Initiative uses
virtual exchange to create a space for cross-cultural friendships.

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