This week in our 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.

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 CNN op-ed, Ross Weiner of the Institute’s 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 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.

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

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 going above and beyond to guide their students and communities. This year, Weave: The Social Fabric Project partnered with The 74 to shine a light on their efforts. Read and watch the stories here.

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 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. Learn how the Stevens Initiative uses virtual exchange to create a space for cross-cultural friendships.

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