Show Notes
Equity Leadership Now! hosts conversations with equity-conscious leaders from pre-K through university settings who transform structures and strategies for educating students, particularly for those who are marginalized.
In this episode of Equity Leadership Now!, host Dr. Jabari Mahiri speaks with Dr. Diana Hess, Emerita Dean of the School of Education at UW-Madison. Dr. Hess highlights the intersections of democratic education, academic freedom, and the role of structured dialogue in fostering equitable and participatory learning environments. The conversation transitions to Hess’s flagship initiative, The Discussion Project, launched in 2017 at UW-Madison. The Discussion Project is grounded in the principle, “Learn to Discuss, Discuss to Learn,” emphasizing that effective participation in discussions is a teachable skill, not an innate trait. Designed initially to enhance the quality and inclusivity of classroom discussions across disciplines, The Discussion Project offers professional development for higher education instructors and has since expanded to secondary schools.
Mahiri and Hess also address the challenges of sustaining high-quality discussions, including gender dynamics and participation imbalances. The conversation underscores the vital role of dialogue in democratic education, the ethical obligations of educators amid political censorship, and the transformative potential of structured discussion for promoting inclusion, critical thinking, and civic engagement across educational settings.
Discussion/Reflection Questions
- Hess advises, "It's extremely hard to defend democracy without thinking very carefully about equity," adding that a true democracy must be "diverse, multicultural, and inclusive." How might your school or district create more intentional connections between equity initiatives and civic education practices?
- In designing professional development for educators to facilitate high-quality discussions across diverse student populations, how might you adapt the "learn to discuss, discuss to learn" approach to address barriers specifically for historically underserved student groups?
- Hess distinguishes between "open questions" that warrant discussion of multiple perspectives and "settled questions" that shouldn't be debated as contemporary controversies (like women's right to vote). In pursuing educational equity, how might you support teachers in facilitating discussions about equity issues that are politically charged while still maintaining that certain fundamental human rights and dignities are not up for debate?