Civil Discourse
At Hockaday, we are responsible for creating a safe, nurturing environment for all our students and are guided by our mission and the Four Cornerstones. We strive to develop students who are educated and inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact and who are inquisitive, thoughtful, empathetic, and understanding of the world around them. We must not shield our students from challenging conversations. Instead, we must equip them with the necessary skills to absorb different perspectives, consider various opinions, and accept that there are often no "right" answers to complex topics.
Over the past year, we have worked to develop a comprehensive plan for the school year, focusing on programming that removes partisanship, polarization, and politics and allows for thoughtful, respectful, and engaging conversations on challenging social and political issues, both in the classroom and throughout the School.
Hockaday's goal is to connect what students learn in class to the real world and help them articulate their views, listen to those of others, and engage with people of different backgrounds with tolerance and understanding. Listed below are some of our plans for the upcoming year.
Hockaday's goal is to connect what students learn in class to the real world and help them articulate their views, listen to those of others, and engage with people of different backgrounds with tolerance and understanding. Listed below are some of our plans for the upcoming year.
Faculty and Staff
- Faculty and staff participated in an in-service session in August entitled "Navigating Challenging Conversations at School" with Close Up. This nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization informs, inspires, and empowers young people to become active citizens. The session focused on creating a culture of civic discourse.
- Hockaday hosted faculty and staff training with area independent schools through Close Up.
- Faculty and staff will have ongoing training through monthly breakfasts led by their colleagues, which will focus on different topics around civil discourse.
Upper School
- Student leaders are participating in civil discourse training with area schools through Close Up. Hockaday is hosting 10 student leaders from 15 campuses in DFW, both independent and public schools, for the training.
- Upper School is partnering with Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab through an open Zoom call where students run through scenarios and deliberations
- Sophomores will engage in bias training with the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
- Each year, Hockaday hosts two voter registration drives and encourages students to participate in the democratic process.
- Students will work with Middle School students to lead conversations using techniques they’ve learned about engaging in tough conversations.
- Students in Government classes will earn a micro-credential from the Close Up Foundation, which requires them to organize at least four civic and impact-oriented activities during their year-long term and complete at least two reflection activities.
Lower and Middle School
- Lower School will frame classroom lessons with Dr. Tracey Tevis, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion around Core Values in an age-appropriate manner.
- Lower School will learn about the democratic process through a dining hall dessert election.
- Hockaday will partner with the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum to offer Upstander Curriculum to students. Program topics include celebrating Dallas/Texas upstanders, and "All About Me" for Lower School students. Fifth Grade topics include celebrating cultures, Texas women as upstanders, and empathy.
- Middle School will participate in age-appropriate lessons about civil discourse, including respectful disagreement.
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.