Can a School Board Teach Us to Overcome Division?

Can a School Board Teach Us to Overcome Division?

From How To Citizen with Baratunde by iHeartPodcasts

April 16, 2025 · 7 min

About this episode

The episode explores how a school board in South Central Pennsylvania overcame political division through collaboration and listening.

We’re told America is hopelessly divided. But zoom in—like, say, to a school board in South Central Pennsylvania—and a different story emerges. Full video viewing options for this story plus links to the Instagram and LinkedIn versions: https://newsletter.baratunde.com/p/proof-we-can-overcome-division-3rd   This episode features Steph and Lance: one conservative, one liberal, both neighbors, both school board members. With the support of Urban Rural Action, they chose relationship over partisanship. Listening over labeling. Curiosity over contempt. And the result? A school board that works. For the kids. For the community. For all of us. This is what it looks like to  citizen : Listen deeply. Speak honestly. Resist the pull to polarize. Build something different—together 🧭 More stories and updates: https://stories.howtocitizen.com 🎙️ This story series is a collaborative effort by Shira Abramowitz, Jon Alexander, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston. Video produced by Anne Gutteridge. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Baratunde Thurston

Guests: Steph, Lance

Topics covered

  • division
  • school board
  • community
  • partisanship
  • collaboration

Keywords

  • division
  • school board
  • community
  • partisanship
  • collaboration
  • listening
  • curiosity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Urban Rural Action, iHeartPodcasts

Places: South Central Pennsylvania

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