As we head into November, I asked the Upper School to take a moment to reflect on the midterm elections during our Town Hall on Wednesday, both the lead-in and the results, which we know will manifest in various ways across the nation. Students are acutely aware that candidates are fighting for votes and that ballot measures are being hotly debated.

By and large, we are deeply proud of how CA students carry themselves when discussing politics here at school. This is no small feat, given our contentious political climate and the way personal attacks have become normalized in modern-day politics.

We know, of course, politics have always been personal—and elections have always been zero-sum. It’s unlikely that there has ever been an election where some people didn’t see some core piece of who they are or what they value as either being affirmed or jeopardized by the results of that election.

I reminded our students that the midterms would be no different.

For our students, it’s also important to acknowledge that we’ve entered an era where the two parties have cast each other as existential threats. This has introduced a culture of politicians speaking to each other in ways we would never tolerate in our community.

Given their emphasis on winners and losers, elections create a unique dissonance for places like CA, where we place such a high value on shared accomplishments and authentic connection across differences.

We are a value-driven community where we aspire for everyone to have a place where everyone is deeply cared for. As educators, we seek to complicate ideas, not boil them down to slogans.

I told our students that after the midterm elections, we should expect that some of their classmates may feel relieved, pleased, or reassured by the outcomes. Equally, I asked them to consider that some of their classmates may feel disappointed, dismayed, or even fearful of the implications of the election.

That we’ll have students feeling the spectrum of these emotions means we must do all we can to ensure we don’t fall into the temptation of pecking at each other in the ways our political climate might encourage. And we must remember that we are not a zero-sum school—CA is not driven by winners and losers, but by our commitments and our values: curiosity, kindness, and courage.

CA values respect and respectful disagreement. But I reminded our students that disagreement does not mean we are allowed to introduce hurtful speech that negatively reflects on people because of their identity—race, class, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith systems, or political affiliations.

In a school, there is no political stance that justifies hurting people. 

Of course, we know this is a tall order. It would be much easier to ban political dialog at our school or between students, but we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we did that. What is harder, and what we must aim to do, is create space for productive dialog, even in the face of disagreement.

We know that after the elections, students will be eager to reflect, converse, or unpack the election results. Some may want to talk about it intellectually, others from a place of lived experience or personal beliefs.

Understanding this, and new this year, the school will encourage student organizations, clubs, and affinity groups to host post-election meetings centered on the group’s mission as it relates to the midterm elections. Each organizing group must work with an adult moderator and use a set of discussion norms we’ll share to ensure productive conversations. All meetings will be optional.

Additionally, the Social Studies Department will invite students to attend sessions to provide historical context for the elections and to engage in non-partisan analysis and discussion of the results. We will encourage students to participate in whatever session—or sessions—work best for them.

Regardless of the results of the midterm elections, the Upper School will strive to live the values of our community. We thank you for all your support in that endeavor.