In a culturally, religiously and racially diverse society like ours — with a single public school system designed to educate America’s children — maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the culture wars have Officially Hit Our Schools. When you clear away the noise, at the core of the struggle is this: what should our schools teach our children—and who decides? Long ago, secular school systems took religious education out of schools, but conservative parents are now seeing a “woke” moral worldview on the rise in the classroom—one that conflicts with lessons they want their children taught. And liberal parents watch aghast as history is whitewashed, books are banned and teachers are asked to do a job that seems increasingly impossible. Speaking of educating the next generation, each side in this schoolhouse brawl is acting badly—with alternating anger and contempt—modeling behavior we can hardly think is good for our children to watch? And if we can’t get it together, it will be our children who lose the most. How can America’s pluralistic ethics find a true home in our schools?

Joining us for this conversation are special guests Dr. Marcus Nicolas, of the Leon County School Board, and Lea Marshall, a beloved theatre teacher at Leon High School.

This one’s a big one, with lots of gnarly roots (so we’re saving 90 minutes for the conversation, all while we’re having a season finale shindig so we’re all in a good mood).

Interested in digging in deeper into this serious conversation ahead of this program? We’d love to support politically diverse conversations in small groups if there is interest. Contact Liz at liz@villagesquare.us.

Joining us for this God Squad are Father Tim Holeda of St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral, Joseph Davis Jr. of Truth Gatherers Community Church, and Betsy Ouellette Zierden former Pastor at Good Samaritan UMC, Gary Shultz of First Baptist Church, Latricia Scriven of Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, and Stefanie Posner of Temple Israel.