In this session, we will share the journey that San Francisco University High School (SFUHS) is on to become a school that teaches students to engage in discourse across difference and support teachers in developing classroom lessons about controversial issues. In the 2023-2024 school year, SFUHS became disabled by the conflict in Israel and Gaza and shifted away from teaching into its mission. Rather than retreating, school leaders made the decision to lean hard into the lessons of the 2024 school year to transform our school culture into being a school that not only supported discourse across difference, but brought along our board of trustees, families, students and faculty as part of this transformational work. We have engaged in teacher training, student workshops, parent education and policy change to become a school that shows up best when learning about controversial issues and fostering a supportive environment in which students and teachers can engage together safely.
