Educating the Polis | Transform.Ed Briefing #122
Inside the Briefing: From local classrooms to global conversations - supporting educators as architects of democratic culture.
Big Ideas 💡
By Dr. Erik Jon Byker and Kaitlyn O. Holshouser | .ed Magazine
Developing a Democratic Classroom
By Kody Long, Lina Beatriz Barrero-Molina, and Elijah Longaberger | Oklahoma State University
Poll of the Week 📊
Poll Results from Last Week
In response to the question “What do you think is the major challenge in teaching democracy in today’s classrooms?” the breakdown of results are as follows:
About half of the respondents opted for lack of local contextualization, while the remaining were evenly split between low civic literacy, and overemphasis on theory.
Would you like to discuss these results or share your thoughts in the community?
Policy Pulse 🏛
Editorial >> Civic Education, Citizenship, and Democracy
By Lorin W. Anderson | Education Policy Analysis Archives
While youth are often criticized for lacking civic knowledge and political engagement, IEA studies reveal that civic education is narrowly focused on rote learning, with little emphasis on critical thinking or real-life engagement. Effective civic education must balance knowledge with action and foster values, attitudes, and democratic experiences. Without meaningful classroom dialogue, community involvement, and attention to students’ lived realities, civics risks becoming detached from its purpose - to cultivate engaged, thoughtful citizens.
Global Events for Your Calendar 🗓
May 22 | FREE ENTRY >> Development Education and Class
This is an Online Event hosted by the Centre for Global Education and The DICE Project (via Eventbrite).
May 31 | FREE ENTRY >> The Unconference for Language Educators
This is an Online Event hosted by the Center for International Foreign Language Teacher Education (CIFLTE) at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Jun 09 | FREE ENTRY >> Turning Insights into Impact: What do Early Case Studies Reveal about the Power of PISA for Schools?
This is an Online Event hosted by the OECD.
Jun 24/26 | FREE ENTRY >> Developing Oracy in the Primary Classroom
This is an Online Event hosted by the Cambridge English.
Lights, Camera, Education 🎬
Film » Imagine a School... Summerhill
Students at England’s only free school speak out in Parliament to defend their school against a proposed government shutdown.
Documentary » Doing Nothing All Day: Freistunde
FREISTUNDE explores self-determined education through the lens of democratic schools. While integrating the experimental Democracy on Super8 project with clips from over ninety contributors, from filmmakers to preschoolers, it follows a young mother’s journey to find the ideal school for her son. Along the way, she engages with educators and experts in Germany, England, and Israel.
Courses and Learning 🧑💻
Self-Paced Course » Promoting Democracy in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Teachers
By Manchester Metropolitan University, Lisbon School of Education, and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (via FutureLearn)
Books 📚
The If Machine: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom
By Peter Worley
Community Connect 💭
How can educators move beyond teaching about democracy as a system of government to actively cultivating democratic values, attitudes, and practices within the classroom, especially in contexts where time, curriculum constraints, or political sensitivities may limit open dialogue and participation?
Share your ideas on our community post.
New to the community? Join the Global Education Union by the Global Citizenship Foundation! Get exclusive access to the latest updates, resources, and collaboration opportunities. Stay informed, connected, and equipped to shape the many futures of education.
Job Opportunities 📥
Academic and Research Positions (University Level)
🇹🇷 Research Consultant, Liminality Consortium, Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, Istanbul (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
🇺🇸 Assistant Professor (Sociology), Northwest College, Powell (Deadline: 09 Jun 2025)
🇨🇳 Post-doctoral Fellow (Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre), University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Deadline: 30 Jun 2025/Open Until Filled - whichever is earlier)
🇪🇬 Assistant Professor (Public Policy and Administration - Fall 2025), American University in Cairo, Cairo (Deadline: Open Until Filled)
🇺🇸 Visiting Assistant Professor (Social Work), University of Pikeville, Kentucky (Deadline: Open Until Filled)
🇨🇳 Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor (Data Science and Analytics Thrust), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Nansha (Deadline: Open Until Filled)
🇯🇲 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (Education/Teacher Education), The University of the West Indies, Kingston (Deadline: Open Until Filled)
INGO/NGO Positions (Global Organizations)
🇫🇷 Senior Advisor (Governing Bodies, Planning and Administration), UNESCO, Paris (Deadline: 26 May 2025)
🇲🇻 National Consultant (Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes), UNICEF, Male (Deadline: 28 May 2025)
🇫🇷 Senior Education Programme Specialist (Climate-smart Education Systems Initiative - CSESI), UNESCO, Paris (Deadline: 05 Jun 2025)
🇺🇸 Director (Development), CASEL, Chicago (Deadline: Open Until Filled)
School Leadership and Administrative Roles
🇩🇪 Director, International School Hannover Region, Bruchmeisterallee (Deadline: 28 May 2025)
🇨🇳 Deputy Chinese Principal (Operations and Communication), SPGS International School, Chengdu (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
🇵🇬 Principal/Manager (Vocational College), The International Education Agency of Papua New Guinea Ltd (Deadline: 04 Jun 2025)
🇬🇧 Assistant Principal, Octavia House Schools, Essex (Deadline: 21 Jun 2025)
🇨🇳 Director/Deputy Director (STEM), ISA Tianhe International School, Guangzhou (Deadline: 30 Jun 2025)
🇲🇾 Director (International Education Marketing), Epsom College, Negeri Sembilan (Deadline: 30 Jun 2025)
🇨🇳 Principal, Chengdu TIANLI International High School, Chengdu (Deadline: 30 Jun 2025)
🇦🇪 School Principal, PACE Springfield International School, Dubai (Deadline: 01 Jul 2025)
🇨🇳 Vice Head of Division, BASIS International and Bilingual School Chengdu (Primary School), Sichuan (Deadline: 01 Aug 2025)
K-12 Teaching Opportunities
🇦🇪 Primary Teacher, Al Rabeeh Academy, Abu Dhabi (Deadline: 30 May 2025)
🇦🇺 Classroom Teacher, Western Autistic School, Laverton (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
🇬🇧 Visiting Teacher (Cello), Our Lady's Abingdon, Oxfordshire (Deadline: 03 Jun 2025)
🇻🇪 Secondary School Teacher (English), The British School Caracas (Deadline: 07 Jun 2025)
🇱🇺 Teacher (Mathematics), St George's International School Luxembourg, Rue Des Peupliers (Deadline: 12 Jun 2025)
🇨🇭 Teacher (Chemistry), Institut auf dem Rosenberg, St.Gallen (Deadline: 01 Aug 2025)
Disclaimer: The Global Citizenship Foundation does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, products, services, policies, or practices of external links, providers, or any third-party materials referenced in this newsletter. Please use your discretion when accessing external links or resources.
The Global Citizenship Foundation is a leading specialist international organization based in South Asia (NCR Delhi, India) and the European Union (Tallinn, Estonia). Its principal mandate is to realize the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Target 4.7 (Education for Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development). Since 2016, the GCF has impacted education in 70+ countries, striving to transform education for human and planetary flourishing.
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