Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.’s career spans law, politics, journalism, and nonprofit leadership. He served as Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff and later as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post (2014–2023). He co-founded Politico and currently chairs the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, where he leads its new Center on Civility and Democracy.

In this article, Ryan argues that teaching civility and respectful disagreement is as essential as core academic subjects like math, reading, and history. He underscores the role of civil discourse in sustaining a healthy democracy and stresses that schools must prioritize helping students engage in constructive dialogue.

He is very concerned that too many students graduate today unprepared to listen actively, concede a point, or manage disagreement in good faith. He warns that this trend is deeply dangerous for democracy.

"Students can be invited to establish ground rules for discussion. These should be created collaboratively with students so they reflect shared ownership and mutual respect. Potential rules might include not interrupting others, using credible evidence to support ideas, and agreeing to revisit the norms regularly. When students help craft the rules, they are more likely to follow them and feel invested in the community they help shape.

"This is a foundational principle of democracy. People are far more likely to obey laws and uphold community standards when they themselves had a hand in creating them. They are more willing to pay higher taxes in a participatory government, where they feel they have an influence on the selection of public projects. The same is true in the classroom."

ARTICLE: Teach Them to Disagree: Why Civility Belongs in Every Classroom

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