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As a member of the Millennial Generation, I couldn’t help but notice “The New Generation Gap in Schools,” an article in the March issue of the American School Board Journal, published by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) that asserts Millennials are arriving in schools – as parents – and that the public education community can prevent a new generation gap by earning our support.  I certainly agree.

The article’s generation profile says we are more diverse, racially tolerant, less conservative and less likely to have served in the military than the generations before us. We tend to be more liberal, socially and politically which may lead us to support public schools philosophically and theoretically, but does not automatically guarantee we will send our children to traditional public schools.

There in lies the catch. Millennials are less wedded to traditional institutions and norms, but “we’re fiercely loyal once trust has been earned.” The article places significant emphasis on working hard to gain our confidence: “this generation expects to be listened to and taken seriously by educators and school officials.” As a Millennial, I am certainly a proud supporter of public schools. I also identify with many of the traits mentioned above and ponder my place in the wider system.

I am excited to see NSBA encouraging the education community to look at new ways to connect and communicate with those in the millennial generation.

The article devotes a section to “staying connected 24-7” noting “from a communications standpoint, Millennials are nearly always on the go.” Two particulars of note: First, this generation uses social media at rates much higher than Generation Xers and the Boomers. To the extent that school officials and district information officials adapt to these practices, the Millennial generation will become more accessible. This is a new phenomenon - a recent National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) survey noted that social media is currently at the bottom of preferred communications strategies for parents overall. One assumes this finding will change in the next decade.

Secondly, newspapers and radio are less influential to this generation - Millennials are more likely to get their news from the Internet. This opening of news sources offers additional opportunities to communicate the benefits and accomplishments of our public schools.

The NSPRA survey also found that “when it comes to content issues…both parents and non-parents listed the rationale/reasons for decisions made by the school district …” as one of their top tier concerns. Desires for reason and rationale, along with a desire to understand the decision making process, offer key opportunities for school officials to combat the record low levels of trust in government mentioned in the American School Board Journal article.

The article also notes our social tendencies and preferences. Specifically, we “will make eager, hard-working volunteers and enthusiastic project managers for teachers, principals, and school officials they like and respect.” I know many young people who are eager to get involved in the community and value family and societal connections. Like the generations before us, we enjoy being part of a broader framework and effort and hope to see the fruits of our efforts and collaborations have real impact. A final observation hints at the complex nature of the generation gap and the work ahead: “Easily bored, Millennials continually need new challenges and collaborative projects to stay interested and engaged in the life of the classroom, school, or district.”

From an educational standpoint what is interesting about this assertion is that problem solving, versatility, and collaboration are abilities that we, in the education community, say students should learn in school as part of a 21^st Century skill set. These are skills that employers say they look for in their employees. Perhaps we should encourage the parents and soon-to-be parents in the Millennial generation, as well as those from earlier generations, who are already exhibiting some of those tendencies to share them with our students.

NSBA is correct, leaders do need to plan systematically to engage with Millennials or their base of support may erode. The younger generation will eagerly support America’s public school systems, but only if opportunities for long-term meaningful engagement do in fact exist.