Sigal Ben-Porath

The organization, founded in 1965, is an honorific society of U.S. members and international associates elected based on outstanding education-related scholarship.

Penn GSE's fall initiatives include the One Book program, Visiting Scholar Speaker Series, and Community Circles to encourage inclusive, respectful conversations.

Sigal Ben-Porath says it was reasonable for colleges to try and balance preserving free speech while not letting demonstrations disrupt other student experiences, but that what Columbia did was dramatic, if not completely unexpected.

Sigal Ben-Porath recommends clear communication and contextually relevant discussions as strategies for universities to navigate the complexities of free speech on campuses.

Sigal Ben-Porath discusses the challenges private colleges face in balancing inclusivity and free speech, noting that policies may unevenly limit expression, complicating efforts to maintain an open academic environment.

Sigal Ben-Porath discusses the growing polarization in K-12 education, emphasizing the challenge of navigating a deeply divided political climate and the impact this has on educational environments and teacher preparation

Sigal Ben-Porath suggests that campuses should balance inclusion with free speech through specific rules, acknowledging the complexity of navigating controversial speech without undermining safety or diversity.

School administrators across the country are facing political challenges they might not have expected when they entered education. Sigal Ben-Porath, MRMJJ Presidential Professor, recently offered advice in School Administrator magazine for how superintendents and other leaders can navigate these pressures.

Sigal Ben-Porath views the changes in higher education regulation in states like Florida and North Carolina as primarily driven by Republican goals and visions for the sector, indicating a significant shift in how public higher education is being managed and regulated.

Penn GSE Professor Sigal Ben-Porath has been named the MRMJJ Presidential Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs Susan Yoon has been named the Graduate School of Education Presidential Professor. Both are the first to hold their respective chairs, which begin with the 2023–2024 academic year.

Sigal Ben-Porath has been named faculty director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Paideia Program. She will assume the role Sept. 1.

Sigal Ben-Porath says progressive education advocacy ticked up last year and has been gaining steam since.

Sigal Ben-Porath says the government is trying to impose perspectives on higher-education institutions and undermining their autonomy.

Sigal Ben-Porath and Jonathan Zimmerman study the boundaries of free speech and censorship in classrooms and curriculums.

Sigal Ben-Porath criticized the "Chicago principles" in 2018, saying they offer false assurance to colleges and universities in relation to free speech.

Professors Sigal Ben-Porath and Andrea M. Kane discussed current challenges to free speech in K–12 and higher education with Dean Pam Grossman in front of alumni and friends. The challenges aren’t new, but they’re being amplified by increased polarization in our society.

Sigal Ben-Porath says that the vehemence of discourse on transgender issues makes sense given the hate speech and misapprehensions previously faced by trans people.

Sigal Ben-Porath discusses how hate speech intersects with First Amendment rights on college campuses.

Sigal Ben-Porath speaks about how information spreads outside conventional news sources. “You have a really open [media] landscape where people like Joe Rogan can hustle,” she says. “The incentive structure is built around rage rather than thoughtful engagement. At the same time, society’s values are changing. Societies are not like atomic clocks. We change and evolve over time.”

Penn GSE’s Sigal Ben-Porath joined Yale University’s Jacob S. Hacker, UCLA’s Martin Gilens and Vanderbilt University’s Larry M. Bartels in The Scholars’ Circle interview to discuss the decline of democracy in the U.S., its causes, and its cures.

Penn GSE’s Abby Reisman and Sigal Ben-Porath penned a piece for the Washington Post denouncing legislative efforts to limit classroom discussions on race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Sigal Ben-Porath spoke about the importance of guaranteeing free speech for young people. “You ought to be able to practice this, you ought to be able to make mistakes, correct them, try out ideas—even outrageous ones, even profane ones,” she said. “We have to support young people in developing their voice, and we’re not very good at doing that right now.”

Sigal Ben-Porath, an expert in civic education, says teachers need to be prepared for these important conversations.

Sigal Ben-Porath describes, “It was a very disturbing and significant moment in American history, so most students will be needing a place to consider it outside their families, and they don't have peer groups right now for the most part because of the pandemic.”

Sigal Ben-Porath joins host Jay Shapiro to explore what protections universities owe their students.

Sigal Ben-Porath discusses how our understanding of open expression and some of the boundaries of free speech that we find ourselves negotiating in this polarized time affects our ability to find common ground as a society, and what are some of the ways that higher education institutions and society more broadly can overcome polarization and mistrust and create a more engaged democratic community.

Sigal Ben-Porath wrote a piece about how teachers can approach the many issues that will arise around the general election in 2020, after the polls close and votes are counted, which could take days or weeks.

Sigal Ben-Porath spoke with host Jonathan Friedman, along with guest Vicka Bell-Robinson, director of residence life at Miami University, about how campuses can facilitate respectful and productive dialogue across political differences during this tense time

After a contentious election, educators need a plan for discussing the results—especially if they aren’t clear.

Sigal Ben-Porath participated as part of a panel discussion, along with Greg Lukianoff and Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, about the current state of free expression on college campuses.

Sigal Ben-Porath asks teachers not to pretend protests about institutional racism and police brutality don’t exist.

Sigal Ben-Porath joined Penn history professor Sophie Rosenfeld to discuss climate change, vaping, and finding the truth on a new Penn podcast.

Sigal Ben-Porath explains that providing historical context and a comfortable environment to discuss weighty topics like impeachment can help students become more civic-minded.

Focusing on actions & 3 more ideas from Sigal-Ben Porath for making political issues teachable moments.