Effective student voices should help shape school policies
Schools continue to ignore student voices. I don't get it. Schools need to give students a greater voice in shaping school policies and providing feedback on instruction. There are no justifiable rationales for failing to do this.
Having students as representatives to school boards is usually a token. They are voices without power and they are rarely a factor in decision making. Is it fear or, more likely, an underestimation of their capabilities? So educators like myself keep repeating ourselves and will until changes take place.
Perhaps the strongest indication that this is wrongheaded is coming from the many stories of student activists and leaders, clearly students with highly effective voices. Interviewing students who are helping to lead efforts to reverse climate change reinforced this for me. Each of the student climate-change activists spoke eloquently and was acting effectively in leadership roles, providing overwhelming evidence of how wise student voices can be.
Additional evidence is highlighted by a new book written by Olivia Seltzer, who was a high school student in Santa Barbara at the time. “Cramm This Book,” which is based on her online newsletter, is another example of what students can accomplish.
The newsletter, designed to help students to become engaged in having a voice to help with national and international problems, went viral internationally. This surprised her, but also motivated her to write the book. In short, it was to increase effective student voices.
“Giving students a major voice in decision making is crucial because it makes us feel empowered, which helps us learn and develop opinions,” Seltzer said. “Ignoring students' voices inevitably leads to ignorance, whereas if we feel our thoughts and beliefs are truly valued, it provides an incentive to get involved and think critically about the issues that matter.
“When I started `The Cramm,' (online newsletter) some friends and I went to (the University of California, Santa Barbara campus) and asked for students to sign up. … Soon young people all over the world went to malls or college campuses to spread the word.
“At school, people told me that they decided to participate in a school walkout or protest because of something they'd read in `The Cramm.'”
Strong and effective student voices are also exemplified by the student council at Life Learning Academy on Treasure Island. This small school for students who have “struck out” at other public schools, and/or live in dangerous and often gang-riddled neighborhoods, has students playing a major role in helping govern student behavior. Their voices are considered an integral part of the school.
The council at LLA has been a major force in the school since it opened in the 1990s. Over the years, these student leaders have also played a role in advising and mentoring fellow students who are having difficulty in the school or other challenges in their lives. They are role models for the other students. They also are helpful to the school administration in shaping school policies and actions.
This year, returning after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the council has initiated fundraising so that the small student body can take tours of historically Black colleges and universities. The council sees it as a way of helping the students heal from the last two years. The school is providing some seed money, but the stimulus came from the students and they are leading the effort.
It should be noted that this small school has had great success in helping kids deal with the challenges of their neighborhoods and sometimes their families. Part of this is helping them become effective leaders, empowering them. The success of the school comes from great adult leadership, but significantly also from the students themselves.
These are just my latest examples of what could be taking place in all schools if educational leaders in schools placed the appropriate value on student voices. There are many who could, like Seltzer, become effective leaders. There are many, like the council at LLA, who could help shape what takes place in the school.
Each of the student climate-change activists spoke eloquently and was acting effectively in leadership roles, providing overwhelming evidence of how wise student voices can be.