ASKED Answered
Why is listening to the voices of students imperative
to a school’s mission?
Three leaders on the front lines of student engagement share their insights.
Tell us what you think at @acsa_info.
Students are not the problem in our
Russell Quaglia
Founder, Quaglia Institute; co-
author, “Student Voice: The
Instrument of Change” (Corwin)
schools; they are the potential. We believe student voice
should be instrumental to any educational reform agenda. Our
theme, therefore, is “Listen, Learn and Lead.”
We must not only ask young people their thoughts, but we
must truly listen. We must learn from what they are saying by
asking important questions and discovering why they feel as
they do. And finally, we must utilize what we learn to be effec-
tive educators.
Student voice should never be perceived as fulfilling a man-
date or thinking students have a voice because a student is
placed on a few school committees. Student voice is not
window dressing or some ploy to inspire students to do well
To understand the importance of stu-
dent voice, I think it is important to understand the mission
of schools in the first place. While on the surface, schools
have the intellectual responsibility of fostering students’
mathematical, scientific and literary skills, I believe an equally
important role that schools perform is in helping develop the
interpersonal abilities that are vital in ensuring that one can
grow into a contributing member of society. Thus, by listening
to student voice, schools and administrators can effectively
kill two birds with one stone.
Giving students a stake in their education helps in the devel-
opment of citizenship, as students are given the opportunity
to think critically about improvements they would like to see in
their school community. This skill-building translates to adult
Mori Leveroni
A ninth grade student told us, “Student voice is being able to
be heard, to be listened to, then being able to change things
for the better. It is one thing to be able to say what you feel, but
to actually have adults listen to you and actually process what
you say is totally different.” n
life, when instead of a school community, that student is now a
part of a greater city, state and national community. It teaches
students to be aware of the issues that affect them, and instills
them with the confidence and belief that through taking action,
they can make a tangible difference in their communities and
this world.
However, I do not believe that listening to student voice is only
beneficial to students. Student voice also offers a separate
perspective on issues specific to a school site. Whereas ad-
ministrators may have a more holistic view of issues in the
school, students possess a more personalized experience
with those issues. Both perspectives are invaluable in formu-
lating solutions that can mediate problems and optimize the
educational experience. n
Each school’s mission can be unique and tai-
President of the